The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will
still have braking at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using en-
gine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can
stop the vehicle by depressing the brake
pedal. However, greater foot pressure on the
brake pedal will be required to stop the ve-
hicle and stopping distance will be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This will overheat the brakes,
wear out the brake pads faster, and reduce
gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear 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 surface, becareful when braking, accelerating or
downshifting. Abrupt braking or acceler-
ating 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.
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 the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing 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 cor-
rectly.
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 rotors are replaced, in order to
assure the best brake performance. This procedure is described in the INFINITI
Service Manual. It is recommended that you
visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
(ABS)
WARNING
∙ The ABS is a sophisticated device, but it
cannot prevent accidents resulting from
careless or dangerous driving techniques.
It can help maintain vehicle control dur-
ing braking on slippery surfaces. Remem-
ber that stopping distances on slippery
surfaces will be longer than on normal
surfaces even with ABS. Stopping dis-
tances 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. Ultimately, the driver is responsible
for safety.
∙ Tire type and condition may also affect braking effectiveness.
– When replacing tires, install the speci- fied size of tires on all four wheels.
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-138Starting and driving
CAUTION
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission(CVT) models cannot be push-started or
tow-started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
∙ Do not push start this vehicle. The three- way catalyst may be damaged.
WARNING
∙ Do not continue to drive if your vehicleoverheats. Doing so could cause engine
damage or a vehicle fire.
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded, never remove the radiator or coolant res-
ervoir cap while the engine is still hot.
When the radiator or coolant reservoir
cap is removed, pressurized hot water
will spurt out, possibly causing serious
injury.
∙ Do not open the hood if steam is coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading),
or if you feel a lack of engine power, detect
abnormal noise, etc. take the following steps. 1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to P (Park).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed. 3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the ra-
diator before opening the hood. (If
steam or coolant is escaping, turn off the
engine.) Do not open the hood further
until no steam or coolant can be seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the engine,
stand clear to prevent getting burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling fan is
running. The radiator hoses and radiator
should not leak water. If coolant is leak-
ing, the water pump belt is missing or
loose, or the cooling fan does not run,
stop the engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or get caught in, engine belts or the
engine cooling fan. The engine cooling fan
can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
In case of emergency6-13
CHECKING ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Check the coolant levelin the reservoir when
the engine is cold. If the coolant level is below
the MIN level
B, add coolant to the MAX
level
A. If the reservoir is empty, check the
coolant level in the radiator when the engine
is cold. If there is insufficient coolant in the
radiator, fill the radiator with coolant up to
the filler opening and also add it to the reser-
voir up to the MAX level
A. This vehicle contains Genuine NISSAN Long
Life Antifreeze/Coolant (blue). The life ex-
pectancy of the factory-fill coolant is
105,000 miles (168,000 km) or 7 years.
Mixing any other type of coolant that is not
equivalent to Genuine NISSAN Long Life
Antifreeze/Coolant (blue), or the use of non-
distilled water will reduce the life expectancy
of the factory-fill coolant. For additional in-
formation, refer to the "Maintenance and
schedules" section of this manual.
If the cooling system frequently requires
coolant, have it checked. It is recommended
that you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
For additional information on the location of
the engine coolant reservoir, refer to “Engine
compartment check locations” in this section.
CHANGING ENGINE COOLANT
An INFINITI retailer can change the engine
coolant. The service procedure can be found
in the INFINITI Service Manual.
Improper servicing can result in reduced
heater performance and engine overheating.
WARNING
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never change the coolant when the en-
gine is hot.
∙ Never remove the radiator or engine coolant reservoir cap when the engine is
hot. Serious burns could be caused by
high pressure fluid escaping from the
radiator.
∙ Avoid direct skin contact with used cool- ant. If skin contact is made, wash thor-
oughly with soap or hand cleaner as soon
as possible.
∙ Keep coolant out of the reach of children and pets.
Engine coolant must be disposed of properly.
Check your local regulations.
LDI2860
Do-it-yourself8-5
Incorrect ignition timing may result in spark
knock, after-run and/or overheating, which
may cause excessive fuel consumption or en-
gine damage. If any of the above symptoms
are encountered, have your vehicle checked.
It is recommended that you visit an INFINITI
retailer.
However, now and then you may notice light
spark knock for a short time while accelerat-
ing or driving up hills. This is not a cause for
concern, because you get the greatest fuel
benefit when there is light spark knock for a
short time under heavy engine load.
ENGINE OIL AND OIL FILTER
RECOMMENDATIONS
Selecting the correct oil
It is essential to choose the correct grade,
quality and viscosity engine oil to ensure sat-
isfactory engine life and performance. For
additional information, refer to "Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capacities" in
this section. INFINITI recommends the use of
an energy conserving oil in order to improve
fuel economy.Select only engine oils that meet the Ameri-
can Petroleum Institute (API) certification or
International Lubricant Standardization and
Approval Committee (ILSAC) certification
and SAE viscosity standard. These oils have
the API certification mark on the front of the
container. Oils which do not have the speci-
fied quality label should not be used as they
could cause engine damage.
Oil additives
INFINITI does not recommend the use of oil
additives. The use of an oil additive is not
necessary when the proper oil type is used
and maintenance intervals are followed.
LTI2051
10-6Technical and consumer information
Your new vehicle was designed to be used
primarily to carry passengers and cargo. Re-
member that towing a trailer places addi-
tional loads on your vehicle’s engine, drive
train, steering, braking and other systems.
An INFINITI Towing Guide (U.S. only) is avail-
able on the website atwww.InfinitiUSA.com.
This guide includes information on trailer
towing capability and the special equipment
required for proper towing.
MAXIMUM LOAD LIMITS
Maximum trailer loads
Never allow the total trailer load to exceed
the value specified in the following Towing
Load/Specification Chart found in this sec-
tion. The total trailer load equals trailer
weight plus its cargo weight.
∙ When towing a trailer load of 3,500 lbs.
(1,587 kg) or more, trailers with a brake
system MUST be used.
The maximum Gross Combined Weight Rat-
ing (GCWR) should not exceed the value
specified in the following Towing
Load/Specification Chart. The GCWR equals the combined weight of
the towing vehicle (including passengers and
cargo) plus the total trailer load. Towing
loads greater than these or using improper
towing equipment could adversely affect ve-
hicle handling, braking and performance.
The ability of your vehicle to tow a trailer is
not only related to the maximum trailer loads,
but also the places you plan to tow. Tow
weights appropriate for level highway driving
may have to be reduced for low traction situ-
ations (for example, on slippery boat ramps).
Temperature conditions can also affect tow-
ing. For example, towing a heavy trailer in
high outside temperatures on graded roadscan affect engine performance and cause
overheating. The engine protection mode,
which helps reduce the chance of engine
damage, could activate and automatically
decrease engine power. Vehicle speed may
decrease under high load. Plan your trip care-
fully to account for trailer and vehicle load,
weather and road conditions.
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced engine
power and vehicle speed. The reduced
speed may be lower than other traffic,
which could increase the chance of a colli-
sion. Be especially careful when driving. If
the vehicle cannot maintain a safe driving
speed, pull to the side of the road in a safe
area. Allow the engine to cool and return to
normal operation. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “If your vehicle overheats” in
the “In case of emergency” section of this
manual.
CAUTION
Vehicle damage resulting from improper
towing procedures is not covered by
INFINITI warranties.
LTI2030
10-18Technical and consumer information