2020 NISSAN 370Z transmission

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) or D (Drive) position while
the vehicle is reversing. 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.
SSD0827Shift lever
To move the shift lever,
: Push the button while depressing the
brake pedal.
: Push the button.
: Just move the shift lever.
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the
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.
Starting and driving5-13

5-14Starting and driving
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.
SSD0828Paddle shifter (if so equipped)
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, or pulling the right-side
or left-side paddle shifter (if so equipped).
When shifting up, move the shift lever to
the + (up) side or pull the right-side paddle
shifter (if so equipped) (+)
. The trans-
mission shifts to the higher range.
When shifting down, move the shift lever
to the − (down) side or pull the left-side
paddle shifter (if so equipped) (−)
. 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.
When you pull the paddle shifter (if so
equipped) while in the D (Drive) position,
the transmission will shift to the upper or
lower range temporarily. The transmis-
sion will automatically return to the D
(Drive) position after a short period of
time. If you want to return to the D (Drive)
position manually, pull and hold the
paddle shifter (if so equipped) for about
1.5 seconds.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range
is displayed on the transmission position
indicator in the meter.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
1M?
/2M?
/3M?
/4M?
/5M?
/6M?
/ 7M
7M(7th):
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
6
M(6th) and 5M(5th):
Use these positions when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes. 4
M(4th), 3M(3rd) and 2M(2nd):
Use these positions for hill climbing or
engine braking on downhill grades.
1
M(1st):
Use this position when climbing steep
hills slowly or driving slowly through deep
snow, or for maximum engine braking on
steep downhill grades.
. Remember not to drive at high speeds
for extended periods of time in lower
than 7th gear. This reduces fuel econ-
omy.
. Moving the shift lever rapidly to the
same side twice will shift the ranges in
succession.
. In the manual shift mode, the trans-
mission may not shift to the se-
lected gear or may automatically
shift to the other gear. This helps
maintain driving performance and
reduces the chance of vehicle da-
mage or loss of control.
. When the transmission does not
shift to the selected gear, the Auto-
matic Transmission (AT) position in-
dicator light (on the instrument
panel) will blink and the buzzer will
sound.
. In the manual shift mode, the trans-
mission automatically shifts down
to 1st gear before the vehicle comes to a stop. When accelerating again, it
is necessary to shift up to the
desired range.
Starting and driving5-15

5-16Starting and driving
SSD0832
Upshift indicator:
The up-shift indicator is located in the
tachometer and shows the driver the
timing to shift into a higher gear by
illuminating. The use of the up-shift
indicator will help you to upshift at a
constant engine speed from any gear.
The up-shift indicator will start flashing
when the engine speed reaches about
500 rpm before the set figure while
driving, and then illuminate after the
engine speed reaches the set figure.
The engine speed for upshifting can be
set on the vehicle information display. See
“Trip computer” (P.2-25).
There may be a slight difference be-tween the timing of the up-shift indica-
tor illumination and the tachometer
indication.
Accelerator downshift — In D (Drive)
position —
For passing or hill climbing, fully depress
the accelerator pedal to the floor. This
shifts the transmission down into the
lower gear, depending on the vehicle
speed.
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, note
that the transmission will be locked in any
of the forward gears according to the
condition.
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
circuits are functioning properly. In this
case, push the ignition switch to the
OFF position and wait for 3 seconds.
Then push the ignition switch back to
the ON position. The vehicle should
return to its normal operating condi-
tion. If it does not return to its normal
operating condition, have the transmis-
sion checked and repaired, if necessary.
It is recommended you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.

SSD0829
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. Push the ignition switch to 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
using a
suitable tool as illustrated.
5. Push the shift lever button
and
move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position
while holding down the
shift lock.
Now 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.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WARNING
. Do not downshift abruptly on
slippery roads. This may cause a
loss of control.
. Do not over-rev the engine when
shifting to a lower gear. This may
cause a loss of control or engine
damage.
CAUTION
.Do not rest your foot on the
clutch pedal while driving. This
may damage the clutch.
. Fully depress the clutch pedal
before shifting to help prevent
transmission damage.
. Stop your vehicle completely be-
fore shifting into R (Reverse).
. When the vehicle is stopped with
the engine running (for example,
at a stop light), shift to N (Neutral)
and release the clutch pedal with
the foot brake applied.
Starting and driving5-17

5-18Starting and driving
SSD0536
Shifting
To change gears, or when upshifting or
downshifting, fully depress the clutch
pedal, shift into an appropriate gear, and
then slowly and smoothly release the
clutch pedal.
This vehicle is equipped with a short
throw shifter manual transmission. To
ensure smooth gear changes, be sure to
fully depress the clutch pedal before
operating the shift lever. If the clutch
pedal is not fully depressed before the
transmission is shifted, a gear noise may
be heard. Transmission damage could
occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and upshift to2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear in
sequence according to the vehicle speed.
To back up, depress the shift knob and
then move the shift lever to the R
(Reverse) position after stopping the ve-
hicle completely.
The shift knob returns to its original
position when the shift lever is moved to
the N (Neutral) position.
If it is difficult to move the shift lever into
R (Reverse) or 1st (Low gear), shift to N
(Neutral), then release the clutch pedal.
Fully depress the clutch pedal again and
shift into R or 1st.
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE)
(if so equipped for Manual Trans-
mission models)
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE)
automatically adjusts the engine speed to
match the selecting gear ratio while
changing gears.
Precautions:
.
Shift lever and clutch pedal operations
are not different than a conventional
manual transmission.
. Fully depress the clutch pedal. Insuffi-
cient pedal depression may cause
slow response of this system. .
When the clutch pedal is depressed
with the gear still engaged, the engine
speed is kept at the proper level for
the engaged gear. Thus, the engine
speed may be kept high depending on
the gear position and vehicle speed.
. When the clutch pedal is depressed
with the transmission in neutral, the
system operates for approximately 2
seconds, and then the engine speed
will decrease to the idle speed.
. When the engine coolant temperature
is low right after starting the engine,
engine speed synchronization will be
delayed or may be insufficient.
. The system controls the engine speed
up to the rev limit. Note that S-MODE
is not a function that prevents over-
revving resulting from shifting mis-
takes.
. The system does not operate while
the vehicle is backing up.
. If the engine speed is limited lower
than usual when the engine oil tem-
perature is extremely high, the system
will control up to the limited engine
speed.
. If the malfunction indicator light illu-
minates, the system may not operate
and the S-MODE indicator turns off.

SSD0830
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE)
warning:
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE)
warning will appear on the vehicle infor-
mation display and the S-MODE indicator
will turn off if a system malfunction
occurs.
If the warning appears, the S-MODE func-
tion will not operate, but manual trans-
mission will operate normally and driving
can be continued. Have the system
checked. It is recommended you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
SSD0831
Activating the system:
To activate the S-MODE, push the S-
MODE switch
. The S-MODE indicatoron the tachometer will show “S”. To
deactivate, push and hold the S-MODE
switch for more than 1 second. The S-
MODE indicator will turn off.While the S-MODE is off, you can drive the
vehicle as a conventional manual trans-
mission model.
Note that the status of the S-MODE (on or
off) is memorized even after the ignition
switch is turned off; however, it will be
initialized (off) when the battery is dis-
connected.
The transmission position indicator
shows the selected gear: N (Neutral), 1, 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, R (Reverse).
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) op-
eration:
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE)
automatically adjusts the engine speed
by controlling the engine throttle. The
accelerator pedal does not have to be
depressed.
The system detects the clutch pedal and
shift lever operations, and then calculates
the target engine speed using the shifting
gear position and the vehicle speed
information.
The system provides accurate engine
speed control that helps achieve quick
gear shifting and reduces shift shock on
clutch engagement.
.
When downshifting:
The engine speed is automatically
increased to the target engine speed
Starting and driving5-19

5-22Starting and driving
SPA2110
To apply:Pull the parking brake lever up.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. While pulling up on the parking brake lever slightly, push the button
and
lower the lever completely.
3. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
PRECAUTIONS ON CRUISE CON-
TROL
.If the cruise control system malfunc-
tions, it will cancel automatically. The
CRUISE indicator light on the meter
panel will then blink to warn the driver.
. If the engine coolant temperature
becomes excessively high, the cruise
control system will cancel automati-
cally.
. If the CRUISE indicator light blinks,
turn the cruise control main switch
off and have the system checked. It is
recommended you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
. The CRUISE indicator light may blink
when the cruise control main switch is
turned ON while pushing the ACCEL/
RES, COAST/SET or CANCEL switch. To
properly set the cruise control system,
perform the following procedures.
WARNING
Do not use the cruise control when
driving under the following condi-
tions:
.when it is not possible to keep the
vehicle 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 acci-
dent.
CAUTION
On manual transmission models, do
not shift into N (Neutral) without
depressing the clutch pedal when
the cruise control is set. Should this
occur, depress the clutch pedal and
turn the main switch off immedi-
ately. Failure to do so may cause
engine damage.
CRUISE CONTROL