∙ Make sure the area around the vehicle isclear.
∙ Check fluid levels such as engine oil, coolant, brake and clutch fluid (if so
equipped), 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.
∙ Lock all doors.
∙ 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.
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 placed in the OFF position or if the
key is removed from the ignition
switch (if so equipped).
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate if the shif t lever is in any of the
driving positions.
Manual transmission model
Depress the clutch pedal to the floor,
move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral)
position, and crank the engine.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate unless the clutch pedal is fully
depressed.
The Intelligent Key (if so equipped)
must be carried when operating the
push-button ignition switch. 3. For vehicles with a push-button igni-
tion switch, push the ignition switch to
the ON position. Depress the brake
pedal and push the ignition switch to
start the engine. To start the engine
immediately, push and release the igni-
tion switch while depressing the brake
pedal with the ignition switch in any
position. For vehicles without a push-
button ignition switch, crank the en-
gine with your foot off the accelera-
tor pedal by placing the ignition switch
in the START position. Release the igni-
tion 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.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-15
∙ 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 placing the
ignition switch in 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, place the ignition switch
in 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.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT) (if so
equipped)
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.
∙ 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.
∙ Do not downshif t abruptly on slippery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-16Starting and driving
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.
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).
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
∙ 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.
CAUTION
To avoid possible damage to your vehicle,
when stopping the vehicle on an uphill
grade, do not hold the vehicle by depress-
ing 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.
Starting and driving5-17
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 ignition switch is placed in the OFF or
ACC position for any reason while the ve-
hicle is in N (Neutral), or any drive position,
the key cannot be turned to the LOCK po-
sition 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 into P (Park) to park the vehicle and place the ignition
switch in 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. R (Reverse) speed is limited to
30 mph (48 km/h). Do not exceed 30 mph
(48 km/h) in the R (Reverse) position. The
brake pedal must be depressed 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).LSD2013
5-18Starting and driving
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.
L(Low)
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.
Shif t lock release
If the battery is discharged, the shif t lever
may not be moved from the P (Park) posi-
tion even with the foot brake pedal de-
pressed.
To move the shif t lever, perform the follow-
ing procedure:1. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK position and remove the key.
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. Push down the shif t lock release using a 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.
6. Place the ignition switch in the ON po- sition to unlock the steering wheel.
7. Release the parking brake.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
Replace the removed shif t lock release
cover af ter the operation.
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.
LSD2194
Starting and driving5-19
∙ HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB1:
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the curb
side wheel gently touches the curb.
∙ HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB
2:
Turn the wheels away from the curb
and move the vehicle back until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
∙ HEADED UPHILL OR DOWNHILL, NO CURB
3:
Turn the wheels toward the side of the
road so the vehicle will move away
from the center of the road if it moves.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK position and remove the key.
WARNING
∙ If the engine is not running or isturned off while driving, the power as-
sist for the steering will not work.
Steering will be harder to operate.
∙ When the power steering warning light illuminates with the engine run-
ning, there will be no power assist for
the steering. You will still have control
of the vehicle, but the steering will be
harder to operate. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
The power steering system is designed to
provide power assist while driving to oper-
ate the steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated re-
peatedly or continuously while parking or
driving at a very low speed, the power as-
sist for the steering wheel will be reduced.
This is to prevent overheating of the power
steering system and protect it from getting
damaged. While the power assist is re-
duced, steering wheel operation will be-
come heavy. When the temperature of the
power steering system goes down, the
power assist level will return to normal.
Avoid repeating such steering wheel op- erations that could cause the power steer-
ing system to overheat.
You may hear a sound when the steering
wheel is operated quickly. However, this is
not a malfunction.
If the power steering warning light illumi-
nates while the engine is running, it may
indicate the power steering system is not
functioning properly and may need servic-
ing. Have the power steering system
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
When the power steering warning light illu-
minates with the engine running, there will
be no power assist for the steering, but you
will still have control of the vehicle. At this
time, greater steering effort is required to
operate the steering wheel, especially in
sharp turns and at low speeds.
For additional information, refer to “Power
steering warning light” in the “Instruments
and controls” section of this manual.
POWER STEERING
Starting and driving5-29
FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
de-icer through the key hole. If the lock
becomes frozen, heat the key before in-
serting it into the key hole, or use the re-
mote keyless entry key fob or the NISSAN
Intelligent Key®.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
temperature will drop below 32°F (0°C),
check the antifreeze to assure proper win-
ter protection. For additional information,
refer to “Engine cooling system” in the “Do-
it-yourself ” section of this manual.
BATTERY
If the battery is not fully charged during
extremely cold weather conditions, the
battery fluid may freeze and damage the
battery. To maintain maximum efficiency,
the battery should be checked regularly.
For additional information, refer to “Battery”
in the “Do-it-yourself ” section of this
manual.
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be lef t outside without
anti-freeze, drain the cooling system, in-
cluding the engine block. Refill before oper-
ating the vehicle. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Changing engine coolant” in
the “Do-it-yourself ” section of this manual.
TIRE EQUIPMENT
1. SUMMER tires have a tread designed toprovide superior performance on dry
pavement. However, the performance
of these tires will be substantially re-
duced in snowy and icy conditions. If
you operate your vehicle on snowy or
icy roads, NISSAN recommends the use
of MUD & SNOW or ALL SEASON TIRES
on all four wheels. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for the tire
type, size, speed rating and availability
information.
2. For additional traction on icy roads, studded tires may be used. However,
some U.S. states and Canadian prov-
inces prohibit their use. Check local,
state and provincial laws before install-
ing studded tires. Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires on wet or dry surfaces may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow
tires.
3. Tire chains may be used. For additional information, refer to “Tire chains” in the
“Do-it-yourself ” section of this manual.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items
be carried in the vehicle during winter:
∙ A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to re- move ice and snow from the windows
and wiper blades.
∙ A sturdy, flat board to be placed under the jack to give it firm support.
∙ A shovel to dig the vehicle out of snow- drif ts.
∙ Extra washer fluid to refill the windshield-washer fluid reservoir.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
Starting and driving5-35
8 Do-it-yourself
Maintenance precautions.......................8-2
Engine compartment check locations ...........8-3
Engine cooling system ..........................8-4
Checking engine coolant level ................8-5
Changing engine coolant .....................8-5
Engine oil ........................................8-6
Checking engine oil level .....................8-6
Changing engine oil ..........................8-7
Changing engine oil filter .....................8-8
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid (if so equipped) .............................8-9
Brake and clutch (if so equipped) fluid ...........8-9
Brake fluid ................................... 8-10
Clutch (if so equipped) fluid ..................8-10
Windshield-washer fluid ........................8-10
Windshield-washer fluid reservoir ............8-10
Battery.......................................... 8-11
Jump starting ............................... 8-12
Variable voltage control system ................8-12
Drive belt ....................................... 8-13
Spark plugs .................................... 8-14
Replacing spark plugs ....................... 8-14Air cleaner
...................................... 8-14
Windshield wiper blades ........................8-15
Cleaning .................................... 8-15
Replacing ................................... 8-15
Brakes.......................................... 8-17
Fuses ........................................... 8-17
Engine compartment .......................8-18
Passenger compartment ....................8-18
Battery replacement ........................... 8-20
Key fob (if so equipped) ......................8-20
NISSAN Intelligent Key® (if so equipped) ......8-22
Lights .......................................... 8-23
Headlights ................................... 8-23
Fog lights (if so equipped) ...................8-24
Exterior and interior lights ...................8-25
Wheels and tires ................................ 8-28
Tire pressure ................................ 8-28
Tir
e labeling ................................. 8-31
Types of tires ................................ 8-34
Tire chains .................................. 8-35
Changing wheels and tires ..................8-36