CAUTION
•Keep the interior of the vehicle as quiet
as possible to hear the tone clearly.
•Keep the sensors (located on the bumper
fascia) free from snow, ice and large ac-
cumulations of dirt. Do not clean the
sensors with sharp objects. If the sen-
sors are covered, the accuracy of the
sensor function will be diminished.
WARNING
INFINITI recommends only to use frame-
less type license plate holders.
The sonar sensors may not function cor-
rectly if the license plate is placed in a frame
as illustrated.
Please contact an INFINITI retailer for
advice.
NSD642
No frame/frameless
NSD643
Frame type
Starting and driving5-77
ASettings key
B
•The system may not detect the follow-
ing objects: – Fluffy objects such as snow, cloth,
cotton, grass or wool.
– Thin objects such as rope, wire or
chain.
– Wedge-shaped 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-
jects or false alarms.
CAUTION
Excessive noise (such as audio system vol-
ume or an open vehicle window) will inter-
fere with the tone and it may not be heard.
PROBLEMS WITH SONAR FUNCTION
Problem Possible causes/consequences and solutions
Only the red segments in the sonar function displays
are lit. You also hear a warning tone for approximately
two seconds.
The sonar function is then deactivated and the
indicator light on the sonar function OFF switch lights
up. The sonar function has malfunctioned and has been deactivated.
If problems persist, have the sonar function checked. It is recommended you visit an INFINITI retailer for
this service.
Only the red segments in the sonar function displays
are lit. The sonar function is then deactivated. The sonar sensors are dirty or there is interference.
•Clean the sensors.•Switch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultrasound waves.
See if the sonar system functions in a different location.
5-84Starting and driving
•Keep your engine tuned up.
•Follow the recommended scheduled
maintenance.
•Keep the tires inflated to the correct pres-
sure. Low tire pressure increases tire wear
and lowers fuel economy.
•Keep all the wheels in correct alignment.
Improper alignment increases tire wear
and lowers fuel economy.
•Use the recommended viscosity engine oil.
For additional information, see "Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capacities"
in the "10. Technical information" section
WARNING
•Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires, even with 4WD
engaged. Accelerating quickly, sharp
steering maneuvers or sudden braking
may cause loss of control.
•Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or
radial), and tread pattern on all four
wheels.
•This vehicle is not designed for off-road
(rough road) use. Do not drive on sandy
or muddy roads that tires may get stuck
in.
•For 4WD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shift the transmission to any
drive or reverse position with the engine
running. Doing so may result in drive-
train damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in serious
vehicle damage or personal injury.
•Do not attempt to test a 4WD equipped
vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer
(such as the dynamometers used by
some states for emissions testing) or
similar equipment even if the other two
wheels are raised off the ground. Make sure that you inform the test facility
personnel that your vehicle is equipped
with 4WD before it is placed on a dyna-
mometer. Using the wrong test equip-
ment may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle damage or
personal injury.
•When a wheel is off the ground due to an
uneven surface, do not spin the wheel
excessively.
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMY FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
Starting and driving5-87
CAUTION
Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the differential. Damage
of this sort is not covered by the warranty.
All wheels must be fully raised (see "Four-
Wheel Drive (4WD) models" in the "6. In
case of emergency" section)
4WD, together with VDC, improves the trac-
tion of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel
spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4WD
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. 4WD cannot
take account of road, weather, and traffic
conditions. 4WD is only an aid. You are re-
sponsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time, and for staying in lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip
•When pulling away, only depress the ac-
celerator pedal as far as is necessary.
•Accelerate less when driving.
NOTE
In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effectiveness of 4WD can only be achieved if
you use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow
chains if necessary.
WARNING
•Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry grass,
waste paper or rags. They may ignite
and cause a fire.
•Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be applied and
the P (Park) position engaged. Failure to
do so could cause the vehicle to move
unexpectedly or roll away and result in
an accident.
•When parking the vehicle, make sure the
P (Park) position is engaged. The shift
lever cannot be moved out of the P
(Park) position without depressing the
brake pedal.
•Never leave the engine running while the
vehicle is unattended.
•Do not leave children unattended inside
the vehicle. They could unknowingly ac-
tivate switches or controls or move the
vehicle. Unattended children could be-
come involved in serious accidents.
•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.
CAUTION
Always secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its
drive train could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is secured against
rolling away unintentionally:
•The electric parking brake must be applied.
•The transmission must be in position P
(Park) and the transmission position dis-
play must show P in the vehicle informa-
tion display.
•The key must be removed from the ignition
switch.
•On uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the curb.
PARKING
5-88Starting and driving
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Press the P (Park) button.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from movinginto traffic when parked on an incline, it is
a good practice to turn the wheels as
illustrated.
HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB
1
Turn the wheels into the curb and move
the vehicle forward until the curb side
wheel gently touches the curb. Then apply
the parking brake.
HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB
2
Turn the wheels away from the curb and
allow the vehicle to move back until the
curb side wheel gently touches the curb.
Then apply the parking brake. HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL,
WITHOUT CURB
3
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away from
the center of the road if the vehicle moves.
Then apply the parking brake.
4.
Put the ignition switch in the OFF position.
SWITCHING OFF THE ENGINE
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to
position N (Neutral) when you switch off
the engine. The vehicle may roll away.
There is a risk of an accident.
After switching off the engine, always
switch to position P (Park). Prevent the
parked vehicle from rolling away by apply-
ing the parking brake.
Procedure
1. Apply the electric parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to position P (Park).
3. With the key: turn the key to the position
OFF in the ignition switch and remove it
The immobilizer is activated.
If you switch the engine off with the trans-
mission in position R (Reverse) or D (Drive),
the automatic transmission shifts to N (Neu-
tral) automatically.
With the key: if you then open the driver's
door or the front-passenger door or remove
the key from the ignition, the automatic
transmission shifts to P (Park) automatically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N (Neutral), e.g. when hav-
ing the vehicle cleaned in an automatic car
wash with a towing system:
With the key:
1. Switch the ignition on.
2. Depress the brake pedal and keep it de- pressed.
3. Shift to N (Neutral).
SSD0488Z
Starting and driving5-89
4. Release the brake pedal.
5. Release the electric parking brake.
6. Switch off the ignition and leave the key inthe ignition switch.
EXTENDED PARKING
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than four weeks, the battery may be dam-
aged by exhaustive discharging.
If you leave the vehicle parked up for longer
than six weeks, it may suffer from lack of use.
Visit an INFINITI retailer and seek advice
NOTE
You can obtain information about trickle
chargers from an INFINITI retailer. The electric power steering system is de-
signed to reduce the driver effort required to
steer the vehicle.
WARNING
If during operation a fault is detected the
following message will be displayed in the
vehicle information display along with an
audible warning tone.
[Power Steering Malfunction See Opera-
tors Manual]
In conjunction with this warning, steering
assistance will no longer be provided by the
system.
The effort required to steer the vehicle will
increase. This will be most noticeable at
low speed and when performing a tight
turning maneuver.
Check whether you are able to provide the
extra effort required.
If you are able to steer safely: Carefully
drive on to an INFINITI retailer.
If you are unable to steer safely: Do NOT
drive on. It is recommended you contact
the nearest INFINITI retailer for
assistance.
CAUTION
•If wheels or tires other than INFINITI
recommended ones are used, the power
steering system may not operate prop-
erly and the [Power Steering Malfunc-
tion See Operators Manual] warning
may appear in the vehicle information
display.
•Do not modify the vehicle's suspension.
If suspension parts such as shock ab-
sorbers, struts, springs, stabilizer bars,
bushings and wheels are not INFINITI
recommended for your vehicle or are ex-
tremely deteriorated, the power steer-
ing system may not operate properly
and the [Power Steering Malfunction
See Operators Manual] warning may
appear in the vehicle information dis-
play.
•Do not modify the vehicle's steering. If
steering parts are not INFINITI recom-
mended for your vehicle or are ex-
tremely deteriorated, the power steer-
ing system may not operate properly
and the [Power Steering Malfunction
See Operators Manual] warning may
appear in the vehicle information dis-
play.
ELECTRIC POWER STEERING
SYSTEM
5-90Starting 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
brakes return to normal. Avoid driving the
BRAKE SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-91