Page 209 of 346

∙ Keep the engine at idling speed whileshif ting from the N (Neutral) position
to any driving position.
∙ To avoid possible damage to your ve- hicle, 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 the vehicle
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the foot brake pedal before moving the
shif t lever out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever to a drive po-
sition.
3. Release the parking brake, the foot brake pedal, and then gradually start
the vehicle in motion.
The automatic transmission is designed
so the foot brake pedal MUST be de-
pressed before shif ting from P (Park) to
any drive position while the ignition
switch is in the ON position. The shif t lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park) and into any of the other gear po-
sitions if the ignition switch is turned to
the LOCK, OFF or ACC position or if the
keyisremoved.
CAUTION
∙ Depress the foot brake pedal - Shif t-
ing the shif t lever to D (Drive), R (Re-
verse), 2 or 1 without depressing the
foot brake pedal causes the vehicle to
move slowly when the engine is run-
ning. Make sure the foot brake pedal is
depressed fully and the vehicle is
stopped before shif ting the shif t
lever.
∙ Make sure of the shif t lever position- Make sure the shif t lever is in the de-
sired position. D (Drive), 2 and 1 are
used to move forward and R (Reverse)
to back up.
∙ Warm up the engine. Due to the higher idle speeds when the engine is cold,
extra caution must be exercised when
shif ting the shif t lever into the driving
position immediately af ter starting
the engine. To move the shif t lever:
Press the buttonAwhile depressing
the brake pedal.
Press the buttonA.
Just move the shif t lever.
LSD2005
5-10Starting and driving
Page 210 of 346

Shif ting
WARNING
∙ Apply the parking brake if the shif tlever is in any position while the en-
gine is not running. Failure to do so
could cause the vehicle to move unex-
pectedly or roll away and result in se-
rious personal injury or property
damage.
∙ If the shif t lever cannot be moved from the P (Park) position while the
engine is running and the brake pedal
is depressed, the stop lights may not
work. Malfunctioning stop lights
could cause an accident injuring your-
self and others.
Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the
foot brake pedal, press the shif t lever but-
ton and move the shif t lever out of the P
(Park) position.
If the ignition switch is in the OFF or ACC
position for any reason while the shif t lever
is in any position other than the P (Park)
position, the ignition switch cannot be
turned to the LOCK position. If the ignition switch cannot be placed in
the LOCK position, perform the following
steps:
1. Apply the parking brake when the ve- hicle is stopped.
2. Place the ignition switch in the ON po- sition while depressing the foot brake
pedal.
3. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) po- sition.
4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK position.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) position only when the ve-
hicle is completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) 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
shif t lever button pressed to move the
shif t lever from N (Neutral) or any drive
position to P (Park). Apply the parking
brake. When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake first, then move the shif t le-
ver into the P (Park) position.
R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the R (Reverse) position only when the
vehicle is completely stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before selecting the R (Reverse)
position. The brake pedal must be de-
pressed and the shif t lever button
pressed to move the shif t lever from P
(Park), N (Neutral) or any drive position to
R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shif t to N (Neutral) and
restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is
moving.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
Starting and driving5-11
Page 211 of 346

2 (Second gear)
Use this position for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1 (Low gear)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine brak-
ing on steep downhill grades.
Do not shif t into the gears when the vehicle
speed exceeds the following limits, other-
wise the engine may over-rev and cause
engine damage.
Shif t Lever position
12
50 km/h (31 mph) 95 km/h (59 mph)Shif t lock release
If the battery is discharged, the shif t lever
may not be moved from the P (Park) posi-
tion even with the foot brake pedal de-
pressed.
To move the shif t lever, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
1. Place the ignition switch into the LOCK position and remove the key.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shif t lock release cover us- ing a suitable tool. 4. Push down the shif t lock release using
a suitable tool.
5. Press the shif t lever button
Aand
move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral)
position while holding down the shif t
lock release.
6. Place the ignition switch in the ON po- sition to unlock the steering wheel.
7. Release the parking brake.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
Replace the removed shif t lock release
cover af ter the operation.
If the shif t lever cannot be moved out of the
P (Park) position, have the automatic trans-
mission system checked as soon as pos-
sible. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into a lower gear,
depending on the vehicle speed.
LSD2006
5-12Starting and driving
Page 212 of 346

Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, the
Automatic Transmission will be locked in
any of the forward gears depending on
conditions.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
This will occur even if all electrical cir-
cuits are functioning properly. In this
case:∙ Place the shif t lever in the P (Park)
position.
∙ Place the ignition switch in the OFF
position and wait for 3 seconds.
∙ Then place the ignition switch back in
the ON position.
The vehicle should return to its normal
operating condition. If it does not return
to its normal operating condition, have
the transmission checked and repaired,
if necessary. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switch
Each time your vehicle is started, the trans-
mission is automatically “reset” to overdrive
ON.
ON: With the engine running and the shif t lever in the D (Drive)
position, the transmission up-
shif ts into overdrive as vehicle
speed increases.
Overdrive does not engage until the en-
gine has reached operating tempera-
ture.
OFF: For driving up and down longslopes where engine braking is
necessary push the O/D off
switch once. The Overdrive OFF
indicator light in the instrument
panel comes on at this time.
When cruising at a low speed or climbing a
gentle slope, you may feel uncomfortable
shif t shocks as the transmission shif ts into
and out of overdrive repeatedly. In this
case, depress the overdrive switch to turn
the overdrive off. The Overdrive OFF indica-
tor light in the instrument panel comes on
at this time.
When driving conditions change, depress
the O/D off switch to turn the overdrive on.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time with the over-
drive off. This reduces fuel economy.
LSD2012
Starting and driving5-13
Page 213 of 346

MANUAL TRANSMISSION (if so
equipped)
WARNING
∙ Do not downshif t abruptly on slipperyroads. This may cause a loss of
control.
∙ Do not over-rev the engine when shif ting to a lower gear. This may
cause a loss of control or engine
damage.
CAUTION
∙ Do not rest your foot on the clutchpedal while driving. This may cause
clutch damage.
∙ Fully depress the clutch pedal before shif ting to help prevent transmission
damage.
∙ Stop your vehicle completely before shif ting into R (Reverse).
∙ When the vehicle is stopped with the engine running (for example, at a stop
light), shif t to N (Neutral) and release
the clutch pedal with the foot brake
applied. ∙ Do not shif t to the N (Neutral) position
while driving. Doing so may result in
an accident due to loss of engine
braking.Shif ting
To change gears, or when upshif ting or
downshif ting, depress the clutch pedal
fully, shif t into the appropriate gear, then
release the clutch slowly and smoothly.
To ensure smooth gear changes, fully de-
press the clutch pedal before operating the
shif t lever. If the clutch pedal is not fully
depressed before the transmission is
shif ted, a gear noise may be heard. Trans-
mission damage could occur.
WSD0096
5-14Starting and driving
Page 214 of 346

Start the vehicle in the 1 (1st) position and
shif t to the 2 (2nd), 3 (3rd), 4 (4th) and 5 (5th)
gear in sequence according to the vehicle
speed.
You cannot shif t directly from 5th gear into
R (Reverse). First shif t into N (Neutral), then
into R (Reverse).
If it is difficult to move the shif t lever into R
(Reverse) or 1 (1st), shif t into N (Neutral), then
release the clutch pedal. Depress the
clutch pedal again and shif t into R (Re-
verse) or 1 (1st).
Suggested up-shif t speeds
The following are suggested vehicle
speeds for shif ting into a higher gear.
These suggestions relate to fuel economy
and vehicle performance. Actual upshif t
speeds will vary according to road condi-
tions, the weather and individual driving
habits.For normal acceleration in low altitude ar-
eas (less than 1219 m [4,000 f t]):
GEAR CHANGE
km/h (mph)
1st to 2nd 14 (9)
2nd to 3rd 19 (12)
3rd to 4th 34 (21)
4th to 5th 45 (28)
5th —
For quick acceleration in low altitude areas
and high altitude areas (over 1219 m
[4,000 f t]):
Gear changekm/h (mph)
1st to 2nd 24 (15)
2nd to 3rd 40 (25)
3rd to 4th 64 (40)
4th to 5th 72 (45)
5th —
Suggested maximum speed in
each gear
Downshif t to a lower gear if the engine is
not running smoothly, or if you need to ac-
celerate.
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 engine
when shif ting to a lower gear as it may
cause engine damage or loss of vehicle
control.
HR16DE engine model (5 M/T)
GEARkm/h (mph)
1st 43 (27)
2nd 79 (49)
3rd 116 (72)
4th 157 (97)
5th —
Starting and driving5-15
Page 215 of 346

WARNING
∙ Be sure the parking brake is fully re-leased 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 shif t lever in place of the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
∙ 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 be-
come high enough to cause a signifi-
cant risk of injury or death to people
and pets. To engage:
Pull the parking brake lever up
A.
To release: 1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Manual transmission models:
Place the shif t lever in the N (Neutral)
position.
Automatic transmission models:
Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) po-
sition. 3. While pulling up on the parking brake
lever slightly, press the button
Band
lower the lever completely.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warn- ing light goes out.
WSD0048
PARKING BRAKE
5-16Starting and driving
Page 216 of 346

PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE
CONTROL
1. CANCEL switch
2. ACCEL/RES switch
3. COAST/SET switch
4. CRUISE ON/OFF switch∙ If the cruise control system malfunc- tions, it cancels automatically.
∙ To properly set the cruise control sys- tem, use the following procedures.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when driv-
ing under the following conditions:
∙ When it is not possible to keep thevehicle 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 accident.
CRUISE CONTROL OPERATIONS
The cruise control allows driving at a speed
between 37 - 144 km/h (23 - 89 mph) with-
out keeping your foot on the accelerator
pedal.
To turn on the cruise control, push the
CRUISE ON/OFF switch. The CRUISE indica-
tor light in the instrument panel comes on.
To set cruising speed, accelerate the ve-
hicle to the desired speed, push the
COAST/SET switch and release it. Take your
foot off the accelerator pedal. Your vehicle
maintains the set speed. ∙
To pass another vehicle, depress the
accelerator pedal. When you release the
pedal, the vehicle returns to the previ-
ously set speed.
∙ The vehicle may not maintain the set speed when going up or down steep
hills. If this happens, drive without the
cruise control.
To cancel the preset speed, use one of the
following three methods:
∙ Push the CANCEL switch.
∙ Tap the brake pedal.
∙ Push the CRUISE ON/OFF switch. The CRUISE indicator light in the instrument
panel will go out.
The cruise control is automatically can-
celed if: ∙ You depress the brake pedal while pushing the ACCEL/RES or COAST/SET
switch. The preset speed is deleted
from memory.
∙ The vehicle slows down more than 13 km/h (8 mph) below the set speed.
∙ You move the shif t lever to N (Neutral).
LSD2430
CRUISE CONTROL (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-17