DRIVING WITH AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
Driving precautions
•Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neutral)
to R (Reverse), D (Drive), or M (Manual
shift mode). Always depress the brake
pedal until shifting is completed. Failure
to do so could cause you to lose control
and have an accident.
•Cold engine idle speed is high, so use cau-
tion when shifting into a forward or re-
verse gear before the engine has warmed
up.
•Never shift to either the P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D (Drive)
position while the vehicle is reversing.
This could cause an accident or damage
the transmission.
•Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.
WARNING
•Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. this may cause a loss of control.
CAUTION
•To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle; when stopping the vehicle on an
uphill grade, do not hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this pur-
pose.
•Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the brake pedal before shifting the shift lever
to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or Manual shift
mode.
2. Keep the brake pedal depressed and push the shift lever to shift into a driving gear.
3. Release the parking brake and brake, then gradually put the vehicle in motion by
pressing the accelerator pedal.
The automatic transmission is designed so
that the brake pedal MUSTbe depressed
before shifting from P (Park) to any drive
position while the ignition switch is ON.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-20Starting and driving
Shifting
P Park position with parking lock
R Reverse
N Neutral
D DriveTransmission position display:
NOTE
If the transmission position display in the ve-
hicle information display is not working, you
should pull away carefully to check whether
the desired transmission position IS en-
gaged. Ideally, you should select transmis-
sion position D and automatic drive program
EorS.
The shift lever indicator
1located in the
lower part of the vehicle information display
shows the current position of the transmis-
sion.
It shows the P,R,N,D modes when the trans-
mission is in auto mode or the shift position
when the transmission is in manual mode.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift lever is
in any position while the engine is not run-
ning. Failure to do so could cause the ve-
hicle to move unexpectedly or roll away
and result in serious personal injury or
property damage.
CAUTION
Use the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position
only when the vehicle is completely
stopped.NSD585NSD649
Starting and driving5-21
Holding the vehicle stationary on
uphill gradients
WARNING
If the transmission overheats, the elec-
tronic management system is automati-
cally deactivated. This interrupts the
power transmission from the engine to the
wheels. The vehicle may, for example, roll
backwards on gradients. There is a risk of
an accident. Never hold the vehicle station-
ary on uphill gradients by depressing the
accelerator.
The transmission may overheat if you hold
the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by
depressing the accelerator pedal. If the trans-
mission overheats, a warning tone sounds
and the [Stop Vehicle Shift to P Leave Engine
Running] display message appears in the ve-
hicle information display. You will only be able
to continue your journey once the transmis-
sion has cooled down and the display mes-
sage in the vehicle information display has
disappeared. Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator. In-
stead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary on
uphill gradients by:•Depressing the brake pedal.
•Engaging the electric parking brake.
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
•Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The transmission shifts to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
•Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Drive mode switch
The drive mode switch allows you to choose
between drive programs with different driv-
ing characteristics.
Press drive mode switch
1. The selected
drive program appears in the vehicle informa-
tion display.
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.
NSD587
Starting and driving5-23
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 han-
dling on slippery road surfaces, for ex-
ample.
•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
5-24Starting and driving
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
Starting and driving5-25
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.
Problems with the transmission:
Problem Possible 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 abil-
ity is deteriorating
The transmission no
longer shifts into all
of the gears Reverse
gear can no longer be
engaged The 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
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. The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the
on-board voltage is low or if there is a mal-
function in the system, it may not be possible
to apply the released parking brake. If this is
the case:
•Only park the vehicle on level ground and
secure it to prevent it from rolling away.
•Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P (Park).
•It is recommended you contact an
INFINITI retailer.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low
or if there is a malfunction in the system. It is
recommended you contact an INFINITI re-
tailer.
The electric parking brake carries out a func-
tion check at regular intervals when the en-
gine is switched off. Noises that occur are
normal.APPLYING/RELEASING
MANUALLY
The electric parking brake can be applied or
released by operating the parking brake
handle
1.
To apply: Push handle
1.
When the electric parking brake is applied,
the red
indicator light lights up in the
combination meter.
The electric parking brake can also be applied
when the ignition switch is in the OFF posi-
tion or the key is removed.
To release: With the ignition switch in the ON
position, pull handle
1.
NPA1485
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-27
RADAR MAINTENANCE
The two radar sensor unitsAfor the BSW
system are located near the rear bumper.
Always keep the area near the radar sensors
clean.
The radar sensors may be blocked by tempo-
rary ambient conditions such as splashing
water, mist or fog.
The blocked condition may also be caused by
objects such as ice, frost or dirt obstructing
the radar sensors.
Check for and remove objects obstructing
the area around the radar sensors.
Do not attach stickers (including transparent
material), install accessories or apply addi-
tional paint near the radar sensors. Do not strike or damage the area around the
radar sensors. It is recommended you consult
an INFINITI retailer if the area around the
radar sensors is damaged due to a collision.
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 de-
vice must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause unde-
sired operation.
NOTE
Changes or modification not expressly ap-
proved by the party responsible for compli-
ance could void the user’s authority to oper-
ate the equipment.
For Canada:
This device complies with Industry Canada
license-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation
is subject to the following two conditions: (1)
this device may not cause harmful interfer-
ence, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation of the
device.Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. You must
select a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the ve-
hicle is laden or towing a trailer.WARNING
For vehicles with automatic transmission,
you need to have selected manual drive
program M (see "Manual drive program"
earlier in this section). By doing so, you will
make use of the braking effect of the en-
gine. This relieves the load on the brake
system and prevents the brakes from over-
heating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic
conditions are appropriate for maintaining a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
set the cruise control at any road speed
above 20 MPH (30 km/h).
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the set speed.
NAA1640
CRUISE CONTROL
5-46Starting and driving