5-16Starting and driving
.Make sure the area around the vehicle
is clear.
. Check fluid levels such as engine oil,
coolant, brake fluid and window
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 re-
straints/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 pushed to
the ON position. (See “Warning lights,
indicator lights and audible remin-
ders” (P.2-10).) 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate
unless the shift lever is in either of the
above positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Firmly 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
depressing the brake pedal with the
ignition switch in any position.
.If the engine is very hard to start inextremely cold weather or when
restarting, 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 startbecause it is flooded, depress the
accelerator 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 to OFF. After
cranking the engine, release the
accelerator pedal. Crank the engine
with your foot off the accelerator pedal
by depressing the brake
pedal and pushing the push-button
ignition switch to start the engine.
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, push the
ignition switch to OFF and wait 10
seconds before cranking again,
otherwise the starter could be da-
maged.
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
moderate speed for a short distance
first, especially in cold weather. In cold
weather, keep the engine running for
a minimum of 2 - 3 minutes before
shutting it off. Starting and stopping
the engine over a short period of time
may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
When racing the engine up to 4,000
rpm or more under the no load
condition, the engine will enter the
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
5-18Starting and driving
If:
1. The engine coolant temperature is notreduced.
2. The air conditioning cooling function does not turn back ON.
3. The engine oil pressure warning light
illuminates or engine coolant
temperature gauge does not return
to the normal range from the H
position, this may indicate a malfunc-
tion. Move the vehicle off the road to a
safe area and allow the engine to cool.
If after checking the oil and coolant,
the
remains on or engine coolant
temperature does not return to the
normal range, do not continue to
drive. It is recommended you contact
a NISSAN dealer.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may also come ON. You do not need to
have your vehicle towed, unless it re-
mains on, but have it inspected soon. It is
recommended you contact a NISSAN
dealer for this service. See “Warning lights,
indicator lights and audible reminders”
(P.2-10).
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced
engine power and vehicle speed.
The reduced speed may be lower
than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be
especially careful when driving. If the
vehicle cannot maintain a safe driv-
ing speed, pull to the side of the road
in a safe area. Allow the engine to
cool and return to normal operation.
See “If your vehicle overheats” (P.6-
14).
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine
oil pressure warning light on could
cause serious damage to the engine
almost immediately. Such damage is
not covered by warranty. Turn off the
engine as soon as it is safe to do so.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7 speed automatic transmission
The automatic transmission in your vehi-
cle is electronically controlled by a trans-
mission control module to produce
maximum efficiency and smooth opera-
tion.
Shown on the following pages are the
recommended operating procedures for
this transmission. Follow these proce-
dures 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
designed 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 depressedand push 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. Al-
ways 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 the P (Park)
or R (Reverse) position while the
vehicle is moving forward and P
(Park), D (Drive) position or man-
ual shift mode while the vehicle is
moving rearward. This could
cause an accident or damage
the transmission. .
Do not downshift abruptly on
slippery 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
transmission in the N (Neutral)
position may cause serious da-
mage to the transmission.
. To avoid possible damage to your
vehicle; when stopping the vehi-
cle on an uphill grade, do not hold
the vehicle by depressing the
accelerator pedal. The foot brake
should be used for this purpose.
SSD0945
Shift lever
To move the shift lever,
: Push the button while depressing the
brake pedal,
: Push the button,
: Just move the shift lever.
Shifting
The shift lever position indicator light
(next to the shift lever) will be illuminated
for approximately 30 minutes after the
ignition switch is turned off. The indicator
light may also illuminate when the vehicle
receives radio waves. This is not a mal-
function.
After starting the engine, fully depress the
Starting and driving5-19
5-20Starting and driving
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) 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.
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.
When shifting up, move the shift lever to
the + (up) side. The transmission shifts to
the higher range.
When shifting down, move the shift lever
to the − (down) side. The transmission
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.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range
is displayed on the position indicator in
the meter.
5-22Starting and driving
SSD0946
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. Place the ignition switch in 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
as illu-
strated.
5. Push the shift lever button
and
move the shift lever to N (Neutral)
position
while holding down the
shift lock.
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.
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 gear shift 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.
PARKING BRAKE
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.
WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and
instructions for proper use of the
LDW and I-LI systems could result in
serious personal injury or death.
.The LDW and I-LI systems will not
prevent loss of control. It is the
driver’s responsibility to stay
alert, drive safely, keep the vehi-
cle in the traveling lane, and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
. The I-LI 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 corrective
steering to complete your lane
change.
. Because the I-LI system may not
activate under the road, weather,
and lane marker conditions de-
scribed 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) system
— warns the driver with a warning
light and chime that the vehicle is
beginning to leave the driving lane.
. Intelligent Lane Intervention (I-LI) sys-
tem
— warns the driver with a warning
light and chime, and helps assist
the driver to return the vehicle to
the center of the traveling lane by
applying the brakes to the left or
right wheels individually (for a short
period of time).
Starting and driving5-23
LANE DEPARTURE WARNING (LDW)/
INTELLIGENT LANE INTERVENTION
(I-LI) (if so equipped)
JVS1094X
I-LI ON indicator light/LDW indicator light
(on the instrument panel)
Warning systems switchDynamic driver assistance switchCenter multi-function control panel
LDW SYSTEM OPERATION
The LDW system operates above approxi-
mately 45 MPH (70 km/h) and when the
lane markings are clear.
If the vehicle approaches either the left or
right side of the traveling lane, the LDW
indicator light (orange) on the instrument
panel will flash and a warning chime will
sound.
NOTE:
The LDW system is not designed to
warn when you operate the lane
change signal and change traveling
lanes in the direction of the signal.
(The LDW system will become operable
again approximately 2 seconds after
the lane change signal is turned off.)
Starting and driving5-25
5-26Starting and driving
JVS1130X
Warning systems switchWarning systems ON indicator lightCenter multi-function control panel
TURNING THE LDW SYSTEM ON/OFF
The warning systems switchis used to
turn on and off the LDW system when it is
activated on the center display using the
center multi-function control panel
. See
“How to enable/disable the LDW system”
(P.5-27). When the warning systems
switch
is turned off, the warning
systems ON indicator lighton the
switch is off.
The warning systems switch
will turn
on and off the LDW and BSW (if so
equipped) systems at the same time.