2017 NISSAN VERSA SEDAN manual transmission

For additional information, refer to “Seat belts” in
the “Safety—Seats, seat belts and supplemental
restraint system” section of this manual.
Shift P (Park) warning light (ifso equipped)
This light blinks red and the key reminder chime
sounds if the shift lever is in any position other
than P (Park) and the ignition switch is in the OFF
position. Return the shift lever to P (Park) with the
ignition switch in the OFF position and the light
will turn off. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK
position and the chime will turn off. For additional
information, refer to “NISSAN Intelligent Key®” in
the “Pre-driving checks and adjustments” section
of this manual.
Supplemental air bag warninglight
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON or
START position, the supplemental air bag warn-
ing light illuminates for about 7 seconds and then
turns off. This means the system is operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the front
air bag, side air bag, curtain air bag, and preten-
sioner seat belt systems need servicing:
● The supplemental air bag warning light re-
mains on after approximately 7 seconds. ●
The supplemental air bag warning light
flashes intermittently.
● The supplemental air bag warning light does
not come on at all.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for these services.
Unless checked and repaired, the supplemental
restraint system (air bag system) and/or the pre-
tensioner(s) may not function properly. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Supplemental Re-
straint System (SRS)” in the “Safety—Seats, seat
belts and supplemental restraint system” section
of this manual.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning light
is on, it could mean that the front air bag,
side air bag, curtain air bag and/or preten-
sioner systems will not operate in an acci-
dent. To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have your vehicle checked as soon
as possible. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
INDICATOR LIGHTS
This vehicle has various indicator lights that may
illuminate to indicate a system status. For addi-
tional information, refer to the specific light in this
section.
Automatic Transmission (A/T)/Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) position
indicator light (if so equipped)
When the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position, this indicator light shows the shift lever
position. For additional information, refer to “Driv-
ing the vehicle” in the “Starting and driving” sec-
tion of this manual.
Cruise main switch indicatorlight (if so equipped)
The light comes on when the cruise control main
switch is pushed. The light goes out when the
main switch is pushed again. When the cruise
main switch indicator light comes on, the cruise
control system is operational. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Cruise control” in the “Starting
and driving” section of this manual.
2-18Instruments and controls

5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving................5-2
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ..................5-2
Three-way catalyst ..............................5-2
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ..........5-3
Avoiding collision and rollover . . ..................5-6
Off-road recovery ...............................5-7
Rapid air pressure loss ..........................5-7
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ................5-8
Ignition switch (if so equipped) ......................5-8
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
(if so equipped) ................................5-9
Automatic transmission (if so equipped) ...........5-9
Manual transmission (if so equipped) ............5-10
Ignition switch positions ........................ 5-11
Push-button ignition switch (if so equipped) .........5-11
Operating range ............................... 5-12
Push-button ignition switch positions . . . .........5-12
Emergency engine shut off .....................5-13
NISSAN Intelligent Key® battery discharge .......5-13
NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System .............5-14
Before starting the engine ......................... 5-14
Starting the engine (models without NISSAN
Intelligent Key® system) ........................... 5-15Starting the engine (models with NISSAN
Intelligent Key® system)
........................... 5-16
Driving the vehicle ................................ 5-17
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
(if so equipped) ............................... 5-17
Automatic transmission (if so equipped) ..........5-21
Manual transmission (if so equipped) ............5-26
Parking brake .................................... 5-27
Cruise control (if so equipped) . . ...................5-28
Precautions on cruise control ...................5-28
Cruise control operations .......................5-29
Break-in schedule ................................ 5-30
Fuel efficient driving tips ........................... 5-30
Increasing fuel economy ........................... 5-31
Parking/parking on hills ............................ 5-32
Power steering ................................... 5-33
Brake system .................................... 5-34
Brake precautions ............................. 5-34
Anti-lock Braking

System (ABS)................. 5-34
Brake assist .................................. 5-35
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system
(if so equipped) .................................. 5-36
Brake force distribution ........................ 5-37
Cold weather driving .............................. 5-38

To remove the key from the ignition switch:1. Shift the shift lever to the P (Park) position with the ignition switch in the ON position.
2. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK posi- tion.
3. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
If the shift lever is shifted to the P (Park) position
after the ignition switch is turned to the OFF
position or when the ignition switch cannot be
turned to the LOCK position, proceed as follows
to remove the key: 1. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) posi- tion.
2. Turn the ignition switch slightly toward the ON position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK posi- tion.
4. Remove the key.
The shift lever is designed so it cannot be moved
out of P (Park) and into any of the other gear
positions if the ignition switch is turned to the
OFF position
1or if the key is removed from the
switch. The shift lever can be moved if the ignition
switch is in the ON position and the foot
brake pedal is depressed.
There is an OFF position
1between the
LOCK and ACC positions. The OFF position
is indicated by a “1” on the key cylinder.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION (if so
equipped)
The ignition switch includes a device that helps
prevent accidental removal of the key while driving.
The key can only be removed when the ignition
switch is in the LOCK position.
In order for the steering wheel to be locked, it
must be turned about 1/8 of a turn clockwise
from the straight up position.
To lock the steering wheel, place the igni-
tion switch in the LOCK position. Remove
the key. To unlock the steering wheel, in-
sert the key and turn it gently while rotating
the steering wheel slightly right and left.
WSD0052
5-10Starting and driving

1. Apply the parking brake.
2.Automatic Transmission / CVT models:
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) . P (Park) is recommended.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
P (Park) and into any of the other gear
positions if the ignition key is turned to
the OFF position or if the key is re-
moved from the ignition switch.
The starter is designed not to operate if
the shift lever is in any of the driving
positions.
Manual transmission model:
For best practice when operating a manual
transmission, depressing the clutch before
moving the shift lever is ideal.
Move the shift lever to N (Neutral) . Depress
the clutch pedal to the floor while cranking
the engine.
The starter is designed not to operate
unless the clutch pedal is fully de-
pressed. 3. Crank the engine
with your foot off the
accelerator pedal by turning the ignition
key to START. Release the key when the
engine starts. If the engine starts, but fails to
run, repeat the above procedure.
● If the engine is very hard to start in ex-
tremely cold weather or when restarting,
depress the accelerator pedal a little (ap-
proximately 1/3 to the floor) and hold it
and then crank the engine. Release the
key and 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.
Crank the engine for 5-6 seconds. After
cranking the engine, release the accel-
erator pedal. Crank the engine with your
foot off the accelerator pedal by turn-
ing the ignition key to START. Release the
key when the engine starts. 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, turn the key off and wait 10 sec-
onds before cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
4. 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.
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.
STARTING THE ENGINE (models
without NISSAN Intelligent Key®
system)
Starting and driving5-15

3. Using a protective cloth on the tip of ascrewdriver, remove the shift lock release
cover.
● If available, a plastic trim tool can also be
used.
4. Push down the shift lock release using a suitable tool.
5. Push the shift lever button
Aand move the
shift lever to the N (Neutral) position while
holding down the shift lock release.
6. Place the ignition switch in the ON position to unlock the steering wheel.
7. Release the parking brake.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired loca-
tion.
Replace the removed shift lock release cover
after the operation.
If the shift lever cannot be moved out of the P
(Park) position, have the CVT system checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switch
When the O/D OFF switch is pushed with the
shift lever in the D (Drive) position, the
light
in the instrument panel illuminates. For additional
information, refer to “Overdrive OFF indicator
light” in the “Instruments and controls” section of
this manual.
Use the overdrive OFF mode when you need
improved engine braking.
To turn off the overdrive OFF mode, push the O/D
OFF switch again. The
indicator light will
turn off.
Each time the engine is started, or when the shift
lever is shifted to any position other than D (Drive) , the overdrive OFF mode will be automati-
cally turned off.
Accelerator downshift
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the accel-
erator pedal to the floor. This shifts the transmis-
sion down into a lower gear, depending on the
vehicle speed.
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, the CVT will
not be shifted into the selected driving position.
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 not
return to its normal operating condition,
have the transmission checked and re-
LSD2012
5-20Starting and driving

MANUAL TRANSMISSION (if so
equipped)
WARNING
●Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
● Do not over-rev the engine when shift-
ing to a lower gear. This may cause a
loss of control or engine damage.
● Do not shift to the N (Neutral) position
while driving. Doing so may result in an
accident due to loss of engine braking.
CAUTION
●Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal
while driving. This may cause clutch
damage.
● Fully depress the clutch pedal before
shifting to help prevent transmission
damage.
● Stop your vehicle completely before
shifting into R (Reverse) .
● When the vehicle is stopped with the
engine running (for example, at a stop
light) , shift to N (Neutral) and release
the clutch pedal with the foot brake
applied.Shifting
To change gears, or when upshifting or down-
shifting, depress the clutch pedal fully, shift into
the appropriate gear, then release the clutch
slowly and smoothly.
To ensure smooth gear changes, fully depress
the clutch pedal before operating the shift lever. If
the clutch pedal is not fully depressed before the
transmission is shifted, a gear noise may be
heard. Transmission damage could occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and shift to 2nd, 3rd,
4th up to 5th gear in sequence according to
vehicle speed. On the manual transmission, you cannot shift
directly from 5th gear into R (Reverse) . First shift
into N (Neutral) , then into R (Reverse) .
The shift lever ring returns to its original position
when the shift lever is moved to the N (Neutral)
position.
If it is difficult to move the shift lever into R
(Reverse) or 1 (1st) , shift into N (Neutral) , then
release the clutch pedal. Depress the clutch
pedal again and shift into R (Reverse) or 1 (1st) .
Suggested up-shift speeds
The following are suggested vehicle speeds for
shifting into a higher gear. These suggestions
relate to fuel economy and vehicle performance.
Actual upshift speeds will vary according to road
conditions, the weather and individual driving
habits.
For normal acceleration in low altitude areas (less
than 4,000 ft [1219 m]):
GEAR CHANGE
mph (km/h)
1st to 2nd 9 (14)
2nd to 3rd 12 (19)
3rd to 4th 21 (34)
4th to 5th 28 (45)
5th —
SSD0535
5-26Starting and driving

For quick acceleration in low altitude areas and
high altitude areas (over 4,000 ft [1219 m]):
Gear changemph (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40)
3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)
5th —
Suggested maximum speed in each
gear
Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is not
running smoothly, or if you need to accelerate.
Do not exceed the maximum suggested speed
(shown below) in any gear. For level road driving,
use the highest gear suggested for that speed.
Always observe posted speed limits, and drive
according to the road conditions, which will en-
sure safe operation. Do not over-rev the engine
when shifting to a lower gear as it may cause
engine damage or loss of vehicle control.
GEARmph (km/h)
1st 28 (46)
2nd 52 (83)
3rd 76 (122)
4th 103 (166)
5th —
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. To engage:
Pull the parking brake lever up
A.
To release: 1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Manual transmission models:
Place the shift lever in the N (Neutral) posi-
tion.
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) / Automatic transmission mod-
els:
Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
WSD0169
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-27

3. While pulling up on the parking brake leverslightly, push the button
Band lower the
lever completely.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE
CONTROL
1. CANCEL switch
2. ACCEL/RES switch
3. COAST/SET switch
4. CRUISE ON/OFF switch
● If the cruise control system malfunctions, it
cancels automatically.
● To properly set the cruise control system,
use the following procedures.
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.
CAUTION
On manual transmission models, do not
shift into N (Neutral) without depressing
the clutch pedal when the cruise control is
set. Should this occur, depress the clutch
pedal and turn the main switch off imme-
diately. Failure to do so may cause engine
damage.
LSD2430
CRUISE CONTROL (if so equipped)
5-28Starting and driving