2020 NISSAN ALTIMA ignition

ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system
and electrical accessories.
ON has a battery saver feature that will
place the ignition switch in the OFF posi-
tion, if the vehicle is not running, af ter some
time under the following conditions:∙ All doors are closed.
∙ The shif t lever is in P (Park).
The battery saver feature will be canceled if
any of the following occur: ∙ Any door is opened.
∙ The shif t lever is moved out of the P (Park) position.
∙ The ignition switch changes position.
CAUTION
Do not leave the vehicle with the igni-
tion switch in the ON position when the
engine is not running for an extended
period. This can discharge the battery. OFF
The ignition switch is in the OFF position
when the engine is turned off using the
ignition switch. No lights will illuminate on
the ignition switch.
AUTO ACC:
With the vehicle in the P (Park) position, the
Intelligent Key with you and the ignition
switch placed from the ON position to the
OFF position, the radio can still be used for
a period of time, or until the driver’s door is
opened.
Af ter a period of time, functions such as
radio, navigation, and Bluetooth® Hands-
Free Phone System may be restarted by
pressing the POWER button/VOLUME con-
trol knob or the key fob unlock button. For
additional information, refer to the sepa-
rate NissanConnect® Owner’s Manual.
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF
To shut off the engine in an emergency
situation while driving, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
∙ Rapidly push the ignition switch three consecutive times in less than 1.5 sec-
onds, or
∙ Push and hold the ignition switch for more than 2 seconds.
Starting and driving5-15

NISSAN INTELLIGENT KEY®
BATTERY DISCHARGE
If the battery of the NISSAN Intelligent Key®
is discharged or environmental conditions
interfere with the Intelligent Key operation,
start the engine according to the following
procedure:1. Place the shif t lever in the P (Park) posi- tion.
2. Firmly apply the foot brake.
3. Touch the ignition switch with the Intel- ligent Key as illustrated. (A chime will
sound.) Af ter step 3 is performed, when the
ignition switch is pushed without de-
pressing the brake pedal, the ignition
switch position will change to the ON
position.
4. Push the ignition switch while depress- ing the brake pedal within 10 seconds
af ter the chime sounds. The engine will
start.
NOTE: ∙ When the ignition switch is pushed to
the ON position or the engine is
started by the above procedure, the
Intelligent Key battery discharge in-
dicator appears in the vehicle infor-
mation display even when the Intelli-
gent Key is inside the vehicle. This is
not a malfunction. To turn off the In-
telligent Key battery discharge indi-
cator, touch the ignition switch with
the Intelligent Key again.
∙ If the Intelligent Key battery dis-
charge indicator appears, replace the
battery as soon as possible. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Battery
replacement” in the “Do-it-yourself ”
section of this manual.
NISSAN VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
The NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System
will not allow the engine to start without
the use of the registered key.
If the engine fails to start using a registered
key (for example, when interference is
caused by another registered key, an auto-
mated toll road device or automatic pay-
ment device on the key ring), restart the
engine using the following procedure:
1. Leave the ignition switch in the ON po- sition for approximately 5 seconds.
2. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or LOCK position, and wait approximately
10 seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Restart the engine while holding the device (which may have caused the in-
terference) separate from the regis-
tered key.
If the no start condition re-occurs, NISSAN
recommends placing the registered key on
a separate key ring to avoid interference
from other devices.
SSD0860
5-16Starting and driving

∙ Make sure the area around the vehicle isclear.
∙ Check fluid levels such as engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and windshield-
washer fluid as frequently as possible,
or at least whenever you refuel.
∙ Check that all windows and lights are clean.
∙ Visually inspect tires for their appear- ance and condition. Also check tires for
proper inflation.
∙ Lock all doors.
∙ Position seat and adjust headrests/head restraints.
∙ Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
∙ Fasten seat belts and ask all passen- gers to do likewise.
∙ Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is pushed to
the ON position. For additional informa-
tion, refer to “Warning lights, indicator
lights and audible reminders” in the “In-
struments and controls” section of this
manual. 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 if the shif t lever is in any of the
driving positions.
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.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-17

5. To stop the engine, move the shif t leverto 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.
REMOTE ENGINE START
Vehicles started with the Remote Engine
Start require the ignition switch to be
placed in the ON position before the shif t
lever can be moved from the P (Park) posi-
tion. To place the ignition switch in the ON
position, follow these steps: 1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is on you. 2. Apply the brake.
3. Push the ignition switch once to the ON
position.
For additional information, refer to “NISSAN
Intelligent Key®” in the “Pre-driving checks
and adjustments” section of this manual.
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedal while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), L (Low) or
manual shif t mode (if so equipped).
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.
∙ Do not downshif t abruptly on slippery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
∙ 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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-18Starting and driving

CAUTION
∙ Except in an emergency, do not shif tto the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission in
the N (Neutral) position may cause se-
rious damage to the transmission.
∙ 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.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically
controlled to produce maximum power
and smooth operation.
Follow these procedures for maximum ve-
hicle performance and driving enjoyment.
NOTE:
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers. 1. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
2. Lane Departure Warning (LDW) when
shaded and Intelligent Lane Interven-
tion (I-LI) when solid
3. Blind Spot Warning (BSW)
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.
The Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion is designed so the foot brake
pedal MUST be depressed before
shif ting from P (Park) to any drive po-
sition while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.The shif t lever can-
not be moved out of P (Park) and into
any of the other gear positions if the
ignition switch is placed in the LOCK
position.
LSD3073LSD3074
Starting and driving5-19

∙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.
∙ 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 1st gear before the ve-
hicle comes to a stop.
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission (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.
It will be necessary to jump start or have
your battery charged. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Jump starting” in the “In
case of emergency” section of this manual.
Contact a NISSAN dealer or a professional
towing service. To move the shif t lever, complete the fol-
lowing procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Using a protective cloth on the tip of a 3 mm screwdriver, remove the shif t
lock release cover.
∙ If available, a plastic trim tool can also be used.
4. Insert the small screwdriver in the shif t lock release slot and push down.
5. Move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position while holding down the shif t
lock release.
If the shif t lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park), have the transmission checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
LSD2644
Starting and driving5-23

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-safe
mode 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. It is recom-
mended 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.
∙ 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.
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-25

PEDAL TYPE
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.
SWITCH TYPE (models with
electronic parking brake system)
The electronic parking brake can be ap-
plied or released automatically or by oper-
ating the parking brake switch.
Automatic operation
The electronic parking brake will apply au-
tomatically if the ignition switch is placed in
the OFF position when the brake force is
maintained by the automatic brake hold
function. The electronic parking brake is automati-
cally released as soon as the vehicle starts
and the accelerator pedal is depressed
with the driver’s seat belt fastened.
WARNING
Before leaving the vehicle, move the
shif t lever to the P (Park) position and
check that the electronic parking brake
warning light is illuminated to confirm
that the electronic parking brake is ap-
plied. The electronic parking brake
warning light will remain on for a period
of time af ter the driver’s door is locked.
CAUTION
When parking in an area where the out-
side 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.
LSD0158LSD3210
5-26Starting and driving