2020 NISSAN KICKS Owner´s 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) or L (Low).
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 slip-
pery 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
reversing. This could cause an acci-
dent or damage the transmission.
CAUTION
• 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
serious damage to the transmission.
• To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle, when stopping the vehicle on
an uphill grade, do not hold the ve-
hicle 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.
The recommended operating procedures
for this transmission are shown on the fol-
lowing pages. Follow these procedures for
maximum vehicle performance and driv-
ing 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.
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.
This Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion is designed so that the foot brake
pedal must be depressed before shif t-
ing from P (Park) to any driving posi-
tion 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 or OFF
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.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-17

WARNING
• Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or L (Low)
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.
• Do not downshif t abruptly on slip-
pery 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
reversing. This could cause an acci-
dent or damage the transmission.CAUTION
• To avoid possible damage to your ve-
hicle, when stopping the vehicle on
an uphill grade, do not hold the ve-
hicle 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
serious damage to the transmission.
Shif ting
To move the shif t lever:
Press the buttonOAwhile depress-
ing the brake pedal
Press the buttonOAto shif t
Shif t without pressing the button
OA
LSD2643
5-18Starting and driving

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 le-
ver is in any position while the engine is
not running. Failure to do so could
cause the vehicle to move unexpect-
edly or roll away and result in serious
personal injury or property damage.
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 should be depressed 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 in to move the shif t lever from P
(Park) or the shif t lever button pressed in
from 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.
Starting and driving5-19

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.
It is recommended that you visit 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 small (1/8 inch or 3 mm) flat-head
screwdriver, remove the shif t lock re-
lease cover.
• If available, a plastic trim tool can also be used.
4. Insert the rod from the spare tire tool kit into the shif t lock release slot and push
in at an angle (about 45°). A small screw-
driver or small trim tool may also be
used.
• For additional information, refer to “NISSAN Intelligent Key®” in the “Pre-
driving checks and adjustments” sec-
tion of this manual.
5. Move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position while holding down the shif t
lock release.
6. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi- tion. Now the vehicle may be moved to
the desired location. 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.
CAUTION
Make sure to take extra care during the
removal of the shif t lock cap as this
part is easily damaged.
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 oth-
ers.
LSD2644
5-20Starting and driving

Drive sport mode switch (if so
equipped)
To select the drive sport mode, push the
drive sport mode switch with the shif t lever
in the D (Drive) position.
The drive sport mode indicator in the ve-
hicle information display illuminates next
to the Transmission Shif t Position indicator.
To turn off the drive sport mode, push the
drive sport mode switch again. The drive
sport mode indicator will turn off. When the
shif t lever is shif ted to any position other
than D (Drive), the drive sport mode will be
automatically turned off.OFF position:
For normal driving and fuel economy, use
the OFF position.
ON position:
For driving up or down long slopes where
engine braking is necessary, or for powerful
acceleration, use the ON position. The
transmission will automatically select a dif-
ferent gear ratio, allowing the engine to
provide high output.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time with the drive
sport mode in the ON position. This re-
duces fuel economy.
Overdrive (O/D) OFF mode switch
(if so equipped)
To select the overdrive OFF mode, push the
O/D OFF switch with the shif t lever in the D
(Drive) position.
The overdrive OFF indicator light in the me-
ter panel illuminates. To turn off the over-
drive OFF mode, push the O/D OFF switch
again. The overdrive OFF indicator light will
turn off. When the shif t lever is shif ted to
any position other than D (Drive), the over-
drive OFF mode will be automatically
turned off.
LSD2647LSD2647
Starting and driving5-21

OFF position:
For normal driving and fuel economy, use
the OFF position.
ON position:
For driving up or down long slopes where
engine braking is necessary, or for powerful
acceleration, use the ON position. The
transmission will automatically select a dif-
ferent gear ratio, allowing the engine to
provide high output.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time with the over-
drive OFF mode in the ON position. This
reduces fuel economy.
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-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 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
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be es-
pecially careful when driving. If neces-
sary, pull to the side of the road at a safe
place and allow the transmission to re-
turn to normal operation, or have it re-
paired if necessary.
5-22Starting and driving

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. To engage:
Pull the lever up
OA.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) position.
3. While pulling up on the parking brake lever slightly, press the button and lower
completely
OB.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warn- ing light goes out.
WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and in-
structions for proper use of the LDW
system could result in serious injury or
death.
• This system is only a warning device
to inform the driver of a potential un-
intended lane departure. It will not
steer the vehicle or prevent loss of
control. It is the driver’s responsibility
to stay alert, drive safely, keep the
vehicle in the traveling lane, and be in
control of the vehicle at all times.
WSD0169LSD3632
PARKING BRAKE LANE DEPARTURE WARNING (LDW)
Starting and driving5-23

The LDW system will operate when the ve-
hicle is driven at speeds of approximately
37 mph (60 km/h) and above, and only
when the lane markings are clearly visible
on the road.
The LDW system monitors the lane mark-
ers on the traveling lane using the camera
unit
OAlocated above the inside mirror.
The LDW system warns the driver that the
vehicle is beginning to leave the driving
lane with an indicator and a steering wheel
vibration. For additional information, refer
to “LDW system operation” in this section.
LDW SYSTEM OPERATION
1Lane Departure Warning (LDW) indica-
tor or Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
indicator light
2Vehicle Information Display or Trip
Computer
3LDW Switch (if so equipped)
LSD3694
5-24Starting and driving