or death.WARNING
In case of a collision:
.If your vehicle is drivable, pull your
vehicle off the road, put the trans-
mission in the P (Park) position, apply
the parking brake and turn the
INFINITI Direct Response Hybrid
®
System off.
. Check to see if there are exposed high
voltage parts and cables. Never touch
the parts and cables. For their loca-
tions, see “High voltage components”
(P.Hybrid System-9). To avoid per-
sonal injury, never touch high-vol-
tage wiring, connectors, and other
high-voltage parts, such as electric
motor inverter and Lithium ion (Li-
ion) battery. An electric shock may
occur if exposed electric wires are
visible when viewed from inside or
outside of your vehicle. Therefore,
never touch exposed electric wires.
. If the vehicle receives a strong impact
to the floor while driving, stop the
vehicle in a safe location and check
the floor.
. Inspect the ground under the vehicle.
If liquid has leaked onto the ground,
the fuel system may have been da- maged. Leave the vehicle as soon as
possible.
. Leaks or damage to the Li-ion bat-
tery may result in a fire. If you
discover them, contact emergency
services immediately. Since the fluid
leak may be lithium organic electro-
lyte from the Li-ion battery, never
touch the fluid leak inside or outside
the vehicle. If the fluid contacts your
skin or eyes, wash it off immediately
with a large amount of water and
receive immediate medical attention
to help avoid serious injury.
. If a fire occurs in the hybrid vehicle,
leave the vehicle as soon as possible.
Only use a type ABC, BC or C fire
extinguisher that is meant for use on
electrical fires. Using water or the
incorrect fire extinguisher can result
in serious injury or death from elec-
trical shock.
. If you are not able to safely assess
the vehicle due to vehicle damage, do
not touch the vehicle. Leave the
vehicle and contact emergency ser-
vices. Advise 1st responders that this
is a hybrid vehicle.
. In the event of an accident that
requires body repair and painting, it
is recommended that the vehicle be
Hybrid System OverviewHybrid System-3
ROAD ACCIDENT CAUTIONS
Hybrid System-4Hybrid System Overview
delivered to an INFINITI retailer to
have the Li-ion battery pack and high
voltage parts such as the inverter,
including the wiring harness, re-
moved prior to painting. Li-ion bat-
tery packs exposed to heat in the
paint booth will experience capacity
loss. Damaged Li-ion battery packs
may also pose safety risks to un-
trained mechanics and repair person-
nel.The emergency shut-off system is activated
and the high-voltage system automatically
turns off in the following conditions:
.
Front and side collisions in which the air
bags are deployed.
. Certain rear collisions.
. Certain INFINITI Direct Response Hy-
brid
®System malfunctions
For the above collisions and the certain
hybrid system malfunctions, the READY to
drive indicator light will turn off. See “Warn-
ing lights, indicator lights and audible re-
minders” (P.2-10).
The emergency shut-off activates for the
above collisions to minimize risk of an event
that could cause injury or an accident. If the
emergency shut-off system activates, the
hybrid system may not switched to READY
to drive position, it is recommended that you
contact an INFINITI retailer. Even if the
ignition switch is switched to READY to
drive position, the system may shut-off
suddenly. Therefore, drive cautiously to the
nearest INFINITI retailer or contact an
INFINITI retailer as soon as possible. To start the INFINITI Direct Response
Hybrid
®System:
1. Depress the brake pedal and place the ignition switch in the ON position when
the transmission is in the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position (P is recommended).
(For more details, see “Push-button
ignition switch” (P.5-9).)
2. The READY to drive indicator light
flashes, then turns illuminated. (The
hybrid system switched to the READY
to drive mode when the indicator light
illuminates.)
When the READY to drive indicator light
illuminates, the vehicle can be driven, even if
the gasoline engine is not running.
NOTE:
The gasoline engine starts and stops auto-
matically. It may stop during low speed
driving, deceleration or when the vehicle is
stopped.
The gasoline engine may automatically run
in the following conditions:
. The level of remaining charge in the
Lithium ion (Li-ion) battery is low. The
engine runs to charge the Li-ion battery
and to provide power to the drive the
vehicle.
. The temperature of the engine coolant is
low.
EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF SYSTEMOPERATION OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM
.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
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 front air bag. It is also
recommended you visit an INFINITI
retailer for installation of electrical
equipment. Installation of electrical
equipment should also be done by an
INFINITI retailer. The Supplemental
Restraint System (SRS) wiring har-
nesses* should not be modified or
disconnected. Unauthorized 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.
SEAT BELTS WITH PRETEN-
SIONERS (front seats)
WARNING
. The pretensioners cannot be reused
after activation. They must be re-
placed together with the retractor
and buckle as a unit.
. If the vehicle becomes involved in a
collision but a pretensioner is not
activated, be sure to have the pre-
tensioner system checked and, if
necessary, replaced. It is recom-
mended you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
. No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the pretensioners. This is to prevent
damage to or accidental activation of
the pretensioner system. Tampering
with the pretensioner 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. Unauthorized electrical
test equipment and probing devices
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-49
serious injury or death.
SPA1097
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LIGHT
The supplemental air bag warning light,
displayingin the instrument panel,
monitors the circuits for the air bag systems,
pretensioners and all related wiring.
When the ignition switch is in the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warning
light illuminates for about 7 seconds and
then turns off. This means the SRS air bag
systems are operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the
air bags and/or pretensioner systems need
servicing: .
The supplemental air bag warning light
remains on after approximately 7 sec-
onds.
. The supplemental air bag warning light
flashes intermittently.
. The supplemental air bag warning light
does not come on at all.
Under these conditions, the air bags and/or
pretensioner systems may not operate prop-
erly. They must be checked and repaired. It is
recommended you visit an INFINITI retailer
for this service.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning light
is on, it could mean that the air bags
and/or pretensioner systems will not
operate in an accident. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your
vehicle checked. It is recommended you
visit an INFINITI retailer for this service
as soon as possible.
Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system1-51
5-4Starting and driving
WARNING
.Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the support
of others alone in your vehicle. Pets
should not be left alone either. They
could accidentally injure themselves
or others through inadvertent opera-
tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot,
sunny days, temperatures in a closed
vehicle could quickly become high
enough to cause severe or possibly
fatal injuries to people or animals.
. Closely supervise children when they
are around cars to prevent them from
playing and becoming locked in the
trunk where they could be seriously
injured. Keep the car locked, with the
rear seatback and trunk lid securely
latched when not in use, and prevent
children’s access to car keys.
. Do not attempt to test the vehicle on
a dynamometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for
emissions testing), or similar equip-
ment. Doing so may cause damage to
the drivetrain or the high voltage
battery. Make sure you inform test
facility personnel that your vehicle is
hybrid. Using the wrong test equip- ment may result in drivetrain damage
or unexpected vehicle movement
which could result in serious vehicle
damage or pearsonal injury.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
.
Do not breathe exhaust gases; they
contain colorless and odorless carbon
monoxide. Carbon monoxide is dan-
gerous. It can cause unconsciousness
or death.
. If you suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering the vehicle, drive with all
windows fully open, and have the
vehicle inspected immediately.
. Do not run the engine in closed spaces
such as a garage.
. Do not park the vehicle with the
ignition switch in the ON position
and the INFINITI Direct Response
Hybrid
®System in the READY to
drive mode for any extended length
of time.
. Do not park the vehicle with the
engine running for any extended
length of time. .
Keep the trunk lid closed while driv-
ing, otherwise exhaust gases could be
drawn into the passenger compart-
ment. If you must drive with the
trunk lid open, follow these precau-
tions:
1) Open all the windows.
2) Set the
air recirculation to
off and the fan control to high to
circulate the air.
. If electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass to a trailer
through the seal on the trunk lid or
the body, follow the manufacturer’s
recommendation to prevent carbon
monoxide entry into the vehicle.
. The exhaust system and body should
be inspected by a qualified mechanic
whenever:
— The vehicle is raised for service.
— You suspect that exhaust fumes are entering into the passenger
compartment.
— You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system.
— You have had an accident invol- ving damage to the exhaust sys-
tem, underbody, or rear of the
vehicle.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING
AND DRIVING