2018 INFINITI QX30 Gear shift

Drive mode switch
The drive mode switch allows you to choose
between drive programs with different driv-
ing characteristics.
Press drive mode switch
1. A popup2will
be displayed in the vehicle information dis-
play showing the current selection. After
around 2 seconds, the selected drive program
appears in the lower frame of the vehicle
information display
3and the popup will
disappear.The automatic transmission switches to drive
program E each time the engine is started.
E (Economy): comfortable, economical driv-
ing
S (Sport): sporty driving style
M (Manual): manual gear shifting
For more details of the manual drive program
see "Manual drive program" later in this sec-
tion.
NSD587NSD726
NSD725
5-22Starting and driving

Steering wheel gearshift paddles
1Left steering wheel gearshift paddle
(shifts down)
2Right steering wheel gearshift paddle
(shifts up)
In drive program M, you can change gear
yourself using the steering wheel gearshift
paddles.
If you pull the left or right steering wheel
gearshift paddle when in automatic drive
program E or S, the automatic transmission
shifts into drive program M for a limited time.
Depending on which gearshift paddle is
pulled, the automatic transmission immedi-
ately shifts into the next gear down or up.
Automatic drive programs
Drive program E is characterized by the fol-
lowing:
•Comfort-oriented engine settings.
•Optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner.
•The vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears unless the ac-
celerator pedal is depressed fully.
•Increased sensitivity. This improves handling
on slippery road surfaces, for example.
•The automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin.
Drive program S is characterized by the fol-
lowing:
•Sporty engine settings.
•The automatic transmission shifting up later.
•As a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points, the fuel consumption
possibly being higher.
Manual drive program
In manual drive program M, you can change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel
gearshift paddles. For this, the transmission
must be in position D (Drive). The gear cur-
rently selected and engaged is shown in the
vehicle information display
Manual drive program M differs from drive
programs E and S with regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
Using manual gears:
3 To use the engine's braking effect
2 To use the braking effect of the engine on
downhill gradients and for driving on steep
mountain roads, in mountainous terrain or
in arduous conditions.
1 To use the braking effect of the engine on
extremely steep downhill gradients and on
long downhill stretches.
NSD584
Starting and driving5-23

Activating the manual drive program:
•Permanently: Press the drive mode switch
1repeatedly until M appears in the ve-
hicle information display. Manual drive
program M remains active until drive pro-
gram E or S is engaged.
•Temporarily: Pull the right or left steering
wheel gearshift paddle (see "Steering
wheel gearshift paddles" later in this sec-
tion). Manual drive program M is tempo-
rarily active. Depending on which gearshift
paddle is pulled, the automatic transmis-
sion immediately shifts into the next gear
down or up.
When manual drive program M is activated
via the steering wheel gearshift paddles, the
temporarily active manual drive program M
will be deactivated automatically after a lim-ited time, if the driving situation permits. The
automatic transmission switches to the pre-
viously activated drive program E or S. When
driving on downhill gradients, the temporarily
active manual drive program M will only be
deactivated if the accelerator pedal is de-
pressed while the vehicle is rolling downhill.
Upshifting:
Pull the right-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (see "Steering wheel gearshift
paddles" earlier in this section). The auto-
matic transmission shifts up to the next gear.
In order to prevent engine damage the auto-
matic transmission automatically shifts up if
the maximum engine speed on the currently
engaged gear is reached and you depress the
accelerator pedal.Gearshift recommendation:
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The
recommended gear is shown in the vehicle
information display.
Shift to recommended gear1according to
gearshift recommendation
2when shown in
the vehicle information display.
Downshifiting:
Pull the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle (see "Steering wheel gearshift
paddles" earlier in this section). The auto-
matic transmission shifts down to the next
gear.
If you slow down or stop without shifting
down, the automatic transmission automati-
cally shifts down.
NSD587NSD589
5-24Starting and driving

For maximum acceleration, pull the left-hand
steering wheel gearshift paddle until the
transmission selects the optimum gear for
the current speed.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine dam-
age by not shifting down.
Kickdown:
You can also use kickdown for maximum ac-
celeration in manual drive program M
•Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point The transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed.
•Shift back up once the desired speed is
reached.
During kickdown, you cannot shift gears us-
ing the steering wheel gearshift paddles.
If you apply full throttle, the automatic trans-
mission shifts up to the next gear when the
maximum engine speed is reached. This pre-
vents the engine from overrevving.Deactivating the temporary manual drive
program:
Pull and hold the right steering wheel gear-
shift paddle until the automatic transmission
shifts into the last active automatic drive pro-
gram E or S.
When manual drive program M is deacti-
vated, the automatic transmission in auto-
matic drive program E or S may shift from the
current gear into a higher or lower gear. This
is dependent on the position of the accelera-
tor pedal, speed and load.
Starting and driving5-25

Problems with the transmission:
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and solutions
The transmission has problems shifting gear The transmission is losing oil.
Have the transmission checked immediately. It is recommended you visit an
INFINITI retailer for this service.
The acceleration ability is deteriorating The transmission no longer shifts into
all of the gears Reverse gear can no longer be engagedThe transmission is in emergency mode.
•Stop.•Shift the transmission to position P (Park).•Switch off the engine.•Wait at least ten seconds before restarting the engine.•Shift the transmission to position D (Drive).•Have the transmission checked immediately. It is recommended you visit an
INFINITI retailer for this service.
5-26Starting and driving

ACTIVE SOUND ENHANCEMENT
The active sound enhancement generates
sounds according to engine speed through
the speakers
2and woofer1(if equipped)
to enhance the quality of the engine sound.IPA is an electronic parking aid with ultra-
sound. It detects vehicles and open spaces on
both sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol
indicates a suitable parking space. Active
steering intervention can assist you during
parking and when exiting a parking space.
The driver controls the accelerator, brake and
gear shift. You may also use the Camera Aid-
ing Sonar (parking sensor) function (see "
Camera Aiding Sonar (parking sensor) func-
tion (if equipped)" later in this section).
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTES
WARNING
•IPA is only an aid. It is not a substitute
for your attention to the immediate sur-
roundings. The responsibility for safe
maneuvering and parking remains with
you.
•Make sure that no persons, animals or
objects are in the maneuvering range
•When the sonar (parking sensor) func-
tion is deactivated, IPA is also unavail-
able.
•While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can
drive onto areas of the oncoming lane.
This could cause you to collide with
other road users. There is a risk of an
accident.
•Pay attention to other road users. Stop
the vehicle if necessary or cancel the IPA
parking procedure
•This system is not designed to prevent
contact with small or moving objects.
•If your vehicle sustains damage to the
bumper fascia, leaving it misaligned or
bent, the sensing zone may be altered
causing inaccurate measurement of ob-
stacles or false alarms.
•This system is not designed to prevent
contact with small or moving objects.
•If your vehicle sustains damage to the
bumper fascia, leaving it misaligned or
bent, the sensing zone may be altered
causing inaccurate measurement of ob-
stacles or false alarms.
INTELLIGENT PARKING ASSIST (IPA)
(IF EQUIPPED)
5-70Starting and driving

Parking tips:
•The way your vehicle is positioned in the
parking space after parking is dependent
on various factors. These include the posi-
tion and shape of the vehicles parked in
front and behind it and the conditions of
the location. It may be the case that IPA
guides you too far into a parking space, or
not far enough into it. In some cases, it
may also lead you across or onto the curb.
If necessary you should cancel the parking
procedure with IPA.
•During the parking maneuver, the system
will indicate when you should shift to R
(Reverse) or D (Drive). However, you can
freely choose to shift gear whenever you
feel you need to. Should the transmission
change take place too early, the parking
procedure will be canceled. A sensible
parking position can no longer be achieved
from this position.
EXITING A PARKING SPACE
In order that IPA can support when exiting
the parking space:
•You need to have parked using IPA.
•The border of the parking space must be
high enough at the front and the rear.
A curb stone is too small, for example.
•The border of the parking space must not
be too wide, as the position of the vehicle
must not exceed an angle of 45 degrees to
the starting position as it is manoeuvred
into the parking space.
•A total front and back maneuvering dis-
tance of at least 1.0 m must be available.
IPA can only assist you with exiting a parking
space if you have parked the vehicle parallel
to the direction of travel using IPA.
WARNING
•IPA is only an aid. It is not a substitute
for your attention to the immediate sur-
roundings. The responsibility for safe
maneuvering and parking remains with
you.
•Make sure that no persons, animals or
objects are in the maneuvering range.
•When the sonar function is deactivated,
IPA is also unavailable.
•While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can
drive onto areas of the oncoming lane.
This could cause you to collide with
other road users. There is a risk of an
accident.
•Pay attention to other road users. Stop
the vehicle if necessary or cancel the IPA
parking procedure.
1. Start the engine.
2. Release the electric parking brake.
3. Switch on the turn signal in the direction
you are pulling away.
4.Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position D or R
The [Start Park Assist? Yes: OK No:]
message appears in the vehicle informa-
tion display.
5. To cancel the procedure: press the
button on the steering wheel or pull away
or
6. To exit a parking space using IPA: press
thebutton on the steering wheel
The Park Assist [Observe surroundings]
message appears in the display.
7. Release the steering wheel.
8. Pull away, being ready to brake at all
times Do not exceed a maximum speed of
approximately 5 MPH (10 km/h) when
exiting a parking space. Otherwise, IPA
will be canceled.
5-74Starting and driving

•Do not place the ignition switch 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 steering
wheel, or changing the steering wheel,
may reduce the steering performance.
NOTE
When the steering wheel is operated repeat-
edly or continuously while parking or driving
at a very low speed, the power assistance for
the steering wheel will be reduced. This is to
prevent overheating of the electric power
steering system and protect it from becom-
ing damaged. While the power assistance is
reduced, steering wheel operation will be-
come heavy. When the temperature of the
electric power steering system decreases,
the power assistance level will return to nor-
mal. Avoid repeating such steering wheel
operations that could cause the electric
power steering system to overheat.The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will
still have braking ability at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
WARNING
While driving on a slippery surface, be
careful when braking, accelerating or
downshifting. Abrupt braking or acceler-
ating could cause the wheels to skid and
result in an accident.
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using en-
gine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can
stop the vehicle by depressing the brake
pedal. However, greater foot pressure on the
brake pedal will be required to stop the ve-
hicle. The stopping distance will be longer.
WARNING
•If the engine is not running or is turned
off while driving, the power assist for
the brakes will not work. Braking will be
harder.
•Do not coast with the engine stopped.When the brake pedal is depressed slowly
and firmly, you may hear a clicking noise and
feel a slight pulsation. This is normal and
indicates that the Brake Assist System is op-
erating (if equipped).
Using brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This will overheat the brakes,
wear out the brake linings/pads faster, and
increase fuel consumption.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down
a slope or long grade. Overheated brakes
may reduce braking performance and could
result in loss of vehicle control.
While driving on a slippery surface, be careful
when braking, accelerating or downshifting.
Abrupt braking or acceleration could cause
the wheels to skid and result in an accident.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result,
your braking distance will be longer and the
vehicle may pull to one side during braking.
To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly depressing the brake
pedal to heat up the brakes. Do this until the
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-90Starting and driving