2018 NISSAN LEAF warning

Starting the vehicle
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depressthe foot brake pedal before moving the
shif t lever out of the P (Park) position.
This Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed be-
fore shif ting from P (Park) to any driv-
ing position while the ignition switch
is in the ON position.
The shif t 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 or OFF
position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever to a driving
position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal, and then gradually start
the vehicle in motion.
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedalwhile shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or L (Low)
position. 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
∙ 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.
∙ Except in an emergency, do not shif t to the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission in
the N (Neutral) position may cause se-
rious damage to the transmission.
5-16Starting and driving

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) position only when the ve-
hicle 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 depressed 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. 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 de-
pressed in to move the shif t lever from P
(Park) or the shif t lever button pressed in
from 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.
LSD2643
Starting and driving5-17

If the shif t lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park), have the transmission checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
CAUTION
Make sure to take extra care during the
removal of the shif t lock cap as this part
is easily damaged.
WARNING
If the shif t lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position while the engine is
running and the brake pedal is de-
pressed, the stop lights may not work.
Malfunctioning stop lights could cause
an accident injuring yourself and
others.
Sport mode switch (if so
equipped)
To select the sport mode, push the sport
mode switch with the shif t lever in the D
(Drive) position.
The sport mode indicator in the vehicle in-
formation display illuminates next to the
Transmission Shif t Position indicator. To
turn off the sport mode, push the sport
mode switch again. The sport mode indi-
cator will turn off. When the shif t lever is
shif ted to any position other than D (Drive),
the sport mode will be automatically
turned off.OFF position:
For normal driving and fuel economy, use
the OFF position.
ON position:
For driving up or down long slopes where
engine braking is necessary, or for powerful
acceleration, use the ON position. The
transmission will automatically select a dif-
ferent gear ratio, allowing the engine to
provide high output.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time with the sport
mode in the ON position. This reduces fuel
economy.
LSD2647
Starting and driving5-19

WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually re-
duced. The reduced speed may be lower
than other traffic, which could increase
the chance of a collision. Be especially
careful when driving. If necessary, pull
to the side of the road at a safe place
and allow the transmission to return to
normal operation, or have it repaired if
necessary.
WARNING
∙ Be sure the parking brake is fully re-leased 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 shif t lever in place of the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
∙ 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
assistance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle. Additionally,
the temperature inside a closed ve-
hicle on a warm day can quickly be-
come high enough to cause a signifi-
cant risk of injury or death to people
and pets. To engage:
Pull the lever up
A.
To release: 1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) po- sition.
3. While pulling up on the parking brake lever slightly, press the button and
lower completely
B.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warn- ing light goes out.
WSD0169
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-21

WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and in-
structions for proper use of the BSW
system could result in serious injury or
death.
∙ The BSW system is not a replacementfor proper driving procedures and is
not designed to prevent contact with
vehicles or objects. When changing
lanes, always use the side and rear
mirrors and turn and look in the direc-
tion your vehicle will move to ensure it
is safe to change lanes. Never rely
solely on the BSW system.
The BSW system helps alert the driver of
other vehicles in adjacent lanes when
changing lanes. The BSW system uses radar sensors
1
installed near the rear bumper to detect
other vehicles in an adjacent lane.
The radar sensors can detect vehicles on
either side of your vehicle within the detec-
tion zone shown as illustrated. This detec-
tion zone starts from the outside mirror of
your vehicle and extends approximately
10 f t (3.0 m) behind the rear bumper, and
approximately 10 f t (3.0 m) sideways.
LSD3090
Detection zone
SSD1030
BLIND SPOT WARNING (BSW) (if so
equipped)
5-22Starting and driving

HOW TO ENABLE/DISABLE THE
BSW SYSTEM
Perform the following steps to enable or
disable the BSW system.1. Press the
button until “Settings”
displays in the vehicle information dis-
play. Use the
button to select
“Driver Assistance.” Then press the OK
button.
2. Select “Blind Spot” and press the OK button.
3. Select “Blind Spot Warning” and press the OK button to turn the system on or
off.
NOTE: ∙ When enabling/disabling the system,
the system will retain current set-
tings even if the engine is restarted.
∙ When the BSW system is turned on,
the BSW indicator (white) in the ve-
hicle information display illuminates.
LSD3149
5-24Starting and driving

BSW SYSTEM LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limitations
for the BSW system. Failure to operate
the vehicle in accordance with these
system limitations could result in seri-
ous injury or death.
∙ The BSW system cannot detect all ve-hicles under all conditions.
∙ The radar sensors may not be able to detect and activate BSW when certain
objects are present such as:
– Pedestrian, bicycles, animals.
– Vehicles such as motorcycles, low height vehicles, or high ground
clearance vehicles.
– Oncoming vehicles.
– Vehicles remaining in the detec- tion zone when you accelerate
from a stop.
– A vehicle merging into an adjacent lane at a speed approximately the
same as your vehicle.
– A vehicle approaching rapidly from behind. – A vehicle which your vehicle over-
takes rapidly.
– A vehicle that passes through the detection zone quickly.
– When overtaking several vehicles in a row, the vehicles af ter the first
vehicle may not be detected if they
are traveling close together.
∙ The radar sensors’ detection zone is designed based on a standard lane
width. When driving in a wider lane,
the radar sensors may not detect ve-
hicles in an adjacent lane. When driv-
ing in a narrow lane, the radar sensors
may detect vehicles driving two lanes
away.
∙ The radar sensors are designed to ig- nore most stationary objects, how-
ever objects such as guardrails, walls,
foliage and parked vehicles may oc-
casionally be detected. This is a nor-
mal operation condition.
∙ The following conditions may reduce the ability of the radar to detect other
vehicles:
– Severe weather
– Road spray – Ice/frost/snow/dirt build-up on
the vehicle
∙ Do not attach stickers (including transparent material), install accesso-
ries or apply additional paint near the
radar sensors. These conditions may
reduce the ability of the radar to de-
tect other vehicles.
∙ Excessive noise (for example, audio system volume, open vehicle window)
will interfere with the chime sound,
and it may not be heard.
Starting and driving5-25

SYSTEM TEMPORARILY
UNAVAILABLE
When radar blockage is detected, the sys-
tem will be deactivated automatically. The
“Side Radar Obstruction” warning message
will appear in the vehicle information dis-
play.
The system is not available until the condi-
tions no longer exist.
The radar sensors may be blocked by tem-
porary ambient conditions such as splash-
ing water, mist or fog. The blocked condi-
tion may also be caused by objects such as
ice, frost or dirt obstructing the radar sen-
sors.
Action to take:
When the above conditions no longer exist,
the system will resume automatically.
Malfunction
If the BSW system malfunctions, it will turn
off automatically. The system malfunction
warning message with the BSW indicator
(orange) will appear in the vehicle informa-
tion display.
LSD3205
Starting and driving5-29