2021 NISSAN ALTIMA automatic transmission

CVT (AT) Malfunction Service now (if so
equipped)
This warning illuminates when there is a
problem with the CVT system. If this warn-
ing comes on, have the system checked. It
is recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
Service CVT (AT) Power reduced (if so
equipped)
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
climbing steep grades in high tempera-
tures with heavy loads, such as when tow-
ing 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 reduced.

WARNING
∙ Your vehicle’s engine should beturned off while programming the
HomeLink® Universal Transceiver. For
additional information, refer to
“Push-button ignition switch” in the
“Starting and driving” section of this
manual. Do not breathe exhaust
gases; they contain colorless and
odorless carbon monoxide. Carbon
monoxide is dangerous. It can cause
unconsciousness or death.
∙ Do not use the HomeLink® Universal Transceiver with any garage door
opener that lacks safety stop and re-
verse features as required by federal
safety standards. (These standards
became effective for opener models
manufactured af ter April 1, 1982.) A
garage door opener which cannot de-
tect an object in the path of a closing
garage door and then automatically
stop and reverse does not meet cur-
rent federal safety standards. Using a
garage door opener without these
features increases the risk of serious
injury or death. ∙ During the programming procedure
your garage door or security gate will
open and close (if the transmitter is
within range). Make sure that people
or objects are clear of the garage door,
gate, etc., that you are programming.
PROGRAMMING HOMELINK®
If you have any questions or are having
difficulty programming your HomeLink®
buttons, refer to the HomeLink® web site at:
www.homelink.com or call 1-800-355-3515.
NOTE:
Place the ignition switch in the ON posi-
tion (without starting the engine) when
programming HomeLink®. It is also rec-
ommended that a new battery be placed
in the hand-held transmitter of the de-
vice being programmed to HomeLink®
for quicker programming and accurate
transmission of the radio frequency. 1. Position the end of your hand-held
transmitter 1–3 in (2–8 cm) away from
the HomeLink® surface, keeping the
HomeLink® indicator light
1in view.

CAUTION
∙ Except in an emergency, do not shif tto the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. Coasting with the transmission in
the N (Neutral) position may cause se-
rious damage to the transmission.
∙ 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.
The CVT in your vehicle is electronically
controlled to produce maximum power
and smooth operation.
Follow these procedures for maximum ve-
hicle performance and driving 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. 1. Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
2. Lane Departure Warning (LDW) when
shaded and Intelligent Lane Interven-
tion (I-LI) when solid
3. Blind Spot Warning (BSW)
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.
The Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion is designed so the foot brake
pedal MUST be depressed before
shif ting from P (Park) to any drive po-
sition while the ignition switch is in
the ON position.The shif t lever can-
not be moved out of P (Park) and into
any of the other gear positions if the
ignition switch is placed in the LOCK
position.

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.

When the vehicle is stopped on a hill, the hill
start assist system automatically keeps
the brakes applied to help prevent the ve-
hicle from rolling backward in the time it
takes the driver to release the brake pedal
and apply the accelerator.
The hill start assist system will operate au-
tomatically under the following conditions:∙ The transmission is shif ted to a forward or reverse gear.
∙ The vehicle is stopped completely on a hill by applying the brake. The maxi-
mum holding time is 2 seconds. Af ter
2 seconds the vehicle will begin to roll
back and the hill start assist system will
stop operating completely.
The hill start assist system will not operate
when the shif t lever is placed in the N (Neu-
tral) or P (Park) position or on a flat and level
road. The RSS sounds a tone to inform the driver
of obstacles near the bumper.
When the “DISPLAY” key is on, the sonar
view will automatically appear in the
touch-screen display. An additional view of
the sonar status will appear in the vehicle
information display for reference.

CAUTION
∙ NISSAN recommends using GenuineNISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 (or equivalent)
ONLY in NISSAN CVTs. Do not mix with
other fluids.
∙ Do not use Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) or manual transmission
fluid in a NISSAN CVT, as it may dam-
age the CVT. Damage caused by the
use of fluids other than as recom-
mended is not covered under
NISSAN’s New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
∙ Using fluids that are not equivalent to Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 may
also damage the CVT. Damage caused
by the use of fluids other than as rec-
ommended is not covered under
NISSAN’s New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
When checking or replacement of CVT fluid
is required, it is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service. For additional information on brake fluid
specification, refer to “Recommended
fluids/lubricants and capacities” in the
“Technical and consumer information” sec-
tion of this manual.

Child safety rear door lock..........3-7
Chimes, audible reminders .........2-18
Cleaningexteriorandinterior......7-2,7-5
C.M.V.S.S. certification label .........10-12
Coldweatherdriving ............5-180
Console box ..................2-59
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) .......................5-18
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) fluid ..................8-12
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) ............5-18
Controls Heater and air conditioner
controls................4-29,4-38
Coolant Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants...............10-2
Changing engine coolant .........8-6
Checking engine coolant level ......8-6
Engine coolant temperature gauge . .2-6
Corrosionprotection..............7-8
Cruisecontrol .................5-63
Cupholders ...............2-60,2-61
D
Daytime Running Light System ......2-50
Defroster switch Rear window and outside mirror
defrosterswitch..............2-44
Dimensions and weights ..........10-10
Dimmer switch for instrument panel . . .2-50
Door locks ....................3-4
Drivebelt ....................8-16 Drive positioner, Automatic . . .3-32, 3-33, 3-34
Driving
Cold weather driving ..........5-180
Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT) ............5-18
Precautions when starting and
driving..................5-4,5-11
Drivingthevehicle...............5-18
E
E-call (SOS) Button ..............2-54
Economy - fuel ................5-164
Emergency engine shutoff .......5-15,6-2
Emission control information label . . . .10-13
Emission control system warranty . . . .10-19
Engine Before starting the engine ........5-17
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants...............10-2
Changing engine coolant .........8-6
Changing engine oil ............8-8
Changing engine oil filter .........8-8
Checking engine coolant level ......8-6
Checking engine oil level .........8-7
Engine compartment check
locations...................8-3
Engine coolant temperature gauge . .2-6
Engine cooling system ..........8-5
Engine oil ...................8-7
Engine oil and oil filter
recommendation .............10-7
Engine oil pressure warning light ....2-12
Engine oil viscosity .............10-7
Engine serial number ..........10-12 Engine specifications
...........10-9
Starting the engine ............5-17
Engine Block Heater .............5-182
Engine coolant temperature gauge ....2-6
EventDatarecorders.........10-21,10-22
Exhaust gas (Carbon monoxide) .......5-4
Explanation of maintenance items .....9-2
Explanation of scheduled maintenance
items .......................9-5
Extended storage switch ..........2-57
Eyeglasscase.................2-59
F
Flashers
(Seehazardwarningflasherswitch)....6-2
Flattire....................6-3,6-4
Floormatpositioningaid...........7-6
Fluid Brakefluid..................8-12
Capacities and recommended
fuel/lubricants...............10-2
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid......................8-12
Engine coolant ...............8-5
Engine oil ...................8-7
Windshield-washer fluid .........8-13
F

.M.V.S.S. certification label .........10-12
Foglightswitch ................2-51
Front air bag system
(See supplemental restraint system) . . .1-54
Front-door pocket ..............2-58
Front power seat adjustment ........1-4
Frontseats....................1-2
11-2

Armrests ...................1-7Automatic drive positioner. .3-32, 3-33, 3-34
Frontseats..................1-2
Manual front seat adjustment ......1-3
Rearseat...................1-5
Security indicator light ............2-17
Security system (NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer
System), engine start ..........2-42,5-16
Security systems Vehicle security system .........2-40
Self-adjustingbrakes.............8-20
Service manual order form .........10-23
Servicing air conditioner ...........4-41
Shif ting Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) .....................5-21
Shiftleverlockrelease............5-23
Shoulder belt height adjustment ......1-19
Sonar Rear system ................5-175
Spark plug replacement ...........8-17
Spark plugs ...................8-17
Specifications ..................10-9
Speedometer ................2-4,2-5
Speedometer and odometer ........2-4
Spotlights(Seemaplight)..........2-66
SRS warning label ...............1-67
Stability control ................5-171
Standard maintenance . .9-10, 9-11, 9-14, 9-15
Starting Before starting the engine ........5-17
Jumpstarting.............6-9,8-15
Precautions when starting and
driving ..................5-4,5-11
Push starting ................6-11
Starting the engine ............5-17 Starting the engine
..............5-17
Steering Heated steering wheel ..........2-53
Powersteeringsystem.........5-168
Steering Assist switch
(forvehicleswithProPILOTAssist).....2-54
Steering wheel .................3-28
Stoplight....................8-26
Storage.....................2-58
Sunglasses case ................2-59
Sunglasses holder ..............2-59
Sunroof ......................7-5
Sunroof (see Moonroof ) ...........2-64
Sunvisors....................3-29
Supplemental air bag warning
light.................... .1-67, 2-15
Supplemental front impact air bag
system ..................... .1-54
Supplemental restraint system Information and warning labels . . . .1-67
Precautions on supplemental restraint
system ................... .1-46
Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system) .......1-46
Switch Autolightswitch..............2-47
Automatic power window switch . . .2-63
Foglightswitch ..............2-51
Hazard warning flasher switch ......6-2
Headlight and turn signal switch ....2-45
Headlightcontrolswitch.........2-45
Instrument brightness control .....2-50
Power door lock switch ..........3-6
Rear window and outside mirror
defrosterswitch..............2-44
Turn signal switch .............2-50 T
Tachometer ...................2-6
Temperature gauge Engine coolant temperature gauge . .2-6
Thef t (NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System),
engine start ...............2-42,5-16
Three-waycatalyst...............5-4
Tilt T

elescopicsteering............3-28
Tire Flattire..................6-3,6-4
Spare tire ...............6-5,8-40
Tire and Loading Information label . .10-13
Tire chains .................8-36
Tire pressure ................8-29
Tirerotation.................8-37
Types of tires ................8-35
Uniform tire quality grading ......10-18
Wheels and tires ..............8-29
Wheel/tire size ...............10-10
Tire pressure Low tire pressure warning light .....2-12
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)....................5-5,6-3
Towing 4-wheel drive models ...........6-14
Flattowing.................10-18
Trailertowing...............10-18
Towingatrailer................10-18
Towingyourvehicle..............6-12
Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) ........5-31
Transceiver HomeLink® Universal Transceiver . . .2-67, 2-68, 2-69, 2-70, 2-70, 2-71
11-6