
5-14Starting and driving
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) posi-
tion, the N (Neutral) position or any
drive position to the R (Reverse) posi-
tion.
N (Neutral):
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. 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.
SSD0828
Paddle shifter (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 trans-
mission 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
transmission shifts to the lower range.

SSD0829
Shift lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged,
the shift lever may not be moved from the
P (Park) position even with the brake
pedal depressed and the shift lever but-
ton pushed.
To move the shift lever, perform the
following procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF orLOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
using a
suitable tool. 4. Push down the shift lock
using a
suitable tool as illustrated.
5. Push the shift lever button
and
move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position
while holding down the
shift lock.
Now the vehicle may be moved to the
desired location.
If the lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park), have the automatic transmission
system checked as soon as possible. It is
recommended you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WARNING
. Do not downshift abruptly on
slippery roads. This may cause a
loss of control.
. Do not over-rev the engine when
shifting to a lower gear. This may
cause a loss of control or engine
damage.
CAUTION
.Do not rest your foot on the
clutch pedal while driving. This
may damage the clutch.
. Fully depress the clutch pedal
before shifting to help prevent
transmission damage.
. Stop your vehicle completely be-
fore shifting into R (Reverse).
. When the vehicle is stopped with
the engine running (for example,
at a stop light), shift to N (Neutral)
and release the clutch pedal with
the foot brake applied.
Starting and driving5-17

SSD0830
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE)
warning:
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE)
warning will appear on the vehicle infor-
mation display and the S-MODE indicator
will turn off if a system malfunction
occurs.
If the warning appears, the S-MODE func-
tion will not operate, but manual trans-
mission will operate normally and driving
can be continued. Have the system
checked. It is recommended you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
SSD0831
Activating the system:
To activate the S-MODE, push the S-
MODE switch
. The S-MODE indicatoron the tachometer will show “S”. To
deactivate, push and hold the S-MODE
switch for more than 1 second. The S-
MODE indicator will turn off.While the S-MODE is off, you can drive the
vehicle as a conventional manual trans-
mission model.
Note that the status of the S-MODE (on or
off) is memorized even after the ignition
switch is turned off; however, it will be
initialized (off) when the battery is dis-
connected.
The transmission position indicator
shows the selected gear: N (Neutral), 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, R (Reverse).
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) op-
eration:
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE)
automatically adjusts the engine speed
by controlling the engine throttle. The
accelerator pedal does not have to be
depressed.
The system detects the clutch pedal and
shift lever operations, and then calculates
the target engine speed using the shifting
gear position and the vehicle speed
information.
The system provides accurate engine
speed control that helps achieve quick
gear shifting and reduces shift shock on
clutch engagement.
.
When downshifting:
The engine speed is automatically
increased to the target engine speed
Starting and driving5-19

Gear changeMPH (km/h)
1st to 2nd 15 (24)
2nd to 3rd 25 (40)
3rd to 4th 40 (64)
4th to 5th 45 (72)
5th to 6th 50 (80)
Suggested maximum speed in
each gear
Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is
not running smoothly, or if you need to
accelerate.
Do not exceed the maximum suggested
speed (shown below) in any gear. For level
road driving, use the highest gear sug-
gested for that speed. Always observe
posted speed limits, and drive according
to the road conditions, which will ensure
safe operation. Do not over-rev the en-
gine when shifting to a lower gear as it
may cause engine damage or loss of
vehicle control.
GearMPH (km/h)
1st 38 (62)
2nd 63 (102)
3rd 91 (146)
4th —
5th —
6th —
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 park-
ing, be sure the parking brake is
fully engaged.
. To help avoid risk of injury or
death through unintended opera-
tion of the vehicle and/or its
systems, do not leave children,
people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle.
Additionally, the temperature in-
side a closed vehicle on a warm
day can quickly become high
enough to cause a significant risk
of injury or death to people and
pets.
Starting and driving5-21
PARKING BRAKE

5-22Starting and driving
SPA2110
To apply:Pull the parking brake lever up.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. While pulling up on the parking brake lever slightly, push the button
and
lower the lever completely.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE CON-
TROL
.If the cruise control system malfunc-
tions, it will cancel automatically. The
CRUISE indicator light on the meter
panel will then blink to warn the driver.
. If the engine coolant temperature
becomes excessively high, the cruise
control system will cancel automati-
cally.
. If the CRUISE indicator light blinks,
turn the cruise control main switch
off and have the system checked. It is
recommended you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
. The CRUISE indicator light may blink
when the cruise control main switch is
turned ON while pushing the ACCEL/
RES, COAST/SET or CANCEL switch. To
properly set the cruise control system,
perform the following procedures.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when
driving under the following condi-
tions:
. when it is not possible to keep the
vehicle at a set speed .
in heavy traffic or in traffic that
varies in speed
. on winding or hilly roads
. on slippery roads (rain, snow, ice,
etc.)
. in very windy areas
Doing so could cause a loss of
vehicle control and result in an acci-
dent.
CAUTION
On manual transmission models, do
not shift into N (Neutral) without
depressing the clutch pedal when
the cruise control is set. Should this
occur, depress the clutch pedal and
turn the main switch off immedi-
ately. Failure to do so may cause
engine damage.
CRUISE CONTROL

5-26Starting and driving
SD1006MA
WARNING
.Do not stop or park the vehicle
over flammable materials such as
dry grass, waste paper or rags.
They may ignite and cause a fire.
. Never leave the engine running
while the vehicle is unattended.
. Do not leave children unattended
inside the vehicle. They could
unknowingly activate switches
or controls. Unattended children
could become involved in serious
accidents. .
To help avoid risk of injury or
death through unintended opera-
tion of the vehicle and/or its
systems, do not leave children,
people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle.
Additionally, the temperature in-
side a closed vehicle on a warm
day can quickly become high
enough to cause a significant risk
of injury or death to people and
pets.
. Safe parking procedures require
that both the parking brake be
applied and the transmission placed into P (Park) for Automatic
Transmission (AT) model or in an
appropriate gear for Manual
Transmission (MT) model. Failure
to do so could cause the vehicle
to move unexpectedly or roll
away and result in an accident.
. Make sure the automatic trans-
mission shift lever has been
pushed as far forward as it can
go and cannot be moved without
depressing the foot brake pedal.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Automatic transmission models:
Move the shift lever to the P (Park)
position.
Manual transmission models:
Place the shift lever in the R (Reverse)
gear. When parking on an uphill grade,
place the shift lever in the 1st gear.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from roll- ing into the street when parked on a
sloping drive way, it is a good practice
to turn the wheels as illustrated.
.HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB:
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS

.HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB:
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, NOCURB:
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. Push the ignition switch to the OFF position.
WARNING
If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the steering will not work.
Steering will be harder to operate.
The power assisted steering uses a hy-
draulic pump, driven by the engine, to
assist steering.
If the engine stops or the drive belt
breaks, you will still have control of the
vehicle. However, much greater steering
effort is needed, especially in sharp turns
and at low speeds.
BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
The brake system has two separate
hydraulic circuits. If one circuit malfunc-
tions, you will still have braking at two
wheels.
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using
engine vacuum. If the engine stops, you
can stop the vehicle by depressing the
brake pedal. However, greater foot pres-
sure on the brake pedal will be required to
stop the vehicle and the stopping dis-
tance will be longer.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven
through water, the brakes may get wet.
As a result, your braking distance will be
longer and the vehicle may pull to one
side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly tapping the brake
pedal to heat-up the brakes. Do this until
the brakes return to normal. Avoid driving
the vehicle at high speeds until the brakes
function correctly.
Starting and driving5-27
POWER STEERING BRAKE SYSTEM

5-28Starting and driving
PARKING BRAKE BREAK-IN
Break in the parking brake shoes when-
ever the stopping effect of the parking
brake is weakened or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drums/ro-
tors are replaced, in order to assure the
best braking performance.
This procedure is described in the vehicle
service manual. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This will cause over-
heating of the brakes, wearing out the
brake and pads faster and reduce gas
mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent
the brakes from overheating, reduce
speed and downshift to a lower gear
before going down a slope or long grade.
Overheated brakes may reduce braking
performance and could result in loss of
vehicle control.
WARNING
.While driving on a slippery sur-
face, be careful when braking,
accelerating or downshifting.
Abrupt braking or accelerating could cause the wheels to skid
and result in an accident.
. If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the
power assist for the brakes will
not work. Braking will be harder.
BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking
force than a conventional brake booster
even with light pedal force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to
assist braking operation and is not a
collision warning or avoidance de-
vice. It is the driver’s responsibility to
stay alert, drive safely and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS) is a sophisticated device,
but it cannot prevent accidents
resulting from careless or dan-
gerous driving techniques. It can
help maintain vehicle control dur-
ing braking on slippery surfaces.
Remember that stopping dis-
tances on slippery surfaces will
be longer than on normal sur-
BRAKE ASSIST