
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to P (Park) or N(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to oper-
ate unless the shif t lever is in either P
(Park) or N (Neutral).
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON po- sition. 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 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 en-
gine. 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. Af ter 5 or 6 seconds, stop
cranking by pushing the ignition switch to the LOCK position. Af ter
cranking the engine, release the ac-
celerator pedal. Crank the engine
with your foot off the accelerator
pedal by depressing the brake pedal
and pushing the ignition switch to
start the engine. If the engine starts,
but fails to run, repeat the above pro-
cedure.
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 cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
4. Warm-up:
Allow the engine to idle for at least
30 seconds af ter 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 of 2 to 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. 5. To stop the engine, move the shif t lever
into 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 dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as: 1. Installation or extended use of elec-
tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery 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.
STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-17

Starting the vehicle
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depressthe foot brake pedal before moving the
shif t lever out of the P (Park) position.
This Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion is designed so that the foot
brake pedal must be depressed be-
fore shif ting from P (Park) to any driv-
ing position while the ignition switch
is in the ON position.
The shif t 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 LOCK, OFF or
ACC position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever to a driving
position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal, and then gradually start
the vehicle in motion.
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedalwhile shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), or M
(Manual shif t mode) position. Always
depress the brake pedal until shif ting
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 shif ting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
∙ Never shif t 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 re-
versing. This could cause an accident
or damage the transmission.
∙ Do not downshif t abruptly on slippery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
CAUTION
∙ 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.
∙ Except in an emergency, do not shif t to the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission in
the N (Neutral) position may cause se-
rious damage to the transmission.
Starting and driving5-19

Shif ting
Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal, press the shif t lever button
and move the shif t lever from the P (Park)
position to any of the desired shif t posi-
tions.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shif t 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 in-
jury or property damage.
CAUTION
Use the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position
only when the vehicle is completely
stopped.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) position only when the ve-
hicle is completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shif t lever position when
the vehicle is parked or when starting the
engine. Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped. The brake pedal must be de-
pressed and the shif t lever button
pressed in 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 lever 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 in 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.
LSD3162
5-20Starting and driving

∙In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may not shif t to the selected
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
∙ When this situation occurs, the Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
position indicator light will blink and
the chime will sound.
∙ In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may shif t up automatically to
a higher range than selected if the
engine speed is too high. When the
vehicle speed decreases, the trans-
mission automatically shif ts down
and shif ts to first gear before the ve-
hicle comes to a stop.
∙ CVT operation is limited to automatic drive mode when CVT fluid tempera-
ture is extremely low even if manual
shif t mode is selected. This is not a mal-
function. When CVT fluid warms up,
manual mode can be selected.
∙ When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shif t range may upshif t in lower
rpm than usual. This is not a malfunc-
tion.
Shif t lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged,
the shif t lever may not be moved from the
P (Park) position even with the brake pedal
depressed and the shif t lever button
pressed. To move the shif t lever, perform
the following procedure:
1. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or LOCK position.
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 and move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position
while holding down the shif t lock re-
lease. The vehicle may be moved to the
desired location. Replace the removed
shif t lock release cover af ter the opera-
tion. If the shif t lever cannot be moved
out of the P (Park) position, have the
Continuously Variable Transmission
system checked as soon as possible. It
is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
WARNING
If the shif t lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position while the engine is
running and the brake pedal is de-
pressed, the stop lights may not work.
Malfunctioning stop lights could cause
an accident injuring yourself and
others.
LSD3163
5-22Starting and driving

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.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
when climbing steep grades in high tem-
peratures with heavy loads, such as when
towing a trailer), engine power and, under
some conditions, vehicle speed will be de-
creased automatically to reduce the
chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelera-
tor pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed
may be limited.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may come on to indicate the fail-safemode is activated. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL)” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual. This will oc-
cur even if all electrical circuits are func-
tioning properly. In this case, place the
ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait for 10 seconds. Then push the
switch back to the ON position. The ve-
hicle should return to its normal operat-
ing 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.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually re-
duced. The reduced speed may be lower
than other traffic, which could increase
the chance of a collision. Be especially
careful when driving. If necessary, pull
to the side of the road at a safe place
and allow the transmission to return to
normal operation, or have it repaired if
necessary.
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.
LSD0158
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-23

∙ To help avoid risk of injury or deaththrough 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:
Firmly depress the parking brake.
To release: 1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) po- sition.
3. Firmly depress the parking brake pedal and it will release.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warn- ing light goes out. The TSR system provides the driver with
information about the most recently de-
tected speed limit. The system captures
the road sign information with the multi-
sensing front camera unit
Alocated on
the windshield in front of the inside rear-
view mirror and displays the detected
signs in the vehicle information display. For
vehicles equipped with a navigation sys-
tem, the speed limit displayed is based on a
combination of navigation system data
and live camera recognition. TSR informa-
tion is always displayed at the top of the
vehicle information display if the system is
enabled in the Driver Assistance settings.
WARNING
The TSR system is only intended to be a
support device to provide the driver
with information. It is not a replacement
for the driver’s attention to traffic con-
ditions or responsibility to drive safely.
It cannot prevent accidents due to care-
lessness. It is the driver’s responsibility
to stay alert and drive safely at all times.
LSD3360
TRAFFIC SIGN RECOGNITION (TSR) (if
so equipped)
5-24Starting and driving

by pushing the OK button. Cruise control
status will continue to display in the upper
right corner of the vehicle information dis-
play while the system is on.When the SET/– switch is pushed under the
following conditions, the system cannot be
set and the ICC indicators will blink for ap-
proximately 2 seconds:∙ When traveling below 20 mph (32 km/h) and a vehicle ahead is not detected
∙ When the shif t lever is not in the D (Drive) or Manual mode
∙ When the parking brake is applied
∙ When the brakes are operated by the driver When the SET/– switch is pushed under the
following conditions, the system cannot be
set.
A warning chime will sound and a message
will pop up:
∙ When the VDC system is off (To use the ICC system, turn on the VDC system.
Push the CRUISE ON/OFF switch to turn
off the ICC system and reset the CRUISE
ON/OFF switch by pushing the CRUISE
ON/OFF switch again.)
For additional information about the
VDC system, refer to “Vehicle Dynamic
Control (VDC) system” in this section.
∙ When VDC is operating
∙ When a wheel is slipping (To use the ICC system, make sure the wheels are no
longer slipping.)
LSD3395
Starting and driving5-69

NOTE:
The approach warning chime may sound
and the system display may blink when
the ICC sensor detects objects on the
side of the vehicle or on the side of the
road. This may cause the ICC system to
decelerate or accelerate the vehicle. The
ICC sensor may detect these objects
when the vehicle is driven on winding
roads, narrow roads, hilly roads, or when
entering or exiting a curve. In these
cases you will have to manually control
the proper distance ahead of your ve-
hicle.
Also, the radar sensor sensitivity can be
affected by vehicle operation (steering ma-
neuver or driving position in the lane) or
traffic or vehicle condition (for example, if a
vehicle is being driven with some damage).
Automatic cancellation
A chime sounds under the following condi-
tions and the control is automatically can-
celed:∙ When the vehicle ahead is not detected and your vehicle is traveling below the
speed of 15 mph (24 km/h)
∙ When the system judges the vehicle is at a standstill ∙ When the shif t lever is not in the D (Drive)
position, Manual mode.
∙ When the parking brake system is ap- plied
∙ When the VDC system is turned off
∙ When VDC operates
∙ When distance measurement be- comes impaired due to adhesion of dirt
or obstruction to the sensor
∙ When a wheel slips
∙ When the radar signal is temporarily in- terrupted
VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE DISTANCE
CONTROL MODE LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limitations
for the ICC system. Failure to operate
the vehicle in accordance with these
system limitations could result in seri-
ous injury or death. ∙ The ICC system is primarily intended
for use on straight, dry, open roads
with light traffic. It is not advisable to
use the ICC system in city traffic or
congested areas.
∙ The ICC system will not adapt auto- matically to road conditions. This sys-
tem should be used in evenly flowing
traffic. Do not use the system on roads
with sharp curves, or on icy roads, in
heavy rain or in fog.
∙ As there is a performance limit to the distance control function, never rely
solely on the ICC system. This system
does not correct careless, inattentive
or absentminded driving, or over-
come poor visibility in rain, fog, or
other bad weather. Decelerate the ve-
hicle speed by depressing the brake
pedal, depending on the distance to
the vehicle ahead and the surround-
ing circumstances in order to main-
tain a safe distance between vehicles.
Starting and driving5-73