5-8Starting and driving
.Do not drive across steep slopes.
Instead drive either straight up or
straight down the slopes. Off-road
vehicles can tip over sideways much
more easily than they can forward or
backward.
. Many hills are too steep for any
vehicle. If you drive up them, you
may stall. If you drive down them,
you may not be able to control your
speed. If you drive across them, you
may roll over.
. Do not shift ranges while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause
loss of control of the vehicle.
. Stay alert when driving to the top of
a hill. At the top there could be a
drop-off or other hazard that could
cause an accident.
. If your engine stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep hill,
never attempt to turn around. Your
vehicle could tip or roll over. Always
back straight down in R (Reverse)
range. Never back down in N (Neu-
tral) , using only the brake, as this
could cause loss of control. .
Heavy braking going down a hill
could cause your brakes to overheat
and fade, resulting in loss of control
and an accident. Apply brakes
lightly and use a low range to
control your speed.
. Unsecured cargo can be thrown
around when driving over rough
terrain. Properly secure all cargo
so it will not be thrown forward
and cause injury to you or your
passengers.
. To avoid raising the center of gravity
excessively, do not exceed the rated
capacity of the roof rack (if so
equipped) and evenly distribute the
load. Secure heavy loads in the
cargo area as far forward and as
low as possible. Do not equip the
vehicle with tires larger than speci-
fied in this manual. This could cause
your vehicle to roll over.
. Do not grip the inside or spokes of
the steering wheel when driving off-
road. The steering wheel could
move suddenly and injure your
hands. Instead drive with your fin-
gers and thumbs on the outside of
the rim. .
Before operating the vehicle, ensure
that the driver and all passengers
have their seat belts fastened.
. Always drive with the floor mats in
place as the floor may became hot.
. Lower your speed when encounter-
ing strong crosswinds. With a higher
center of gravity, your vehicle is
more affected by strong side winds.
Slower speeds ensure better vehicle
control.
. Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires, even
with AWD engaged.
. For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to
any drive or reverse position with
the engine running. Doing so may
result in drivetrain damage or un-
expected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle da-
mage or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel dy-
namometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for
emissions testing) , or similar equip-
ment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure
you inform test facility personnel
that your vehicle is equipped with
AWD before it is placed on a
dynamometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drivetrain
damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in
serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
. When a wheel is off the ground due
to an unlevel surface, do not spin
the wheel excessively (AWD model) .
. Accelerating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking may
cause loss of control.
. If at all possible, avoid sharp turning
maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. Your vehicle has a higher
center of gravity than a conventional
passenger car. The vehicle is not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger
cars. Failure to operate this vehicle
correctly could result in loss of
control and/or a rollover accident.
. Always use tires of the same type,
size, brand, construction (bias, bias- belted or radial) , and tread pattern
on all four wheels. Install traction
devices on the front wheels when
driving on slippery roads and drive
carefully.
. Be sure to check the brakes imme-
diately after driving in mud or water.
See “Brake system” (P.5-35) for wet
brakes.
. Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle
and it rolls forward, backward or
sideways, you could be injured.
. Whenever you drive off-road
through sand, mud or water as deep
as the wheel hub, more frequent
maintenance may be required. See
the maintenance schedule shown in
the “9. Maintenance and schedules”
section.
. Spinning the front wheels on slip-
pery surfaces may cause the AWD
warning light to flash and the AWD
system to automatically switch from
the AWD mode to the 2WD mode.
This could reduce traction.WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition
switch while driving the vehicle except
in an emergency. (The engine will stop
when the ignition switch is pushed 3
consecutive times or the ignition switch
is pushed and held for more than 2
seconds.) If the engine stops while the
vehicle is being driven, this could lead
to a crash and serious injury.
Before operating the push-button ignition
switch, be sure to move the shift lever to the P
(Park) position (for Continuously Variable Trans-
mission models) or the shift lever to the N
(Neutral) position (for manual transmission
models) .
Starting and driving5-9
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
5-10Starting and driving
SSD0436
OPERATING RANGE FOR ENGINE
START FUNCTION
The Intelligent Key can only be used for starting
the engine when the Intelligent Key is within the
specified operating range
*1.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost
discharged or strong radio waves are present
near the operating location, the Intelligent Key
system’s operating range becomes narrower
and may not function properly.
If the Intelligent Key is within the operating
range, it is possible for anyone, even someone
who does not carry the Intelligent Key, to push
the ignition switch to start the engine. .
The cargo room area is not included in the
operating range but the Intelligent Key may
function.
. If the Intelligent Key is placed on the
instrument panel, inside the glove box or
door pocket, the Intelligent Key may not
function.
. If the Intelligent Key is placed near the door
or window outside the vehicle, the Intelligent
Key may function.
SSD0859
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
OPERATION
When the ignition switch is pushed without
depressing the brake pedal (Continuously Vari-
able Transmission models) or the clutch pedal
(manual transmission models) , the ignition
switch position will change as follows:
.Push once to change to ACC.
. Push two times to change to ON.
. Push three times to change to OFF.
. Push four times to return to ACC.
. Open or close any door to return to LOCK
during the OFF position.
The indicator light
*Aon the ignition switch
5-12Starting and driving
SSD0860
INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY DIS-
CHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is discharged,
or environmental conditions interfere with the
Intelligent Key operation, start the engine
according to the following procedure:
1. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position(for Continuously Variable Transmission
models) or the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position (for manual transmission models) .
2. Firmly apply the foot brake.
3. Touch the ignition switch with the Intelligent Key as illustrated. (A chime will sound.) 4. Push the ignition switch while depressing
the brake pedal within 10 seconds after the
chime sounds. The engine will start.
After step 3 is performed, when the ignition
switch is pushed without depressing the brake
pedal, the ignition switch position will change to
ACC.
NOTE:
. When the ignition switch is pushed to
the ACC or ON position or the engine is
started by the above procedures, the
Intelligent Key system warning light
may blink in yellow even if the Intelli-
gent Key is inside the vehicle. This is
not a malfunction. To stop the warning
light from blinking, touch the ignition
switch with the Intelligent Key again.
. If the Intelligent Key system warning
light in the meter is blinking in green,
replace the battery as soon as possible.
(See “Intelligent Key battery replace-
ment” (P.8-20) .) .
Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
. Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid, and window washer fluid as
frequently as possible, or at least whenever
you refuel.
. Check that all windows and lights are clean.
. Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
. Lock all doors.
. Position seat and adjust head restraints.
. Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
. Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to
do likewise.
. Check the operation of warning lights when
the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position. (See “Warning lights, indicator
lights and audible reminders” (P.2-15) .)
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) or N(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the shift lever is in either of the above
positions.
Manual Transmission (MT) models:
Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position. Depress the clutch pedal fully to
the floor.
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the clutch pedal is fully depressed.
The Intelligent Key must be carried
when operating the ignition switch.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal (CVT models) or
the clutch pedal (MT models) and push the
ignition switch to start the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push and
release the ignition switch while depressing
the brake pedal (CVT models) or the clutch
pedal (MT models) with the ignition switch in
any position.
.If the engine is very hard to start inextremely cold weather or when restart-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal a little
(approximately 1/3 to the floor) and while
holding, crank the engine. Release the accelerator pedal when the engine starts.
.If the engine is very hard to start because
it is flooded, depress the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Push the ignition switch to the ON
position to start cranking the engine.
After 5 or 6 seconds, stop cranking by
pushing the ignition switch to OFF. After
cranking the engine, release the accel-
erator pedal. Crank the engine with your
foot off the accelerator pedal by
depressing the brake pedal and pushing
the push-button ignition switch to start
the engine. If the engine starts, but fails
to run, repeat the above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start, push the ignition switch
to OFF and wait 10 seconds before
cranking again, otherwise the starter
could be damaged.
4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds after starting. Do not race the
engine while warming it up. Drive at moderate speed for a short distance first,
especially in cold weather. In cold weather,
keep the engine running for a minimum of 2 -
3 minutes before shutting it off. Starting and
stopping the engine over a short period of
time may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
When racing the engine up to 4,000 rpm or
more under no load condition, the engine
will enter the fuel cut mode.
5. To stop the engine, move the shift lever to the P (Park) position (CVT models) or move
the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position (MT
models) , and push the ignition switch to the
OFF position.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery discharge
and potential no-start conditions such as:
1. Installation or extended use of electro-
nic accessories that consume battery
power when the engine is not running
(Phone chargers, GPS, DVD players,
etc.)
2. Vehicle is not driven regularly and/or
only driven short distances.
In these cases, the battery may need to be
charged to maintain battery health.
Starting and driving5-13
STARTING THE ENGINE
5-14Starting and driving
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANS-
MISSION (CVT)
The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
in your vehicle is electronically controlled to
produce maximum power and smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures for this
transmission are shown on the following pages.
Follow these procedures for maximum vehicle
performance and driving enjoyment.
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress thefoot brake pedal before moving the shift
lever out of the P (Park) position.
This CVT is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed before
shifting from P (Park) to any driving
position while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of
the other positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position or if the key is removed. 2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed, push
the shift lever button and move the shift lever
to a driving position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal, and then gradually start the vehicle in
motion.
WARNING
.Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while shifting from P (Park)
or N (Neutral) to R (Reverse) , D
(Drive) , or manual shift mode (if so
equipped) . Always depress the
brake pedal until shifting is com-
pleted. Failure to do so could cause
you to lose control and have an
accident.
. Cold engine idle speed is high, so
use caution when shifting into a
forward or reverse gear before the
engine has warmed up.
. Never shift to either the P (Park) or
R (Reverse) position while vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) while the vehicle is rever-
sing. This could cause an accident
or damage the transmission. .
Do not downshift abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
CAUTION
.To avoid possible damage to your
vehicle; when stopping the vehicle
on an uphill grade, do not hold the
vehicle by depressing the accelera-
tor pedal. The foot brake should be
used for this purpose.
. Except in an emergency, do not shift
to the N (Neutral) position while
driving. Coasting with the transmis-
sion in the N (Neutral) position may
cause serious damage to the trans-
mission.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-16Starting and driving
N (Neutral):
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
The engine can be started in this position. You
may shift to N (Neutral) and restart a stalled
engine while the vehicle is moving.
D (Drive):
Use this position for all normal forward driving.
JVS0388X
Paddle shifter (if so equipped)
Manual shift mode (if so equipped)
When the shift lever is shifted from the D (Drive)
position to the manual shift gate, the transmis-
sion enters the manual shift mode. Shift ranges
can be selected manually by moving the shift
lever up or down, or pulling the right-side or left-
side paddle shifter (if so equipped) .
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the position indicator in the meter.Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows:
Except for NISMO RS models:
M1
?
M2?
M3?
M4?
M5 ?
M6 ?
M7
///// /
NISMO RS models:
M1?
M2 ?
M3 ?
M4 ?
M5 ?
M6 ?
M7 ?
M8
////// /
.
When shifting up, move the shift lever to the
+ (up) side or pull the right-side paddle
shifter (+)
*A(if so equipped) . The
transmission shifts to a higher range.
. When shifting down, move the shift lever to
the í(down) side or pull the left-side paddle
shifter ( í )
*B(if so equipped) . The
transmission shifts to a lower range.
. Moving the shift lever to the same side twice
will shift the ranges in succession. However,
if this motion is rapidly done, the second
shifting may not be completed properly.
. When canceling the manual shift mode,
return the shift lever to the D (Drive) position.
The transmission returns to the normal
driving mode.
. When you pull the paddle shifter (if so
equipped) while in the D (Drive) position, the
transmission will shift to the upper or lower
range temporarily. The transmission will
automatically return to the D (Drive) position
after a short period of time. If you want to
return to the D (Drive) position manually, pull
and hold the paddle shifter for about 1.5
seconds.
M7 (7th) (except for NISMO RS models):
M8 (8th) (NISMO RS models):
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
M6 (6th) and M5 (5th) (except for NISMO
RS models):
M7 (7th) and M6 (6th) (NISMO RS models):
Use these positions when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving down
long slopes.
M4 (4th) , M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd) (except for
NISMO RS models):
M5 (5th) , M4 (4th) , M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd)
(NISMO RS models):
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
M1 (1st):
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine braking on
steep downhill grades. .
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than M7
(except for NISMO RS models) or M8
(NISMO RS models) range. This reduces
fuel economy.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected
range. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
When this situation occurs, the Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
position indicator light will blink and
the chime will sound.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion automatically shifts down to 1st
gear before the vehicle comes to a
stop. When accelerating again, it is
necessary to shift up to the desired
range.
. When the CVT fluid temperature is extre-
mely low, the manual shift mode may not
work and automatically shift as a drive mode.
This is not a malfunction. In this case, return
the shift lever to the D (Drive) position and
drive for a while and then shift to the manual
shift mode.
. When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the
shift range may upshift at a lower engine
speed than usual. This is not a malfunction.Accelerator downshift — In D position —
For passing or hill climbing, fully depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into a lower gear, depending
on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection mode
This transmission has a high fluid temperature
protection mode. If the fluid temperature be-
comes too high (for example, when climbing
steep grades in high temperature with heavy
loads) , engine power and, under some condi-
tions, vehicle speed will be decreased auto-
matically to reduce the chance of transmission
damage. Vehicle speed can be controlled with
the accelerator pedal, but the engine and vehicle
speed may be limited.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel spin-
ning and subsequent hard braking, the
fail-safe system may be activated. The MIL
may illuminate to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. (See “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” (P.2-22) .) This will
occur even if all electrical circuits are
functioning properly. In this case, place
the ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait for 10 seconds. Then turn the switch
Starting and driving5-17