•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 rear wheels when driving on
slippery roads and drive carefully.
• Be sure to check the brakes immedi-
ately af ter driving in mud or water.
For additional information, see “Wet
brakes” (P. 5-118).
• Avoid parking your vehicle on steep
hills. If you get out of the vehicle and
it rolls forward, backward or side-
ways, you could be injured.
• Whenever you drive off-road through
sand, mud or water as deep as the
wheel hub, more frequent mainte-
nance may be required. For addi-
tional information, see “Maintenance
under severe operating conditions”
(P. 9-7).
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 quick suc-
cession or the ignition switch is pushed
and held for more than 2 seconds.) If
the engine stops while the vehicle is
being driven, this could lead to a crash
and serious injury. When the ignition switch is pushed without
depressing the brake pedal, the ignition
switch position will illuminate as follows:
Push center:
• Once to change to ACC.
• Two times to change to ON.
• Three times to return to OFF.
The ignition switch will automatically re-
turn to the LOCK position when any door is
either opened or closed with the switch in
the OFF position.
When the ignition switch cannot be placed
in the OFF position, proceed as follows:
1. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park)
position.
2. Push the ignition switch. The ignition switch position will change to the ON
position.
3. Push the ignition switch again to the OFF position.
The shif t lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in
the ON position and the brake pedal is
depressed.
If the battery of the vehicle is discharged,
the ignition switch cannot be moved
from the LOCK position.
LSD2645
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving5-13
Some indicators and warnings for opera-
tion are displayed in the meter. For addi-
tional information, see “Warning lights, indi-
cator lights and audible reminders” (P. 2-11).
OPERATING RANGE
The Intelligent Key functions can only be
used when the Intelligent Key is within the
specified operating range.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost
discharged or strong radio waves are pres-
ent near the operating location, the Intelli-
gent Key system’s operating range be-
comes narrower and may not function
properly.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 or 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 ON position while carrying
the Intelligent Key.
LSD3854
5-14Starting and driving
• Make sure the area around the vehicle isclear.
• Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool- ant, brake, and windshield-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.
• Check that all doors are closed.
• Position seat and adjust head restraints/ headrests.
• Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
• Fasten the seat belt and ask all passen- gers to do likewise.
• Check the operation of warning lights when the ignition switch is placed in the
ON position. For additional information,
see “Warning lights, indicator lights and
audible reminders” (P. 2-11). 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
unless the shif t lever is in either P
(Park) or N (Neutral).
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
depressing the brake pedal with the ig-
nition 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
cranking the engine, release the accel- erator pedal. Crank the engine with
your foot off the accelerator pedal by
depressing the brake pedal and push-
ing the ignition switch to start the
engine. If the engine starts, but fails to
run, repeat the above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start, push the ignition switch
to the OFF position and wait 10 seconds
before cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds af ter starting. Do not race the
engine while warming it up. Drive at a
moderate speed for a short distance
first, especially in cold weather. In cold
weather, keep the engine running for a
minimum of 2 to 3 minutes before shut-
ting it off. Starting and stopping the en-
gine over a short period of time may
make the vehicle more difficult to start.
5. To stop the engine, move the shif t lever to the P (Park) position and push the
ignition switch to the OFF position.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
Starting and driving5-17
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) may
also come on if the engine coolant tem-
perature is not reduced or the air condi-
tioning cooling function does not turn back
on. Ifonly it remains on, you do not need to
have your vehicle towed, but have it in-
spected soon. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service. For
additional information, see “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” (P. 2-19).
WARNING
Overheating can result in reduced en-
gine power and vehicle speed. The re-
duced speed may be lower than other
traffic, which could increase the chance
of a collision. Be especially careful
when driving. If the vehicle cannot
maintain a safe driving speed, pull to
the side of the road in a safe area. Allow
the engine to cool and return to normal
operation. For additional information,
see “If your vehicle overheats” (P. 6-13).
CAUTION
Running the engine with the engine oil
pressure warning light on could cause
serious damage to the engine almost
immediately. Such damage is not cov-
ered by warranty. Turn off the engine as
soon as it is safe to do so.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (A/T)
WARNING
• Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive). Always
depress the brake pedal until shif ting
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 shif ting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
• Never shif t 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 acci-
dent or damage the transmission. •
Do not downshif t abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
• Except in an emergency, do not shif t
to the N (Neutral) position while driv-
ing. 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 ve-
hicle by depressing the accelerator
pedal. The foot brake should be used
for this purpose.
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 fol-
lowing pages. Follow these procedures for
maximum vehicle performance and driv-
ing enjoyment.
Starting and driving5-19
Starting the vehicle
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depressthe foot brake pedal before moving the
shif t lever out of the P (Park) position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever into a driving
gear.
3. Release the foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
The automatic transmission is designed
so the foot brake pedal MUST be de-
pressed before shif ting from P (Park) to
any drive position while the ignition
switch is in the ON position.
The shif t lever cannot be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the ACC, LOCK or OFF
position.
The shif t lever may not be moved out of
the P (Park) position and into any of the
other gear positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position, but
the engine is not running and the out-
side temperature is extremely low.
Shif ting
To move the shif t lever:
Press the buttonOAwhile depressing
the brake pedal
Press the buttonOAto shif t
Shif t without depressing the brake pedal
Shif ting
Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal and move the shif t lever out of
the P (Park) position.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shif t le-
ver is in any position while the engine is
not running. Failure to do so could
cause the vehicle to move unexpect-
edly or roll away and result in serious
personal injury or property damage.
If the ignition switch is placed in the OFF
position for any reason while the vehicle is
in N (Neutral), or any D (Drive) position, the
ignition switch cannot be placed in the
LOCK position. Move the shif t lever to the P
(Park) position, then the ignition switch can
be placed in the LOCK position.
P (Park)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) position only when the ve-
hicle is completely stopped.
Use the P (Park) shif t lever position when
the vehicle is parked or when starting the
engine. Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped.
The brake pedal should be depressed to
move the shif t lever from N (Neutral) or
any drive position to P (Park).
LSD4501
5-20Starting and driving
When canceling the manual shif t mode
Return the shif t lever to the D (Drive) posi-
tion to return the transmission to the nor-
mal driving mode.
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.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may come on to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. For additional infor-
mation, see “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” (P. 2-19). This will occur even if all
electrical circuits are functioning prop-
erly. In this case, place the ignition switch
in the OFF position and wait for 10 sec-
onds. Then push the switch back to the
ON position. The vehicle should return to
its normal operating condition. If it does
not return to its normal operating condi-
tion, have the transmission checked and
repaired, if necessary. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be es-
pecially careful when driving. If neces-
sary, pull to the side of the road at a safe
place and allow the transmission to re-
turn to normal operation, or have it re-
paired if necessary.
Starting and driving5-23
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 shif t 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
vehicle and/or its systems, do not
leave children, people who require
the assistance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle. Additionally,
the temperature inside a closed ve-
hicle on a warm day can quickly be-
come high enough to cause a signifi-
cant risk of injury or death to people
and pets. To engage:
Firmly depress the parking
brake.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) position.
3. Firmly depress the parking brake pedal and it will release.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out. The TSR system provides the driver with
information about the most recently de-
tected speed limit. The system captures
the road sign information with the multi-
sensing front camera unit
OAlocated on
the windshield in front of the inside rear-
view mirror and displays the detected
signs in the vehicle information display. For
vehicles equipped with a navigation sys-
tem, the speed limit displayed is based on a
combination of navigation system data
and live camera recognition. TSR informa-
tion is always displayed at the top of the
LSD0158LSD4343
PARKING BRAKE TRAFFIC SIGN RECOGNITION (TSR)
(if so equipped)
5-24Starting and driving
vehicle information display, and optionally
in the main central area of the display
screen.
WARNING
The TSR system is only intended to be a
support device to help provide the
driver with information. It is not a re-
placement for the driver’s attention to
traffic conditions or responsibility to
drive safely. It cannot prevent acci-
dents due to carelessness. It is the driv-
er’s responsibility to stay alert and
drive safely at all times.
SYSTEM OPERATION
The Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) system
displays the following types of road signs:
OASpeed sign detected (in Canada)
OBSpeed sign detected (in USA)
OCSpeed sign detected (no speed limit
detected)
OD“Do not pass” sign detected
CAUTION
• The TSR system is intended as an aid
to careful driving. It is the driver’s re-
sponsibility to stay alert, drive safely,
and observe all road regulations that
currently apply, including looking out
for road signs.
•
The TSR system may not function prop-
erly under the following conditions:
– When the road sign is not clearly
visible, for example, due to dam-
age or weather conditions.
LSD4807LSD4505
Starting and driving5-25