∙ Make sure the area around the vehicle isclear.
∙ Check fluid levels such as engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and windshield-
washer fluid as frequently as possible,
or at least whenever you refuel.
∙ Check that all windows and lights are clean.
∙ Visually inspect tires for their appear- ance and condition. Also check tires for
proper inflation.
∙ Check that all doors are closed.
∙ Position seat and adjust head restraints/headrests.
∙ Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
∙ Fasten seat belts and ask all passen- gers to do likewise.
∙ Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is placed in the
ON position. For additional information,
refer to “Warning lights, indicator lights
and audible reminders” in the “Instru-
ments and controls” section of this
manual. 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to P (Park) or N
(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate unless the shif t lever is in either P
(Park) or N (Neutral).
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON po- sition. Depress the brake pedal and
push the ignition switch to start the
engine.
To start the engine immediately, push
and release the ignition switch while
depressing the brake pedal with the
ignition switch in any position.
∙ If the engine is very hard to start in extremely cold weather or when re-
starting, depress the accelerator
pedal a little (approximately 1/3 to the
floor) and while holding, crank the en-
gine. Release the accelerator pedal
when the engine starts.
∙ If the engine is very hard to start be- cause it is flooded, depress the accel-
erator pedal all the way to the floor
and hold it. Push the ignition switch
to the ON position to start cranking
the engine. Af ter 5 or 6 seconds, stop
cranking by pushing the ignition switch to the LOCK position. Af ter
cranking the engine, release the ac-
celerator pedal. Crank the engine
with your foot off the accelerator
pedal by depressing the brake pedal
and pushing the ignition switch to
start the engine. If the engine starts,
but fails to run, repeat the above pro-
cedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start, push the ignition switch
to the OFF position and wait 10 seconds
before cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
4. Warm-up:
Allow the engine to idle for at least
30 seconds af ter starting. Do not race
the engine while warming it up. Drive at
a moderate speed for a short distance
first, especially in cold weather. In cold
weather, keep the engine running for a
minimum of 2 to 3 minutes before
shutting it off. Starting and stopping
the engine over a short period of time
may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-17
∙ Remember not to drive at high speedsfor extended periods of time in lower
than seventh gear. This reduces fuel
economy.
When shif ting up
Move the shif t lever to the + (up) side. (Shif ts
to higher range.)
When shif ting down
Move the shif t lever to the (down) side.
(Shif ts to lower range.)
∙ The transmission will automatically downshif t the gears. (For example, if you
select the third range, the transmission
will shif t down between the third and
first gears.)
∙ Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
When canceling the manual shif t mode
Return the shif t lever to the D (Drive) posi-
tion to return the transmission to the nor-
mal driving mode. ∙
In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may not shif t to the selected
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
∙ When this situation occurs, the Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
position indicator light will blink and
the chime will sound.
∙ In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may shif t up automatically to
a higher range than selected if the
engine speed is too high. When the
vehicle speed decreases, the trans-
mission automatically shif ts down
and shif ts to first gear before the ve-
hicle comes to a stop.
∙ CVT operation is limited to automatic drive mode when CVT fluid tempera-
ture is extremely low even if manual
shif t mode is selected. This is not a mal-
function. When CVT fluid warms up,
manual mode can be selected.
∙ When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shif t range may upshif t in lower
rpm than usual. This is not a malfunc-
tion.
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. To move the shif t lever, perform
the following procedure:
1. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shif t lock release cover us- ing a suitable tool.
LSD3163
5-22Starting and driving
4. Push down the shif t lock release usinga suitable tool.
5. Press the shif t lever button and move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position
while holding down the shif t lock re-
lease. The vehicle may be moved to the
desired location. Replace the removed
shif t lock release cover af ter the opera-
tion. If the shif t lever cannot be moved
out of the P (Park) position, have the
Continuously Variable Transmission
system checked as soon as possible. It
is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
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 —
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.
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 driving5-23
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.
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.
LSD0158
PARKING BRAKE BLIND SPOT WARNING (BSW) (if so
equipped)
5-24Starting and driving
1. Side BSW/RCTA Indicator Light
2. BSW/RCTA Indicator
BSW SYSTEM OPERATION
The BSW system operates above approxi-
mately 20 mph (32 km/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 BSW indicator light continues
to flash until the detected vehicle 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.
LSD2749
5-26Starting and driving
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
Starting and driving5-29
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
5-30Starting and driving
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
Starting and driving5-31