2021 INFINITI QX50 Owner's Manual

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.
After a period of time, functions such as ra-
dio, navigation, and Bluetooth® Hands-Free
Phone System may be restarted by pressing
the POWER button/VOLUME control knob
or the key fob unlock button. For additional
information, see the “Monitor, climate, audio,
phone and voice recognition systems”
(P. 4-2).
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF
To shut off the engine in an emergency situ-
ation while driving, perform the following
procedure:
• Rapidly push the ignition switch three con-secutive times in less than 1.5 seconds, or
• Push and hold the ignition switch for more than 2 seconds.
INFINITI INTELLIGENT KEY
BATTERY DISCHARGE
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is dis-
charged or environmental conditions inter-
fere with the Intelligent Key operation, start
the engine according to the following proce-
dure:
1. Press the Park button to place the vehicle in the P (Park) position.
2. Firmly apply the foot brake.
3. Touch the ignition switch with the Intelli- gent Key as illustrated. (A chime will
sound.) 4. Push the ignition switch while depressing
the brake pedal within 10 seconds after
the chime sounds. The engine will start.
After step 3 is performed, when the ignition
switch is pushed without depressing the
brake pedal, the ignition switch position will
change to ON.
NOTE:
• When the ignition switch is placed in the ON position or the engine is started by the
above procedure, the Intelligent Key bat-
tery discharge indicator may appear in the
vehicle information display even when the
Intelligent Key is inside the vehicle. This is
not a malfunction. To turn off the Intelli-
gent Key battery discharge indicator,
touch the ignition switch with the Intelli-
gent Key again.
• If the Intelligent Key battery discharge in- dicator appears, replace the battery as
soon as possible. For additional informa-
tion, see “Battery replacement” (P. 8-22).
LSD3572
Starting and driving5-15

INFINITI VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
The INFINITI Vehicle Immobilizer System will
not allow the engine to start without the use
of the registered key.
If the engine fails to start using the registered
key, it may be due to interference caused by
another registered key, an automated toll
road device or automated payment device on
the key ring. Restart the engine using the
following procedures:
1. Leave the ignition switch in the ON posi-tion for approximately 5 seconds.
2. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or LOCK position and wait approximately 5
seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Restart the engine while holding the de- vice (which may have caused the interfer-
ence) separate from the registered key.
If the no start condition re-occurs, INFINITI
recommends placing the registered key on a
separate key ring to avoid interference from
other devices. • Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
• Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool- ant, 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 appearance and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
• Check that all doors are closed.
• Position seat and adjust head restraints/headrests.
• Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
• Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to do likewise.
• Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is placed in the ON
position. For additional information, see
“Warning lights, indicator lights and audible
reminders” (P. 2-9) 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Press the Park button to place the vehicle
in P (Park) or move the shift lever to N
(Neutral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to operate if
the shift lever is in any of the driving
positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi- tion. 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 depress-
ing 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 engine. Re-
lease the accelerator pedal when the
engine starts.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
5-16Starting and driving

• 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 en-
gine. After 5 or 6 seconds, stop cranking
by pushing the ignition switch to the
LOCK position. After cranking the en-
gine, release the accelerator 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
procedure.
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 crank-
ing again, otherwise the starter could be
damaged. 4.
Warm-up:
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds after 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 of2-3minutes before shutting
it off. Starting and stopping the engine
over a short period of time may make the
vehicle more difficult to start.
5. To stop the engine, place the shift lever in 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 electronic accessories that consume battery 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 (if so
equipped)
Vehicles started with the Remote Engine
Start require the ignition switch to be placed
in the ON position before the shift lever can
be moved from the P (Park) position. 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, see “INFINITI In-
telligent Key” (P. 3-2).
Starting and driving5-17

CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
WARNING
• Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), or M
(Manual shift mode). Always depress the
brake pedal until shifting is completed.
Failure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
• Cold engine idle speed is high, so use cau-
tion when shifting into a forward or re-
verse gear before the engine has warmed
up.
• Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
• Never shift 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 accident or damage
the transmission.
• Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.
CAUTION
• 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.
• Do not hang items on the shift lever. This
may cause an accident due to a sudden
start.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically con-
trolled to produce maximum power and
smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures for
this transmission are shown on the following
pages. Follow these procedures for maxi-
mum vehicle performance and driving
enjoyment.
Engine power may be automatically reduced
to protect the CVT if the engine speed in-
creases quickly when driving on slippery
roads or while being tested on some
dynamometers.Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the foot brake pedal before moving the shift
lever out of the P (Park) position.
This Continuously Variable Transmission
is designed so that the foot brake pedal
must be depressed before shifting from P
(Park) to any driving position while the
ignition switch is in the ON position.
The shift 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 OFF position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift lever to a driving position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal and then gradually start the vehicle
in motion.
WARNING
• Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), or M
(Manual shift mode). Always depress the
brake pedal until shifting is completed.
Failure to do so could cause you to lose
control and have an accident.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-18Starting and driving

•Cold engine idle speed is high, so use cau-
tion when shifting into a forward or re-
verse gear before the engine has warmed
up.
• Do not downshift abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of control.
• Never shift 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 accident 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 vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The
foot brake should be used for this
purpose.
• Except in an emergency, do not shift to
the N (Neutral) position while driving.
Coasting with the transmission in the N
(Neutral) position may cause serious
damage to the transmission.
• Do not hang items on the shift lever. This
may cause an accident due to a sudden
start.
Shifting
Press the shift lever button to shift
Shift without pressing the shift lever
button
After starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal, press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever from the P (Park) position
to any of the desired shift positions. Confirm
that the vehicle is in the desired shift position by checking the shift indicator located near
the shift lever or the vehicle information
display.
WARNING
Apply the electronic parking brake if the
shift lever is in any position while the en-
gine 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.
CAUTION
• Use the P (Park), R (Reverse) or D (Drive)
position only when the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.
• After switching to the desired shift posi-
tion, release your hand from the shift le-
ver to let it return to the idle position.
Holding the shift lever in a mid-way po-
sition may also damage the shift control
system.
• Do not operate the shift lever while the
accelerator pedal is depressed. This may
cause a sudden start which could result in
an accident.LSD3872
Starting and driving5-19

•The following operations are not allowed
because excessive force would be ap-
plied to the transmission and this may
result in damage to the vehicle:
– Moving the shift lever to the R (Re-
verse) position when driving forward.
– Moving the shift lever to the D (Drive)
position when reversing.
If these operations are attempted, a chime
sounds and the vehicle shifts to the N (Neu-
tral) position.
P (Park)
CAUTION
• To prevent transmission damage, use the
P (Park) position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
• Do not slide the shift lever while pressing
the Park button. This may damage the
shift control system.
Use this position when the vehicle is parked
or starting the engine. Always make sure that
the vehicle is completely stopped before
pressing the Park button
O1to engage the P
(Park) position. For maximum safety, the
brake pedal must be depressed before en-
gaging the P (Park) position. Use this position
together with the parking brake. When park- ing on a hill, first depress the brake pedal,
apply the parking brake and then engage the
P (Park) position. The parking lock should not
be used as a brake when parking. In order to
secure the vehicle, always apply the elec-
tronic parking brake in addition to the parking
lock.
In the event of a malfunction of the vehicle’s
electronics, the transmission may lock in the
P (Park) position. Have the vehicle’s electron-
ics checked immediately. It is recommended
that you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
The P (Park) position is automatically en-
gaged if:
• You switch off the ignition switch.
• You unfasten the driver’s seat belt and
open the driver’s door when the vehicle is
stationary or driving at a very low speed
and the transmission is in the D (Drive) po-
sition or R (Reverse) 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 depressed and the shift lever
button pressed to move the shift lever from
the idle position to R (Reverse).
If the vehicle is placed in the R (Reverse)
position while forwarding, the chime will
sound and the vehicle will switch into the N
(Neutral) position.
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
The engine can be started in this position. You
may shift to N (Neutral) and restart a stalled
engine while the vehicle is moving. You can
select this position by holding the shift lever
at this position for 0.5 seconds.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward driv-
ing. The CVT changes gears automatically. All
forward gears are available. If the vehicle is
placed in the D (Drive) position while revers-
ing, the chime will sound and the vehicle will
switch into the N (Neutral) position.
5-20Starting and driving

Manual shift mode
The transmission enters the manual shift
mode by moving the shift lever again to the D
(Drive) position when the vehicle is in the D
range.
You can select the manual shift range by
pulling the left side or right side paddle shifter
OAandOB. To cancel the manual shift mode,
move the shift lever to the D (Drive) position
again. The transmission returns to the auto-
matic drive mode.
When the shift lever is shifted from D (Drive)
to the manual shift mode with the vehicle stopped or while driving, the transmission
enters the manual shift mode. Shift ranges
can be selected manually. Shift ranges can
also be selected using the paddle shifters on
the steering wheel. When you pull the paddle
shifter while in the D (Drive) position, the
transmission will shift to the upper or lower
range temporarily. If the paddle shifters are
not used for about 5–10 seconds, the trans-
mission will automatically return to the D
(Drive) position. If you want to return to the D
(Drive) position manually, pull and hold either
paddle shifter for about 1.5 seconds.In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the position indicator in the me-
ter. When moving the shift lever to the
manual shift mode, the position indicator dis-
plays 1 (1st) up to 8 (8th) depending on ve-
hicle speed.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
1⇔
2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7⇔ 8
8 (8th)
Use this position for all normal forward driv-
ing at highway speeds.
7 (7th), 6 (6th) and 5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long slopes,
or for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
4 (4th), 3 (3rd) and 2 (2nd)
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1 (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or when driving slowly, or for maxi-
mum engine braking on steep downhill
grades.
LSD2822
Manual shift gate
LSD2914
Paddle shifters
Starting and driving5-21

• Remember not to drive at high speeds forextended periods of time in lower than 8th
gear. This reduces fuel economy.
When shifting up
Use the + (up) side paddle shifter
OB. (Shifts to
higher range.)
When shifting down
Use the − (down) side paddle shifter
OA.
(Shifts to lower range.)
• The transmission will automatically down- shift the gears. (For example, if you select
the 3rd range, the transmission will shift
down between the 3rd and 1st gears.)
• Moving the shift lever rapidly to the same side twice will shift the ranges in
succession.
When canceling the manual shift mode
Move the shift lever to the D (Drive) position
to return the transmission to the normal driv-
ing mode.
• In the manual shift mode, the transmission
may not shift to the selected gear. This
helps maintain driving performance and
reduces the chance of vehicle damage or
loss of control. •
When this situation occurs, the Continu-
ously Variable Transmission (CVT) posi-
tion indicator will blink and the chime will
sound.
• In the manual shift mode, the transmission
may shift up automatically to a higher
range than selected if the engine speed is
too high. When the vehicle speed de-
creases, the transmission automatically
shifts down and shifts to 1st gear before
the vehicle comes to a stop.
• CVT operation is limited to automatic drive mode when CVT fluid temperature is ex-
tremely low even if manual shift mode is
selected. This is not a malfunction. When
CVT fluid warms up, manual mode can be
selected.
• When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shift range may upshift in lower rpm
than usual. This is not a malfunction.
Accelerator downshift
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the ac-
celerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into a lower gear, de-
pending on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tempera-
ture protection mode. If the fluid temperature
becomes too high (for example, when climb-
ing steep grades in high temperatures with
heavy loads, such as when towing a trailer),
engine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will be decreased automatically
to reduce the chance of transmission dam-
age. Vehicle speed can be controlled with the
accelerator pedal, but the engine and vehicle
speed may be limited.
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, the
Continuously Variable Transmission will not
be shifted into the selected driving position.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme condi-
tions, such as excessive wheel spinning and
subsequent hard braking, the fail-safe sys-
tem may be activated. The Malfunction Indi-
cator Light (MIL) may come on to indicate
the fail-safe mode is activated. For addi-
tional information, see “Malfunction Indica-
tor Light (MIL)” (P. 2-15). This will occur
even if all electrical circuits are functioning
properly. In this case, place the ignition
switch in the OFF position and wait for 10
5-22Starting and driving