•Drive carefully when off the road and
avoid dangerous areas. Every person
who drives or rides in this vehicle should
be seated with their seat belt fastened.
This will keep you and your passengers in
position when driving over rough terrain.
• Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead
drive either straight up or straight down
the slopes. Off-road vehicles can tip over
sideways much more easily than they can
forward or backward.
• Many hills are too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you may stall. If you
drive down them, you may not be able to
control your speed. If you drive across
them, you may roll over.
• Do not shift gears while driving on
downhill grades as this could cause loss
of control of the vehicle.
• Stay alert when driving to the top of a
hill. At the top there could be a drop-off
or other hazard that could cause an
accident.
• If your engine stalls or you cannot make
it to the top of a steep hill, never attempt
to turn around. Your vehicle could tip or
roll over. Always back straight down in R
(Reverse) gear and apply brakes to con-
trol your speed. •
Heavy braking going down a hill could
cause your brakes to overheat and fade,
resulting in loss of control and an acci-
dent. Apply brakes lightly and use a low
gear to control your speed.
• Unsecured cargo can be thrown around
when driving over rough terrain. Prop-
erly secure all cargo so it will not be
thrown forward and cause injury to you
or your passengers.
• Secure heavy loads in the cargo area as
far forward and as low as possible. Do
not equip the vehicle with tires larger
than specified in this manual. This could
cause your vehicle to roll over.
• Do not grip the inside or spokes of the
steering wheel when driving off-road.
The steering wheel could move suddenly
and injure your hands. Instead drive with
your fingers and thumbs on the outside
of the rim.
• Before operating the vehicle, ensure that
the driver and all passengers have their
seat belts fastened.
• Always drive with the floor mats in place
as the floor may become hot. •
Lower your speed when encountering
strong crosswinds. With a higher center
of gravity, your INFINITI is more af-
fected by strong side winds. Slower
speeds ensure better vehicle control.
• Do not drive beyond the performance ca-
pability of the tires, even with AWD
engaged.
• For AWD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt to raise two wheels off the ground
and shift the transmission to any drive or
reverse position with the engine running.
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 dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamometers
used by some states for emissions test-
ing), or similar equipment even if the
other two wheels are raised off the
ground. Make sure you inform test facil-
ity personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with AWD before it is placed
on a dynamometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drivetrain dam-
age or unexpected vehicle movement
which could result in serious vehicle dam-
age or personal injury.
Starting and driving5-11
•When a wheel is off the ground due to an
unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel
excessively.
• Accelerating quickly, sharp steering ma-
neuvers or sudden braking may cause
loss of control.
• If at all possible, avoid sharp turning ma-
neuvers, particularly at high speeds.
Your INFINITI vehicle has a higher center
of gravity than a passenger car. The ve-
hicle is not designed for cornering at the
same speeds as passenger cars. Failure
to operate this vehicle correctly could re-
sult in loss of control and/or a rollover
accident.
• Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted, or
radial), and tread pattern on all four
wheels. Install tire chains on the front
wheels when driving on slippery roads
and drive carefully.
• Be sure to check the brakes immediately
after driving in mud or water. For addi-
tional information, see “Brake precau-
tions” (P. 5-165).
• Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills.
If you get out of the vehicle and it rolls
forward, backward or sideways, you
could be injured. •
Whenever you drive off-road through
sand, mud or water as deep as the wheel
hub, more frequent maintenance may be
required. For additional information, see
“Maintenance under severe operating
conditions” (P. 9-7).
INTELLIGENT ALL-WHEEL
DRIVE (AWD) DRIVING SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS (if so equipped)
WARNING
• Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
• Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or
radial), and tread pattern on all four
wheels. Install tire chains on the front
wheels when driving on slippery roads
and drive carefully.
• This vehicle is not designed for off-road
(rough road) use. Do not drive on sandy
or muddy roads that tires may get stuck
in. •
For AWD equipped vehicles, do not at-
tempt to raise two wheels off the ground
and shift the transmission to any D
(Drive) or R (Reverse) position with the
engine running. 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 dyna-
mometer (such as the dynamometers
used by some states for emissions test-
ing), or similar equipment even if the
other two wheels are raised off the
ground. Make sure you inform test facil-
ity personnel that your vehicle is
equipped with AWD before it is placed
on a dynamometer. Using the wrong test
equipment may result in drivetrain dam-
age or unexpected vehicle movement
which could result in serious vehicle dam-
age or personal injury.
• When a wheel is off the ground due to an
unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel
excessively.
5-12Starting and driving
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
(A/T)
WARNING
• Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), or M
(Manual). 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.
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.
The A/T 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 A/T 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 Automatic Transmission is designed
so that the foot brake pedal must be de-
pressed before shifting from P (Park) to
any driving position while the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
The shift position cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other positions if the ignition switch is
placed in the LOCK, OFF or AUTO ACC
position while the ready light illuminates.
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). 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.
• WARM UP THE ENGINE — Due to the
higher idle speeds the engine is cold, ex-
tra caution must be exercised when
shifting the shift lever into driving posi-
tion immediately after starting the
engine.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.
Shifting
OAHome position (central position)
Press the buttonO1to shift
Shift without pressing the buttonO1
Press the park buttonO2to shift to the P
(Park) position.
After starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal, press the shift lever button
O1and
move the shift position from the P (Park) posi-
tion
O2to any of the desired shift positions.
LSD4395
Starting and driving5-19
Confirm that the vehicle is in the desired shift
position by checking the shift indicator lo-
cated on the shift lever or in the vehicle infor-
mation 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.
• When switching to the desired shift po-
sition by operating the shift lever, check
that the shift lever returns to the home
position by releasing your hand from the
lever. Holding the shift lever in a mid-
way position 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.
• 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 the vehicle is moving over 8 km/h (5mph)
when shifting to D (Drive) from R (Re-
verse), the N (Neutral) position will auto-
matically 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.
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 the P (Park) position when the vehicle is
parked or when starting the engine. Make
sure the vehicle is completely stopped before
pressing the park button to 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 electronic parking brake.
When parking on a hill, first depress the brake
pedal, apply the electronic parking brake and
then engage the P (Park) position. The park-
ing lock should not be used as a brake when
parking. In order to secure the vehicle, always
apply the electronic parking brake in addition
to the parking lock.
5-20Starting and driving
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 place the ignition switch in the OFFposition
• You unfasten the driver’s seat belt and open the driver side door when the vehicle
is stationary or driving at very low speed
and the transmission is in the D (Drive) po-
sition, the N (Neutral) position, or the R
(Reverse) position.
CAUTION
To avoid A/T malfunction, you must
manually place the shift position in the P
(Park) position under the above conditions.
R (Reverse)
CAUTION
• To prevent transmission damage, use the
R (Reverse) position only when the ve-
hicle 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 5 mph (8 km/h),
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 5 mph (8 km/
h), 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 completely stopped,
and the brake is pressed. The A/T changes
gears automatically. All forward gears are
available. If the vehicle is placed in the D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is revers-
ing, the chime will sound and the vehicle will
switch into the N (Neutral) position.
NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving over 5 mph (8 km/h)
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 5 mph (8 km/
h), the range will change normally.
Neutral hold mode function (if so
equipped)
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.
Starting and driving5-21
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.
To activate the Neutral hold mode, perform
the following operations:
1. Push the ignition switch to start the engine.
2. Release the electronic parking brake.
3. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
4. Push the P (Park) button. 5. Slide the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position, and hold it for 0.5 second until
“N” appears in the vehicle information
display.
6. Slide the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position again, and hold it for 0.5 seconds,
until a message “Neutral Hold Mode has
been activated” appears in the vehicle in-
formation display. For additional informa-
tion, see “Neutral Hold Mode activated”
(P. 2-39) or (P. 2-65).
7. The ignition switch has to be kept in the ON position. Otherwise Neutral hold
mode is canceled and the P (Park) position
is engaged automatically.
To exit the Neutral hold mode, place the shift
lever in any position other than the N (Neu-
tral) position.NOTE:
• It is necessary to perform the steps 4
through 6 within approximately 5 seconds
to prevent incorrect operation.
• When the shifter is changed to the N (Neu-
tral) position, approximately 5 seconds
later, a message will appear in the vehicle
information display. For additional infor-
mation, see “Neutral Hold Mode guidance”
(P. 2-39) or (P. 2-65).
• If the Neutral hold mode is unavailable, a
message will appear in the vehicle infor-
mation display. For additional informa-
tion, see “Neutral Hold Mode was not ac-
tivated” (P. 2-39) or (P. 2-65). To activate
the Neutral hold mode, wait for a while
without shifting operation and then per-
form the operations again.
5-22Starting and driving
Manual shift mode
When the shift lever is shifted to the D (Drive)
position again with the vehicle in the D (Drive)
position while driving, the transmission en-
ters the manual shift mode. Shift ranges can
be selected manually by pulling the paddle
shifters on the steering wheel.
When shifting up, pull the right-side paddle
shifter (+)
OA. The transmission shifts to the
higher range.
When shifting down, pull the left-side paddle
shifter (−)
OB. The transmission shifts to the
lower range. When canceling the manual shift mode, move
the shift lever to the D (Drive) position again.
The transmission returns to the normal driv-
ing mode.
When you pull the paddle shifter while in the
D (Drive) position, the transmission will shift
to the upper or lower range temporarily. The
transmission will automatically return to the
D (Drive) position after a short period of time.
If you want to return to the D (Drive) position
manually, pull and hold the paddle shifter for
about 1.5 seconds.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed in the vehicle information display.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
1M⇔
2M⇔3M ⇔4M ⇔5M ⇔6M ⇔7M ⇔
8M ⇔9M
9M (9th) and 8M (8th)
Use this position for all normal forward driv-
ing at highway speeds.
7M (7th), 6M (6th) and 5M (5th)
Use these positions when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes.
4M (4th), 3M (3rd) and 2M (2nd)
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1M (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
or for maximum engine braking on steep
downhill grades.
• Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than the
8th range. This reduces fuel economy.
• Pulling the same paddle shifter twice will shift the ranges in succession. However, if
this motion is rapidly done, the second
shifting may not be completed properly.
• 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.
• 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.
LSD4396
Starting and driving5-23