ON-PAVEMENT AND OFF-ROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than pas-
senger cars to make them capable of per-
forming in a variety of on-pavement and off-
road applications. This gives them a higher
center of gravity than ordinary vehicles. An
advantage of higher ground clearance is a
better view of the road, allowing you to an-
ticipate problems. However, they are not de-
signed for cornering at the same speeds as
conventional 2-wheel drive vehicles any more
than low-slung sports cars are designed to
perform satisfactorily under off-road condi-
tions. If at all possible, avoid sharp turns at
high speeds. As with other vehicles of this
type, failure to operate this vehicle correctly
may result in loss of control or vehicle roll-
over. In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
For additional information, refer to “Driving
safety precautions” in this section.
AVOIDING COLLISION AND
ROLLOVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe and
prudent manner may result in loss of con-
trol or an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive
speed, high speed cornering, or sudden steer-
ing maneuvers, because these driving prac-
tices could cause you to lose control of your
vehicle.
As with any vehicle, loss of control could re-
sult in a collision with other vehicles or ob-
jects or cause the vehicle to roll over, par-
ticularly if the loss of control causes the
vehicle to slide sideways.
Be attentive at all times, and avoid driving
when tired. Never drive when under the influ-
ence of alcohol or drugs (including prescrip-
tion or over-the-counter drugs which may
cause drowsiness). Always wear your seat
belt as outlined in the “Safety – Seats, seat
belts and supplemental restraint system” sec-
tion of this manual, and also instruct your
passengers to do so. Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers.
In a rollover crash, an
unbelted or improperly belted person is sig-
nificantly more likely to be injured or killed
than a person properly wearing a seat belt.OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
While driving, the right side or left side wheels
may unintentionally leave the road surface. If
this occurs, maintain control of the vehicle by
following the procedure below. Please note
that this procedure is only a general guide.
The vehicle must be driven as appropriate
based on the conditions of the vehicle, road
and traffic.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Do not apply the brakes.
3. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands and try to hold a
straight course.
4. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow the
vehicle.
5. If there is nothing in the way, steer the vehicle to follow the road while vehicle
speed is reduced. Do not attempt to
drive the vehicle back onto the road sur-
face until vehicle speed is reduced.
Starting and driving5-9
6. When it is safe to do so, gradually turnthe steering wheel until both tires return
to the road surface. When all tires are on
the road surface, steer the vehicle to stay
in the appropriate driving lane.
∙ If you decide that it is not safe to return the vehicle to the road surface based
on vehicle, road or traffic conditions,
gradually slow the vehicle to a stop in a
safe place off the road.
RAPID AIR PRESSURE LOSS
Rapid air pressure loss or a “blow-out” can
occur if the tire is punctured or is damaged
due to hitting a curb or pothole. Rapid air
pressure loss can also be caused by driving on
under-inflated tires.
Rapid air pressure loss can affect the han-
dling and stability of the vehicle, especially at
highway speeds.
Help prevent rapid air pressure loss by main-
taining the correct air pressure and visually
inspecting the tires for wear and damage. For
additional information, refer to “Wheels and
tires” in the “Do-it-yourself” section of this
manual. If a tire rapidly loses air pressure or
“blows-out” while driving, maintain control of
the vehicle by following the procedure below.
Please note that this procedure is only a gen- eral guide. The vehicle must be driven as ap-
propriate based on the conditions of the ve-
hicle, road and traffic.
WARNING
The following actions can increase the
chance of losing control of the vehicle if
there is a sudden loss of tire air pressure.
Losing control of the vehicle may cause a
collision and result in personal injury.
∙ The vehicle generally moves or pulls in the
direction of the flat tire.
∙ Do not rapidly apply the brakes.
∙ Do not rapidly release the accelerator pedal.
∙ Do not rapidly turn the steering wheel.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands and try to hold a
straight course.
3. When appropriate, slowly release the accelerator pedal to gradually slow the
vehicle.
4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe lo- cation off the road and away from traf-
fic if possible. 5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradu-
ally stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and contact a roadside emergency service to
change the tire. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Flat tire” in the “In case of
emergency section of this manual.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS
AND DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alcohol
or drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream re-
duces coordination, delays reaction time
and impairs judgement. Driving after drink-
ing alcohol increases the likelihood of being
involved in an accident injuring yourself and
others. Additionally, if you are injured in an
accident, alcohol can increase the severity
of the injury.
5-10Starting and driving
∙ Do not grip the inside or spokes of thesteering wheel when driving off-road.
The steering wheel could move suddenly
and injure your hands. Instead drive with
your fingers and thumbs on the outside of
the rim.
∙ Before operating the vehicle, ensure that the driver and all passengers have their
seat belts fastened.
∙ Always drive with the floor mats in place as the floor may become hot.
∙ Lower your speed when encountering strong crosswinds. With a higher center
of gravity, your INFINITI is more affected
by strong side winds. Slower speeds en-
sure better vehicle control.
∙ Do not drive beyond the performance ca- pability of the tires, even with AWD
engaged.
∙ For AWD equipped vehicles, do not at- tempt to raise two wheels off the ground
and shift the transmission to any drive or
reverse position with the engine running.
Doing so may result in drivetrain damage
or unexpected vehicle movement which
could result in serious vehicle damage or
personal injury. ∙ Do not attempt to test an AWD equipped
vehicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer (such
as the dynamometers used by some
states for emissions testing) or similar
equipment even if the other two wheels
are raised off the ground. Make sure you
inform test facility personnel that your
vehicle is equipped with AWD before it is
placed on a dynamometer. Using the
wrong test equipment may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in serious
vehicle damage or personal injury.
∙ When a wheel is off the ground due to an unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel
excessively.
∙ Accelerating quickly, sharp steering ma- neuvers or sudden braking may cause loss
of control.
∙ If at all possible, avoid sharp turning ma- neuvers, particularly at high speeds. Your
INFINITI vehicle has a higher center of
gravity than a passenger car. The vehicle
is not designed for cornering at the same
speeds as passenger cars. Failure to op-
erate this vehicle correctly could result in
loss of control and/or a rollover accident. ∙ Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted, or
radial), and tread pattern on all four
wheels. Install tire chains on the front
wheels when driving on slippery roads
and drive carefully.
∙ Be sure to check the brakes immediately after driving in mud or water. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Brake pre-
cautions” in this section.
∙ Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If you get out of the vehicle and it rolls
forward, backward or sideways, you
could be injured.
∙ Whenever you drive off-road through sand, mud or water as deep as the wheel
hub, more frequent maintenance may be
required. For additional information, re-
fer to “Maintenance under severe oper-
ating conditions” in the “Maintenance
and schedules” section of this manual.
5-12Starting and driving
The operating range of the engine start func-
tion is inside of the vehicle
1.
∙ The luggage area is not included in the operating range, but the Intelligent Key
may function.
∙ If the Intelligent Key is placed on the in- strument panel, inside the glove box,
storage bin or door pocket, the Intelligent
Key may not function.
∙ If the Intelligent Key is placed near the door or window outside the vehicle, the
Intelligent Key may function.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION
SWITCH POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in this
position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when it is
placed in the ON position while carrying the
Intelligent Key.
The ignition switch will lock when any door is
opened or closed with the ignition switched
off. ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system and
electrical accessories.
ON has a battery saver feature that will place
the ignition switch in the OFF position, if the
vehicle is not running, after some time under
the following conditions:
∙ All doors are closed.
∙ The shift lever is in P (Park).
The battery saver feature will be canceled if
any of the following occur: ∙ Any door is opened.
∙ The shift lever is moved out of the P (Park) position.
∙ The ignition switch changes position.
CAUTION
Do not leave the vehicle with the ignition
switch in the ON position when the engine
is not running for an extended period. This
can discharge the battery. OFF
The ignition switch is in the OFF position
when the engine is turned off using the igni-
tion switch. No lights will illuminate on the
ignition switch.
AUTO ACC
With the vehicle in the P (Park) position, the
Intelligent Key with you and the ignition
switch placed from the ON position to the
OFF position, the radio can still be used for a
period of time, or until the driver’s door is
opened.
After a period of time, functions such as ra-
dio, navigation, and Bluetooth® Hands-Free
Phone System may be restarted by pressing
the POWER button/VOLUME control knob
or the key fob unlock button. For additional
information, refer to “Monitor, climate, audio,
phone and voice recognition systems” section
of this manual.
Starting and driving5-15
INFINITI VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
The INFINITI Vehicle Immobilizer System will
not allow the engine to start without the use
of the registered key.
If the engine fails to start using the registered
key, it may be due to interference caused by
another registered key, an automated toll
road device or automated payment device on
the key ring. Restart the engine using the
following procedures:1. Leave the ignition switch in the ON po- sition for approximately 5 seconds.
2. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or LOCK position and wait approximately
5 seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Restart the engine while holding the de- vice (which may have caused the inter-
ference) separate from the registered
key.
If the no start condition re-occurs, INFINITI
recommends placing the registered key on a
separate key ring to avoid interference from
other devices. ∙ Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
∙ Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool- ant, 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 appearance 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 passengers 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. Press the Park button to place the ve-
hicle in P (Park) or move the shift lever to
N (Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to operate if
the shift lever is in any of the driving
positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi- tion. 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 de-
pressing 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 engine.
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. After 5 or 6 seconds, stop
cranking by pushing the ignition switch
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-17
to the LOCK position. After cranking
the engine, release the accelerator
pedal. Crank the engine with your foot
off the accelerator pedal by depress-
ing the brake pedal and pushing the
ignition switch to start the engine. If
the engine starts, but fails to run, re-
peat the above procedure.
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 crank-
ing again, otherwise the starter could be
damaged.4. Warm-up:
Allow the engine to idle for at least
30 seconds after 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 en-
gine over a short period of time may
make the vehicle more difficult to start. 5. To stop the engine, place the shift lever
in the P (Park) position and push the
ignition switch to the OFF position.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery discharge
and potential no-start conditions such as: 1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume battery
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.
REMOTE ENGINE START (if so
equipped)
Vehicles started with the Remote Engine
Start require the ignition switch to be placed
in the ON position before the shift lever can
be moved from the P (Park) position. To place
the ignition switch in the ON position, follow
these steps:
1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you.
2. Apply the brake.
3. Push the ignition switch once to the ON position.
For additional information, refer to “INFINITI
Intelligent Key” in the “Pre-driving checks and
adjustments” section of this manual.
5-18Starting and driving
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedalwhile shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), or M
(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 cau- tion when shifting into a forward or re-
verse gear before the engine has warmed
up.
∙ Do not downshift abruptly on slippery roads. This may cause a loss of control.
∙ Never shift 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 reversing.
This could cause an accident or damage
the transmission.
∙ Except in an emergency, do not shift to the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
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.
∙ Do not hang items on the shift lever. This may cause an accident due to a sudden
start.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled to produce maximum power and
smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures for
this transmission are shown on the following
pages. Follow these procedures for maxi-
mum vehicle performance and driving enjoy-
ment.
Engine power may be automatically reduced
to protect the CVT if the engine speed in-
creases quickly when driving on slippery
roads or while being tested on some dyna-
mometers.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the foot brake pedal before moving the
shift lever out of the P (Park) position.
This Continuously Variable Transmis- sion is designed so that the foot brake
pedal must be depressed before shifting
from P (Park) to any driving position
while the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
The shift lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other positions if the ignition switch is
placed in the OFF position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift lever to a driving po-
sition.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal and then gradually start the
vehicle in motion.
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedalwhile shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), or M
(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 cau- tion when shifting into a forward or re-
verse gear before the engine has warmed
up.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-19
Manual shift mode
The transmission enters the manual shift
mode by moving the shift lever again to the D
(Drive) position when the vehicle is in the D
range.
You can select the manual shift range by
pulling the right side or left side paddle shifter
AandB. To cancel the manual shift mode,
move the shift lever to the D (Drive) position
again. The transmission returns to the auto-
matic drive mode.
When the shift lever is shifted from D (Drive)
to the manual shift mode with the vehicle stopped or while driving, the transmission
enters the manual shift mode. Shift ranges
can be selected manually. Shift ranges can
also be selected using the paddle shifters on
the steering wheel. When you pull the paddle
shifter while in the D (Drive) position, the
transmission will shift to the upper or lower
range temporarily. If the paddle shifters are
not used for about 5–10 seconds, the trans-
mission will automatically return to the D
(Drive) position. If you want to return to the D
(Drive) position manually, pull and hold either
paddle shifter for about 1.5 seconds.In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the position indicator in the me-
ter. When moving the shift lever to the
manual shift mode, the position indicator dis-
plays 1 (1st) up to 8 (8th) depending on ve-
hicle speed.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as fol-
lows:
1⇔
2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7⇔ 8
8 (8th)
Use this position for all normal forward driv-
ing at highway speeds.
7 (7th), 6 (6th) and 5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long slopes,
or for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
4 (4th), 3 (3rd) and 2 (2nd)
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1 (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or when driving slowly, or for maxi-
mum engine braking on steep downhill
grades.
Manual shift gate
LSD2822
Paddle shifters
LSD2914
5-22Starting and driving