2018 NISSAN ALTIMA stop start

section of this manual. If a tire rapidly loses
air pressure or “blows-out” while driving,
maintain control of the vehicle by following
the procedure below. Please note that this
procedure is only a general guide. The ve-
hicle 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 pres-
sure. Losing control of the vehicle may
cause a collision and result in personal
injury.
∙ The vehicle generally moves or pullsin the direction 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 location off the road and away from
traffic 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 addi-
tional information, 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 alco-
hol or drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream
reduces coordination, delays reaction
time and impairs judgement. Driving
af ter drinking alcohol increases the
likelihood of being involved in an acci-
dent injuring yourself and others. Addi-
tionally, if you are injured in an accident,
alcohol can increase the severity of the
injury.
NISSAN 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
collisions. 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!
That is true for drugs (over-the-counter,
prescription) and illegal drugs, too. Don’t
drive if your ability to operate your vehicle is
impaired by alcohol, drugs, or some other
physical condition.
5-8Starting and driving

WARNING
Do not operate the push-button igni-
tion switch while driving the vehicle ex-
cept in an emergency. (The engine will
stop when the ignition switch is pushed
three consecutive times in quick suc-
cession 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 re-
turn to the LOCK position when any door is
either opened or closed with the switch in
the OFF position. The ignition lock is designed so that the
ignition switch cannot be placed in the OFF
position until the shif t lever is moved to the
P (Park) position.
When the ignition switch cannot be placed
in the OFF position, proceed as follows:
1. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) posi- tion.
2. Push the ignition switch. The ignition switch position will change to the ON
position.
3. Push the ignition switch again to the OFF position.
The shif t lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in
the ON position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
If the battery of the vehicle is discharged,
the ignition switch cannot be moved
from the LOCK position.
Some indicators and warnings for opera-
tion are displayed on the vehicle informa-
tion display. For additional information, re-
fer to “Vehicle information display” in the
“Instruments and controls” section of this
manual.
LSD2014
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving5-9

1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to P (Park) or N(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate if the shif t lever is in any of the
driving positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON po- sition. 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
depressing 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 en-
gine. 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. Af ter 5 or 6 seconds, stop
cranking by pushing the ignition switch to the LOCK position. Af ter
cranking the engine, release the ac-
celerator pedal. Crank the engine
with your foot off the accelerator
pedal by depressing the brake pedal
and pushing the ignition switch to
start the engine. If the engine starts,
but fails to run, repeat the above pro-
cedure.
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 cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
4. Warm-up:
Allow the engine to idle for at least
30 seconds af ter starting. Do not race
the engine while warming it up. Drive at
a moderate speed for a short distance
first, especially in cold weather. In cold
weather, keep the engine running for a
minimum of 2 to 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. 5. To stop the engine, move the shif t lever
to the P (Park) position 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 conditions
such as: 1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the engine is not
running (phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.).
2. The 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.
STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-13

REMOTE ENGINE START (if so
equipped)
Vehicles started with the Remote Engine
Start require the ignition switch to be
placed in the ON position before the shif t
lever can be moved from the P (Park) posi-
tion. To place the ignition switch in the ON
position, follow these steps:1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you.
2. Apply the brake.
3. Push the ignition switch once to the ON position.
For additional information, refer to “NISSAN
Intelligent Key®” in the “Pre-driving checks
and adjustments” section of this manual.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedal while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), Ds (Drive
Sport) or manual shif t mode (if so
equipped). Always depress the brake
pedal until shif ting is completed. Fail-
ure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
∙ Cold engine idle speed is high, so use caution when shif ting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
∙ Do not downshif t abruptly on slippery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
∙ Never shif t 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 re-
versing. This could cause an accident
or damage the transmission.
CAUTION
∙ Except in an emergency, do not shif tto the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission in
the N (Neutral) position may cause se-
rious damage to the transmission.
∙ 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
purpose.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically
controlled to produce maximum power
and smooth operation.
The CVT can operate in two different auto-
matic drive modes: ∙ D (Drive) mode - Move the shif t lever to D (Drive). The transmission is in the nor-
mal forward automatic driving mode.
The position indicator in the meter
shows a “D.”
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-14Starting and driving

∙ DS (Drive Sport) mode - Move the shif tlever from D (Drive) to Ds (Drive Sport).
The position indicator in the meter
shows a “Ds.” In DS (Drive Sport) mode,
transmission operation changes to
"Sporty” driving shif t operation, creating
a more aggressive acceleration feeling
than the D (Drive) mode and a gear
change sensation when the driver ac-
celerates or uses the paddle shif ters (if
so equipped). During DS (Drive Sport)
mode operation, the driver must move
the shif t lever from the Ds (Drive Sport)
position to the D (Drive) position and
back again to re-select DS (Drive Sport)
mode.
∙ To cancel the DS mode, return the shif t lever to the D (Drive) position. The trans-
mission returns to the automatic drive
mode.
The CVT can operate in two manual drive
modes: ∙ M (Manual) mode (if so equipped) - With the shif t lever in the Ds (Drive Sport)
position, moving the paddle shif ters up
(+) or down (–) produces noticeable up-
shif ts and downshif ts. The position indi-
cator in the meter shows an “M.” ∙ To cancel DS (Drive Sport) mode return
the shif t lever to the D (Drive) mode.
Follow these procedures for maximum ve-
hicle performance and driving enjoyment.
NOTE:
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers.
Starting the vehicle
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedal while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), Ds (Drive
Sport) or manual shif t mode (if so
equipped). Always depress the brake
pedal until shif ting is completed. Fail-
ure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
∙ Cold engine idle speed is high, so use caution when shif ting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up. ∙ Do not downshif t abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
∙ Never shif t 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 re-
versing. This could cause an accident
or damage the transmission.
CAUTION
∙ Except in an emergency, do not shif tto the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission in
the N (Neutral) position may cause se-
rious damage to the transmission.
∙ 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
purpose.
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the foot brake pedal before moving the
shif t lever out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever into a driving
gear.
Starting and driving5-15

3. Release the foot brake, then graduallystart the vehicle in motion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before moving the shif t lever to the P (Park)
position.
The Continuously Variable Transmission
is designed so the foot brake pedal MUST
be depressed before shif ting from P
(Park) to any drive position while the ig-
nition switch is in the ON position.
The shif t lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park) and into any of the other gear po-
sitions if the ignition switch is placed in
the LOCK position. To move the shif t lever:
Press the buttonAwhile depressing
the brake pedal
Press the buttonAto shif t
Shif t without pressing the buttonA
Shif ting
Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and move the shif t lever from P
(Park) to any of the desired shif t positions.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shif t lever
is in any position while the engine is not
running. Failure to do so could cause
the vehicle to move unexpectedly or roll
away and result in serious personal in-
jury or property damage.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position only
when the vehicle is completely
stopped.
Use the P (Park) shif t lever position when
the vehicle is parked or when starting the
engine. Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped. The brake pedal should be de-
pressed to move the shif t 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 shif t lever into the P (Park) position.
LSD2085
5-16Starting and driving

R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) or 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 de-
pressed to move the shif t lever from P
(Park), N (Neutral) or any drive position to
R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shif t to N (Neutral) and
restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is
moving.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving. Ds (Drive Sport)
When the shif t lever is moved from the D
(Drive) to Ds (Drive Sport) position, the
transmission enters the DS (Drive Sport)
mode. Moving the shif t lever to the Ds
(Drive Sport) position allows you to enjoy
“sporty” driving shif t operation on a wind-
ing road and feel smooth acceleration or
deceleration on a hilly road by moving in a
lower gear automatically. When canceling
the DS mode, return the shif t lever to the D
(Drive) position. The transmission returns
to the normal driving mode.
Manual shif t mode (if so
equipped)
When the shif t lever is in the Ds (Drive Sport)
position, the transmission is ready for the
manual shif t mode. Shif t ranges can be
selected manually by pulling the right-side
or lef t-side paddle shif ter.
When shif ting up, pull the right side paddle
shif ter (+)
C. The transmission shif ts to the
higher range.
When shif ting down, pull the lef t side
paddle shif ter ()
B. The transmission
shif ts to the lower range.
LSD2086
Starting and driving5-17

When canceling the manual shif t mode, re-
turn the shif t lever to the D (Drive) position.
The transmission returns to the normal
driving mode. When you pull the paddle
shif ter while in the D (Drive) position, the
transmission will shif t to the upper or lower
range temporarily. The transmission will
automatically return to the D (Drive) posi-
tion af ter a short period of time. If you want
to return to the D (Drive) position manually,
pull and hold the paddle shif ter for about
1.5 seconds.
In the manual shif t mode, the shif t range is
displayed on the position indicator in the
meter.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
1⇔2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7
M7 (7th)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M6 (6th) and M5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes. M4 (4th), M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
M1 (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine brak-
ing on steep downhill grades.
∙ Remember not to drive at high speeds for extended periods of time in lower
than 7 range. This reduces fuel
economy.
When shif ting up
Move the shif t lever to the + (up) side. (Shif ts
to higher range.)
When shif ting down
Move the shif t lever to the (down) side.
(Shif ts to lower range.)
∙ Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
When canceling the manual shif t mode
Return the shif t lever to the D (Drive) posi-
tion to return the transmission to the nor-
mal driving mode. ∙
In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may not shif t to the selected
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
∙ In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may shif t up automatically to
a higher range than selected if the
engine speed is too high. When the
vehicle speed decreases, the trans-
mission automatically shif ts down
and shif ts to 1st gear before the ve-
hicle comes to a stop.
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) operation is limited to automatic
drive mode when CVT fluid tempera-
ture is extremely low even if manual
shif t mode is selected. This is not a mal-
function. When CVT fluid warms up,
manual mode can be selected.
∙ When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shif t range may upshif t in lower
rpm than usual. This is not a malfunc-
tion.
5-18Starting and driving