WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and
instructions for proper use of the DCA
system could result in serious personal
injury or death.
.Always drive carefully and atten-
tively when using the DCA system.
Read and understand the Owner’s
Manual thoroughly before using the
DCA system. To avoid serious injury
or death, do not rely on the system to
prevent accidents or to control the
vehicle’s speed in emergency situa-
tions. Do not use the DCA system
except in appropriate road and traffic
conditions.
. This system is only an aid to assist the
driver and is not a collision warning or
avoidance device. It is the driver’s
responsibility to stay alert, drive
safely and be in control of the vehicle
at all times.
. As there is a performance limit to the
distance control function, never rely
solely on the DCA system. This sys-
tem does not correct careless, inat-
tentive or absent-minded driving, or
overcome poor visibility in rain, fog,
or other bad weather. Decelerate the vehicle speed by depressing the brake
pedal, depending on the distance to
the vehicle ahead and the surround-
ing circumstances in order to main-
tain a safe distance between vehicles.
. Always pay attention to the opera-
tion of the vehicle and be ready to
manually decelerate to maintain the
proper following distance. The DCA
system may not be able to decelerate
the vehicle under some circum-
stances.
. This system only brakes and moves
the accelerator pedal upward to help
assist the driver to maintain a follow-
ing distance from the vehicle ahead.
Acceleration should be operated by
the driver.
. The DCA system does not control
vehicle speed or warn you when you
approach stationary and slow moving
vehicles. You must pay attention to
vehicle operation to maintain proper
distance from vehicles ahead.
. The DCA system automatically de-
celerates your vehicle to help assist
the driver to maintain a following
distance from the vehicle ahead.
Manually brake when deceleration is
required to maintain a safe distance
upon sudden braking by the vehicle ahead or when a vehicle suddenly
appears in front of you. Always stay
alert when using the DCA system.
. If the vehicle ahead comes to a stop,
the vehicle decelerates to a standstill
within the limitations of the system.
The system will cancel with a warning
chime once it judges that the vehicle
has come to a standstill. To prevent
the vehicle from moving, the driver
must depress the brake pedal.
Starting and driving5-91
DISTANCE CONTROL ASSIST
(DCA) (if so equipped)
DCA SYSTEM OPERATION
WARNING
Failure to follow the warnings and
instructions for proper use of the DCA
system could result in serious personal
injury or death.
.When the vehicle ahead detection
indicator is not illuminated, system
will not control the vehicle or warn
the driver.
. Never place your foot under the
brake pedal. Your foot may be caught
when the system controls the brake.
. Depending on the position of the
accelerator pedal, the system may
not be able to assist the driver to
release the accelerator pedal appro-
priately.
The DCA system brakes and moves the
accelerator pedal upward according to the
distance from and the relative speed of the
vehicle ahead to help assist the driver in
maintaining a following distance. The sys-
tem will decelerate as necessary and if the
vehicle ahead comes to a stop, the vehicle
decelerates to a standstill. However, the
DCA system can only apply up to approxi- mately 40% of the vehicle’s total braking
power. If a vehicle moves into the traveling
lane ahead or if a vehicle traveling ahead
rapidly decelerates, the distance between
vehicles may become closer because the
DCA system cannot decelerate the vehicle
quickly enough. If this occurs, the DCA
system will sound a warning chime and blink
the system display to notify the driver to
take necessary action.
See “Approach warning” (P.5-95).
Starting and driving5-93
5-94Starting and driving
JVS0244X
System set display with a vehicle ahead
System set display without a vehicle
ahead
System set display with a vehicle ahead
(brake operation is necessary)
The DCA system helps assist the driver to
keep a following distance to the vehicle
ahead by braking and moving the accelera-
tor pedal upward in the normal driving
condition.
When a vehicle ahead is detected:
The vehicle ahead detection indicator ap-
pears. When the vehicle approaches a vehicle
ahead:
.
If the driver’s foot is not on the accel-
erator pedal, the system activates the
brakes to decelerate smoothly as neces-
sary. If the vehicle ahead comes to a
stop, the vehicle decelerates to a stand-
still within the limitations of the system.
. If the driver’s foot is on the accelerator
pedal, the system moves the accelerator
pedal upward to assist the driver to
release the accelerator pedal.
When brake operation by the driver is
required:
The system alerts the driver by a warning
chime and blinking the vehicle ahead detec- tion indicator. If the driver’s foot is on the
accelerator pedal after the warning, the
system moves the accelerator pedal upward
to assist the driver to switch to the brake
pedal.
NOTE:
.
The stop lights of the vehicle come on
when braking is performed by the DCA
system.
. When the brake operates, a noise may be
heard. This is not a malfunction.
Overriding the system:
The following driver’s operation overrides
the system operation.
. When the driver depresses the accelera-
tor pedal even further while the system is
moving the accelerator pedal upward,
the DCA system control of the accel-
erator pedal is canceled.
. When the driver’s foot is on the accel-
erator pedal, the brake control by the
system is not operated.
. When the driver’s foot is on the brake
pedal, neither the brake control nor the
alert by the system operates.
. When the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)
system is set, the DCA system will be
inactive.
Approach warning
If your vehicle comes closer to the vehicle
ahead due to rapid deceleration of that
vehicle or if another vehicle cuts in, the
system warns the driver with the chime and
DCA system display. Decelerate by depres-
sing the brake pedal to maintain a safe
vehicle distance if:
.The chime sounds.
. The vehicle ahead detection indicator
blinks.
. The driver assist system forward indica-
tor (orange) blinks.
The warning chime may not sound in some
cases when there is a short distance be-
tween vehicles. Some examples are:
. When the vehicles are traveling at the
same speed and the distance between
vehicles is not changing
. When the vehicle ahead is traveling
faster and the distance between vehicles
is increasing
. When a vehicle cuts in near your vehicle
The driver assist system forward indicator
(orange) blinks and the warning chime will
not sound when your vehicle approaches
vehicles that are parked or moving slowly. NOTE:
The approach warning chime may sound
and the driver assist system forward in-
dicator (orange) may blink when the radar
sensor detects objects on the side of the
vehicle or on the side of the road. This may
cause the DCA system to decelerate or
accelerate the vehicle. The radar sensor
may detect these objects when the vehicle
is driven on winding roads, narrow roads,
hilly roads or when entering or exiting a
curve. In these cases you will have to
manually control the proper distance ahead
of your vehicle.
Also, the sensor sensitivity can be affected
by vehicle operation (steering maneuver or
driving position in the lane) or traffic or
vehicle condition (for example, if a vehicle is
being driven with some damage).
Starting and driving5-95
5-98Starting and driving
front of you.
DCA SYSTEM LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limitations
of the DCA system. Failure to operate
the vehicle in accordance with these
system limitations could result in serious
injury or death.
.This system will not adapt automati-
cally to road conditions. Do not use
the system on roads with sharp
curves, or on icy roads, in heavy rain
or in fog.
. The DCA system will not apply brake
control while the driver’s foot is on
the accelerator pedal.
. As there is a performance limit to the
distance control function, never rely
solely on the DCA system. This sys-
tem does not correct careless, inat-
tentive or absent-minded driving, or
overcome poor visibility in rain, fog,
or other bad weather. Decelerate the
vehicle speed by depressing the brake
pedal, depending on the distance to
the vehicle ahead and the surround-
ing circumstances in order to main-
tain a safe distance between vehicles. .
The system may not detect the
vehicle in front of you in certain road
or weather conditions. To avoid ac-
cidents, never use the DCA system
under the following conditions:
— On roads with sharp curves
— On slippery road surfaces such as on ice or snow, etc.
— During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
— When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the system sensor
— On steep downhill roads (fre- quent braking may result in over-
heating the brakes)
— On repeated uphill and downhill roads
. In some road or traffic conditions, a
vehicle or object can unexpectedly
come into the sensor detection zone
and cause automatic braking. You
may need to control the distance
from other vehicles using the accel-
erator pedal. Always stay alert and
avoid using the DCA system when it
is not recommended in this section. The radar sensor will not detect the follow-
ing objects:
.
Stationary and slow moving vehicles
. Pedestrians or objects in the roadway
. Oncoming vehicles in the same lane
. Motorcycles traveling offset in the travel
lane
The following are some conditions in which
the sensor cannot detect the signals:
. When the snow or road spray from
traveling vehicles reduces the sensor’s
visibility
. When excessively heavy baggage is
loaded in the rear seat or the trunk room
of your vehicle
5-130Starting and driving
JVS0249X
When the active trace control is operated
and the “Chassis Control” mode is selected in
the trip computer, the active trace control
graphics are shown in the vehicle informa-
tion display. (See “Trip computer” (P.2-27).)
If the chassis control warning message
appears in the vehicle information display,
it may indicate that the active trace control
is not functioning properly. It is recom-
mended you have the system checked by
an INFINITI retailer. (See “27. Chassis con-
trol warning” (P.2-23).)
WARNING
The active trace control may not be
effective depending on the driving con-
dition. Always drive carefully and atten-
tively.
When the active trace control is operating,
you may feel a pulsation in the brake pedal
and hear a noise. This is normal and indicates
that the active trace control is operating
properly. You may also feel deceleration
when the active trace control is operating.
However, this is not a malfunction. Even if the active trace control is set to OFF,
some functions will remain on to assist the
driver (for example, avoidance scenes).