2017 NISSAN MAXIMA brake

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 the
OFF position 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 sec-
onds 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 en-
gine running for a minimum of two to three
minutes before shutting it off. Starting and
stopping the engine over a short period of
time may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
5. To stop the engine, shift the shift lever to the P (Park) position 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 electronic accessories that consume battery power
when the engine is not running (Phone char-
gers, 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.
REMOTE START
Vehicles started with the remote start require the
ignition switch to be placed in the ON position
before the shift lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position. To place the ignition switch to the
ON position, follow these steps: 1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you.
2. Apply the brake.
3. Push the ignition switch once to the ON position.
For additional information, refer to “NISSAN In-
telligent Key®” in the “Pre-driving checks and
adjustments” section of this manual.CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
WARNING
● Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) , D (Drive) , or M
(Manual shift mode) . Always depress
the brake pedal until shifting is com-
pleted. Failure to do so could cause you
to lose control and have an accident. It
can also damage the vehicle.
LSD2354
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-15

●Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
● Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
● Never shift to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is re-
versing. This could cause an accident or
damage the transmission.
CAUTION
● Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.
● To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle, when stopping the vehicle on an
uphill grade, do not hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this
purpose.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled 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.
NOTE:
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 the
foot brake pedal before moving the shift
lever out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift lever into a driving gear.
3. Release the parking brake and the foot brake pedal, then gradually start the vehicle in mo-
tion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before shifting the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
The CVT is designed so the foot brake
pedal MUST be depressed before shifting
from P (Park) to any drive position while
the ignition switch is in the ON position. The shift lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park) and into any of the other gear posi-
tions if the ignition switch is pushed to the
LOCK position.
WARNING
●
Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) , D (Drive) , or M
(Manual shift mode) . Always depress
the brake pedal until shifting is com-
pleted. Failure to do so could cause you
to lose control and have an accident. It
can also damage the vehicle.
● Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
● Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
● Never shift to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is re-
versing. This could cause an accident or
damage the transmission.
5-16Starting and driving

CAUTION
●Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.
● To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle, when stopping the vehicle on an
uphill grade, do no hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this
purpose.
To move the shift lever:
Press the button while depressing the
brake pedal
Press the button to shift
Shift without pressing button
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal and move the shift lever from P (Park) to
any of the desired shift positions.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift lever is
in any position while the engine is not
running. Failure to do so could cause the
vehicle to move unexpectedly or roll away
and result in serious personal injury or
property damage.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shift lever position when the
vehicle is parked or when starting the engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped.
The brake pedal should be depressed to
move the shift lever from N (Neutral) or any
drive position to P (Park) .
Apply the parking brake. When parking on a hill,
apply the parking brake first, then move the shift
lever into the P (Park) position.
LSD2358
Starting and driving5-17

R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
R (Reverse) position only when the vehicle
is completely stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up. Make
sure the vehicle is completely stopped before
selecting the R (Reverse) position. The brake
pedal must be depressed to move the shift
lever from P (Park) , N (Neutral) or any drive
position to R (Reverse) .
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.
Manual shift mode
The transmission enters the manual shift mode by
moving the shift lever to the left side in the “D”
range. You can select the manual shift range
either by moving the shift lever up or down, or by
pulling the right-side or left-side paddle shifter (if
so equipped) . To cancel the manual shift mode,
return shift lever to the right D (Drive) position.
The transmission returns to automatic driving
mode.
When the shift lever is shifted from D (Drive) to
the manual shift gate
Awith the vehicle is
stopped or while driving, the transmission enters
the manual shift mode. Shift ranges can be se- lected manually. Shift ranges can also be se-
lected using the paddle shifters (if so equipped)
on the steering wheel
BandC. When you pull
the paddle shifter while in the D (Drive) position,
the transmission will shift to the upper or lower
range temporarily. If the paddle shifters are not
used for about 5–10 seconds, the transmission
will automatically return to the D (Drive) position.
If you want to return to the D (Drive) position
manually, pull and hold either paddle shifter for
about 1.5 seconds.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is dis-
played on the position indicator in the meter.
When shifting the shift lever to the manual shift
LSD2359LSD2635
5-18Starting and driving

Shift lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged, the
shift lever may not be moved from the P (Park)
position even with the brake pedal depressed
and the shift lever button pressed.
It will be necessary to jump start or have your
battery charged, For additional information, refer
to “Jump starting” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this manual. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer or a professional tow-
ing service.To move the shift lever, complete the following
procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK posi- tion.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Using a protective cloth on the tip of a small (1/8 inch or 3 mm) flat-head screwdriver,
remove the shift lock release cover.
● If available, a plastic trim tool can also be
used.
4. Insert the car key into the shift lock release slot and press straight down. A small screw-
driver or small trim tool may also be used.
● For additional information, refer to
“NISSAN Intelligent Key®” in the “Pre-
driving checks and adjustments” section
of this manual.
5. Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral) posi- tion while holding down the shift lock re-
lease.
6. Push the ignition switch to the ON position to unlock the steering wheel. Now the ve-
hicle may be moved to the desired location. If the shift lever cannot be moved out of P (Park) ,
have the transmissions checked as soon as pos-
sible. It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
CAUTION
Make sure to take extra care during the
removal of the shift lock cap as this part is
easily damaged.
WARNING
If the shift lever cannot be moved from the
P (Park) position while the engine is run-
ning and the brake pedal is depressed, the
stop lights may not work. Malfunctioning
stop lights could cause an accident injur-
ing yourself and others.
Accelerator downshift
— in D (Drive) position and manual
shift mode
For passing or hill climbing, depress the accel-
erator pedal to the floor. This shifts the transmis-
sion down into lower range, depending on the
vehicle speed.
LSD2360
5-20Starting and driving

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 temperatures with heavy
loads, such as when towing a trailer) , engine
power and, under some conditions, vehicle
speed will be decreased automatically 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 con-
ditions, such as excessive wheel spinning
and subsequent hard braking, the fail-safe
system may be activated. The MIL may
come on to indicate the fail-safe mode is
activated. For additional information, refer
to “Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)” in the
“Instruments and controls” section of this
manual. 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
place the ignition switch back in the ON
position. The vehicle should return to its
normal operating condition. If it does notreturn to its normal operating condition,
have the transmission checked and re-
paired, if necessary. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature protec-
tion mode or fail-safe operation occurs,
vehicle speed may be gradually reduced.
The reduced speed may be lower than
other traffic, which could increase the
chance of a collision. Be especially careful
when driving. If necessary, pull to the side
of the road at a safe place and allow the
transmission to return to normal opera-
tion, or have it repaired if necessary.
WARNING
●
Be sure the parking brake is fully re-
leased before driving. Failure to do so
can cause brake failure and lead to an
accident.
● Do not release the parking brake from
outside the vehicle.
● Do not use the shift lever in place of the
parking brake. When parking, be sure
the parking brake is fully engaged.
● To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the
vehicle and /or its systems, do not leave
children, people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unattended in
your vehicle. Additionally, the tempera-
ture inside a closed vehicle on a warm
day can quickly become high enough to
cause a significant risk of injury or
death to people and pets.
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-21

To engage:Firmly depress the parking brake.
To release: 1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
3. Firmly depress the parking brake pedal and it will release.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out. Two driving modes can be selected by using the
drive mode selector switches, NORMAL and
SPORT.
NOTE:
● When the drive mode select switch selects a
mode, the mode may not switch quickly. This
is not a malfunction.
● Select the NORMAL mode for normal driv-
ing.
NORMAL MODE
NORMAL mode is recommended for normal driv-
ing. Press the NORMAL mode button to select
this mode.
SPORT MODE
The SPORT mode adjusts the engine, transmis-
sion, and steering to enhance performance.
Press the SPORT mode button to select this
driving mode.
NOTE:
In the SPORT mode, fuel economy may be
reduced.
LSD2176
Drive mode selector switches
LSD2361
DRIVE MODE SELECTOR
5-22Starting and driving

WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when driving
under the following conditions:
●When it is not possible to keep the
vehicle at a set speed.
● In heavy traffic or in traffic that varies in
speed.
● On winding or hilly roads.
● On slippery roads (rain, snow, ice, etc.) .
● In very windy areas.
Doing so could cause a loss of vehicle
control and result in an accident.
CRUISE CONTROL OPERATIONS
The cruise control allows driving at a speed be-
tween 25 - 89 mph (40 - 144 km/h) without
keeping your foot on the accelerator pedal.
To turn on the cruise control, push the
switch on. The CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument panel will illuminate.
To set cruising speed,accelerate the vehicle to
the desired speed, push the SET switch and
release it. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle maintains the set speed. ●
To pass another vehicle, depress the ac-
celerator pedal. When you release the
pedal, the vehicle returns to the previously
set speed.
● The vehicle may not maintain the set speed
when going up or down steep hills. If this
happens, drive without the cruise control.
To cancel the preset speed, use one of the
following three methods.
● Push the CANCEL switch.
● Tap the brake pedal.
● Push the
switch off. The CRUISE in-
dicator light in the instrument panel goes
out.
The cruise control is automatically canceled if:
● you depress the brake pedal while pushing
the RES or SET switch. The preset speed is
deleted from memory.
● the vehicle slows down more than 8 mph
(13 km/h) below the set speed.
● you move the shift lever to N (Neutral) . To reset at a faster cruising speed,
use one of
the following three methods.
● Depress the accelerator pedal. When the
vehicle attains the desired speed, push and
release the SET switch.
● Push and hold the RES switch. When the
vehicle attains the speed you desire, release
the switch.
● Push and release the RES switch. Each time
you do this, the set speed increases by
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
To reset at a slower cruising speed, use one
of the following three methods.
● Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the ve-
hicle attains the desired speed, push the
SET switch and release it.
● Push and hold the SET switch. Release the
switch when the vehicle slows to the desired
speed.
● Push and release the SET switch. Each time
you do this, the set speed decreases by
about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
To resume the preset speed, push and re-
lease the RES switch. The vehicle returns to the
last set cruising speed when the vehicle speed is
over 25 mph (40 km/h).
Starting and driving5-41