2018 NISSAN LEAF manual transmission

For additional information, refer to “Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)” in
the “Starting and driving” section of this
manual.
Turn signal/hazardindicator lights
The appropriate light flashes when the turn
signal switch is activated.
NOTE:
In case of a turn signal light bulb mal-
function, the turn signal will flash at a
higher frequency when the turn signal
switch is activated.
Both lights flash when the hazard switch is
turned on.
For additional information, refer to “Lights”
in the “Do-it-yourself ” section of this
manual.
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) OFF indicator light
When the ignition switch is in the ON posi-
tion, the VDC OFF indicator light illuminates
and the turns off. The VDC OFF indicator light illuminates
when the VDC OFF switch is pushed to the
OFF position.
When the VDC OFF switch is pushed to the
OFF position, the VDC system is turned off.
For additional information, refer to “Vehicle
Dynamic Control (VDC) system” in the
“Starting and driving” section of this
manual.
AUDIBLE REMINDERS
Brake pad wear warning
The disc brake pads have audible wear
warnings. When a disc brake pad requires
replacement, it makes a high pitched
scraping sound when the vehicle is in mo-
tion, whether or not the brake pedal is de-
pressed. Have the brakes checked as soon
as possible if the warning sound is heard. It
is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Light reminder chime
With the ignition switch placed in the OFF
position, a chime sounds when the driver’s
door is opened if the headlights or parking
lights are on.Turn the headlight control switch off or to
AUTO before leaving the vehicle.
NISSAN Intelligent Key® Lock-in
Prevention (if so equipped)
The Intelligent Key buzzer sounds if the In-
telligent Key is lef t inside the vehicle when
the doors are closed and locked. When the
buzzer sounds, be sure to take the Intelli-
gent Key with you when leaving the vehicle.
For additional information, refer to “NISSAN
Intelligent Key®” in the “Pre-driving checks
and adjustments” section of this manual.
Parking brake reminder chime
A chime sounds if the parking brake is set
and the vehicle is driven. The chime will
stop if the parking brake is released or the
vehicle speed returns to zero.
2-20Instruments and controls

VEHICLE INFORMATION DISPLAY
WARNINGS AND INDICATORS
1. No Key Detected
2. Key Battery Low
3. I-Key System Error: See Owner’sManual
4. Shif t to Park
5. Engine start operation (for Continu- ously Variable Transmission (CVT)
models) (if so equipped)
6. Engine start operation for Intelligent Key system (if I-Key battery level is low)
7. Release Parking Brake
8. Low Fuel
9. Door/lif tgate Open
10. Tire Pressure Low — Add Air (if so equipped)
11. TPMS Error: See Owner’s Manual (if so equipped)
12. Alarm - Time for a break? (if so equipped)
13. Power will turn off to save the battery
14. Power turned off to save the battery 15. Reminder: Turn OFF Headlights
16. Headlight System Error: See Owner’s
Manual
17. Cruise control indicator (if so equipped)
18. Blind Spot Warning (BSW) indicator (if so equipped)
19. Malfunction (if so equipped)
20. Shipping Mode On Push Storage Fuse
21. CVT Error: See Owner’s Manual (if so equipped)
22. Steering lock release malfunction indi- cator (if so equipped)
23. Illumination indicator
24. Transmission Shif t Position indicator (if so equipped)
25. High Coolant Temp: See Owner’s Manual
26. Outside Temperature Display
27. Low Outside Temperature
28. Oil and Filter
29. Tire
30. Other 31. Front Radar Obstruction (if so
equipped)
32. Side Radar Obstruction (if so equipped)
33. Sport mode indicator (if so equipped)
No Key Detected
This warning appears when the Intelligent
Key is lef t outside the vehicle with the igni-
tion switch in the ON position. Make sure
the Intelligent Key is inside the vehicle.
For additional information, refer to “NISSAN
Intelligent Key®” in the “Pre-driving checks
and adjustments” section of this manual.
Key Battery Low
This indicator illuminates when the Intelli-
gent Key battery is running out of power.
If this indicator illuminates, replace the bat-
tery with a new one. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Battery replacement” in
the “Do-it-yourself ” section of this manual.
I-Key System Error: See Owner’s Manual
Af ter the ignition switch is pushed to the
ON position, this light comes on for a period
of time and then turns off.
2-30Instruments and controls

The I-Key System Error message warns of
a malfunction with the Intelligent Key sys-
tem. If the light comes on while the engine
is stopped, it may be impossible to start
the engine.
If the light comes on while the engine is
running, you can drive the vehicle. However,
in these cases, have the system checked. It
is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Shif t to Park
This warning illuminates when the ignition
switch is in the OFF position and the shif t
lever is not in the P (Park) position. Also, a
chime sounds when the ignition switch is
in the OFF position.
If this warning illuminates, move the shif t
lever to the P (Park) position and start the
engine.
Engine start operation (for Continu-
ously Variable Transmission (CVT) mod-
els) (if so equipped)
This indicator appears when the shif t lever
is in the P (Park) position.
This indicator means that the engine will
start by pushing the ignition switch withthe brake pedal depressed. You can start
the engine directly in any position of the
ignition switch.
Engine start operation for Intelligent
Key system (if I-Key battery level is low)
This indicator appears when the battery of
the Intelligent Key is low and when the In-
telligent Key system and the vehicle are not
communicating normally.
If this appears, touch the ignition switch
with the Intelligent Key while depressing
the brake pedal. For additional information,
refer to “NISSAN Intelligent Key® battery dis-
charge” in the “Starting and driving” section
of this manual.
Release Parking Brake
This warning illuminates in the message
area of the vehicle information display
when the parking brake is set and the ve-
hicle is driven.
Low Fuel
This warning illuminates when the fuel level
in the fuel tank is getting low. Refuel as
soon as it is convenient, preferably before
the fuel gauge reaches 0 (Empty).
Therewill be a small reserve of fuel in the tank
when the fuel gauge needle reaches 0
(Empty).
Door/lif tgate Open
This warning illuminates when a door or
the lif tgate has been opened.
Tire Pressure Low - Add Air (if so
equipped)
This warning appears when the low tire
pressure warning light in the meter illumi-
nates and low tire pressure is detected. The
warning appears each time the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position as long
as the low tire pressure warning light re-
mains illuminated. If this warning appears,
stop the vehicle and adjust the tire pres-
sures of all four tires to the recommended
COLD tire pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. For additional
information, refer to “Tire Pressure Monitor-
ing System (TPMS)” in the “Starting and driv-
ing” section of this manual.
TPMS Error: See Owner’s Manual (if so
equipped)
This warning appears when there is an er-
ror with your TPMS. If this warning comes
Instruments and controls2-31

Steering lock release malfunction indi-
cator (if so equipped)
This indicator appears when the steering
lock cannot be released.
If this indicator appears, push the ignition
switch while lightly turning the steering
wheel right and lef t.
Illumination indicator
This indicator shows the illumination ad-
justment of the instrument panel. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Instrument
brightness control” in this section.
Transmission Shif t Position indicator (if
so equipped)
This indicator shows the transmission shif t
position.
High Coolant Temp: See Owner’s Manual
This warning appears when the tempera-
ture of the engine coolant is too high. Stop
the vehicle in a safe location as soon as
possible. Avoid quick starting or abrupt ac-
celeration. When the warning turns off, the
vehicle can be driven.If the warning appears again soon af ter it
turns off, have the vehicle checked. It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
Outside Temperature Display
The outside temperature display appears
in the center region of the vehicle informa-
tion display.
Low Outside Temperature
This warning appears if the outside tem-
perature is below 37°F (3°C). The tempera-
ture can be changed to display in Celsius or
Fahrenheit. For additional information, re-
fer to “Settings” in this section.
Oil and Filter
This indicator appears when the customer
set distance comes for changing the en-
gine oil and filter. You can set or reset the
distance for checking or replacing these
items. For scheduled maintenance items
and intervals, refer to the “Maintenance and
schedules” section of this manual.
Tire
This indicator appears when the customer
set distance is reached for replacing tires.
You can set or reset the distance for replac-
ing tires.WARNING
The tire replacement indicator is not a
substitute for regular tire checks, includ-
ing tire pressure checks. For additional in-
formation, refer to “Changing wheels and
tires” in the “Do-it-yourself ” section of
this manual. Many factors including tire
inflation, alignment, driving habits and
road conditions affect tire wear and when
tires should be replaced. Setting the tire
replacement indicator for a certain driv-
ing distance does not mean your tires will
last that long. Use the tire replacement
indicator as a guide only and always per-
form regular tire checks. Failure to per-
form regular tire checks, including tire
pressure checks could result in tire failure.
Serious vehicle damage could occur and
may lead to a collision, which could result
in serious personal injury or death.
Other
This indicator appears when the customer
set distance is reached for checking or re-
placing maintenance items other than the
engine oil, oil filter and tires. Other mainte-
nance items can include such things as air
filter or tire rotation. The distance for
checking or replacing the items can be set
or reset.
Instruments and controls2-33

Lockout protection
When the power door lock switch (driver’s
or front passenger’s side) is moved to the
lock position with the Intelligent Key in the
vehicle while any door is open, a warning
chime will sound and all doors unlock au-
tomatically.
AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS
∙ All doors lock automatically when thevehicle speed reaches 15 mph
(24 km/h).
∙ All doors unlock automatically when the transmission is placed in the P (Park)
position or when the ignition switch is
placed in the OFF position.
NOTE:
The automatic door unlock function can
be changed using “Vehicle Settings” of
the vehicle information display. For ad-
ditional information, refer to “Vehicle in-
formation display ” in the “Instruments
and controls” section of this manual.
CHILD SAFETY REAR DOOR LOCK
Child safety locks help prevent the rear
doors from being opened accidentally, es-
pecially when small children are in the ve-
hicle.
The child safety lock levers are located on
the edge of the rear doors.
When the lever is in the unlock position
2,
the door can be opened from the outside
or the inside.
When the lever is in the LOCK position
1,
the door can be opened only from the
outside.
WARNING
∙ Radio waves could adversely affect electric medical equipment. Those
who use a pacemaker should contact
the electric medical equipment
manufacturer for the possible influ-
ences before use.
∙ The Intelligent Key transmits radio waves when the buttons are pressed.
The FAA advises the radio waves may
affect aircraf t navigation and com-
munication systems. Do not operate
the Intelligent Key while on an air-
plane. Make sure the buttons are not
operated unintentionally when the
unit is stored for a flight.
∙ Never leave the Intelligent Key in the vehicle when you leave the vehicle.
The Intelligent Key system can operate all
the door and lif tgate locks using the re-
mote control function or pushing the re-
quest switch (if so equipped) on the vehicle
without taking the key out from a pocket or
purse. The operating environment and/or
conditions may affect the Intelligent Key
system operation.
Be sure to read the following before using
the Intelligent Key system.
SPA2037
NISSAN INTELLIGENT KEY®
3-6Pre-driving checks and adjustments

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

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

The chassis control is an electric control
module that includes the following func-
tions:∙ Intelligent Trace Control
∙ Intelligent Engine Brake
∙ Active Ride Control
INTELLIGENT TRACE CONTROL
(I-TC)
This system senses driving based on the
driver’s steering and acceleration/braking
patterns, and controls brake pressure at
individual wheels to aid tracing at corners
and help smooth vehicle response. The I–TC can be set to ON (enabled) or OFF
(disabled) through the vehicle information
display “Chassis Control” page. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Vehicle infor-
mation display” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual.
When the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
OFF switch is used to turn off the VDC sys-
tem, the I–TC is also turned off.
When the I–TC is operated and the Chassis
Control mode is selected in the vehicle in-
formation display, the I–TC graphics are
shown in the vehicle information display.
For additional information, refer to “Vehicleinformation display” in the “Instruments
and controls” section of this manual.
WARNING
The I–TC may not be effective depend-
ing on the driving condition. Always
drive carefully and attentively.
When the I–TC is operating, you may feel a
pulsation in the brake pedal and hear a
noise. This is normal and indicates that the
I–TC is operating properly.
Even if the I–TC is set to OFF, some func-
tions will remain on to assist the driver (for
example, avoidance scenes).
INTELLIGENT ENGINE BRAKE (I-EB)
The I-EB function adds subtle deceleration
by controlling the Continuously Variable
Transmission gear ratio, depending on the
cornering condition calculated from driv-
er’s steering input and plural sensors. This
benefit is for easier traceability and less
workload of adjusting speed with braking
at corners.
The I-EB also adds subtle deceleration with
gear ratio control according to driver’s
brake pedal operation.
LSD2185
CHASSIS CONTROL (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-59