2018 INFINITI Q50 HYBRID suspension

1-50Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
Other supplemental front-impact
air bag precautions
WARNING
.Do not place any objects on the
steering wheel pad or on the instru-
ment panel. Also, do not place any
objects between any occupant and
the steering wheel or instrument
panel. Such objects may become
dangerous projectiles and cause in-
jury if the front air bags inflate.
. Do not place objects with sharp edges
on the seat. Also, do not place heavy
objects on the seat that will leave
permanent impressions in the seat.
Such objects can damage the seat or
occupant classification sensors
(weight sensors). This can affect the
operation of the air bag system and
result in serious personal injury.
. Do not use water or acidic cleaners
(hot steam cleaners) on the seat. This
can damage the seat or occupant
classification sensors. This can also
affect the operation of the air bag
system and result in serious personal injury.
. Immediately after inflation, several
front air bag system components will
be hot. Do not touch them; you may
severely burn yourself.
. No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the air bag system. This is to prevent
accidental inflation of the supple-
mental air bag or damage to the
supplemental air bag system.
. Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or front end struc-
ture. This could affect proper opera-
tion of the front air bag system.
. Tampering with the air bag system
may result in serious personal injury.
Tampering includes changes to the
steering wheel and the instrument
panel assembly by placing material
over the steering wheel pad and
above the instrument panel or by
installing additional trim material
around the air bag system.
. Removing or modifying the front
passenger seat may affect the func-
tion of the air bag system and result
in serious personal injury. .
Modifying or tampering with the
front passenger seat may result in
serious personal injury. For example,
do not change the front seats by
placing material on the seat cushion
or by installing additional trim mate-
rial, such as seat covers, on the seat
that is not specifically designed to
assure proper air bag operation.
Additionally, do not stow any objects
under the front passenger seat or the
seat cushion and seatback. Such
objects may interfere with the proper
operation of the occupant classifica-
tion sensors.
. No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the seat belt system. This may affect
the front air bag system. Tampering
with the seat belt system may result
in serious personal injury.
. It is recommended you visit an
INFINITI retailer for work on and
around the front air bag. It is also
recommended you visit an INFINITI
retailer for installation of electrical
equipment. The Supplemental Re-
straint System (SRS) wiring har-
nesses* should not be modified or
disconnected. Unauthorized electrical
test equipment and probing devices
should not be used on the air bag

1-52Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
other injuries. Side air bags and curtain air
bags do not provide restraint to the lower
body.
The seat belts should be correctly worn and
the driver and passenger seated upright as
far as practical away from the side air bag.
Rear seat passengers should be seated as far
away as practical from the door finishers
and side roof rails. The side air bags and
curtain air bags inflate quickly in order to
help protect the occupants. Because of this,
the force of the side air bags and curtain air
bags inflating can increase the risk of injury if
the occupant is too close to, or is against,
these air bag modules during inflation. The
side air bag will deflate quickly after the
collision is over.
The curtain air bag will remain inflated for a
short time.
The side air bags and curtain air bags
operate only when the ignition switch is in
the ON position.
After pushing the ignition switch to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warning
light illuminates. The air bag warning light
will turn off after about 7 seconds if the
systems are operational.
WARNING
.Do not place any objects near the
seatback of the front seats. Also, do
not place any objects (an umbrella,
bag, etc.) between the front door
finisher and the front seat. Such
objects may become dangerous pro-
jectiles and cause injury if side air bag
inflates.
. Right after inflation, several side air
bags and curtain air bag system
components will be hot. Do not touch
them; you may severely burn your-
self.
. No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
side air bag and curtain air bags. This
is to prevent damage to or accidental
inflation of the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems.
. Do not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle’s electrical system,
suspension system or side panel. This
could affect proper operation of the
side air bag and curtain air bag
systems.
. Tampering with the air bag system
may result in serious personal injury.
For example, do not change the front seats by placing material near the
seatback or by installing additional
trim material, such as seat covers,
around the side air bags.
. It is recommended you visit an
INFINITI retailer for work on and
around the side air bag and curtain
air bag. It is also recommended you
visit an INFINITI retailer for installa-
tion of electrical equipment. The
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) wiring harnesses* should not
be modified or disconnected. Un-
authorized electrical test equipment
and probing devices should not be
used on the side-impact air bag
system.
* The SRS wiring harness connectors are
yellow and orange for easy identifica-
tion.
When selling your vehicle, we request that
you inform the buyer about the side air bag
and curtain air bag systems and guide the
buyer to the appropriate sections in this
Owner’s Manual.

5-126Starting and driving
the road so the vehicle will move away
from the center of the road if it
moves.
4. Push the ignition switch to the OFF position.DIRECT ADAPTIVE STEERING
TYPE
WARNING
.When the power steering warning
light illuminates with the INFINITI
Direct Response Hybrid
®System run-
ning, the power assist for the steer-
ing will cease operation. You will still
have control of the vehicle, but the
steering will be harder to operate.
. If wheels or tires other than the
INFINITI recommended ones are
used, Direct Adaptive Steering may
not operate properly and the power
steering warning light may illumi-
nate.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s suspen-
sion. If suspension parts such as
shock absorbers, struts, springs, sta-
bilizer bars, bushings and wheels are
not INFINITI recommended for your
vehicle or are extremely deteriorated,
Direct Adaptive Steering may not
operate properly and the power
steering warning light may illumi-
nate.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s steering.
If steering parts are not INFINITI recommended for your vehicle or are
extremely deteriorated, Direct Adap-
tive Steering may not operate prop-
erly and the power steering warning
light may illuminate.
. If the VDC warning light illuminates,
the power steering warning light may
also illuminate at the same time. Stop
the vehicle in a safe location, turn the
hybrid system off and restart the
hybrid system. If the power steering
warning light continues to illuminate,
have the system checked. It is recom-
mended you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service. For the VDC system,
see “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system” (P.5-130).
CAUTION
.Do not place the ignition switch is in
the ON position while the steering
wheel or a tire is removed.
. Do not turn the steering wheel as
much as possible while the ignition
switch is in any position other than
the ON position.
. Installing an accessory on the steer-
ing wheel, or changing the steering
POWER STEERING

help keep the vehicle on the steered path.
. You may feel a pulsation in the brake
pedal and hear a noise or vibration from
under the hood. This is normal and
indicates that the VDC system is working
properly.
. Adjust your speed and driving to the road
conditions.
See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) warn-
ing light” (P.2-15).
If a malfunction occurs in the system, the
VDC warning light
illuminates in the
instrument panel. The VDC system automa-
tically turns off.
The VDC OFF switch is used to turn off the
VDC system. The VDC off indicator light
illuminates to indicate the VDC system is off.
When the VDC switch is used to turn off the
system, the VDC system still operates to
prevent one drive wheel from slipping by
transferring power to a non slipping drive
wheel. The VDC warning light
flashes if
this occurs. All other VDC functions are off,
except for rise-up and build-up, and brake
force distribution, and the VDC warning
light
will not flash. The VDC system is
automatically reset to on when the ignition
switch is placed in the off position then back
to the on position.
See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) warn-
ing light” (P.2-15) and “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) off indicator light” (P.2-17).
The computer has a built-in diagnostic
feature that tests the system each time you
start the INFINITI Direct Response Hybrid
®
System and move the vehicle forward or in
reverse at a slow speed. When the self-test
occurs, you may hear a “clunk” noise and/or
feel a pulsation in the brake pedal. This is
normal and is not an indication of a mal-
function.
RISE-UP AND BUILD-UP
The system gradually adjusts braking power
during normal braking to help provide an
enhanced brake feel.
BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION
During braking while driving through turns,
the system optimizes the distribution of
force to each of the four wheels depending
on the radius of the turn.
WARNING
.
The VDC system is designed to help
the driver maintain stability but does
not prevent accidents due to abrupt
steering operation at high speeds or
by careless or dangerous driving
techniques. Reduce vehicle speed
and be especially careful when driving and cornering on slippery surfaces
and always drive carefully.
. The rise-up and build-up, and brake
force distribution system may not be
effective depending on the driving
condition. Always drive carefully and
attentively.
. Do not modify the vehicle’s suspen-
sion. If suspension parts such as
shock absorbers, struts, springs, sta-
bilizer bars, bushings and wheels are
not INFINITI recommended for your
vehicle or are extremely deteriorated,
the VDC system may not operate
properly. This could adversely affect
vehicle handling performance, and
the VDC warning light
may
illuminate.
. If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not
INFINITI recommended or are extre-
mely deteriorated, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the
VDC warning light
may illumi-
nate.
. If engine control related parts are not
INFINITI recommended or are extre-
mely deteriorated, the VDC warning
light
may illuminate.
. When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked cor-
Starting and driving5-131

.Do not use a wax containing any abra-
sives, cutting compounds or cleaners
that may damage the vehicle finish.
Machine compound or aggressive polishing
on a base coat/clear coat paint finish may
dull the finish or leave swirl marks.
REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust,
insects, and tree sap as quickly as possible
from the paint surface to avoid lasting
damage or staining. Special cleaning pro-
ducts are available at an INFINITI retailer or
any automotive accessory stores.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter, the
underbody must be cleaned regularly. This
will prevent dirt and salt from building up
and causing the acceleration of corrosion on
the underbody and suspension. Before the
winter period and again in the spring, the
underseal must be checked and, if necessary,
re-treated.
GLASS
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and dust
film from the glass surfaces. It is normal for
glass to become coated with a film after the
vehicle is parked in the hot sun. Glass cleaner
and a soft cloth will easily remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the win-
dows, do not use sharp-edged tools,
abrasive cleaners or chlorine-based dis-
infectant cleaners. They could damage
the electrical conductors, radio antenna
elements or rear window defroster ele-
ments.
WHEELS
Wash the wheels when washing the vehicle
to maintain their appearance.
. Clean the inner side of the wheels when
the wheel is changed or the underside of
the vehicle is washed.
. Inspect wheel rims regularly for dents or
corrosion. Such damage may cause loss
of pressure or poor seal at the tire bead.
. INFINITI recommends that the road
wheels be waxed to protect against road
salt in areas where it is used during winter.
CAUTION
Do not use abrasive cleaners when
washing the wheels.
Aluminum alloy wheels
Wash regularly with a sponge dampened in a
mild soap solution, especially during winter
months in areas where road salt is used. Salt
could discolor the wheels if not removed.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid
staining or discoloring the wheels:
.
Do not use a cleaner that uses strong
acid or alkali contents to clean the
wheels.
. Do not apply wheel cleaners to the
wheels when they are hot. The wheel
temperature should be the same as
ambient temperature.
. Rinse the wheel to completely re-
move the cleaner within 15 minutes
after the cleaner is applied.
Appearance and care7-3

8-36Do-it-yourself
“S” chains are used on vehicles with re-
stricted tire to vehicle clearance. Vehicles
that can use Class “S” chains are designed to
meet the SAE standard minimum clearances
between the tire and the closest vehicle
suspension or body component required to
accommodate the use of a winter traction
device (tire chains or cables). The minimum
clearances are determined using the factory
equipped tire size. Other types may damage
your vehicle. Use chain tensioners when
recommended by the tire chain manufac-
turer to ensure a tight fit. Loose end links of
the tire chain must be secured or removed to
prevent the possibility of whipping action
damage to the fenders or underbody. If
possible, avoid fully loading your vehicle
when using tire chains. In addition, drive at
a reduced speed. Otherwise, your vehicle
may be damaged and/or vehicle handling
and performance may be adversely affected.
Tire chains must be installed only on the
rear wheels and not on the front wheels.
Never install tire chains on a punctured run-
flat tire, as this could damage your vehicle.
Do not use tire chains on dry roads. Driving
with tire chains in such conditions can cause
damage to the various mechanisms of the
vehicle due to some overstress.
SDI1662
CHANGING WHEELS AND TIRES
Tire rotation
INFINITI recommends rotating the
tires every 5,000 miles (8,000 km).
(See “Jacking up the vehicle and
replacing tires” (P.8-39) for tire repla-
cing procedures.)
As soon as possible, tighten the
wheel nuts to the specified torque
with a torque wrench.Wheel nut tightening torque:80 ft-lb (108 N·m) The wheel nuts must be kept tigh-
tened to the specification at all times.
It is recommended that wheel nuts be
tightened to the specification at each
tire rotation interval.
WARNING
.
After rotating the tires, check
and adjust the tire pressure.
. Retighten the wheel nuts when
the vehicle has been driven for
600 miles (1,000 km) (also in
cases of a flat tire, etc.).
. For additional information re-
garding tires, refer to “Impor-
tant Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Informa-
tion” (Canada) in the Warranty
Information Booklet.
After the ignition switch is placed in
the ON position, it may take a period
of time for the tire pressure to be
displayed in the vehicle information
display while the vehicle is driven.
Depending on the radio wave circum-

CHASSIS AND BODY MAINTENANCE
Abbreviations: I = Inspect and correct or replace as necessary, R = Replace
MAINTENANCE OP-
ERATION
Perform at of miles,
kilometers or months,
whichever comes first.Miles × 1,000
(km × 1,000) Months MAINTENANCE INTERVAL
5
(8) 6 10
(16) 12 15
(24) 18 20
(32) 24 25
(40) 30 30
(48) 36 35
(56) 42 40
(64) 48 45
(72) 54 50
(80) 60 55
(88) 66 60
(96) 72
Brake lines and cables II I I I I
Brake pads and rotors$ II I I I I
Brake fluid$ RR R
Automatic transmission
fluid See NOTE (1)
Transfer fluid and dif-
ferential gear oil See NOTE (2)
II I I I I
Steering gear and link-
age, axle and suspension
parts$ II I
Tire rotation See NOTE (3)
Propeller shaft and drive
shaft boots (AWD mod-
els)$ II I I I I
Exhaust system$ II I
In-cabin microfilter RR R R
Intelligent Key battery RR R R
Maintenance and schedules9-11

9-12Maintenance and schedules
MAINTENANCE OP-
ERATION
Perform at of miles, kilo-
meters or months,
whichever comes first.Miles × 1,000
(km × 1,000) Months MAINTENANCE INTERVAL
65
(104) 78 70
(112) 84 75
(120) 90 80
(128) 96 85
(136) 102 90
(144) 108 95
(152) 114 100
(160) 120 105
(168) 126 110
(176) 132 115
(184) 138 120
(192) 144
Brake lines & cables IIII I I
Brake pads & rotors$ IIII I I
Brake fluid$ RR R
Automatic transmission
fluid See NOTE (1)
Transfer fluid & differen-
tial gear oil See NOTE (2)
IIII I I
Steering gear & linkage,
axle & suspension parts$ II I
Tire rotation See NOTE (3)
Propeller shaft & drive
shaft boots (AWD mod-
els)$ IIII I I
Exhaust system$ II I
In-cabin microfilter RRR R
Intelligent Key battery RRR R
NOTE:
Maintenance items with “$ ” should be
performed more frequently according to
“Maintenance under severe driving condi-
tions” (P.9-13).
(1) Periodic maintenance is not required.
(2) If using a car-top carrier, or driving on
rough or muddy roads, change (not just inspect) oil at every 20,000 miles (32,000
km) or 24 months.
(3) Refer to “Tire rotation” under “General
maintenance” (P.9-2).