.Based on driving conditions.
. The shift lever is shifted to the P (Park)
position, the driver’s seat belt is re-
leased and the driver’s side door is then
opened.
The hybrid system operates as follows based
on driving conditions and the Li-ion battery
charge.
STARTING AND SLOW SPEED
DRIVING
The vehicle is driven by the electric motor
depending on the available Li-ion battery
charge.
MEDIUM OR HIGH SPEED DRIV-
ING
The system automatically controls the gaso-
line engine and electric motor in order to
obtain the optimum fuel mileage and per-
formance, depending on the driving situation
and available Li-ion battery charge.
When the remaining battery level is low, the
Li-ion battery is charged by the electric
motor that is driven to generate electric
power while the vehicle is driving.
RAPID ACCELERATION
The vehicle is accelerated using both the
gasoline engine and the electric motor
depending on the available Li-ion battery
charge.
DECELERATION AND BRAKING
The Li-ion battery is charged by the electric
motor that changes the energy of the
rotating wheels into electric power. See
“Regenerative brake” (P.Hybrid System-8).
STOPPING
The gasoline engine may stop running to
save fuel depending on the available Li-ion
battery charge. The INFINITI Direct Response Hybrid
®Sys-
tem monitors the status of power being sent
to the electric motor and the Lithium ion (Li-
ion) battery state of charge. The status is
shown on the assist charge gauge in the
meter and the energy flow/remaining Li-ion
battery charge in the vehicle information
display. System status can also be shown
when the screen is in the energy flow mode
or energy/fuel history mode.
Hybrid System OverviewHybrid System-5
ENERGY MONITORS
1-46Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system
most effective protection by the seat belt
and supplemental air bag.
INFINITI recommends that pre-teens and
children be properly restrained in a rear seat.
INFINITI also recommends that appropriate
child restraints and booster seats be prop-
erly installed in a rear seat. If this is not
possible, the occupant classification sensor
is designed to operate as described above to
turn the front passenger air bag OFF for
specified child restraints. Failing to properly
secure child restraints and to use the ALR
mode (child restraint mode) may allow the
restraint to tip or move in an accident or
sudden stop. This can also result in the
passenger air bag inflating in a crash instead
of being OFF. (See “Child restraints” (P.1-19)
for proper use and installation.)
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the passenger air bag is designed not to
inflate in a crash. However, heavy objects
placed on the seat could result in air bag
inflation, because of the object being de-
tected by the occupant classification sensor.
Other conditions could also result in air bag
inflation, such as if a child is standing on the
seat, or if two children are on the seat,
contrary to the instructions in this manual.
Always be sure that you and all vehicle
occupants are seated and restrained prop-
erly.Using the front passenger air bag status
light, you can monitor when the front
passenger air bag is automatically turned
OFF with the seat occupied. The light will
not illuminate when the front passenger seat
is unoccupied.
If an adult occupant is in the seat but the
front passenger air bag status light is
illuminated (indicating that the air bag is
OFF), it could be that the person is a small
adult, or is not sitting on the seat properly.
If a child restraint must be used in the front
seat, the front passenger air bag status light
may or may not be illuminated, depending on
the size of the child and the type of child
restraint being used. If the front passenger
air bag status light is not illuminated (in-
dicating that the air bag might inflate in a
crash), it could be that the child restraint or
seat belt is not being used properly. Make
sure that the child restraint is installed
properly, the seat belt is used properly and
the occupant is positioned properly. If the
front passenger air bag status light is still not
illuminated, reposition the occupant or child
restraint in a rear seat.
If the front passenger air bag status light will
not illuminate even though you believe that
the child restraint, the seat belts and the
occupant are properly positioned, the sys-
tem may be sensing an unoccupied seat (in
which case the air bag is OFF). YourINFINITI retailer can check that the system
is OFF by using a special tool. However, until
you have confirmed with your retailer that
your air bag is working properly, reposition
the occupant or child restraint in a rear seat.
The INFINITI Advanced Air Bag System and
front passenger air bag status light will take
a few seconds to register a change in the
passenger seat status. However, if the seat
becomes unoccupied, the front passenger air
bag status light will remain off.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passen-
ger air bag system, the supplemental air bag
warning light
, located in the meter and
gauges area will blink. Have the system
checked. It is recommended 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 sensor (pat-
tern sensor). 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 sensor. 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.
. 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 sensor.
. 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
system.
. A cracked windshield should be re-
placed immediately by a qualified
repair facility. A cracked windshield
could affect the function of the
supplemental 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 front air bag
system and guide the buyer to the appro-
priate sections in this Owner’s Manual.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-47
.Since the spare tire is not equipped
with the TPMS, when a spare tire is
mounted or a wheel is replaced, the
TPMS will not function and the low
tire pressure warning light will flash
for approximately 1 minute. The light
will remain on after 1 minute. Have
your tires replaced and/or TPMS
system reset as soon as possible. It
is recommended you visit an INFINITI
retailer for these services.
. Replacing tires with those not origin-
ally specified by INFINITI could affect
the proper operation of the TPMS.
. Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol
tire sealant into the tires, as this may
cause a malfunction of the tire pres-
sure sensors.
CAUTION
.The TPMS may not function properly
when the wheels are equipped with
tire chains or the wheels are buried in
snow.
. Do not place metalized film or any
metal parts (antenna, etc.) on the
windows. This may cause poor recep-
tion of the signals from the tire pressure sensors, and the TPMS will
not function properly.
Some devices and transmitters may tem-
porarily interfere with the operation of the
TPMS and cause the low tire pressure
warning light to illuminate. Some examples
are:
. Facilities or electric devices using similar
radio frequencies are near the vehicle.
. If a transmitter set to similar frequencies
is being used in or near the vehicle.
. If a computer (or similar equipment) or a
DC/AC converter is being used in or near
the vehicle.
Low tire pressure warning light may illumi-
nate in the following cases.
. If the vehicle is equipped with a wheel
and tire without TPMS.
. If the TPMS has been replaced and the ID
has not been registered.
. If the wheel is not originally specified by
INFINITI.
FCC Notice:
For USA:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device
may not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
NOTE:
Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
For Canada:
This device complies with Industry Canada
licence-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation
is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause interference,
and (2) this device must accept any inter-
ference, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
AVOIDING COLLISION AND
ROLLOVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe
and prudent manner may result in loss of
control or an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive
speed, high speed cornering, or sudden
steering maneuvers, because these driving
practices could cause you to lose control of
Starting and driving5-7
wheel with both hands and try to hold a
straight course.
3. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow the
vehicle.
4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe location off the road and away from
traffic if possible.
5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradu- ally stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and either contact a roadside emergency
service to change the tire or see “Chan-
ging a flat tire” (P.6-4).
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS
AND DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alco-
hol or drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream
reduces coordination, delays reaction
time and impairs judgement. Driving
after drinking alcohol increases the like-
lihood of being involved in an accident
injuring yourself and others. Addition-
ally, if you are injured in an accident,
alcohol can increase the severity of the
injury. INFINITI is committed to safe driving. How-
ever, you must choose not to drive under the
influence of alcohol. Every year thousands of
people are injured or killed in alcohol-related
accidents. Although the local laws vary on
what is considered to be legally intoxicated,
the fact is that alcohol affects all people
differently and most people underestimate
the effects of alcohol.
Remember, drinking and driving don’t mix!
And that is true for drugs, too (over-the-
counter, prescription, and illegal drugs).
Don’t drive if your ability to operate your
vehicle is impaired by alcohol, drugs, or some
other physical condition.
WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition
switch while driving the vehicle except in
an emergency. (The INFINITI Direct
Response Hybrid
®System will turn off
when the ignition switch is pushed 3
consecutive times or the ignition switch
is pushed and held for more than 2
seconds.) If the hybrid system turns off
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.
Starting and driving5-9
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
the “P” (Park) position, and leave the ignition
switch in the “OFF” position for one minute.
Then depress the brake pedal and push the
ignition switch to “ON”. When the READY to
drive indicator light
illuminates, the
vehicle can be driven.
The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch position cannot be switched
to LOCK until the shift lever is moved to the
P (Park) positon.
When the ignition switch cannot be
switched toward the LOCK position, pro-
ceed as follows:
Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position.
Steering lock (if so equipped)
In order for the steering wheel to be locked,
it must be turned about 1/8 of a right or left
turn from the straight up position.
To lock the steering wheel, push the ignition
switch to the OFF position.
To unlock the steering wheel, push the
ignition switch.
If the steering lock release malfunction
indicator appears on the vehicle information
display, push the push-button ignition
switch again while lightly turning the steer-
ing wheel right and left. (See “Vehicle
information display” (P.2-21).) If the battery of the vehicle is discharged, the
push-button ignition switch cannot be
turned from the LOCK position.
Some indicators and warnings for operation
are displayed on the vehicle information
display between the speedometer and tach-
ometer. (See “Vehicle information display”
(P.2-21).)
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION
SWITCH POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in this
position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when it
is pushed to the ACC position while carrying
the Intelligent Key or with the Intelligent Key
inserted in the port.
ACC (Accessories)
This position activates electrical accessories
such as the radio, when the engine is not
running.
ACC has a battery saver feature that will
turn the ignition switch to the OFF position
after a period of time under the following
conditions:
.
all doors are closed. .
shift lever is in P (Park).
The battery saver feature will be cancelled if
any of the following occur:
. any door is opened.
. shift lever is moved out of P (Park).
. ignition switch changes position.
ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system
and electrical accessories.
ON has a battery saver feature that will turn
the ignition switch to the OFF position, if the
vehicle is not running, after some time under
the following conditions:
.all doors are closed.
. shift lever is in P (Park).
The battery saver feature will be cancelled if
any of the following occur:
. any door is opened.
. shift lever is moved out of the P (Park)
position.
. ignition switch changes position.
OFF
The hybrid system can be turned off in this
position.
The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch cannot be switched to the
LOCK position until the shift lever is moved
to the P (Park) position.
Starting and driving5-11
SSD1024
INFINITI Drive Mode Selector
Four driving modes can be selected by using
the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector, STAN-
DARD, SPORT, ECO and SNOW. Select the
STANDARD mode for normal driving.
NOTE:
When the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector
selects a mode, the mode may not switch
quickly. This is not a malfunction.
STANDARD MODE
Recommended for normal driving. Turn the
INFINITI Drive Mode Selector to the
position. “STANDARD” appears on the ve-
hicle information display for 2 seconds.
SPORT MODE
Adjusts the engine and transmission points
to enhance performance. If the vehicle is
equipped with the active trace control
system, the amount of brake control pro-
vided by active trace control is reduced. (See
“Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system”
(P.5-122).) Turn the INFINITI Drive Mode
Selector to the SPORT position. “SPORT”
appears on the vehicle information display
for 2 seconds.
NOTE:
In the SPORT mode, fuel economy may be
reduced.
SNOW MODE
Used on snowy roads or slippery areas.
When the SNOW mode is activated, engine
output is controlled to avoid wheel spin.
Turn the SNOW mode off for normal driving.
Turn the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector to
the SNOW position. “SNOW” appears on
the vehicle information display for 2 sec-
onds.
ECO MODE
Adjusts engine and transmission points to
enhance fuel economy.
NOTE:
Selecting this drive mode will not necessa-
rily improve fuel economy as many driving
factors influence its effectiveness.
Operation
Turn the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector to
the ECO position. “ECO” appears on the
vehicle information display for 2 seconds
and the ECO drive indicator light illuminates
on the instrument panel.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
within the range of economy drive, the ECO
drive indicator light illuminates in green.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
above the range of economy drive, the color
of the ECO drive indicator light changes to
orange. For ECO pedal system equipped
models see “ECO pedal system” (P.5-20).
The ECO drive indicator light will not
illuminate in the following cases:
. When the shift lever is in the R (Reverse)
position.
. When the vehicle speed is below 3 MPH
(4.8 km/h) or over 90 MPH (144 km/h).
. When the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)
system is operated.
Starting and driving5-19
INFINITI DRIVE MODE SELECTOR
JVS1081X
Setting ECO pedal reaction force:
1. Push the SETTING button
.
2. Touch [Drive Mode Enhancement].
3. Touch [ECO Pedal].
4. To set the reaction force of the ECO pedal system, touch [Standard] or [Soft].
5. To turn off the ECO pedal system, touch [OFF].
When the ECO pedal system is turned off,
the accelerator will operate normally.
WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and
instructions for proper use of the LDW
and LDP systems could result in serious
personal injury or death.
. The LDW and LDP systems will not
steer the vehicle or prevent loss of
control. It is the driver’s responsibility
to stay alert, drive safely, keep the
vehicle in the traveling lane, and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
. The LDP system may activate if you
change lanes without first activating
your turn signal or, for example, if a
construction zone directs traffic to
cross an existing lane marker. If this
occurs, you may need to apply cor-
rective steering to complete your lane
change.
. Because the LDP system may not
activate under the road, weather,
and lane marker conditions described
in this section, it may not activate
every time your vehicle begins to
leave its lane and you will need to
apply corrective steering. .
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system
— warns the driver with a warning light and chime that the vehicle is begin-
ning to leave the driving lane.
. Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system
— warns the driver with a warning light and chime, and helps assist the driver
to return the vehicle to the center of
the traveling lane by applying the
brakes to the left or right wheels
individually (for a short period of
time).
Starting and driving5-21
LANE DEPARTURE WARNING
(LDW)/LANE DEPARTURE
PREVENTION (LDP) (if so equipped)