2018 NISSAN 370Z engine

5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving ....................... 5-2Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ................................. 5-2
Three-way catalyst ................................................................ 5-3
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ............ 5-3
Avoiding collision and rollover ..................................... 5-6
Off-road recovery ................................................................... 5-6
Rapid air pressure loss ....................................................... 5-6
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ......................... 5-7
Push-button ignition switch ................................................. 5-8 Operating range for engine start function ........ 5-8
Push-button ignition switch operation ................. 5-9
Push-button ignition switch positions .................. 5-9
Emergency engine shut off .......................................... 5-10
Intelligent Key battery discharge ............................. 5-10
Before starting the engine .................................................... 5-11
Starting the engine ..................................................................... 5-11
Driving the vehicle ...................................................................... 5-12 Automatic transmission .................................................. 5-12
Manual Transmission ......................................................... 5-17
Parking brake ........................................................................\
......... 5-21
Cruise control ........................................................................\
........ 5-22 Precautions on cruise control ................................... 5-22
Cruise control operations ............................................. 5-23
Break-in schedule ...................................................................... 5-24
Fuel efficient driving tips ...................................................... 5-24 Increasing fuel economy ..................................................... 5-25
Parking/parking on hills ....................................................... 5-26
Power steering ........................................................................\
..... 5-27
Brake system ........................................................................\
........ 5-27
Braking precautions ........................................................ 5-27
Parking brake break-in ................................................. 5-28
Brake assist ........................................................................\
............ 5-28 Brake assist ........................................................................\
.... 5-28
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ............................. 5-28
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system ................... 5-30
Performance dampers (NISMO models) .................. 5-32
Cold weather driving .............................................................. 5-33 Freeing a frozen door lock ........................................ 5-33
Antifreeze ........................................................................\
......... 5-33
Battery ........................................................................\
................ 5-33
Draining of coolant water .......................................... 5-33
Tire equipment .................................................................... 5-33
Special winter equipment .......................................... 5-33
Driving on snow or ice .................................................. 5-33
Engine block heater (if so equipped) ................ 5-34
Active noise cancellation/Active sound
enhancement (if so equipped) ........................................ 5-35 Active noise cancellation ............................................ 5-35
Active sound enhancement ...................................... 5-35

5-2Starting 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 acciden-
tally injure themselves or others
through inadvertent operation 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.
. Properly secure all cargo to help
prevent it from sliding or shifting.
Do not place cargo higher than
the seatbacks. In a sudden stop
or collision, unsecured cargo
could cause personal injury
(Coupe models).
. 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 trunk
closed when not in use, and pre-
vent children’s access to car keys (Roadster models).
If the engine oil temperature is high, the
engine protection mode, which helps
reduce the chance of engine damage,
could activate and automatically de-
crease engine power. Driving while the
engine oil temperature is high may
result in engine damage.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
. Do not breathe exhaust gases;
they contain colorless and odor-
less carbon monoxide. Carbon
monoxide is dangerous. 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 imme-
diately.
. Do not run the engine in closed
spaces such as a garage.
. Do not park the vehicle with the
engine running for any extended
length of time.
. Keep the rear hatch/trunk lid
closed while driving, otherwise exhaust gases could be drawn
into the passenger compartment.
If you must drive with the rear
hatch/trunk lid open, follow these
precautions:
1) Open all the windows.
2) Set the
air recirculation to
off and the fan control to high
to circulate the air.
. The exhaust system and body
should be inspected by a quali-
fied mechanic whenever:
— The vehicle is raised for ser-
vice.
— 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 involving damage to the ex-
haust system, underbody, or
rear of the vehicle.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING
AND DRIVING

THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission
control device installed in the exhaust
system. Exhaust gases in the three-way
catalyst are burned at high temperatures
to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING
.The exhaust gas and the exhaust
system are very hot. Keep people,
animals or flammable materials
away from the exhaust system
components.
. 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.
CAUTION
.Do not use leaded gasoline. De-
posits from leaded gasoline ser-
iously reduce the three-way
catalyst’s ability to help reduce
exhaust pollutants.
. Keep your engine tuned up. Mal-
functions in the ignition, fuel in-
jection, or electrical systems can cause overrich fuel flow into the
three-way catalyst, causing it to
overheat. Do not keep driving if
the engine misfires, or if notice-
able loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are
detected. Have the vehicle in-
spected. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
. Avoid driving with an extremely
low fuel level. Running out of fuel
could cause the engine to misfire,
damaging the three-way catalyst.
. Do not race the engine while
warming it up.
. Do not push or tow your vehicle
to start the engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYS-
TEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold
and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label, you should deter-
mine the proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (TPMS) that illumi-
nates a low tire pressure telltale when
one or more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low
tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon
as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping abil-
ity.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire maintenance,
and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low
tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating prop-
erly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure tell-
tale. When the system detects a malfunc-
tion, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then re-
Starting and driving5-3

5-8Starting and driving
WARNING
Do not operate the push-button
ignition switch while driving the ve-
hicle except in an emergency. (The
engine will stop when the ignition
switch is pushed 3 consecutive times
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.
Before operating the push-button igni-
tion switch, be sure to move the shift
lever to the P (Park) position (for auto-
matic transmission model) or the shift
lever to the N (Neutral) position (for
manual transmission model).
SSD0825
OPERATING RANGE FOR ENGINE
START FUNCTION
The Intelligent Key can only be used for
starting the engine when the Intelligent
Key is within the specified operating
range
.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost
discharged or strong radio waves are
present near the operating location, the
Intelligent Key system’s operating range
becomes narrower and may not function
properly.
If the Intelligent Key is within the operat-
ing range, it is possible for anyone, even
someone who does not carry the Intelli-
gent Key, to push the ignition switch to start the engine.
.
The cargo/trunk room area is not
included in the operating range but
the Intelligent Key may function.
. If the Intelligent Key is placed on the
instrument panel, rear parcel shelf,
inside the glove box or door pocket,
the Intelligent Key may not function.
. If the Intelligent Key is placed near the
door or window outside the vehicle,
the Intelligent Key may function.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH

SSD1021
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
OPERATION
When the ignition switch is pushed with-
out depressing the brake pedal (auto-
matic transmission model) or the clutch
pedal (manual transmission model), the
ignition switch position will change as
follows:
.Push center once to change to ACC.
. Push center two times to change to
ON.
. Push center three times to change to
OFF. (No position illuminates.)
. Push center four times to return to
ACC. .
Open or close any door to return to
LOCK during the OFF position.
If the battery of the vehicle is dis-
charged, the push-button ignition
switch cannot be turned from the LOCK
position.
Some indicators and warnings for opera-
tion are displayed on the vehicle informa-
tion display. (See “Vehicle information
display” (P.2-19).)
Automatic transmission models
The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch position cannot be
switched to LOCK until the shift lever is
moved to the P (Park) position.
When the ignition switch cannot be
pushed toward the LOCK position, pro-
ceed as follows:
1. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position.
2. Push the ignition switch to the OFF position. The ignition switch position
indicator will not illuminate.
3. Open the door. The ignition switch will change to the LOCK position.
The shift lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in
the ON position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in
this position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when
it is pushed to the ACC position while
carrying the Intelligent Key or with the
Intelligent Key inserted in the port.
ACC (Accessories)
This position activates electrical acces-
sories such as the radio, when the engine
is not running.
ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system
and electrical accessories.
OFF
The engine can be turned off in this
position.
Automatic transmission models: The igni-
tion lock is designed so that the ignition
switch cannot be switched to the LOCK
position until the shift lever is moved to
the P (Park) position.
Starting and driving5-9

5-10Starting and driving
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF
To shut off the engine in an emergency
situation while driving perform the follow-
ing procedure:
.Rapidly push the push-button ignition
switch 3 consecutive times in less
than 1.5 seconds, or
. Push and hold the push-button igni-
tion switch for more than 2 seconds.
CAUTION
Do not leave the vehicle with the
push-button ignition switch in ACC or
ON positions when the engine is not
running for an extended period. This
can discharge the battery.SSD0826
INTELLIGENT KEY BATTERY DIS-
CHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is
almost discharged, the guide lightof
the Intelligent Key portblinks and the
indicator appears on the vehicle informa-
tion display. (See “Vehicle information
display” (P.2-19).)
In this case, inserting the Intelligent Key
into the port
allows you to start the
engine. Make sure that the key ring side
faces backward as illustrated. Insert the
Intelligent Key in the port until it is latched
and secured.
To remove the Intelligent Key from the
port, push the ignition switch to the OFF position and pull the Intelligent Key out of
the port.
NOTE:
The Intelligent Key port does not charge
the Intelligent Key battery. If you see
the low battery indicator in the vehicle
information display, replace the battery
as soon as possible. (See “Intelligent
Key battery replacement” (P.8-20).)
CAUTION
.
Never place anything except the
Intelligent Key in the Intelligent
Key port. Doing so may cause
damage to the equipment.
. Make sure the Intelligent Key is in
the correct direction when insert-
ing it to the Intelligent Key port.
The engine may not start if it is in
the incorrect direction.
. Remove the Intelligent Key from
the Intelligent Key port after the
ignition switch is pushed to the
OFF position.

.Make sure the area around the vehicle
is clear.
. Check fluid levels such as engine oil,
coolant, brake fluid and window
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 appear-
ance and condition. Also check tires
for proper inflation.
. Lock all doors.
. Position seat and adjust head re-
straints.
. Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
. Fasten seat belts and ask all passen-
gers to do likewise.
. Check the operation of warning lights
when the ignition switch is pushed to
the ON position. (See “Warning lights,
indicator lights and audible remin-
ders” (P.2-10).)1. Apply the parking brake.
2.Automatic Transmission (AT) model:
Move the shift lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate
unless the shift lever is in either of the
above positions.
Manual Transmission (MT) model:
Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position. Depress the clutch pedal fully
to the floor.
The starter is designed not to operate
unless the clutch pedal is fully de-
pressed.
The Intelligent Key must be carried
when operating the ignition switch.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal (AT
model) or the clutch pedal (MT model)
and push the ignition switch to start
the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push
and release the ignition switch while
depressing the brake pedal or the
clutch pedal with the ignition switch
in any position.
.If the engine is very hard to start inextremely cold weather or when
restarting, 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
because it is flooded, depress the
accelerator 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 OFF. After
cranking the engine, release the
accelerator pedal. Crank the engine
with your foot off the accelerator
pedal by depressing the brake
pedal and pushing the push-button
ignition switch to start the engine.
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 OFF and wait 10
seconds before cranking again,
otherwise the starter could be da-
maged.
Starting and driving5-11
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE

5-12Starting and driving
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 of 2 - 3 minutes before
shutting it off. Starting and stopping
the engine over a short period of time
may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
When racing the engine up to 4,500
rpm or more under no load condition,
the engine will enter the fuel cut
mode.
5. To stop the engine, shift the shift lever to the P (Park) position (AT model) or
move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position (MT model), and push the
ignition switch to the OFF position.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start condi-
tions such as:
1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume
battery power when the engine is
not running (Phone chargers, GPS,
DVD players, etc.) 2.
Vehicle is not driven regularly and/
or only driven short distances.
In these cases, the battery may need to
be charged to maintain battery health.AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7 speed automatic transmission
The automatic transmission in your vehi-
cle is electronically controlled by a trans-
mission control module to produce
maximum efficiency and smooth opera-
tion.
Shown on the following pages are the
recommended operating procedures for
this transmission. Follow these proce-
dures for maximum vehicle performance
and driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle
After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal and push the shift lever
button before shifting the shift lever to
the R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive) or
Manual shift mode position. Be sure the
vehicle is fully stopped before attempting
to shift the shift lever.
This automatic transmission model is
designed so that the foot brake pedal
must be depressed before shifting from
P (Park) to any drive position while the
ignition switch position is ON.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is pushed to the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE