2018 NISSAN ARMADA transmission

5-22Starting and driving
SSD0946
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 depressed and the shift lever but-
ton pushed.
To move the shift lever, perform the
following procedure:
1. Place the ignition switch in the OFF orLOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
using a
suitable tool. 4. Push down the shift lock
as illu-
strated.
5. Push the shift lever button
and
move the shift lever to N (Neutral)
position
while holding down the
shift lock.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
If the lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park), have the automatic transmission
system checked as soon as possible. It is
recommended you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
WARNING
. Be sure the parking brake is fully
released 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 gear shift in place
of the parking brake. When park-
ing, be sure the parking brake is
fully engaged.
. To help avoid risk of injury or
death through unintended opera-
tion of the vehicle and/or its
systems, do not leave children,
people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle.
Additionally, the temperature in-
side 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.
PARKING BRAKE

7. Avoid idling..Shutting off your engine when safefor stops exceeding 30-60 seconds
saves fuel and reduces emissions.
8. Buy an automated pass for toll roads.
.Automated passes permit drivers to use special lanes to maintain cruis-
ing speed through the toll and
avoid stopping and starting.
9. Winter warm up.
.Limit idling time to minimize impact to fuel economy.
.Vehicles typically need no morethan 30 seconds of idling at start-
up to effectively circulate the en-
gine oil before driving.
.Your vehicle will reach its ideal
operating temperature more
quickly while driving versus idling.
10. Keeping your vehicle cool.
.Park your vehicle in a covered parking area or in the shade when-
ever possible.
.When entering a hot vehicle, open- ing the windows will help to reduce
the inside temperature faster, re-
sulting in reduced demand on your
A/C system. .
Keep your engine tuned up.
. Follow the recommended scheduled
maintenance.
. Keep the tires inflated to the correct
pressure. Low tire pressure increases
tire wear and lowers fuel economy.
. Keep the wheels in correct alignment.
Improper alignment increases tire
wear and lowers fuel economy.
. Use the recommended viscosity en-
gine oil. (See “Engine oil and oil filter
recommendation” (P.10-6).)
WARNING
.Do not attempt 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
drivetrain 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 or similar equip-
ment even if the other two
wheels are raised off the ground.
Make sure you inform test facility
personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with 4WD 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 ve-
hicle damage or personal injury.
Starting and driving5-123
INCREASING FUEL ECONOMYNISSAN ALL-MODE 4WD® (if so equipped)

SSD1100
*1: The 4LO and 4HI indicator may flash alternately. Stop the vehicle and be sure to turn the 4WD shift switch after the transmission
shift lever has been shifted to the N (Neutral) position. If the indicator keeps flashing after the 4WD shift procedure, drive slowly
without abrupt maneuvers for a while. Then the indicator will illuminate or turn off.
· Avoid making a turn or abrupt starts while shifting to the 4LO position. Otherwise the gears may grind, damaging the drive system.
*2: While changing in and out of the 4LO position, the engine must be running. Otherwise, the shift will not take place and the 4LO
indicator will not be on or flashing.
Starting and driving5-125

The 4WD shift switch is used to select the
4WD mode depending on the driving
conditions. There are 3 types of drive
modes available, AUTO, 4HI and 4LO.
The 4WD shift switch electronically con-
trols the transfer case operation. Rotate
the switch to move between each mode,
AUTO, 4H and 4L.
You must depress the 4WD shift switch
to select 4L, and the vehicle MUST be
stationary and the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position when changing into
or out of 4L.
WARNING
.When parking, apply the parking
brake before stopping the engine
and make sure that the 4WD shift
indicator is on and the ATP warn-
ing light turns off. Otherwise, the
vehicle could unexpectedly move
even if the automatic transmis-
sion is in the P (Park) position.
. The 4LO and 4HI indicators must
stop blinking and the 4LO or 4HI
indicator must remain illumi-
nated or turn off before shifting
the transmission into gear. If the
shift lever is shifted from the N
(Neutral) position to any other gear while the 4LO and 4HI in-
dicators are blinking alternately,
the vehicle may move unexpect-
edly.
CAUTION
.
Never shift the 4WD shift switch
between 4L and 4H while driving.
. The 4HI position provides greater
traction. Avoid excessive speed,
as it will cause increased fuel
consumption and higher oil tem-
peratures, and could damage dri-
vetrain component. Speeds over
62 MPH (100 km/h) in 4HI is not
recommended.
. The 4LO position provides max-
imum traction. Avoid raising ve-
hicle speed excessively, as the
maximum speed is approxi-
mately 31 MPH (50 km/h).
. When driving straight, shift the
4WD shift switch to the AUTO or
4H position. Do not move the 4WD
shift switch when making a turn
or reversing.
. Do not shift the 4WD shift switch
(between AUTO and 4H) while
driving on steep downhill grades. Use the engine brake and low
automatic transmission gears
for engine braking.
. Do not operate the 4WD shift
switch (between AUTO and 4H)
with the rear wheels spinning.
. Do not drive on dry hard surface
roads in the 4HI or 4LO position.
Driving on dry hard surfaces in
4HI or 4LO may cause unneces-
sary noise and tire wear. NISSAN
recommends driving in the AUTO
position under these conditions.
. The 4WD transfer case may not
be shifted between 4HI and 4LO
at low ambient temperatures and
the 4LO and 4HI indicators may
blink even when the 4WD shift
switch is shifted. After driving for
a while you can change the 4WD
shift switch between 4H and 4L.
When driving on rough roads,
. Drive carefully according to the road
surface conditions.
When the vehicle is stuck,
. Place stones or wooden blocks under
the tires to free the vehicle.
. Set the 4WD shift switch to 4H or 4L.
Starting and driving5-127

5-128Starting and driving
.If it is difficult to free the vehicle,
repeat forward and backward move-
ment to increase the movement.
. If the vehicle is stuck deep in mud, tire
chains may be effective.
CAUTION
.Do not spin the tires excessively.
Tires will sink deep into the mud,
making it difficult to free the
vehicle.
. Avoid shifting gears with the en-
gine running at high speeds as
this may cause malfunction.
SSD1048
4WD SHIFT SWITCH
.Shift the 4WD shift switch to either the
AUTO, 4H or 4L position, depending on
driving conditions.
. With the switch set to the AUTO
position, distribution of torque to the
front and rear wheels changes auto-
matically, depending on road condi-
tions encountered [ratio; 0 : 100 (2WD)
? 50 : 50 (4WD)]. This results in
improved driving stability.
. If the 4WD shift switch is operated
while making a turn, accelerating or
decelerating or if the ignition switch
is placed in the OFF position while in
the AUTO, 4H or 4L, you may feel a jolt. This is not abnormal.
. When the vehicle is stopped after
making a turn, you may feel a slight
jolt after the shift lever is shifted to N
(Neutral) or P (Park) position. This
occurs because the transfer clutch is
released and not because of a mal-
function.
CAUTION
.When driving straight, shift the
4WD shift switch to the AUTO or
4H position. Do not move the 4WD
shift switch when making a turn
or reversing.
. Do not shift the 4WD shift switch
while driving on steep downhill
grades. Use the engine brake and
low automatic transmission
gears for engine braking.
. Do not operate the 4WD shift
switch with the rear wheels spin-
ning.
. Before placing the 4WD shift
switch in the 4H position from
AUTO, ensure the vehicle speed is
less than 62 MPH (100 km/h).
Failure to do so can damage the
4WD system.

WARNING
.Never rely solely on the hill start
assist system to prevent the ve-
hicle from moving backward on a
hill. Always drive carefully and
attentively. Depress the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped
on a steep hill. Be especially care-
ful when stopped on a hill on
frozen or muddy roads. Failure
to prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards may result in a loss of
control of the vehicle and possi-
ble serious injury or death.
. The hill start assist system is not
designed to hold the vehicle at a
standstill on a hill. Depress the
brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped on a steep hill. Failure to
do so may cause the vehicle to
roll backwards and may result in
a collision or serious personal
injury.
. The hill start assist system may
not prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing backwards on a hill under all
load or road conditions. Always
be prepared to depress the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from
rolling backwards. Failure to do so may result in a collision or
serious personal injury.
The hill start assist system automatically
keeps the brakes applied to help prevent
the vehicle from rolling backwards in the
time it takes the driver to release the
brake pedal and apply the accelerator
when the vehicle is stopped on a hill.
The hill start assist system will operate
automatically under the following condi-
tions:
. The transmission is shifted to a for-
ward or reverse gear.
. The vehicle is stopped completely on a
hill by applying the brake.
The maximum holding time is 2 seconds.
After 2 seconds the vehicle will begin to
roll back and the hill start assist system
will stop operating completely.
The hill start assist system will not
operate when the transmission is shifted
to the N (Neutral) or P (Park) position or
on a flat and level road.
When the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
warning light illuminates in the meter, the
hill start assist system will not operate.
(See “Warning lights, indicator lights and
audible reminders” (P.2-10).)
Starting and driving5-131
HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM

5-132Starting and driving
SD1006MA
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.
. Never leave the engine running
while the vehicle is unattended.
. Do not leave children unattended
inside the vehicle. They could
unknowingly activate switches
or controls. Unattended children
could become involved in serious
accidents. .
To help avoid risk of injury or
death through unintended opera-
tion of the vehicle and/or its
systems, do not leave children,
people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle.
Additionally, the temperature in-
side 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.
. Safe parking procedures require
that both the parking brake be
applied and the transmission be placed in the P (Park) position.
Failure to do so could cause the
vehicle to move unexpectedly or
roll away and result in an acci-
dent.
. Make sure the automatic trans-
mission shift lever has been
pushed as far forward as it can
go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) position.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from roll- ing into the street when parked on a
sloping drive way, it is a good practice
to turn the wheels as illustrated..HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
.HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
Turn the wheels away from the curb
and move the vehicle back until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
.HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NOCURB:
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS

Turn the wheels toward the side of
the road so the vehicle will move away
from the center of the road if it moves.
4. Push the ignition switch to the OFF position.
SIC4474
The TOW MODE should be used when
pulling a heavy trailer or hauling a heavy
load. Driving the vehicle in the TOW MODE
with no trailer/load or light trailer/light
load will not cause any damage. However,
fuel economy may be reduced, and the
transmission/engine driving characteris-
tics may feel unusual.
Push the TOW MODE switch to activate
TOW MODE. The indicator light on the
TOW MODE switch illuminates when the
TOW MODE is selected. Push the TOW
MODE switch again to turn the TOW
MODE OFF.
TOW MODE is automatically canceled
when the ignition switch is placed in the OFF position.
Starting and driving5-133
TOW MODE