2021 INFINITI Q50 engine overheat

2-8Instruments and controls
WAC0191X
TACHOMETER
The tachometer indicates engine speed in
revolutions per minute (RPM).Do not rev
the engine into the red zone
.
CAUTION
When engine speed approaches the red
zone, shift to a higher gear or reduce
engine speed. Operating the engine in
the red zone may cause serious engine
damage.
JVI0639X
ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERA-
TURE GAUGE
The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature.
The engine coolant temperature is within the
normal range when the gauge needle points
within the zone
shown in the illustration.
The engine coolant temperature varies with
the outside air temperature and driving
conditions.
CAUTION
If the gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature is near the hot (H) end of
the normal range, reduce vehicle speed
to decrease the temperature. If the
gauge is over the normal range, stop
the vehicle as soon as safely possible and
let the engine idle. If the engine is
overheated, continued operation of the
vehicle may seriously damage the engine.
See “If your vehicle overheats” (P.6-7)
for immediate action required.

Push the VDC OFF switch again or restart
the engine to turn on the system. (See
“Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system”
(P.5-128).)WARNING
Do not use or allow occupants to use the
seat heater if you or the occupants
cannot monitor elevated seat tempera-
tures or have an inability to feel pain in
those body parts in contact with the
seat. Use of the seat heater by such
people could result in serious injury.
CAUTION
.The battery could run down if the
seat heater is operated while the
engine is not running.
. Do not use the seat heater for
extended periods or when no one is
using the seat.
. Do not put anything on the seat
which insulates heat, such as a blan-
ket, cushion, seat cover, etc. Other-
wise, the seat may become
overheated.
. Do not place anything hard or heavy
on the seat or pierce it with a pin or
similar object. This may result in
damage to the heater. .
Any liquid spilled on the heated seat
should be removed immediately with
a dry cloth.
. When cleaning the seat, never use
gasoline, thinner, or any similar ma-
terials.
. If any malfunctions are found or the
heated seat does not operate, turn
the switch off and have the system
checked. It is recommended you visit
an INFINITI retailer for this service.
Instruments and controls2-43
HEATED SEATS (if so equipped)

2-44Instruments and controls
JVR0505X
The front seats can be warmed by built-in
heaters. The heating system of driver’s seat
and front passenger seat can be operated
independently.
OPERATION WITH SWITCH
1. Start the engine.
2. Push the switch on the instrument panel.
.Each time the switch is pushed, theseat heating mode will change in the
following order.
AUTO ?High ?Mid ?Low ?OFF
.The indicator light on the switch will
illuminate when the heater is on.
When the vehicle’s interior is warmed, or
before you leave the vehicle, be sure to turn off the seat heater.
OPERATION WITH TOUCH
SCREEN
Push the CLIMATE button and touch []
or [] on the lower display. Select an item
from [AUTO], [High], [Mid], [Low] or [OFF].
AUTO MODE SETTING
When in the AUTO mode, the heater will
turn on or off automatically according to the
conditions such as the temperature inside
the vehicle compartment. Depending on the
conditions, the heater will not turn on even if
AUTO is selected. The settings for the AUTO
mode can be changed. For details, see
“Climate settings” (P.4-41).
WARNING
Do not use or allow occupants to come
into contact with the heated steering
wheel if you or the occupants cannot
monitor elevated steering wheel tem-
peratures or have an inability to feel pain
in those body parts in contact. Use of the
heated steering wheel by such people
could result in serious injuries.
CAUTION
. The battery could run down if the
steering wheel heater is operated
while the engine is not running.
. Do not use the steering wheel heater
for extended periods of time as it may
cause burns and overheating.
. Any liquid spilled on the steering
wheel should be removed immedi-
ately with a dry cloth.
. When cleaning the steering wheel,
never use gasoline, thinner, or any
similar materials.
. If any malfunctions are found or the
steering wheel heater does not oper-
ate, turn the switch off and have the
HEATED STEERING WHEEL (if so
equipped)

THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission con-
trol device installed in the exhaust system.
Exhaust gases in the three-way catalyst are
burned at high temperatures to help reduce
pollutants.
WARNING
.The exhaust gas and the exhaust
system are very hot. Keep people,
animals or flammable materials away
from the exhaust system compo-
nents.
. Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They
may ignite and cause a fire.
CAUTION
.Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits
from leaded gasoline seriously reduce
the three-way catalyst’s ability to
help reduce exhaust pollutants.
. Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunc-
tions in the ignition, fuel injection, or
electrical systems can cause overrich fuel flow into the three-way catalyst,
causing it to overheat. Do not keep
driving if the engine misfires, or if
noticeable loss of performance or
other unusual operating conditions
are detected. Have the vehicle in-
spected promptly. It is recommended
you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
. Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damaging
the three-way catalyst.
. Do not race the engine while warming
it up.
. Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING
SYSTEM (TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recom-
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation
pressure for those tires.) As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a Tire Pressure Mon-
itoring System (TPMS) that illuminates a low
tire pressure telltale when one or more of
your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure
telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
For models with run-flat tires, if the vehicle
is being driven with one or more flat tires,
the low tire pressure warning light will
illuminate continuously and a chime will
sound for 10 seconds. The flat tire warning
will also appear in the vehicle information
display. The chime will only sound at the first
indication of a flat tire, and the warning light
will illuminate continuously. When the flat
tire warning is activated, it is recommended
you have the system reset and the tire
checked and replaced if necessary by an
INFINITI retailer. Even if the tire is inflated
to the specified COLD tire pressure, the
warning light will continue to illuminate until
the system is reset by an INFINITI retailer.
Your vehicle can be driven for a limited time
on a flat tire. See “Run-flat tires” (P.8-32).
Starting and driving5-5

moves.
4. Push the ignition switch to the OFF position.ELECTRIC POWER STEERING
TYPE
WARNING
.If the engine is not running or is
turned off while driving, the power
assist for the steering will not work.
Steering will be harder to operate.
. When the power steering warning
light illuminates with the engine run-
ning, the power assist for the steer-
ing will cease operation. You will still
have control of the vehicle but the
steering will be harder to operate.
The electric power steering is designed to
provide power assist while driving to oper-
ate the steering wheel with light force.
When the steering wheel is operated re-
peatedly or continuously while parking or
driving at a very low speed, the power assist
for the steering wheel will be reduced. This is
to prevent overheating of the electric power
steering and protect it from getting da-
maged. While the power assist is reduced,
steering wheel operation will become heavy.
When the temperature of the electric power
steering goes down, the power assist level
will return to normal. Avoid repeating such steering wheel operations that could cause
the electric power steering to overheat.
You may hear a sound when the steering
wheel is operated quickly. However, this is
not a malfunction.
If the power steering warning light illumi-
nates while the engine is running, it may
indicate the electric power steering is not
functioning properly and may need servicing.
It is recommended you have the electric
power steering checked by an INFINITI
retailer. (See “Power steering warning light”
(P.2-16).)
When the power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running, the
power assist for the steering will cease
operation. You will still have control of the
vehicle. However, greater steering effort is
needed, especially in sharp turns and at low
speeds.
DIRECT ADAPTIVE STEERING
TYPE
WARNING
.
When the power steering warning
light illuminates with the engine run-
ning, the power assist for the steer-
ing will cease operation. You will still
Starting and driving5-123
POWER STEERING

.When the battery is discharged
To return the steering wheel to the normal
position, stop the vehicle in a safe location
and stop operating the steering wheel. Then
drive the vehicle for a short period of time.
Condition B
. When the steering wheel is operated
repeatedly or continuously while parking
or driving at a very low speed. In this
case, the power assist for the steering
wheel will be reduced.
To return the steering wheel to the normal
position, stop the vehicle in a safe location
and wait for a period of time, without
operating the steering wheel, until the
temperature of Direct Adaptive Steering
cools down. Avoid repeated steering wheel
operations that could cause Direct Adaptive
Steering to overheat.
When the vehicle is tested on the 2-wheel
dynamometer, the power steering warning
light may illuminate. To turn off the power
steering warning light, stop the vehicle in a
safe location, turn the engine off, restart the
engine, and then drive the vehicle for a
period of time.
The following conditions do not indicate a
malfunction of Direct Adaptive Steering.
. You may notice wider steering play when
the ignition switch is in the OFF or ACC
position compared to when it is in the ON position.
. After the engine is started, the steering
wheel may turn slightly even when
driving on a straight road. To return to
the normal position, drive the vehicle on
a straight road for a period of time.
. After the engine is started, the steering
wheel may move if the steering wheel
was turned to the fully locked position
while the ignition switch was in the OFF
position.
. After the vehicle is tested on the 4-wheel
dynamometer, the steering wheel may
turn slightly even when driving on a
straight road. To return the steering
wheel to the normal position, drive the
vehicle on a straight road for a period of
time.
You may hear a noise under the following
conditions. However, this is not a malfunc-
tion.
. When the engine is started or stopped.
. When the steering wheel is turned in the
full lock position.BRAKING PRECAUTIONS
The brake system has two separate hydrau-
lic circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you
will still have braking at two wheels.
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using
engine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can
stop the vehicle by depressing the brake
pedal. However, greater foot pressure on
the brake pedal will be required to stop the
vehicle and the stopping distance will be
longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This will cause overheating of
the brakes, wearing out the brake and pads
faster and reduce gas mileage.
To help save the brakes and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going
down a slope or long grade. Overheated
brakes may reduce braking performance and
could result in loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
. While driving on a slippery surface,
be careful when braking, accelerating
Starting and driving5-125
BRAKE SYSTEM

6 In case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch ..................................... 6-2
Roadside assistance program ....................................... 6-2
Emergency engine shut off ............................................ 6-3
Flat tire ........................................................................\
........ 6-3Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ........... 6-3
Run-flat tires (if so equipped) .................................. 6-4 Jump starting .................................................................... 6-5
Push starting ...................................................................... 6-7
If your vehicle overheats ................................................. 6-7
Towing your vehicle ........................................................ 6-8
Towing recommended by INFINITI ..................... 6-9
Vehicle recovery (freeing a stuck vehicle) ........ 6-10

6. Keep the engine speed of the boostervehicleat about 2,000 rpm, and start
the engine of the vehicle being jump
started
.
CAUTION
Do not keep the starter motor engaged
for more than 10 seconds. If the engine
does not start right away, push the
ignition switch to the OFF position and
wait 10 seconds before trying again.
7. After starting your engine, carefully disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable (
???).
8. Replace the vent caps (if so equipped). Be sure to dispose of the cloth used to
cover the vent holes as it may be
contaminated with corrosive acid.
9. Put the battery cover and the engine cover back to the original location. Do not attempt to start the engine by
pushing.
CAUTION
.
Automatic Transmission (AT) models
cannot be push-started or tow-
started. Attempting to do so may
cause transmission damage.
. Three-way catalyst equipped models
should not be started by pushing
since the three-way catalyst may be
damaged.
. Never try to start the vehicle by
towing it; when the engine starts,
the forward surge could cause the
vehicle to collide with the tow vehi-
cle.
CAUTION
.Do not continue to drive if your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could
cause engine damage or a vehicle fire.
. To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator cap while
the engine is still hot. When the
radiator cap is removed, pressurized
hot water will spurt out, possibly
causing serious injury.
. Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by an
extremely high temperature gauge reading),
or if you feel a lack of engine power, detect
abnormal noise, etc., take the following
steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, apply the parking brake and move the
shift lever to the P (Park) position.
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the climate control. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed.
3. If engine overheating is caused by climb- ing a long hill on a hot day, run the engine
In case of emergency6-7
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS