2018 NISSAN LEAF Owner´s Manual

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) or L (Low).
Always depress the brake pedal until
shif ting is completed. Failure 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 recommended operating procedures
for this transmission are shown on the fol-
lowing pages. Follow these procedures for
maximum vehicle performance and driv-
ing 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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-15

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

L(Low)
Use this position for engine braking on
steep downhill gradients/climbing steep
slopes and whenever approaching sharp
bends. Do not use the L (Low) position in
any other circumstances.
Shif t lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged,
the shif t lever may not be moved from the
P (Park) position even with the brake pedal
depressed and the shif t lever button
pressed.
It will be necessary to jump start or have
your battery charged. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Jump starting” in the “In
case of emergency” section of this manual.
It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer or a professional towing service.To move the shif t lever, complete the fol-
lowing procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Using a protective cloth on the tip of a small (1/8 inch or 3 mm) flat-head
screwdriver, remove the shif t lock re-
lease cover.
∙ If available, a plastic trim tool can also be used.
4. Insert the rod from the spare tire tool kit into the shif t lock release slot and
push in at an angle (about 45°). A small
screwdriver or small trim tool may also
be used.
∙ For additional information, refer to “NISSAN Intelligent Key®” in the “Pre-
driving checks and adjustments”
section of this manual.
5. Move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position while holding down the shif t
lock release.
6. Push the ignition switch to the ON po- sition. Now the vehicle may be moved
to the desired location.
LSD2644
5-18Starting and driving

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

Overdrive (O/D) OFF mode switch
(if so equipped)
To select the overdrive OFF mode, push the
O/D OFF switch with the shif t lever in the D
(Drive) position.
The overdrive OFF indicator light in the me-
ter panel illuminates. To turn off the over-
drive OFF mode, push the O/D OFF switch
again. The overdrive OFF indicator light will
turn off. When the shif t lever is shif ted to
any position other than D (Drive), the over-
drive OFF 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 over-
drive OFF mode in the ON position. This
reduces fuel economy.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into a lower gear,
depending on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
when climbing steep grades in high tem-peratures with heavy loads, such as when
towing a trailer), engine power and, under
some conditions, vehicle speed will be de-
creased automatically to reduce the
chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelera-
tor pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed
may be limited.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may come on to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL)” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual. This will oc-
cur even if all electrical circuits are func-
tioning properly. In this case, place the
ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait for 10 seconds. Then push the
switch back to the ON position. The ve-
hicle should return to its normal operat-
ing condition. If it does not return to its
normal operating condition, have the
transmission checked and repaired, if
necessary. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
LSD2647
5-20Starting and driving

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