2019 NISSAN LEAF parking brake

• To help avoid risk of injury or deaththrough unintended operation of
the vehicle and/or its systems, do
not leave children, people who re-
quire the assistance of others or
pets unattended in your vehicle. Ad-
ditionally, the temperature inside 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.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Push the P (Park) position switch on theshif t lever.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into the street when parked on a slope, it
is a good practice to turn the wheels as
illustrated.
HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB
1:
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 cen-
ter of the road if it moves.
4. Place the power switch in the OFF position.
Starting and driving5-145

WARNING
• If the READY to drive indicator light is off while driving, the power assist for
the steering will not work. Steering
will be harder to operate.
• When the power steering warning light illuminates while the READY to
drive indicator light is on, the power
assist for the steering will cease op-
eration. You will still have control of
the vehicle but the steering will be
harder to operate.
The power steering system is designed to
provide power assistance while driving to
operate the steering wheel with less effort.
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 help protect it from
getting damaged. When the power assis-
tance is reduced, steering wheel operation
will become harder. When the temperature
of the power steering system goes down,
the power assistance level will return to normal. Avoid repeating such steering
wheel operations that could cause the
power steering system to overheat.
You may hear a noise when the steering
wheel is operated quickly. However, this is
not a malfunction.
If the power steering warning light
illuminates while the READY to drive indica-
tor light is on, it may indicate the power
steering system is not functioning properly
and may need servicing. Have the power
steering system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN certified
LEAF dealer for this service. For additional
information, refer to “Power steering warn-
ing light” in the “Instruments and controls”
section of this manual.
The power assist for steering stops operat-
ing when both the power steering warning
light and READY to drive indicator light are
illuminated. You will still have control of the
vehicle. However, greater steering effort is
needed, especially in sharp turns and at
low speeds.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
This vehicle is equipped with two braking
systems:
1. Hydraulic brake system
2. Regenerative brake system
Hydraulic brake system
The hydraulic brake system is similar to the
brakes used on conventional vehicles.
The brake system has two separate hy-
draulic circuits. If one circuit malfunctions,
you will still have braking at two wheels.
Regenerative brake system
The primary purpose of the regenerative
brake system is to provide some power to
help recharge the Li-ion battery and ex-
tend driving range. A secondary benefit is
“engine braking” that operates based on
battery conditions.
In the D (Drive) range, when the accelerator
is released, the regenerative brake system
provides some deceleration and gener-
ates power for the Li-ion battery. Power is
also generated when the brake pedal is
applied.
POWER STEERING SYSTEM
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-146Starting and driving

Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven
through water, the brakes may get wet. As
a result, the 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
have dried.
Parking brake break-in
Break in the parking brake shoes whenever
the stopping effect of the parking brake is
weakened or whenever the parking brake
shoes and/or drums/rotors are replaced,
in order to assure the best braking perfor-
mance.
This procedure is described in the Genuine
NISSAN Service Manual, and it can be per-
formed by a certified repair facility. It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN certi-
fied LEAF dealer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
• The ABS is a sophisticated device, but it cannot prevent accidents re-
sulting from careless or dangerous
driving techniques. It can help main-
tain vehicle control during braking
on slippery surfaces. Remember
that stopping distances on slippery
surfaces will be longer than on nor-
mal surfaces even with ABS. Stop-
ping distances may also be longer
on rough, gravel or snow covered
roads, or if you are using tire chains.
Always maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you. Ulti-
mately, the driver is responsible for
safety.
• Tire type and condition may also af- fect braking effectiveness.
– When replacing tires, install thespecified size of tires on all four
wheels.
– For additional information, refer to “Wheels and tires” in the “Main-
tenance and do-it-yourself ” sec-
tion of this manual. The ABS controls the brakes so the wheels
do not lock during hard braking or when
braking on slippery surfaces. The system
detects the rotation speed at each wheel
and varies the brake fluid pressure to pre-
vent each wheel from locking and sliding.
By preventing each wheel from locking, the
system helps the driver maintain steering
control and helps to minimize swerving
and spinning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
Depress the brake pedal with firm steady
pressure, but do not pump the brakes. The
Anti-lock Braking System will operate to
prevent the wheels from locking up. Steer
the vehicle to avoid obstacles.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so
may result in increased stopping dis-
tances.
5-148Starting and driving

The hill start assist system automatically
keeps the brakes applied to help prevent
the vehicle from rolling backwards in the
time it takes the driver to release the brake
pedal and apply the accelerator when the
vehicle is stopped on a hill.
Hill start assist will operate automatically
under the following conditions:
• The shif t lever is placed in the D (Drive), Bmode, or R (Reverse) position.
• The vehicle is stopped completely on a hill by applying the brake.
The maximum holding time is 2 seconds.
Af ter 2 seconds the vehicle will begin to roll
back and hill start assist will stop operating
completely.
Hill start assist will not operate when the
shif t lever is placed in the N (Neutral) or P
(Park) position or on a flat and level road.
CAUTION
To prevent damage to the Li-ion bat-
tery: Do not store the vehicle in tem-
peratures below -13°F (-25°C) for over
seven days. If the outside temperature
is -13°F (-25°C) or less, the Li-ion battery
may freeze and it cannot be charged or
provide power to run the vehicle. Move
the vehicle to a warm location.
NOTE:
• Connect the charger to the vehicle and
place the power switch in the OFF posi-
tion when parking the vehicle if tem-
peratures may go below -4°F (-20°C). For
models with 40 kWh battery model, this
provides external power to the Li-ion
battery warmer (if so equipped) when it
operates and does not discharge the Li-
ion battery. Vehicle driving range is re-
duced if the Li-ion battery warmer (if so
equipped) operates (Li-ion battery tem-
perature approximately -4°F (-20°C) or
colder) while driving the vehicle. You
may need to charge the Li-ion battery
sooner than in warmer temperatures. •
The Li-ion battery requires more time to
charge when the Li-ion battery warmer
(if so equipped) operates.
•
The predicted charging time displayed
on the meter and navigation system (if so
equipped) increases when the Li-ion bat-
tery warmer (if so equipped) operates.
• Vehicle range may be substantially re-
duced in extremely cold conditions (for
example under -4°F (-20°C)).
• Using the climate control system to
heat the cabin when outside tempera-
ture is below 32°F (0°C) uses more elec-
tricity and affects vehicle range more
than when using the heater when the
temperature is above 32°F (0°C).
• Climate control performance is reduced
when using the Climate Ctrl. Timer or
Remote Climate Control while the Li-ion
battery warmer (if so equipped) oper-
ates (for models with 40 kWh battery
model). Set only the charging timer [End
Time] when charging in cold weather.
The vehicle automatically determines
when to start charging to fully charge
the Li-ion battery, even if the Li-ion bat-
tery warmer operates. Charging ends
before the set end time if the Li-ion bat-
tery is fully charged.
COLD WEATHER DRIVING
5-154Starting and driving

DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
• Wet ice (32°F, 0°C and freezing rain), very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have much less traction or “grip” un-
der these conditions. Try to avoid
driving on wet ice until the road is
salted or sanded.
• Whatever the conditions, drive with caution. Accelerate and slow down
with care. If accelerating too fast, the
drive wheels will lose even more
traction.
•
Allow more stopping distance under
these conditions. Braking should be
started sooner than on dry pavement.
• Allow greater following distances on slippery roads.
• Watch for slippery spots (glare ice). These may appear on an otherwise
clear road in shaded areas. If a patch
of ice is seen ahead, brake before
reaching it. Try not to brake while on
the ice, and avoid any sudden steer-
ing maneuvers.
• Do not use cruise control on slippery roads.
FREEING A FROZEN CHARGE PORT
LID
When the charge port is frozen, melt the ice
using a hair dryer.
PARKING BRAKE
CAUTION
When parking in an area where the
outside temperature is below 32°F
(0°C), the parking brake, if applied, may
freeze in place and may be difficult to
release.
For safe parking, it is recommended
that you place the shif t lever in the P
(Park) position and securely block the
wheels.
5-156Starting and driving

CAUTION
• To avoid the emergency tire punc-
ture kit being damaged during stor-
age or use:
–Only use the emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit on your vehicle. Do
not use it on other vehicles.
– Only use the kit to inflate the tires
of your vehicle and to check the
vehicle’s tire pressure.
– Only plug the compressor into a
12-volt DC car power point.
– Keep the kit free of water and dirt.
– Do not disassemble or modif y the
kit.
– Do not drop the kit or allow hard
impacts to the kit.
•
Do not use the emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit under the following con-
ditions. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN certified LEAF dealer or
professional road assistance.
– when the sealant has passed its
expiration date (shown on the la-
bel attached to the bottle) –
when the cut or the puncture is
approximately 0.25 in (6 mm) or
longer
– when the tire sidewall is damaged
– when the vehicle has been driven
with extremely low tire pressure
– when the tire has come off the in-
side or the outside of the wheel
– when the tire wheel is damaged
– when two or more tires are flat
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below.
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road and away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake.
4. Push the P (Park) position switch on the shif t lever to the P (Park) position.
5. Turn off the EV system. 6. Raise the hood to warn other traffic and
to signal professional road assistance
personnel that you need assistance.
7. Have all passengers get out of the ve- hicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
• Make sure the parking brake is se-
curely applied and the vehicle is
placed into the P (Park) position.
• Never repair tires when the vehicle is
on a slope, ice or slippery areas. This
is hazardous.
• Never repair tires if oncoming traffic
is close to your vehicle. Wait for pro-
fessional road assistance.
In case of emergency6-5

1. If the booster battery is in another ve-hicle
B, position the two vehicles (A
andB) to bring their 12-volt batteries
into close proximity to each other.
Do not allow the two vehicles to
touch.
2. Apply the parking brake.
If the 12-volt battery is discharged,
the power switch cannot be moved
from the OFF position. Connect the
jumper cables to the booster vehicle
Bbefore pushing the power switch. 3. Push the P (Park) position switch to
place the vehicle in the P (Park) position.
4. Switch off all unnecessary electrical sys- tems (headlights, heater, air conditioner,
etc.).
5. Place the power switch in the OFF position.
6. Ensure vent caps are level and tight.
7. Connect jumper cables in the sequence as illustrated (
1→2→3→4).
CAUTION
• Always connect positive (+) to positive
(+) and negative (−) to body ground
(for example, as illustrated), not to the
12-volt battery.
• Make sure the jumper cables do not touch moving parts in the motor
compartment and that the cable
clamps do not contact any other
metal.
8. Start the engine of the booster vehicle
B.
9. While the booster vehicle
Bengine is
running, place the EV system in the
READY to drive position.
CAUTION
If the system does not start right away,
push the power switch to the OFF po-
sition and wait 10 seconds before try-
ing again.
6-12In case of emergency

TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
NISSAN recommends that your vehicle be
towed with the driving (front) wheels off the
ground or that the vehicle be placed on a
flatbed truck as illustrated.
CAUTION
• Never tow with the front wheels on the ground or four wheels on the
ground (forward or backward), as
this may cause serious and expen-
sive damage to the motor.
• When towing this vehicle with the rear wheels on the ground (if you do
not use towing dollies): Always re-
lease the parking brake.
NOTE:
If your vehicle cannot be moved because
the vehicle cannot be shif ted to the N
(Neutral) position, please refer to the
LEAF Roadside Assistance Guide which is
located at www.NISSANUSA.com. If your
vehicle cannot be moved because the
parking brake cannot be released, refer
to “Parking brake” in the “Starting and
driving” section of this manual.
In case of emergency6-15