2020 NISSAN ALTIMA brake

To move the shif t lever:
Press the buttonAwhile depress-
ing the brake pedal
Press the buttonAto shif t
Shif t without pressing the buttonA
Shif ting
Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and move the shif t lever from P
(Park) to any of the desired shif t positions.
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.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) or R (Reverse) position only when
the vehicle 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 should be de-
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 lever into the P (Park) position. R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) or 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 be-
fore selecting the R (Reverse) position. The
brake pedal must be depressed 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.
L(Low)
Use this position for engine braking on
steep downhill gradients/climbing steep
slopes and whenever approaching sharp
bends. Do not use the L (Low) position in
any other circumstances.LSD2643
Starting and driving5-21

∙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

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.
Drive sport mode switch
When the drive sport mode switch is
pushed with the shif t lever in the D (Drive)
position, the drive sport mode indicator in
the instrument panel illuminates. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Drive sport
mode indicator” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual.
Use the drive sport mode when you need
improved engine braking.
To turn off the drive sport mode, push the
drive sport mode switch again. The drive
sport mode indicator will turn off.Each time the engine is started, or when
the shif t lever is shif ted to any position
other than D (Drive), the drive sport mode
will automatically turn off.
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.Drive sport mode
LSD3250
5-24Starting and driving

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

NOTE:∙ To keep the electronic parking brake
released af ter the engine is turned
off, place the ignition switch in the
OFF position, depress the brake pedal
and push down the parking brake
switch before opening the driver’s
door.
∙ If a malfunction occurs in the elec-
tronic parking brake system (for ex-
ample, due to battery discharge), it is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer.
∙ If the shif t lever is moved to the P
(Park) position when the brake force
is maintained by the automatic brake
hold function, the electronic parking
brake will apply automatically.
∙ If the driver’s seat belt is unfastened
when the brake force is maintained
by the automatic brake hold function,
the electronic parking brake will ap-
ply automatically. ∙
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 will apply automatically.
Manual operation
The electronic parking brake will not be au-
tomatically applied if the engine is stopped
without using the ignition switch (for ex-
ample, by engine stalling). In such a case,
you have to apply the parking brake manu-
ally.
To apply: Pull the switch up
1. The indica-
tor light
Awill illuminate.
To release: With the ignition switch in the
ON position, depress the brake pedal and
push the switch down
2. The indicator
light
Awill turn off.
Before driving, check that the electronic
parking brake indicator light (
or PARK)
goes out. For additional information, refer
to “Warning lights, indicator lights and au-
dible reminders” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual. NOTE:
∙ A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is
driven without releasing the parking
brake. For additional information, re-
fer to “Warning lights, indicator lights
and audible reminders” in the “Instru-
ments and controls” section of this
manual.
∙ While the electronic parking brake is
applied or released, an operating
sound is heard from the lower side of
the rear seat. This is normal and does
not indicate a malfunction.
∙ When the electronic parking brake is
frequently applied and released in a
short period of time, the parking
brake may not operate in order to
prevent the parking brake system
from overheating. If this occurs, oper-
ate the electronic parking brake
switch again af ter waiting approxi-
mately 1 minute.
∙ If the electronic parking brake must
be applied while driving in an emer-
gency, pull up and hold the parking
brake switch. When you release the
parking brake switch, the parking
brake will be released.
Starting and driving5-27

∙While pulling up the electronic park-
ing brake switch during driving, the
parking brake is applied and a chime
sounds. The electronic parking brake
indicator light in the meter and in the
parking brake switch illuminates.
This does not indicate a malfunction.
The electronic parking brake indica-
tor light in the meter and in the park-
ing brake switch turns off when the
parking brake is released.
∙ When pulling the electronic parking
brake switch up with the ignition
switch in the OFF or AUTO ACC posi-
tion, the parking brake switch indica-
tor light will continue to illuminate for
a short period of time. The automatic brake hold function main-
tains the braking force without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal when
the vehicle is stopped at a traffic light or
intersection. As soon as the driver de-
presses the accelerator pedal again, the
automatic brake hold function is deacti-
vated and the braking force is released. The
operating status of the automatic brake
hold can be displayed on the vehicle infor-
mation display.
WARNING
∙ The automatic brake hold function is
not designed to hold the vehicle on a
steep hill or slippery road. Never use
the automatic brake hold when the
vehicle is stopped on a steep hill or
slippery road. Failure to do so may
cause the vehicle to move.
∙ When the automatic brake hold func- tion is activated but fails to maintain
the vehicle at a standstill, depress the
brake pedal to stop the vehicle. If the
vehicle unexpectedly moves due to
outside conditions, the chime may
sound and automatic brake hold
warning may illuminate in the vehicle
information display. ∙ Be sure to deactivate the automatic
brake hold function when using a car
wash or towing your vehicle.
∙ Make sure to place the shif t lever in the P (Park) position and apply the
parking brake when parking your ve-
hicle or loading luggage. Failure to do
so could cause the vehicle to move or
roll away unexpectedly and result in
serious personal injury or property
damage.
∙ If any of the following conditions oc- cur, the automatic brake hold function
may not function. Have the system
checked promptly. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service. Failure to operate the vehicle
in accordance with these conditions
could cause the vehicle to move or roll
away unexpectedly and result in seri-
ous personal injury or property
damage.
– A warning message appears in the vehicle information display.
– The indicator light on the auto- matic brake hold switch does not
illuminate when the switch is
pushed.
AUTOMATIC BRAKE HOLD (if so
equipped)
5-28Starting and driving

∙ The automatic brake hold functionwill not be activated if the Vehicle Dy-
namic Control (VDC) OFF indicator
light, electronic parking brake warn-
ing light or master warning light illu-
minate and the chassis control sys-
tem fault message appears in the
vehicle information display.
∙ To maintain the braking force to keep the vehicle to a standstill, a noise may
be heard. This is not a malfunction.
HOW TO ACTIVATE/DEACTIVATE
THE AUTOMATIC BRAKE HOLD
FUNCTION
For additional information on activating
and deactivating the automatic brake hold
function, refer to the instructions outlined
in this section.
How to activate the automatic
brake hold function
1. With the ignition switch in the ON posi- tion, push the automatic brake hold
switch
1. The indicator light on the au-
tomatic brake hold switch
2illumi-
nates.
2. When the automatic brake hold func- tion goes into standby, the automatic
brake hold indicator light (white) illumi-
nates.
To use the automatic brake hold function,
the following conditions need to be met: ∙ The driver’s seat belt is fastened.
∙ The electronic parking brake is re- leased.
∙ The shif t lever is not in the P (Park) posi- tion.
∙ The vehicle is not parked on a steep hill.
NOTE:
The automatic brake hold function re-
sets to OFF every time the ignition
switch is switched from the OFF position
to the ON position.
LSD3211
Starting and driving5-29