2018 NISSAN SENTRA Owner´s Manual

1. Apply the parking brake.
2.Continuously Variable Transmission
model:
Move the shif t lever to P (Park) or N
(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The shif t lever cannot be moved out
of P (Park) and into any of the other
gear positions if the ignition switch
is turned to the OFF position or if the
key is removed from the ignition
switch.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate if the shif t lever is in any of the
driving positions.
Manual transmission model:
Move the shif t lever to N (Neutral). De-
press the clutch pedal to the floor
while cranking the engine.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate unless the clutch pedal is fully
depressed.
The Intelligent Key must be carried
when operating the ignition switch. 3. Crank the engine
with your foot off
the accelerator pedal by turning the
ignition switch to the START position.
Release the switch when the engine
starts. If the engine starts, but fails to
run, repeat the above procedure.
∙ 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 hold it and then crank the
engine. Release the switch and 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. Crank the engine for
5-6 seconds. Af ter cranking the en-
gine, release the accelerator pedal.
Crank the engine with your foot off
the accelerator pedal by turning the
ignition switch to the START position.
Release the key when the engine
starts. If the engine starts, but fails to
run, repeat the above procedure.CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start, turn 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.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as: 1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the engine is not
running (phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.).
2. The vehicle is not driven regularly
and/or only driven short distances.
In these cases, the battery may need to
be charged to maintain battery health.
STARTING THE ENGINE (models
without NISSAN Intelligent Key®
system)
Starting and driving5-15

1. Apply the parking brake.
2.Continuously Variable Transmission:
Move the shif t lever to P (Park) or N
(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate if the shif t lever is in any of the
driving positions.
Manual Transmission (M/T):
Move the shif t lever to N (Neutral). De-
press the clutch pedal to the floor.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate unless the clutch pedal is fully
depressed.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON po- sition. Depress the brake pedal and the
clutch pedal (if so equipped) 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 of2-3minutes before shut-
ting it off. Starting and stopping the
engine over a short period of time may
make the vehicle more difficult to start.
5. To stop the engine, move the shif t lever to the P (Park) position or to N (Neutral)
and apply the parking brake (M/T) and
push the ignition switch to the OFF po-
sition.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as: 1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the engine is not
running (phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.).
2. The vehicle is not driven regularly
and/or only driven short distances.
In these cases, the battery may need to
be charged to maintain battery health.
STARTING THE ENGINE (models with
NISSAN Intelligent Key® system)
5-16Starting and driving

CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT) (if so
equipped)
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedalwhile shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or L (Low)
(if so equipped). Always depress the
brake pedal until shif ting is com-
pleted. 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 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.
Starting the vehicle
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)
(if so equipped). Always depress the
brake pedal until shif ting is com-
pleted. 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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-17

∙ 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.
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.
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the foot brake pedal before moving the
shif t lever out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever into a driving
gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before moving the shif t lever into the P (Park)
position. The Continuously Variable Transmission
is designed so the foot brake pedal MUST
be depressed before shif ting from P
(Park) to any drive position while the ig-
nition switch is in the ON position.
The shif t lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park) and into any of the other gear po-
sitions if the ignition switch is placed in
the LOCK, OFF or ACC position or if the
keyisremoved.
Type A (if so equipped)
LSD2568
5-18Starting 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.
If the key is turned to the OFF or ACC posi-
tion for any reason while the vehicle is in N
(Neutral), or any drive position, the key can-
not be turned to the LOCK position and be
removed from the ignition switch. If this
occurs, perform the following steps: 1. Apply the parking brake when the ve- hicle is stopped.
2. Move the shif t lever to P (Park) to park the vehicle and turn the ignition switch
to the LOCK position to remove the key.
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 must be de-
pressed and the shif t lever button
pressed in 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 place
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 and the shif t lever button
pressed in to move the shif t lever from P
(Park), 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.
Type B (if so equipped)
LSD2673
Starting and driving5-19

D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
L (Low) (if so equipped)
Use this position for maximum 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.
Manual shif t mode (if so
equipped)
When the shif t lever is in the manual shif t
gate, the transmission is ready for the
manual shif t mode. Shif t ranges can be
selected manually by moving the shif t le-
ver up or down. To cancel manual shif t
mode, return the shif t lever to the D (Drive)
position. The transmission returns to auto-
matic driving mode.
When the shif t lever is shif ted from D (Drive)
to the manual shif t gate with the vehicle
stopped or while driving, the transmission
enters the manual shif t mode. Shif t ranges
can be selected manually. In the manual
shif t mode, the shif t range is displayed on
the position indicator in the meter. Whenmoving the shif t lever to the manual shif t
gate, the position indicator displays 1 (1st)
up to 7 (7th) depending on vehicle speed.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
1⇔
2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7
M7 (7th)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M6 (6th) and M5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes.
M4 (4th), M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
M1 (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine brak-
ing on steep downhill grades. ∙ Remember not to drive at high speeds for extended periods of time in lower
than 6 range. 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.)
∙ Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
∙ The transmission will automatically downshif t the gears. (For example, if you
select the 3rd range, the transmission
will shif t down between the 3rd and 1st
gears.)
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.
5-20Starting and driving

∙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 1st 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.
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 contact a
NISSAN dealer or a professional towing ser-
vice. 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 3 mm screwdriver, remove the shif t
lock release cover.
∙ If available, a plastic trim tool can also be used.
4. Insert the small screwdriver in the shif t lock release slot and push down.
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 to unlock the steering wheel.
Now the vehicle may be moved to the
desired location.
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.
LSD2569
Starting and driving5-21

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.
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switch
When the O/D OFF switch is pushed with
the shif t lever in the D (Drive) position,
the
light in the instrument panel illu-
minates. For additional information, refer
to “Overdrive OFF indicator light (CVT mod-
els)” in the “Instruments and controls” sec-
tion of this manual.
Use the Overdrive OFF mode when you
need improved engine braking.
To turn off the Overdrive OFF mode, push
the O/D OFF switch again. The
indi-
cator light will turn off. Each time the engine is started, or when
the shif t lever is shif ted to any position
other than D (Drive), the Overdrive OFF
mode will be automatically turned off.
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.
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 itsLSD2620
5-22Starting and driving