2021 NISSAN MAXIMA engine

System maintenance......................5-105
Intelligent Driver Alertness (I-DA) ...............5-106
Intelligent Driver Alertness system
operation .................................. 5-106
How to enable/disable the Intelligent
Driver Alertness (I-DA) system ..............5-107
Intelligent Driver Alertness (I-DA)
system limitations ......................... 5-107
Break-in schedule ............................. 5-109
Fuel efficient driving tips .......................5-109
Increasing fuel economy ......................5-110
Parking/parking on hills ........................5-111
Power steering ................................ 5-112
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system ........5-113
Brake force distribution ....................5-114
Integrated Dynamics-control Module ..........5-115
Intelligent Trace Control (I-TC) ..............5-115
Intelligent Engine Brake (I-EB) ...............5-115Active Ride Control (ARC)
...................5-116
Front and rear sonar system (if so equipped) . . 5-116 System operation ........................... 5-117
How to enable/disable the front and
rear sonar system .......................... 5-119
Cold weather driving .......................... 5-120
Freeing a frozen door lock ..................5-120
Antifreeze .................................. 5-120
Battery..................................... 5-120
Draining of coolant water ..................5-120
Tire equipment ............................. 5-120
Special winter equipment ..................5-120
Driving on snow or ice ......................5-120
Active noise cancellation/Active sound
control (if so equipped) ........................ 5-121
Active noise cancellation ...................5-121
Active sound control ....................... 5-121

WARNING
• Do not leave children or adults who
would normally require the assis-
tance of others alone in your vehicle.
Pets should also not be lef t alone.
They could accidentally injure them-
selves or others through inadvertent
operation of the vehicle. Also, on hot,
sunny days, temperatures in a closed
vehicle could quickly become high
enough to cause severe or possibly
fatal injuries to people or animals.
• Closely supervise children when they
are around cars to prevent them
from playing and becoming locked in
the trunk where they could be seri-
ously injured. Keep the car locked,
with the rear seatback and trunk lid
securely latched when not in use, and
prevent children's access to car keys.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
• Do not breathe exhaust gases; they
contain colorless and odorless car-
bon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is
dangerous. It can cause uncon-
sciousness or death. •
If you suspect that exhaust fumes
are entering the vehicle, drive with all
windows fully open, and have the ve-
hicle inspected immediately.
• Do not run the engine in closed
spaces such as a garage.
• Do not park the vehicle with the en-
gine running for any extended length
of time.
• Keep the rear vent windows, lif t-
gates, doors and trunk lids (if so
equipped) closed while driving, oth-
erwise exhaust gases could be
drawn into the passenger compart-
ment. If you must drive with one of
these open, follow these precau-
tions:
1. Open all the windows.
2. Set the
air recirculation but-
ton to off and the fan control dial
to high to circulate the air.
• If electrical wiring or other cable con-
nections must pass to a trailer
through the seal on the trunk lid or
the body, follow the manufacturer's
recommendation to prevent carbon
monoxide entry into the vehicle. •
The exhaust system and body should
be inspected by a qualified mechanic
whenever:
a. The vehicle is raised for service.
b. You suspect that exhaust fumes are entering into the passenger
compartment.
c. You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system.
d. You have had an accident involv- ing damage to the exhaust sys-
tem, underbody, or rear of the
vehicle.
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
components.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING AND
DRIVING
5-4Starting and driving

•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 will seriously
reduce the three-way catalyst's abil-
ity 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 no-
ticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are de-
tected. Have the vehicle inspected
promptly. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
• Avoid driving with an extremely low
fuel level. Running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, damag-
ing the three-way catalyst.
• Do not race the engine while warm-
ing 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
Monitoring 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 pos-
sible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure. 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. Please note that the TPMS is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and it is
the driver’s responsibility to maintain cor-
rect tire pressure, even if under-inflation
has not reached the level to trigger illumi-
nation of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly.
The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously illu-
minated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunc-
tion indicator is illuminated, the system
may not be able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, includ-
ing the installation of replacement or alter-
nate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning prop-
erly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale af ter replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels
allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Starting and driving5-5

Vehicle set-up
1. Park the vehicle in a safe and level place.
2. Apply the parking brake and place theshif t lever in the P (Park) position.
3. Place the ignition switch in the ON posi- tion. Do not start the engine.
Operation
1. Add air to the tire.
2. Af ter a few seconds, the hazard indica- tors will start flashing.
3. When the designated pressure is reached, the horn beeps once and the
hazard indicators stop flashing.
4. Perform the above steps for each tire. • If the tire is over-inflated more thanapproximately 4 psi (30 kPa), the horn
beeps and the hazard indicators flash
three times. To correct the pressure,
push the core of the valve stem on the
tire briefly to release pressure. When
the pressure reaches the designated
pressure, the horn beeps once.
• If the hazard indicator does not flash within approximately 15 seconds af ter
starting to inflate the tire, it indicates
that the Easy-Fill Tire Alert is not
operating. • The TPMS will not activate the Easy-Fill
Tire Alert under the following
conditions:– If there is interference from an exter- nal device or transmitter.
– The air pressure from the inflation device is not sufficient to inflate the
tire.
– There is a malfunction in the TPMS.
– There is a malfunction in the horn or hazard indicators.
– The identification code of the tire pressure sensor is not registered to
the system.
– The battery of the tire pressure sen- sor is low.
• If the Easy-Fill Tire Alert does not oper- ate due to TPMS interference, move
the vehicle about 3 f t (1 m) backward
or forward and try again.
If the Easy-Fill Tire Alert is not working, use a
tire pressure gauge.
AVOIDING COLLISION AND
ROLLOVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe
and prudent manner may result in loss
of control or an accident. Be alert and drive defensively at all times.
Obey all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive
speed, high speed cornering, or sudden
steering maneuvers, because these driving
practices could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle.
As with any vehicle, loss of control could
result in a collision with other vehicles or
objects or cause the vehicle to roll over,
particularly if the loss of control causes
the vehicle to slide sideways.
Be attentive at all times, and avoid driving
when tired. Never drive when under the in-
fluence of alcohol or drugs (including pre-
scription or over-the-counter drugs which
may cause drowsiness). Always wear your
seat belt as outlined in the “Safety – Seats,
seat belts and supplemental restraint sys-
tem” section of this manual, and also in-
struct your passengers to do so.
Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers.
In a rollover crash,
an unbelted person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wearing a seat
belt.
5-8Starting and driving

6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers andcontact a roadside emergency service
to change the tire. For additional infor-
mation, see “Changing a flat tire” (P. 6-4).
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alco-
hol or drugs. Alcohol in the blood-
stream reduces coordination, delays
reaction time and impairs judgement.
Driving af ter drinking alcohol increases
the likelihood of being involved in an
accident injuring yourself and others.
Additionally, if you are injured in an ac-
cident, alcohol can increase the sever-
ity of the injury.
NISSAN is committed to safe driving. How-
ever, you must choose not to drive under
the influence of alcohol. Every year thou-
sands of people are injured or killed in
alcohol-related collisions. Although the lo-
cal 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!
That is true for drugs (over-the-counter,
prescription) and illegal drugs, too. Don't
drive if your ability to operate your vehicle is
impaired by alcohol, drugs, or some other
physical condition.
WARNING
Do not operate the push-button igni-
tion switch while driving the vehicle ex-
cept in an emergency. (The engine will
stop when the ignition switch is pushed
three consecutive times in less than 1.5
seconds or the ignition switch is
pushed and held for more than 2 sec-
onds.) If the engine stops while the ve-
hicle is being driven, this could lead to a
crash and serious injury.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
5-10Starting and driving

If the Intelligent Key is within the operating
range, it is possible for anyone, even some-
one who does not carry the Intelligent Key,
to push the ignition switch to start the
engine.
The operating range of the engine start
function is inside of the vehicle
O1.
• The luggage area is not included in the operating range, but the Intelligent Key
may function.
• If the Intelligent Key is placed on the in- strument panel, inside the glove box,
storage bin or door pocket, the Intelligent
Key may not function.
• If the Intelligent Key is placed near the door or window outside the vehicle, the
Intelligent Key may function.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in
this position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when it
is pushed to the ACC position while carry-
ing the Intelligent Key. The ignition switch will lock when any door
is opened or closed with the ignition
switched off.
ACC (Accessories)
This position activates electrical accesso-
ries, such as the radio, when the engine is
not running.
ACC has a battery saver feature that will
place the ignition switch in the OFF position
af ter a period of time under the following
conditions:
• All doors are closed.
• The shif t lever is in P (Park).
• The hazard lamps are off.
• The turn signals are off.
The battery saver feature will be canceled if
any of the following occur:
• Any door is opened.
• The shif t lever is moved out of P (Park).
• The ignition switch changes position.
• The hazard lamps are turned on.
ON (Normal operating position)
This position turns on the ignition system
and electrical accessories.
ON has a battery saver feature that will
place the ignition switch in the OFF posi-
tion, if the vehicle is not running, af ter some
time under the following conditions:
• All doors are closed.
• The shif t lever is in P (Park).
• The hazard lamps are off.
• The turn signals are off.
The battery saver feature will be canceled if
any of the following occur:
• Any door is opened.
• The shif t lever is moved out of the P (Park)
position.
• The ignition switch changes position.
• The hazard lamps are turned on.
• The turn signals are turned on.
CAUTION
Do not leave the vehicle with the igni-
tion switch in the ACC or ON position
when the engine is not running for an
extended period. This can discharge
the battery.
5-12Starting and driving

OFF
The ignition switch is in the OFF position
when the engine is turned off using the
ignition switch. The ignition switch heart
beat function (pulsed illumination) may ac-
tivate for a period of time when any door is
unlocked and when the door opened/
closed status changes in the OFF and ACC
positions.
EMERGENCY ENGINE SHUT OFF
To shut off the engine in an emergency
situation while driving, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
• Rapidly push the ignition switch threeconsecutive times in less than 1.5 sec-
onds, or
• Push and hold the ignition switch for more than 2 seconds.
NISSAN INTELLIGENT KEY®
BATTERY DISCHARGE
If the battery of the NISSAN Intelligent Key®
is discharged, or environmental conditions
interfere with the Intelligent Key operation,
start the engine according to the following
procedure:
1. Place the shif t lever in the P (Park) position.
2. Firmly apply the foot brake.
3. Touch the ignition switch with the Intel- ligent Key as illustrated. (A chime will
sound.) (Af ter step 3 is performed, when the ig-
nition switch is pushed without de-
pressing the brake pedal, the ignition
switch position will change to ON.)
4. Push the ignition switch while depress- ing the brake pedal within 10 seconds
af ter the chime sounds. The engine will
start.
NOTE:
• When the ignition switch is pushed tothe ON position or the engine is started
by the above procedure, the Intelligent
Key battery discharge indicator ap-
pears in the vehicle information dis-
play even when the Intelligent Key is
inside the vehicle. This is not a mal-
function. To turn off the Intelligent Key
battery discharge indicator, touch the
ignition switch with the Intelligent Key
again.
• If the Intelligent Key battery discharge indicator appears, replace the battery
as soon as possible. For additional in-
formation, see “Battery replacement”
(P. 8-21).
SSD0860
Starting and driving5-13

NISSAN VEHICLE IMMOBILIZER
SYSTEM
The NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System
will not allow the engine to start without
the use of the registered key.
If the engine fails to start using a registered
key (for example, when interference is
caused by another registered key, an auto-
mated toll road device or automatic pay-
ment device on the key ring), restart the
engine using the following procedure:
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
10 seconds.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Restart the engine while holding the de- vice (which may have caused the inter-
ference) separate from the registered
key.
If the no start condition re-occurs, NISSAN
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 window 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.
• Lock all doors.
• 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 pushed to the
ON position. For additional information,
see “Warning lights, indicator lights and
audible reminders” (P. 2-8). 1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral). P (Park) is recommended.
The starter is designed not to operate
if the shif t 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 de-
pressing the brake pedal with the igni-
tion 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 en-
gine. Release the accelerator pedal
when the engine starts.
• 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
engine. Af ter 5 or 6 seconds, stop
cranking by pushing the ignition
switch to the LOCK position. Af ter
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
5-14Starting and driving