2018 NISSAN MAXIMA light

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.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position and manual
shif t mode
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into lower range,
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 place the igni-tion switch back in the ON position. The
vehicle should return to its normal oper-
ating 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.
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.
Starting and driving5-21

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:
Firmly depress the parking
brake.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) po- sition.
3. Firmly depress the parking brake pedal and it will release.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warn- ing light goes out. Two driving modes can be selected by us-
ing the Drive Mode Selector switches: NOR-
MAL and SPORT.
NOTE:
∙ When the Drive Mode Selector switch
selects a mode, the mode may not
switch quickly. This is not a malfunc-
tion.
∙ Select the NORMAL mode for normal
driving.
LSD2176
Drive Mode Selector switches
LSD2361
PARKING BRAKE DRIVE MODE SELECTOR
5-22Starting and driving

1. Side BSW/RCTA Indicator Light
2. BSW/RCTA Indicator
BSW SYSTEM OPERATION
The BSW system operates above approxi-
mately 20 mph (32km/h).
If the radar sensors detect a vehicle in the
detection zone, the side BSW/RCTA indica-
tor light (1) illuminates. If the turn signal is
then activated, the system chimes (twice)
and the side BSW/RCTA indicator light
flashes. The side BSW/RCTA indicator light
continues to flash until the detected ve-
hicle leaves the detection zone.
The side BSW/RCTA indicator light illumi-
nates for a few seconds when the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position.
The brightness of the side BSW/RCTA indi-
cator light is adjusted automatically de-
pending on the brightness of the ambient
light.
If a vehicle comes into the detection zone
af ter the driver activates the turn signal,
then only the side BSW/RCTA indicator light
flashes and no chime sounds. For addi-
tional information, refer to “BSW driving
situations” in this section.The BSW system automatically turns on
every time the engine is started, as long as
it is activated using the settings menu on
the vehicle information display.
Starting and driving5-25

BSW DRIVING SITUATIONS
Indicator
on
Indicator
off
Indicator
flashing
Another vehicle approaching
from behind
Illustration 1:The side BSW/RCTA indicator
light illuminates if a vehicle enters the de-
tection zone from behind in an adjacent
lane.
Illustration 2:If the driver activates the
turn signal when another vehicle is in the
detection zone, then the system chimes
(twice) and the side indicator light flashes.
NOTE:
∙ The radar sensors may not detect ve-
hicles which are approaching rapidly
from behind.
∙ If the driver activates the turn signal
before a vehicle enters the detection
zone, the side indicator light will flash
but no chime will sound when the
other vehicle is detected.
Illustratio n 1 – Approaching from behind
LSD2299
Illustration 2 – Approaching from behind
LSD2300
5-28Starting and driving

Overtaking another vehicle
Illustration 3:The side indicator light illu-
minates if you overtake a vehicle and that
vehicle stays in the detection zone for ap-
proximately 2 seconds. Illustration 4:
If the driver activates the
turn signal while another vehicle is in the
detection zone, then the system chimes
(twice) and the side indicator light flashes.
NOTE:
∙ When overtaking several vehicles in a
row, the vehicles af ter the first vehicle
may not be detected if they are trav-
eling close together.
∙ The radar sensors may not detect
slower moving vehicles if they are
passed quickly. ∙
If the driver activates the turn signal
before a vehicle enters the detection
zone, the side indicator light will flash
but no chime will sound when the
other vehicle is detected.
Illustratio n3–Over taking another
vehicle
LSD2302
Illustratio n4–Over taking another
vehicle
LSD2303
Starting and driving5-29

Entering from the side
Illustration 5:The side indicator light illu-
minates if a vehicle enters the detection
zone from either side. Illustration 6:
If the driver activates the
turn signal while another vehicle is in the
detection zone, then the system chimes
(twice) and the side indicator light flashes.
NOTE:
∙ If the driver activates the turn signal
before a vehicle enters the detection
zone, the side indicator light will flash
but no chime will sound when the
other vehicle is detected. ∙
The radar sensors may not detect a
vehicle which is traveling at about the
same speed as your vehicle when it
enters the detection zone.
Illustratio n 5 – Entering from the side
LSD2305
Illustration 6 – Entering from the side
LSD2308
5-30Starting and driving

1. Side BSW/RCTA Indicator Light
2. BSW/RCTA Indicator
RCTA SYSTEM OPERATION
The RCTA system can help alert the driver
of an approaching vehicle when the driver
is backing out of a parking space.
When the shif t position is in R (Reverse) and
the vehicle speed is less than approxi-
mately 5 mph (8 km/h), the RCTA system is
operational.
If the radar detects an approaching vehicle
from either side, the system chimes (once)
and the side BSW/RCTA indicator light
flashes on the side the vehicle is approach-
ing from.
LSD2417
5-34Starting and driving

WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when driv-
ing under the following conditions:
∙ When it is not possible to keep thevehicle at a set speed.
∙ In heavy traffic or in traffic that varies in speed.
∙ On winding or hilly roads.
∙ On slippery roads (rain, snow, ice, etc.).
∙ In very windy areas.
Doing so could cause a loss of vehicle
control and result in an accident.
CRUISE CONTROL OPERATIONS
The cruise control allows driving at a speed
between 25 - 89 mph (40 - 144 km/h) with-
out keeping your foot on the accelerator
pedal.
To turn on the cruise control, push the
ON/OFF
switch on. Theindicator
light in the instrument panel will illuminate.
To set cruising speed, accelerate the ve-
hicle to the desired speed, push the SET–
switch and release it. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal. Your vehicle maintains
the set speed. ∙
To pass another vehicle, depress the
accelerator pedal. When you release the
pedal, the vehicle returns to the previ-
ously set speed.
∙ The vehicle may not maintain the set speed when going up or down steep
hills. If this happens, drive without the
cruise control.
To cancel the preset speed, use one of the
following three methods:
∙ Push the CANCEL switch.
∙ Tap the brake pedal.
∙ Push the ON/OFF
switch off.
The
indicator light in the instru-
ment panel goes out.
The cruise control is automatically can-
celed if:
∙ You depress the brake pedal while pushing the RES+ or SET– switch. The
preset speed is deleted from memory.
∙ The vehicle slows down more than 8 mph (13 km/h) below the set speed.
∙ You move the shif t lever to N (Neutral). To reset at a faster cruising speed,
use
one of the following three methods:
∙ Depress the accelerator pedal. When the vehicle attains the desired speed,
push and release the SET– switch.
∙ Push and hold the RES+ switch. When the vehicle attains the speed you desire,
release the switch.
∙ Push and release the RES+ switch. Each time you do this, the set speed in-
creases by about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
To reset at a slower cruising speed, use
one of the following three methods:
∙ Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the vehicle attains the desired speed, push
the SET– switch and release it.
∙ Push and hold the SET– switch. Release the switch when the vehicle slows to
the desired speed.
∙ Push and release the SET– switch. Each time you do this, the set speed de-
creases by about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
To resume the preset speed, push and
release the RES+ switch. The vehicle re-
turns to the last set cruising speed when
the vehicle speed is over 25 mph (40 km/h).
5-42Starting and driving