AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The automatic transmission in your vehicle is
electronically controlled by a transmission
control module to produce maximum effi-
ciency and smooth operation.
Shown on the following pages are the
recommended operating procedures for this
transmission. Follow these procedures for
maximum vehicle performance and driving
enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle
After starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal and push the shift lever
button before shifting the shift lever to the R
(Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive) or Manual
shift mode position. Be sure the vehicle is
fully stopped before attempting to shift the
shift lever.
This automatic transmission model is de-
signed so that the foot brake pedal must be
depressed before shifting from P (Park) to
any drive position while the ignition switch
position is ON.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of the P
(Park) position and into any of the other
gear positions if the ignition switch is
pushed to the LOCK, OFF or ACC position.
1. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed andpush the shift lever button to shift into a driving gear.
2. Release the parking brake and foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in
motion.
WARNING
.Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N
(Neutral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or
manual shift mode. Always depress
the brake pedal until shifting 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 shifting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
. Never shift to either P (Park) or R
(Reverse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is
reversing. This could cause an acci-
dent or damage the transmission.
. Do not downshift abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
CAUTION
.Except in an emergency, do not shift
to the N (Neutral) position while
driving. Coasting with the transmis-
sion in the N (Neutral) position may
cause serious damage to the trans-
mission.
. To avoid possible damage to your
vehicle; 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.
Starting and driving5-15
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-16Starting and driving
SSD0973
Shift lever
To move the shift lever,
: Push the button while depressing the brake pedal,
: Push the button,
: Just move the shift lever.
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and shift the shift lever from P
(Park) to R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive)
or Manual shift mode position.
Push the button to shift into P (Park) or R
(Reverse). All other positions can be selected
without pushing the button.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift 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
injury or property damage.
CAUTION
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped and the transmission is in the
P (Park) position.
P (Park) position:
Use this position when the vehicle is parked
or when starting the engine. Make sure the
vehicle is completely stopped. The brake
pedal must be depressed and the shift lever
button pushed in to move the shift lever
from the N (Neutral) position or any drive
position to the P (Park) position. Apply the
parking brake. When parking on a hill, apply
the parking brake first, then move the shift
lever to the P (Park) position.
CAUTION
Use this position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
R (Reverse):
Use this position to back up. Always be sure
the vehicle is completely stopped before
selecting the R (Reverse) position. The brake
pedal must be depressed and the shift lever
button pushed in to move the shift lever
from the P (Park) position, the N (Neutral)
position or any drive position to the R
(Reverse) position.
N (Neutral):
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
The engine can be started in this position.
You may shift to the N (Neutral) position and
restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is
moving.
D (Drive):
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
SSD1099
Paddle shifters (if so equipped)
Manual shift mode
When the shift lever is in the manual shift
gate, the transmission is ready for the
manual shift mode. Shift ranges can be
selected manually by moving the shift lever
up or down, or pulling the right-side or left-
side paddle shifter (if so equipped).
When shifting up, move the shift lever to the
+ (up) side or pull the right-side paddle
shifter (+)
(if so equipped). The transmis-
sion shifts to the higher range.
When shifting down, move the shift lever to
the − (down) side or pull the left-side paddle
shifter (−)
(if so equipped). The transmis- sion shifts to the lower range.
When canceling the manual shift mode,
return the shift lever to the D (Drive)
position. The transmission returns to the
normal driving mode.
When you pull the paddle shifter while in the
D (Drive) position, the transmission will shift
to the upper or lower range temporarily. The
transmission will automatically return to the
D (Drive) position after a short period of
time. If you want to return to the D (Drive)
position manually, pull and hold the paddle
shifter for about 1.5 seconds.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the position indicator in the
meter.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
M1
?
/M2 ?
/M3?
/M4 ?
/M5?
/M6?
/M7
M7 (7th):
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M6 (6th) andM5 (5th):
Use these positions when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes.
M4 (4th),M3 (3rd) andM2 (2nd):
Use these positions 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,
or for maximum engine braking on steep
downhill grades.
. Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than
7th gear. This reduces fuel economy.
. Moving the shift lever rapidly to the same
side twice will shift the ranges in succes-
sion.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear
or may automatically shift to the other
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
. When the transmission does not shift to
the selected gear, the Automatic Trans-
mission (AT) position indicator light (on
the vehicle information display) will
blink and the buzzer will sound.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion automatically shifts down to 1st
gear before the vehicle comes to a stop.
When accelerating again, it is necessary
to shift up to the desired range.
Starting and driving5-17
Control on downhill roads:
The adaptive shift control system shifts to a
low gear that suits the degree of the slope,
and uses the engine braking to reduce the
number of times that the brake must be
used.
Control on winding roads:
A low gear is maintained on continuous
curves that involve repeated acceleration
and deceleration, so that smooth accelera-
tion is available instantly when the accel-
erator pedal is depressed.
NOTE:
.Adaptive shift control may not operate
when the transmission oil temperature
is low immediately after the start of
driving or when it is very hot.
. During some driving situations, hard
braking for example, the adaptive shift
control may automatically operate. The
transmission may automatically shift to
a lower gear for engine braking. This
increases engine speed but not vehicle
speed. Vehicle speed is controlled by the
accelerator pedal when the vehicle is in
the Adaptive shift control mode.
. When the adaptive shift control oper-
ates, the transmission sometimes main-
tains a lower gear for a longer period of
time than when adaptive shift control is not operating. Engine speed will be
higher for a specific vehicle speed while
ASC system is operating than when ASC
is not operating.
WARNING
.
Be sure the parking brake is fully
released 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 shift lever in place of
the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully en-
gaged.
. 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
become high enough to cause a sig-
nificant risk of injury or death to
people and pets.
Starting and driving5-19
PARKING BRAKE
5-20Starting and driving
SPA2331
To apply:Fully depress the parking brake
pedal.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake
.
2. Depress the parking brake pedal
and
the parking brake will be released.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
SSD1024
INFINITI Drive Mode Selector
Four driving modes can be selected by using
the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector, STAN-
DARD, SPORT, ECO and SNOW.
NOTE:
. When the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector
selects a mode, the mode may not
switch quickly. This is not a malfunction.
. Select the STANDARD mode for normal
driving.
STANDARD MODE
Recommended for normal driving. Turn the
INFINITI Drive Mode Selector to the
position. “STANDARD” appears in the vehi-
cle information display for 2 seconds.
SPORT MODE
Adjusts the engine and transmission points
to enhance performance. If the vehicle is
equipped with the active trace control
system, the amount of brake control pro-
vided by active trace control is reduced. (See
“Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system”
(P.5-123).) Turn the INFINITI Drive Mode
Selector to the SPORT position. “SPORT”
appears in the vehicle information display for
2 seconds.
NOTE:
In the SPORT mode, fuel economy may be
reduced.
SNOW MODE
Used on snowy roads or slippery areas.
When the SNOW mode is activated, engine
output is controlled to avoid wheel spin.
Turn the SNOW mode off for normal driving.
Turn the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector to
the SNOW position. “SNOW” appears in the
vehicle information display for 2 seconds.
INFINITI DRIVE MODE SELECTOR
ECO MODE
Adjusts engine and transmission points to
enhance fuel economy.
NOTE:
Selecting this drive mode will not necessa-
rily improve fuel economy as many driving
factors influence its effectiveness.
Operation
Turn the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector to
the ECO position. “ECO” appears in the
vehicle information display for 2 seconds
and the ECO drive indicator light illuminates
on the instrument panel.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
within the range of economy drive, the ECO
drive indicator light illuminates in green.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
above the range of economy drive, the color
of the ECO drive indicator light changes to
orange. For ECO pedal system equipped
models see “ECO pedal system” (P.5-21).
The ECO drive indicator light will not
illuminate in the following cases:
.When the shift lever is in the R (Reverse)
position.
. When the vehicle speed is below 3 MPH
(4.8 km/h) or over 90 MPH (144 km/h).
. When the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)
system (if so equipped) is operated.
ECO pedal system (if so equipped)
Helps assist the driver to improve fuel
economy by increasing the reaction force
of the accelerator pedal. When the ECO
drive indicator light is blinking or turns
orange, the ECO pedal system increases
the reaction force of the accelerator pedal.
JVS1080X
When the ECO drive indicator illuminates in
green, the accelerator reaction force is
normal. When the ECO drive indicator light
is blinking or turns orange, the ECO pedal
system increases the reaction force of the
accelerator pedal.
The ECO pedal system may not vary accel-
erator reaction force under the following
conditions:
. When the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)
or R (Reverse) position.
. When Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) is
being operated.
If the ECO pedal system malfunctions, it will
cancel automatically. The ECO pedal system
will not vary the reaction force of the
Starting and driving5-21
5-22Starting and driving
accelerator pedal.
When the INFINITI Drive Mode Selector is
rotated from the ECO mode to another
mode (STANDARD, SPORT or SNOW) while
the ECO pedal system is operating, the ECO
pedal system continues to operate until the
pedal is released.
If the accelerator pedal is depressed quickly,
the ECO pedal system will not increase the
reaction force of the acceleration pedal. The
ECO pedal system is not designed to prevent
the vehicle from accelerating.
Adjusting the ECO pedal system reaction
force:
The ECO pedal system reaction force can be
adjusted. The reaction force setting will be
maintained until the setting is changed even
if the engine is turned off.
JVS1081X
Setting ECO pedal reaction force:
1. Push the SETTING button
.
2. Touch [Drive Mode Enhancement].
3. Touch [ECO Pedal].
4. To set the reaction force of the ECO pedal system, touch [Standard] or [Soft].
5. To turn off the ECO pedal system, touch [OFF].
When the ECO pedal system is turned off,
the accelerator will operate normally.
WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and
instructions for proper use of the LDW
and LDP systems could result in serious
personal injury or death.
. The LDW and LDP systems will not
steer the vehicle or prevent loss of
control. It is the driver’s responsibility
to stay alert, drive safely, keep the
vehicle in the traveling lane, and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
. The LDP system may activate if you
change lanes without first activating
your turn signal or, for example, if a
construction zone directs traffic to
cross an existing lane marker. If this
occurs, you may need to apply cor-
rective steering to complete your lane
change.
. Because the LDP system may not
activate under the road, weather,
and lane marker conditions described
in this section, it may not activate
every time your vehicle begins to
leave its lane and you will need to
apply corrective steering.
LANE DEPARTURE WARNING
(LDW)/LANE DEPARTURE
PREVENTION (LDP) (if so equipped)
JVS1106X
LDP ON indicator light (green) (on the
instrument panel)
Dynamic driver assistance switch
Center multi-function control panel
TURNING THE LDP SYSTEM ON/
OFF
To turn on the LDP system, push the
dynamic driver assistance switchon the
steering wheel after starting the engine. The
LDP ON indicator light (green)
on the
instrument panel will illuminate. Push the
dynamic driver assistance switch
again to
turn off the LDP system. The LDP ON
indicator light (green)
will turn off.
The dynamic driver assistance switch
is
used for the LDP, Blind Spot Intervention
(BSI) and Distance Control Assist (DCA)
systems.
When the dynamic driver assistance switch
is pushed, the BSI and DCA systems will
also turn on or off simultaneously. The LDP
system can be individually set to on or off on
the center display and using the center
multi-function control panel
.
If the system is set to off, the system will not
turn on even if the dynamic driver assistance
switch
is pushed to on. To set the system
to on or off on the center display, see “How
to enable/disable the LDP system” (P.5-28).
Starting and driving5-27