Cool downThe information and specifications in
this section apply only when engaging
in performance driving.
Cool down the vehicle to help extend the
life of the vehicle if coolant temperatures
are extremely high. Drive the vehicle at 37
to 50 MPH (60 to 80 km/h), in 5th or 6th
gear for 2 to 3 miles (3 to 5 km) and then
stop the engine.Refueling precautions
WARNING
Do not attempt to top off the fuel
tank after the fuel pump nozzle
shuts off automatically. Continued
refueling may cause fuel overflow,
resulting in fuel spray and possibly a
fire. The fuel tank is full at the first
automatic shutoff.
To maximize vehicle performance, the
fuel tank is located as low as possible to
lower the vehicle center of gravity. The
tank is also divided into two parts. This
fuel tank design causes higher pressures
inside the tank than other vehicles so fuel
spillage is possible by trying to top off the fuel tank after automatic shutoff.
The fuel tank pressure is higher when the
vehicle is hot, especially if the tank is more
than half full. If the cap is opened when
the vehicle is hot, it may cause fuel spray
and there may be a hissing noise. Open
the cap slowly, releasing the pressure
from the tank gradually. Also, if the
vehicle is refueled when the vehicle is
hot, the fuel pump may automatically
shut off before the tank is full. This does
not indicate that there is a malfunction.
Refuel slowly or refuel after the vehicle
has cooled.
INSPECTION AND ADJUSTMENTS
BEFORE DRIVINGThe information and specifications in
this section apply only when engaging
in performance driving.Fluids.
Check the engine, transmission, differ-
ential and under vehicle surfaces for
oil and coolant leaks.
. Check the fluid levels and adjust as
necessary using the specified fluid as
described under the conditions listed
in this section.(
“Recommended
fluids and maintenance interval” page GTR-20) If you do not drive under the
conditions listed, refer to the “9. Main-
tenance and schedules” section of this
manual.
Check the coolant level in the pressurized
coolant reservoir. Adjust the level so that
the fluid is between the MAX and MIN
markings. For the coolant, use genuine
NISSAN Long Life coolant or equivalent.
(On delivery of new vehicle, the reservoir
is filled to the MIN level. Be sure to
replenish approximately 3/8 US quart
(0.3 to 0.4 liter) of coolant.)
NOTICE
Do not overfill the coolant. This may
increase the pressure in the cooling
system and cause coolant leaks.
To maximize vehicle performance, the
coolant mixture ratio should be a combi-
nation of 30% coolant antifreeze and 70%
demineralized or distilled water for max-
imum cooling system performance re-
gardless of ambient temperatures.
If ambient temperatures are anticipated
below 5°F (−15°C), make sure a proper
mixture ratio of 50% antifreeze and 50%
demineralized or distilled water mix is
used.Engine and powertrainThe information and specifications in
this section apply only when engaging in performance driving.
.
Check the engine, transmission, differ-
ential and under the vehicle for oil and
coolant leaks.
. Inspect the areas surrounding of the
catalytic converter for heat deteriora-
tion.
. Always perform the transmission
setting. After that, adjust the clutch
clearance so that the clearance is less
than the clearance used for daily
driving. Your GT-R certified NISSAN
dealer has the necessary information
and equipment to set the clutch
clearance to the correct specification.
The clearance used for daily driving
increases clutch heat generated dur-
ing Performance Driving. This leads to
an increase in temperature of the
transmission oil. In addition, a more
direct shifting feel can be obtained by
reducing the clutch clearance for
Performance Driving. The clutch clear-
ance should be reset to the daily
driving specification after Perfor-
mance Driving. It is recommended
you see a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer
for information.
NOTICE
Failure to have the clutch properly
adjusted before performance driving
may cause the transmission oil tem-
perature to increase which may
cause transmission damage.
. Inspect and confirm the clearance
between the exhaust finisher and rear
bumper is more than 0.24 in (6 mm)
(up/down) and more than 0.20 in (5
mm) (left/right).
. Inspect the dust boot of the drive
shaft universal joint for cracks or
damage.Suspension and wheel alignmentThe information and specifications in
this section apply only when engaging
in performance driving.
.Check the steering and suspension
system and other links for loose and/
or damaged parts.
. Measure and adjust the wheel align-
ment. (
“Wheel alignment” page
GTR-10) It is recommended you con-
tact a GT-R certified NISSAN dealer to
adjust the wheel alignment to the
recommended setting for high perfor-
dually stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and contact a roadside emergency
service to change the tire.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of
alcohol or drugs. Alcohol in the
bloodstream reduces coordination,
delays reaction time and impairs
judgement. Driving after drinking
alcohol increases the likelihood of
being involved in an accident injuring
yourself and others. Additionally, if
you are injured in an accident, alco-
hol can increase the severity of the
injury.
NISSAN is committed to safe driving.
However, you must choose not to drive
under the influence of alcohol. Every year
thousands of people are injured or killed
in alcohol-related accidents. Although the
local laws vary on what is considered to
be legally intoxicated, the fact is that
alcohol affects all people differently and
most people underestimate the effects of alcohol.
Remember, drinking and driving don’t
mix! And that is true for drugs, too (over-
the-counter, prescription, and illegal
drugs). Don’t drive if your ability to oper-
ate your vehicle is impaired by alcohol,
drugs, or some other physical condition.
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) DRIVING
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
WARNING
.
Do not drive beyond the perfor-
mance capability of the tires,
even with AWD engaged. Acceler-
ating quickly, sharp steering
maneuvers or sudden braking
may cause loss of control.
. Always use the specified tires on
all four wheels. Install tire chains
on the rear wheels when driving
on slippery roads and drive care-
fully.
. This vehicle is not designed for
offroad (rough road) use. Do not
drive on sandy or muddy roads
that tires may get stuck in.
. Do not attempt to raise two
wheels off the ground and shift the transmission to any
position with the engine run-
ning. Doing so may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
. Do not attempt to test an AWD
equipped vehicle on a 2-wheel
dynamometer, (such as the dy-
namometers used by some
states for emissions testing), or
similar equipment even if the
other two wheels are raised off
the ground. Make sure you inform
test facility personnel that your
vehicle is equipped with AWD
before it is placed on a dynam-
ometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drive-
train damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage
or personal injury.
. When a wheel is off the ground
due to an unlevel surface, do not
spin the wheel excessively.
Starting and driving
5-9
position, and to
4,000 rpm when the engine oil or
coolant temperature is low or higher
than normal.
. If the ignition switch is pushed
before the shift lever is moved to
the
position, the ignition switch
will not change to the OFF position.
If this occurs, the SHIFT
warning
display appears on the vehicle in-
formation display. When stopping
the engine, be sure to move the shift
lever to the
position and then
push the ignition switch. Failure to
do so may result in discharge of the
battery. (“Shift “P” warning”
page 2-46)
. If the shift lever was in the
position when the engine was
stopped, then be sure to move the
shift lever to the
position before
starting the engine the next time. If the engine is started with the shift
lever in the
position, then it may
not be possible to drive the vehicle
even when the shift lever is moved
to the
position. If this
occurs, the SHIFTwarning appears
on the vehicle information display.
(
“Shift “P” warning” page 2-46)
CAUTION
If the engine was stopped soon
when the engine is hot, the cooling
fan may operate for approximately 2
minutes after the engine was
stopped to cool the components in
the engine compartment. When the
cooling fan is operating, be sure that
hands or other items do not get
caught in it.
DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSIONThe GT-R dual clutch transmission is a
newly-developed system that uses an
electronically controlled multiple-disc
wet clutch attached to the highly efficient
manual transmission. This transmission
has two driving modes.
.
position
and operate the paddle shifter to shift
down to 1st gear similar to a manual
transmission vehicle.
The GT-R dual clutch transmission was
developed specifically to maximize vehi-
cle performance and driving enjoyment.
The GT-R transmission components were
designed using different engineering
standards than typical passenger car
transmissions. Because of this, the GT-R
has different operating characteristics,
and various rattle noises may be heard
during some driving conditions because
Starting and driving
5-15
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
of the following items:
.Gear clearances
. Ultralight flywheel
. Dry sump lubrication
These noises do not indicate that there is
a malfunction.
or
position to the
or
or
position while the vehicle is mov-
ing forward and
or
toposition before the vehicle stops,
you may not be able to shift gear
or it may take longer to shift gear.
Make sure to depress the brake
pedal and check that the vehicle
has stopped before shifting.
CAUTION
. Because the vehicle includes a
dual clutch transmission that
automatically controls the clutch
and shifting operation of the
manual transmission, whenever
the shift lever is in a position
other than
or
, the vehicle will
begin to move slowly, in the same
way as when the clutch in a
manual transmission vehicle is
partially engaged. Keep the brake
pedal firmly depressed when the vehicle is stopped. In some cir-
cumstances the vehicle may not
start moving on its own, however
this does not indicate that there
is a malfunction.
NOTICE
.
To avoid possible damage to your
vehicle; when stopping the vehi-
cle on an uphill grade, do not hold
the vehicle in place by depressing
the accelerator pedal. Doing so
may cause the clutch to overheat
and result in transmission da-
mage. Use the brakes to prevent
the vehicle from moving.
. The GT-R dual clutch transmis-
sion is provided with a dry sump
lubrication system that improves
efficiency and ensures reliability
under high g-force conditions.
When oil viscosity is high at low
temperatures, it takes longer for
all components to be sufficiently
lubricated. Thus, when the trans-
mission temperature is low (ap-
proximately 104°F (40°C), do not
accelerate rapidly or run the en-
gine faster than 4,000 rpm.
position. Be sure to depress the
brake pedal.
NOTICE
. Be sure to observe the following
precautions. Failure to do so may
result in shift lever malfunction.
— Do not spill water, beverages
or other liquids on the shift
lever.
— Do not allow sand or similar substances to contact the
shift lever.
. Develop the habit of performing
the operations marked with “
”
without pressing the button. If
the button is pressed at these
times, there is the possibility that
the lever could accidentally enter
the
or
positions.
. When the vehicle is hot, the area
around the shift lever may be hot
or may produce an unusual
sound, however this does not
indicate that there is a malfunc-
tion.
. Avoid depressing the brake and
accelerator pedals at the same
time. Depressing both pedals at
the same time could cause the
clutch to overheat and accelerate deterioration.
NOTE:
. When moving the shift lever out of
the
position, it may not be possi-
ble to move the shift lever if the
button is pressed before the brake
pedal is depressed. Press the button
only after depressing the brake
pedal.
. Do not place coins or other small
objects in the area around the shift
lever. These objects may get stuck in
the shift gate and prevent the shift
lever from moving into a position.
Sometimes, you may not be able to
retrieve these objects.
. Immediately after a cold start, while
the transmission system check dis-
play (“T/M SYSTEM CHECK IN PRO-
CESS”) appears on the vehicle
information display, the shift lever
cannot be moved out of the
position. This is because a check of
the transmission system is in pro-
gress. This does not indicate that
there is a malfunction. Move the
shift lever after the message on the
vehicle information display turns off.
. The shift lever knob and console-
mounted shift indicator have a gen-
uine leather finish that requires
proper care and maintenance.
(
Shift lock releaseIf the battery charge is low or discharged,
the shift lever may not be moved from the
position even with the brake pedal
depressed and the shift lever button
pushed.
To move the shift lever, perform the
following procedure.
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover using a suitable tool wrapped with a cloth.
4. Push down the shift lock as illustrated. 5. Push the shift lever button and move
the shift lever to the
position while
holding down the shift lock.
Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion to unlock the steering wheel. Now
the vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
If the battery is discharged completely,
the steering wheel cannot be unlocked.
Do not move the vehicle with the steering
wheel locked.
NOTICE
If the shift lever cannot be moved
out of the
position after perform-
ing the shift lock release procedure,
it is recommended you immediately
have the vehicle inspected by a GT-R
certified NISSAN dealer.
Adaptive shift controlThe adaptive shift control system auto-
matically operates when the transmission
is in the
position and selects an
appropriate gear depending on the road
conditions such as uphill, downhill or
curving roads.Starting and driving
5-19
.To drive forward, move the shift lever
to the
position.
Starting on level ground or an uphill:
1. Check the shift lever position indicator on the meter to confirm that the
driving gear is selected.
2. Release the parking brake.
3. Release the foot brake pedal gradu- ally, then slowly depress the accelera-
tor pedal to start the vehicle in
motion.
(“R mode start function” page 5-33)
NOTE:
. To prevent the clutch from over-
heating when the parking brake is
applied, engine output is limited
when the accelerator pedal is de-
pressed. In particular, the vehicle
may not start smoothly when the
accelerator pedal is depressed with
the parking brake applied on an
uphill grade. To enable smooth
starting, release the parking brake
before moving the vehicle.
. The hill start assist system operates
when the vehicle is accelerating
from a stop on an uphill. (
“Hill
Start Assist System” page 5-39)
When driving the vehicle
WARNING
Do not move the shift lever to theposition while driving. Doing so may
result in an accident due to loss of
engine braking. It may also damage
the transmission.
Normal driving:
Drive with the shift lever in the
position.
The appropriate gear will be automati-
cally shifted according to the position of
the accelerator pedal, the driving speed
and driving conditions.
Passing:
.
position. This automatically shifts the
transmission into a lower gear and
maintains this position depending on
the gradient of the hill.
. The system may down shift according
to the accelerator pedal position and
the vehicle speed.
. If the transmission is frequently chan-
ging gears while driving, switch to theposition and select the appropriate
gear for the driving conditions.
Driving on a downhill:
.position and 4th or 3rd gear will
provide gentle engine braking.
When driving on a steep downhill, select-
ing the
position and 2nd or 1st gear will
provide powerful engine braking.