2023 INFINITI QX50 warning

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
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse 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
position 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 position cannot be shifted 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
caution when shifting into a forward or
reverse 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
OAHome position (central position)
To move the shift lever
Press the buttonO1to shift
Shift without pressing the buttonO1
• Shift to PARK
Push the park button
O2
• Shift to REVERSE
1. Push the shift lever button
O1
2. Move the shift lever from the home posi- tion to the R (Reverse) position
• Shift to NEUTRAL
–– From P (Park) and D (Drive) Without pushing the shift lever button,
push the shift lever forward (1 notch)
from the home position and hold 0.5
seconds.
–– From P (Park) and R (Reverse) Without pushing the shift lever button,
pull the shift lever backward (1 notch)
from the home position and hold 0.5
seconds.
• Shift to DRIVE
Pull the shift lever from the home position
to D (Drive) position
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.
LSD4395
Starting and driving5-19

R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use the R
(Reverse) position only when the vehicle is
completely stopped and the brake is
pressed.
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 home position to R (Reverse). If the ve-
hicle is placed in R (Reverse) position while
the vehicle is moving forward, the chime will
sound and the vehicle will switch into the N
(Neutral) position.
NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving over 8 km/h (5 mph)
when shifting to D (Drive) from R (Reverse),
the N (Neutral) position will automatically
be selected. A buzzer will sound, noting that
D (Drive) was not selected. When selecting D
(Drive) while reversing below 8 km/h (5
mph), the range will change normally.
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged
when the vehicle is completely stopped, and
the brake is pressed. The engine can be
started in this position. You may shift to the N
(Neutral) position 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 when the vehicle is stopped, and the
brake is pressed.. The CVT changes gears
automatically. All forward gears are avail-
able. If the vehicle is placed in the D (Drive)
position while the vehicle is reversing, the
chime will sound and the vehicle will switch
into the N (Neutral) position.
NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving over 8 km/h (5 mph)
when shifting to D (Drive) from R (Reverse),
the N (Neutral) position will automatically
be selected. A buzzer will sound, noting that
D (Drive) was not selected. When selecting D
(Drive) while reversing below 8 km/h (5
mph), the range will change normally.
Neutral hold mode function
This function enables you to get out of the
vehicle when it is in the N (Neutral) position,
while the engine is running. While this func-
tion is activated, the vehicle can be moved by
pushing with hand (when car washing). When
using this function, release the electronic
parking brake.
WARNING
• Use this function on a level surface only.
Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to
move accidentally and could result in a
collision or serious personal injury.
• Do not use this function for a purpose
other than car washing.
• Do not turn the engine off after neutral
hold mode function is activated, other-
wise the N (Neutral) position will not be
kept and the vehicle will automatically
be placed in the P (Park) position.
• If this function is not activated regard-
less of proper operation, transmission
may malfunction. It is recommended that
you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
Starting and driving5-21

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 seconds. Then place the ignition switch
back in the ON position. The vehicle should
return to its normal operating condition. If it
does not return to its normal operating con-
dition, have the transmission checked and re-
paired, if necessary. It is recommended that
you visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature protec-
tion mode or fail-safe operation occurs, ve-
hicle speed may be gradually reduced. The
reduced speed may be lower than other
traffic, which could increase the chance of
a collision. Be especially careful when driv-
ing. If necessary, pull to the side of the road
at a safe place and allow the transmission
to return to normal operation, or have it
repaired if necessary.
WARNING
• Be sure the parking brake is fully re-
leased before driving. Failure to do so
can cause brake failure and lead to an
accident.
• Do not release the parking brake from
outside the vehicle.
• Do not use the shift lever in place of the
parking brake. When parking, be sure the
parking brake is fully engaged. •
To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the ve-
hicle and/or its systems, do not leave
children, people who require the assis-
tance of others or pets unattended in
your vehicle. Additionally, the tempera-
ture inside a closed vehicle on a warm day
can quickly become high enough to cause
a significant risk of injury or death to
people and pets.
The electronic parking brake can be applied
or released automatically or by operating the
parking brake switch.
AUTOMATIC OPERATION
The electronic parking brake is automatically
released as soon as the vehicle starts and the
accelerator pedal is depressed.
The driver’s seat belt needs to be fastened.
WARNING
• The electronic parking brake will not be
automatically applied when the engine is
stopped without using the ignition
switch (for example, by engine stalling).
Without the vehicle stationary, the elec-
tronic parking brake will not be auto-
matically applied even if the engine is
turned off with the ignition switch.
LSD2915
ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE
5-24Starting and driving

•Before leaving the vehicle, press the Park
button to place the vehicle in the P (Park)
position and check that the electronic
parking brake indicator light is illumi-
nated to confirm that the electronic
parking brake is applied. The electronic
parking brake indicator light will remain
on for a period of time after the driver’s
door is locked.
CAUTION
When parking in an area where the outside
temperature is below 32°F (0°C), the park-
ing brake, if applied, may freeze in place
and may be difficult to release.
For safe parking, it is recommended that
you place the shift position in the P (Park)
position and securely block the wheels.
NOTE:
• If a malfunction occurs in the electronic parking brake system (for example, due to
battery discharge), it is recommended that
you visit an INFINITI retailer. • Under the following conditions the elec-
tronic parking brake will automatically be
applied and the braking force of the auto-
matic brake hold will be released:
– The braking force is applied by the auto- matic brake hold function for 3 minutes
or longer.
– The vehicle is in the P (Park) position.
– The electronic parking brake is applied manually.
– The driver’s seat belt is unfastened.
– The driver’s door is opened.
– The ignition switch is placed in the OFF position.
– A malfunction occurs in the automatic brake hold function.
MANUAL OPERATION
The electronic parking brake will not be auto-
matically applied if the engine is stopped
without using the ignition switch (for ex-
ample, by engine stalling). In such a case, you
have to apply the parking brake manually.
To apply: Pull the switch up
O1. The indicator
light
OAwill illuminate.
To release: With the ignition switch in the ON
position, depress the brake pedal and push
the switch down
O2. The indicator lightOAwill turn off. Before driving, check that the electronic
parking brake indicator light (red) (if so
equipped)
orgoes out. For addi-
tional information, see “Warning lights, indi-
cator lights and audible reminders” (P. 2-9).
NOTE:
• A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is driven without releasing the parking brake. For
additional information, see “Warning
lights, indicator lights and audible remind-
ers” (P. 2-9).
• While the electronic parking brake is ap- plied or released, an operating sound is
heard from the lower side of the rear seat.
This is normal and does not indicate a
malfunction.
• When the electronic parking brake is fre- quently applied and released in a short pe-
riod of time, the parking brake may not
operate in order to prevent the parking
brake system from overheating. If this oc-
curs, operate the electronic parking brake
switch again after waiting approximately
1 minute.
• If the electronic parking brake must be ap- plied while driving in an emergency, pull up
and hold the parking brake switch. When
you release the parking brake switch, the
parking brake will be released.
Starting and driving5-25

• While pulling up the electronic parkingbrake switch during driving, the parking
brake is applied and a chime sounds. The
electronic parking brake indicator light
(red) in the meter and in the parking brake
switch illuminates. This does not indicate a
malfunction. The electronic parking brake
indicator light (red) in the meter and in the
parking brake switch turns off when the
parking brake is released.
• When pulling the electronic parking brake switch up with the ignition switch in the
OFF or AUTO ACC position, the parking
brake switch indicator light will continue
to illuminate for a short period of time.
WHEN TOWING A TRAILER
Depending on the weight of the vehicle and
trailer and the steepness of the slope, there
may be a tendency for the vehicle to move
backwards when starting from a standstill.
When this occurs, you can use the parking
brake switch in the same way as a conven-
tional lever type parking brake.
Before starting on sloping roads when tow-
ing a trailer, be sure to read the following to
prevent the vehicle from moving backwards
unintentionally.
• Release the parking brake switch as soonas the engine is delivering enough torque to
the wheels. The automatic brake hold function maintains
the braking force without the driver having to
depress the brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped at a traffic light or intersection. As
soon as the driver depresses the accelerator
pedal again, the automatic brake hold func-
tion is deactivated and the braking force is
released. The operating status of automatic
brake hold can be displayed.
To use the automatic brake hold function, the
following conditions need to be met:
• The driver’s seat belt is fastened.
• The electronic parking brake is released.
• The vehicle is not in the P (Park) position.
• The vehicle is not parked on a steep hill.WARNING
• The automatic brake hold function is not
designed to hold the vehicle on a steep
hill or slippery road. Never use the auto-
matic brake hold when the vehicle is
stopped on a steep hill or slippery road.
Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to
move.
• Warnings may appear to request that
the driver retake control by depressing
the brake pedal. •
When the automatic brake hold function
is activated but fails to maintain the ve-
hicle at a standstill, depress the brake
pedal to stop the vehicle. If the vehicle
unexpectedly moves due to outside con-
ditions, the chime may sound and warn-
ings may appear.
• Be sure to deactivate the automatic
brake hold function when using a car
wash or towing your vehicle.
• Make sure to push the park button to
shift to the P (Park) position and apply
the parking brake when parking your ve-
hicle, entering or exiting the vehicle, or
loading luggage. Failure to do so could
cause the vehicle to move or roll away
unexpectedly and result in serious per-
sonal injury or property damage.
WARNING
• If any of the following conditions occur,
the automatic brake hold function may
not function. Have the system checked
promptly. It is recommended that you
visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
– A warning message appears.
– The indicator light on the automatic
brake hold switch does not illuminate
when the switch is pushed.
AUTOMATIC BRAKE HOLD
5-26Starting and driving

Failure to operate the vehicle in accordance
with these conditions could cause the vehicle
to move or roll away unexpectedly and result
in serious personal injury or property damage.
•The automatic brake hold function will
not be activated if the Slip indicator
light, electronic parking brake warning
light or master warning light illuminate
and the chassis control system fault
message appears in the vehicle informa-
tion display.
• To maintain the braking force to keep
the vehicle to a standstill, a noise may be
heard. This is not a malfunction.
• Automatic brake hold function is oper-
ated by applying sufficient braking force
to hold the vehicle in its place, so there
are cases when this hold function is
maintained even if the accelerator pedal
is depressed. In this situation, it is ad-
vised to depress the brake pedal first,
then to turn off automatic brake hold
switch. This will cancel the hold function.
HOW TO ACTIVATE/
DEACTIVATE THE AUTOMATIC
BRAKE HOLD FUNCTION
For additional information on activating and
deactivating the automatic brake hold func-
tion, refer to the instructions outlined in this
section.
How to activate the automatic
brake hold function
1. With the ignition switch in the ON posi- tion, push the automatic brake hold switch
O1. The indicator light on the automatic
brake hold switch
O2illuminates. 2. When the automatic brake hold function
goes into standby, the automatic brake
hold indicator light (white) illuminates.
To use the automatic brake hold function, the
following conditions need to be met:
• The driver’s seat belt is fastened.
• The electronic parking brake is released.
• The vehicle is not in the P (Park) position.
• The vehicle is not parked on a steep hill.
NOTE:
The automatic brake hold function retains
the last state until the driver changes the
option even if the ignition switch off.
How to deactivate the automatic
brake hold function
While the automatic brake hold function is
activated, push the automatic brake hold
switch to turn off the automatic brake hold
indicator light and deactivate the automatic
brake hold function. To deactivate the auto-
matic brake hold function while the brake
force has been maintained by the automatic
brake hold function, depress the brake pedal
and push the automatic brake hold switch.
LSD4803
Starting and driving5-27

WARNING
Make sure to firmly depress and hold the
brake pedal when turning off the auto-
matic brake hold function while the brake
force is applied. When the automatic brake
hold function is deactivated, the brake
force will be released. This could cause the
vehicle to move or roll away unexpectedly.
Failure to prevent the vehicle from rolling
may result in serious personal injury or
property damage.
HOW TO USE THE AUTOMATIC
BRAKE HOLD FUNCTION
For additional information on using the auto-
matic brake hold function, refer to the in-
structions outlined in this section.
To maintain braking force
automatically
With the automatic brake hold function acti-
vated and the automatic brake hold indicator
light (white) illuminated on the meter, depress
the braking pedal to stop the vehicle, and the
indicator light (green) illuminates. The brake
force is automatically applied without your
foot depressed on the brake pedal. While the
brake force is maintained, the automatic
brake hold indicator light (green) illuminates. Automatic brake hold indicator light (green)
will not illuminate if the brake pedal is not
pressed with sufficient force to hold the ve-
hicle or is released too quickly when the ve-
hicle is stopped.
Confirm automatic brake hold indicator light
(green) is illuminated before removing your
foot from the brake pedal.
To start the vehicle from a standstill
With the vehicle not in the P (Park) or the N
(Neutral) position, depress the accelerator
pedal while the brake force is maintained. The
brake force will automatically be released to
restart the vehicle.
The automatic brake hold indicator light
(white) illuminates and the automatic brake
hold returns to standby.
Parking
When the vehicle is in the P (Park) position with
the brake force maintained by the automatic
brake hold function, the parking brake will au-
tomatically be applied and the brake force of
the automatic brake hold will be released. The
automatic brake hold indicator light turns off.
When the parking brake is applied with the
brake force maintained by the automatic brake
hold function, the brake force of the automatic
brake hold will be released. The automatic
brake hold indicator light turns off.
NOTE:
• Under the following conditions, the elec-
tronic parking brake will automatically be
applied and the braking force of the auto-
matic brake hold will be released. The au-
tomatic brake hold indicator light turns
off.– The braking force is applied by the auto- matic brake hold function for 3 minutes
or longer.
– The vehicle is in the P (Park) position.
– The electronic parking brake is applied manually.
– The driver’s seat belt is unfastened.
– The driver’s door is opened.
– The ignition switch is placed in the OFF position.
–
A malfunction occurs in automatic brake
hold function.
•When the vehicle stops, but the brake force
is not automatically applied, depress the
brake pedal firmly until the automatic brake
hold indicator light (green) illuminates.
5-28Starting and driving