cedure is only a general guide. The vehicle
must be driven as appropriate based on the
conditions of the vehicle, road and traffic.
WARNING
The following actions can increase the
chance of losing control of the vehicle if
there is a sudden loss of tire air pressure.
Losing control of the vehicle may cause a
collision and result in personal injury.
∙ The vehicle generally moves or pulls in thedirection of the flat tire.
∙ Do not rapidly apply the brakes.
∙ Do not rapidly release the accelerator pedal.
∙ Do not rapidly turn the steering wheel.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Maintain a firm grip on the steering 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 lo-
cation off the road and away from traf-
fic if possible.
5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradu- ally stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and contact a roadside emergency service to
change the tire. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Changing a flat tire” in the
“In case of emergency” section of this
manual.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS
AND DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alcohol
or drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream re-
duces coordination, delays reaction time
and impairs judgement. Driving after drink-
ing alcohol increases the likelihood of being
involved in an accident injuring yourself and
others. Additionally, 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 dif-
ferently 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.
DRIVING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Your INFINITI is designed for both normal
and off-road use. However, avoid driving in
deep water or mud as your INFINITI is mainly
designed for leisure use, unlike a conventional
off-road vehicle.
Remember that 2-wheel drive models are
less capable than all-wheel drive (AWD)
models for rough road driving and extrication
when stuck in deep snow or mud, or the like.
5-10Starting and driving
∙ Do not attempt to test an AWD equippedvehicle 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 you
inform test facility personnel that your
vehicle is equipped with AWD before it is
placed on a dynamometer. Using the
wrong test equipment 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 unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel
excessively.WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition
switch while driving the vehicle except in an
emergency. (The engine will stop when the
ignition switch is pushed three consecutive
times in quick succession or the ignition
switch is pushed and held for more than
2 seconds.) If the engine stops while the
vehicle is being driven, this could lead to a
crash and serious injury.
When the ignition switch is pushed without
depressing the brake pedal, the ignition
switch will illuminate.
Push the ignition switch center:∙ Once to change to ACC.
∙ Two times to change to ON.
∙ Three times to return to OFF.
The ignition switch will automatically return
to the LOCK position when any door is either
opened or closed with the switch in the OFF
position.
LSD2014
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving5-13
∙ Make sure the area around the vehicle isclear.
∙ Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool- ant, brake fluid, and windshield-washer
fluid as frequently as possible, or at least
whenever you refuel.
∙ Check that all windows and lights are clean.
∙ Visually inspect tires for their appearance and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
∙ Check that all doors are closed.
∙ Position seat and adjust head restraints.
∙ Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
∙ Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to do likewise.
∙ Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is placed in the
ON position. For additional information,
refer to “Warning lights, indicator lights
and audible reminders” in the “Instru-
ments and controls” section of this
manual. 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to P (Park) or N
(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to operate if
the shift lever is in any of the driving
positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi- tion. Depress the brake pedal and push
the ignition switch to start the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push
and release the ignition switch while de-
pressing the brake pedal with the ignition
switch in any position.
∙ If the engine is very hard to start in extremely cold weather or when re-
starting, depress the accelerator pedal
a little (approximately 1/3 to the floor)
and while holding, crank the engine.
Release the accelerator pedal when
the engine starts.
∙ If the engine is very hard to start be- cause it is flooded, depress the accel-
erator pedal all the way to the floor
and hold it. Push the ignition switch to
the ON position to start cranking the
engine. After 5 or 6 seconds, stop
cranking by pushing the ignition switch
to LOCK. After cranking the engine, release the accelerator pedal. Crank
the engine with your foot off the ac-
celerator pedal by depressing the
brake pedal and pushing the push-
button ignition switch to start the en-
gine. If the engine starts, but fails to
run, repeat the above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more than
15 seconds at a time. If the engine does not
start, push the ignition switch to the OFF
position and wait 10 seconds before crank-
ing again, otherwise the starter could be
damaged.
4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least
30 seconds after starting. Do not race
the engine while warming it up. Drive at
moderate speed for a short distance
first, especially in cold weather. In cold
weather, keep the engine running for a
minimum of2-3minutes before shut-
ting it off. Starting and stopping the en-
gine over a short period of time may
make the vehicle more difficult to start.
5. To stop the engine, place the shift lever to the P (Park) position and push the
ignition switch to the OFF position.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-17
CAUTION
To avoid possible damage to your vehicle,
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 purpose.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled to produce maximum power and
smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures for
this transmission are shown on the following
pages. Follow these procedures for maxi-
mum vehicle performance and driving enjoy-
ment.
Engine power may be automatically reduced
to protect the CVT if the engine speed in-
creases quickly when driving on slippery
roads or while being tested on some dyna-
mometers.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the foot brake pedal before moving the
shift lever out of the P (Park) position. This Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion is designed so that the foot brake
pedal must be depressed before shifting
from P (Park) to any driving position
while the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other positions if the ignition switch is
placed in the LOCK, OFF or ACC posi-
tion while the ready light illuminates.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift lever to a driving po-
sition.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal and then gradually start the
vehicle in motion.
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedalwhile shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse) or D (Drive) position.
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.
∙ Do not downshift abruptly on slippery roads. This may cause a loss of control.
∙ 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.
CAUTION
∙ To avoid possible damage to your vehicle,when stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by depress-
ing the accelerator pedal. The foot brake
should be used for this purpose.
∙ 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 and driving5-19
Shifting
Press the button while depressing the
brake pedal
Press the button to shift
Shift without pressing the button
After starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal, press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever from the P (Park) position
to any of the desired shift positions.
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 vehicle
to move unexpectedly or roll away and re-
sult in serious personal injury or property
damage.
CAUTION
Use the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position
only when the vehicle is completely
stopped.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the P
(Park) position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shift lever position when the
vehicle is parked or when starting the engine.
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped.
The brake pedal must be depressed and the
shift lever button pressed to move the shift
lever from N (Neutral) or any drive position
to P (Park). Apply the parking brake. When
parking on a hill, apply the parking brake first,
then move the shift lever to the P (Park)
position. R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the R
(Reverse) position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up. Make
sure the vehicle is completely stopped before
selecting the R (Reverse) position. The brake
pedal must be depressed and the shift lever
button pressed to move the shift lever from
P (Park), N (Neutral) or any drive position to
R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
The engine can be started in this position. You
may shift to N (Neutral) and restart a stalled
engine while the vehicle is moving.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward driv-
ing.
Manual shift mode
When the shift lever is in the manual shift
gate, the transmission is ready for the manual
shift mode. Shift ranges can be selected
manually by moving the shift lever up or
down. To cancel manual shift mode, return
LSD2358
5-20Starting and driving
the shift lever to the D (Drive) position. The
transmission returns to automatic driving
mode.
When the shift lever is shifted from D (Drive)
to the manual shift gate with the vehicle
stopped or while driving, the transmission
enters the manual shift mode. Shift ranges
can be selected manually. In the manual shift
mode, the shift range is displayed on the
position indicator in the meter. When shifting
the shift lever to the manual shift gate, the
position indicator displays 1 (1st) up to 7 (7th)
depending on vehicle speed.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as fol-
lows:
1⇔2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7
7 (7th)
Use this position for all normal forward driv-
ing at highway speeds.
6 (6th) and 5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long slopes,
or for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
4 (4th), 3 (3rd) and 2 (2nd)
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades. 1 (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or when driving slowly, or for maxi-
mum engine braking on steep downhill
grades.
∙ Remember not to drive at high speeds for extended periods of time in lower than
7th gear. This reduces fuel economy.
When shifting up
Move the shift lever to the + (up) side. (Shifts
to higher range.)
When shifting down
Move the shift lever to the (down) side.
(Shifts to lower range.)
∙ The transmission will automatically downshift the gears. (For example, if you
select the 3rd range, the transmission will
shift down between the 3rd and 1st
gears.)
∙ Moving the shift lever rapidly to the same side twice will shift the ranges in succes-
sion.
When canceling the manual shift mode
Return the shift lever to the D (Drive) position
to return the transmission to the normal driv-
ing mode. ∙
In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear.
This helps maintain driving performance
and reduces the chance of vehicle dam-
age or loss of control.
∙ When this situation occurs, the Continu-
ously Variable Transmission (CVT) posi-
tion indicator light will blink and the
chime will sound.
∙ In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may shift up automatically to a
higher range than selected if the engine
speed is too high. When the vehicle
speed decreases, the transmission auto-
matically shifts down and shifts to 1st
gear before the vehicle comes to a stop.
∙ CVT operation is limited to automatic drive mode when CVT fluid temperature
is extremely low even if manual shift
mode is selected. This is not a malfunc-
tion. When CVT fluid warms up, manual
mode can be selected.
∙ When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shift range may upshift in lower rpm
than usual. This is not a malfunction.
Starting and driving5-21
Shift lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged, the
shift lever may not be moved from the P
(Park) position even with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the shift lever button pressed. To
move the shift lever, perform the following
procedure:1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock release cover us- ing a suitable tool. 4. Push down the shift lock release using a
suitable tool.
5. Press the shift lever button and move the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position
while holding down the shift lock release.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location. Replace the removed shift lock
release cover after the operation.
If the shift lever cannot be moved out of the P
(Park) position, have the Continuously Vari-
able Transmission system checked as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you visit an
INFINITI retailer for this service.
WARNING
If the shift lever cannot be moved from the
P (Park) position while the engine is running
and the brake pedal is depressed, the stop
lights may not work. Malfunctioning stop
lights could cause an accident injuring your-
self and others.
Accelerator downshift
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the ac-
celerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into a lower gear, de-
pending on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tempera-
ture protection mode. If the fluid temperature
becomes too high (for example, when climb-
ing steep grades in high temperatures with
heavy loads, such as when towing a trailer),
engine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will be decreased automatically
to reduce the chance of transmission dam-
age. Vehicle speed can be controlled with the
accelerator pedal, but the engine and vehicle
speed may be limited.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme condi-
tions, such as excessive wheel spinning and
subsequent hard braking, the fail-safe sys-
tem may be activated. The Malfunction Indi-
cator Light (MIL) may illuminate to indicate
the fail-safe mode is activated. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” in the “Instrument and
controls” section of this manual. This will oc-
cur even if all electrical circuits are function-
ing properly. In this case, place the ignition
switch in the OFF position and wait for
10 seconds. Then turn the switch back to the
ON position. The vehicle should return to its
normal operating condition. If it does not re-
LSD2360
5-22Starting and driving
LDW SYSTEM OPERATION
The LDW system provides a lane departure
warning function when the vehicle is driven at
speeds of approximately 70 km/h (45 mph)
and above and the lane markings are clear.
When the vehicle approaches either the left
or the right side of the traveling lane, a warn-
ing chime will sound and the LDW indicator
light on the instrument panel will blink to alert
the driver.
The warning function will stop when the ve-
hicle returns inside of the lane markers.
The LDW system is not designed to warn
under the following conditions:∙ When you operate the lane change signal and change traveling lanes in the direc-
tion of the signal. (The LDW system will
become operable again approximately
2 seconds after the lane change signal is
turned off.)
∙ When the vehicle speed lowers to less than approximately 70 km/h (45 mph).
∙ When the BSI activates an audible warn- ing or when the brakes are automatically
applied by the system.
LSD2771
5-28Starting and driving