2023 NISSAN LEAF Owners Manual

1. Confirm the parking brake is applied.
2. Confirm that the vehicle is in the P (Park)position.
When the power switch is placed in the
ON position, the EV is designed not to
operate unless the shif t lever is in the P
(Park) or N (Neutral) position.
The Intelligent Key must be carried
with you when operating the power
switch.
3. Depress the brake pedal and push the power switch to place the EV system in
the READY to drive position.
To place the vehicle in the READY to drive
position immediately, push and release
the power switch while depressing the
brake pedal with the power switch in any
position. The READY to drive indicator
light
in the meter illuminates.
4. To stop the EV system, push the P (Park) position switch on the shif t lever, and
place the power switch in the OFF
position.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery dis-
charge and potential no-start conditions
such as:
1. Installation or extended use of elec-tronic accessories that consume bat-
tery power when the EV system is not
running (phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.).
2. The vehicle is not driven regularly and/or only driven short distances.
In these cases, the battery may need to
be charged to maintain battery health.
ELECTRIC SHIFT CONTROL
SYSTEM
This vehicle is electronically controlled to
produce maximum available power and
smooth operation.
The recommended operating procedures
for this vehicle are shown on the following
pages.
Starting the vehicle
1. Af ter placing the vehicle in the READY to drive position, fully depress the foot
brake pedal before moving the shif t lever
to the D (Drive) position.
The shif t lever of this vehicle is de-
signed so that the foot brake pedal
must be depressed before shif ting
from the P (Park) position to any driv-
ing position while the power 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 positions if the power switch
is placed in the LOCK, OFF or ACC posi-
tion or if the Intelligent Key is
removed.
STARTING THE EV SYSTEM DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-14Starting and driving

2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed,and move the shif t lever to the D (Drive)
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 shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to the R (Reverse) or D (Drive)
position. Always depress the brake
pedal until shif ting is completed.
Failure to do so could cause you to
lose control, which could result in an
accident.
• Never shif t to the P (Park) or R (Re-
verse) position while the vehicle is
moving forward and the P (Park) or D
(Drive) position while the vehicle is
reversing. This could cause you to
lose control and have an accident.
• Do not shif t to the B position abruptly
on slippery roads. This may cause a
loss of control.
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.
• Do not hang items on the shif t lever.
This may cause an accident due to a
sudden start.
Shif ting
To move the shif t lever,
: Slide along the gate while the brake
pedal is depressed.
: Af ter sliding, maintain it in the same
position until the vehicle is placed in the N
(Neutral) position.
: When in the D (Drive) position, slide
along the gate.
LSD2835
Starting and driving5-15

NOTE:
• Confirm that the vehicle is in the de-sired shif t position by checking the
shif t indicator
O1located near the shif t
lever or the vehicle information display
in the meter.
• To place the vehicle into the D (Drive) position from the B mode, move the
shif t lever into the D (Drive) position.
Af ter placing the vehicle in the READY to
drive position, fully depress the brake pedal,
and move the shif t lever to any of the pre-
ferred shif t positions.
If the power switch is placed in the OFF or
ACC position for any reason while the shif t
position is in any position other than the P
(Park) position, the power switch cannot be
placed in the LOCK position.
If the power switch cannot be placed in the
LOCK position, perform the following steps:
1. Apply the parking brake when the ve- hicle is stopped.
2. Place the power switch in the ON posi- tion while depressing the foot brake
pedal.
3. Push the P (Park) position switch and confirm the vehicle is in the P (Park)
position. 4. Place the power switch in the OFF
position.NOTE:
The vehicle automatically applies the P
(Park) position when the power switch is
in the OFF position.
When the following conditions overlap,
the shif t position may be automatically
switched to P (Park):
– When maintaining a stop and holdwith the e-pedal.
– When taking off the seatbelt.
– When opening the door.
WARNING
• The shif t lever is always in the home
position when released. When the
power switch is placed in the READY
to drive position, the driver needs to
confirm that the vehicle is in the P
(Park) position. The indicator next to
the “P” by the shif t lever is illumi-
nated and the “P” is displayed on the
meter. If the vehicle is in the D (Drive)
position or R (Reverse) position when
the power switch is placed in the
READY to drive position, this may
cause a sudden start which could re-
sult in an accident.
• On a hilly road, do not allow the ve-
hicle to roll backwards while in the D
(Drive) position or B mode or allow
the vehicle to roll forward while in the
R (Reverse) position. This may cause
an accident.
5-16Starting and driving

CAUTION
• Do not slide the shif t lever while
pushing the P (Park) position switch.
This may damage the electric motor.
• When switching to the preferred po-
sition by operating the shif t lever,
check that the shif t lever returns to
the central position by releasing your
hand from the lever. Holding the shif t
lever in a mid-way position may also
damage the shif t control system.
• Do not operate the shif t lever while
the accelerator pedal is depressed,
except when switching to the B
mode. This may cause a sudden start
which could result in an accident.
• The following operations are not al-
lowed because excessive force
would be applied to the traction mo-
tor and this may result in damage to
the vehicle:
– Moving the shif t lever to the R (Re-
verse) position when driving
forward
– Moving the shif t lever to the D
(Drive) position when reversing
• If these operations are attempted, a
chime sounds and the vehicle shif ts
to the N (Neutral) position. P (Park)
Use this shif t position when the vehicle is
parked or when placing the vehicle in the
READY to drive position. Make sure that the
vehicle is completely stopped.
In order to
switch to the P (Park) position, push the P
(Park) position switch as shown in the
illustration above once the vehicle has
come to a complete stop. If the P (Park)
position switch is pushed while the ve-
hicle is in motion, a chime sounds and
the current shif t position is maintained.
Af ter switching to the P (Park) position, ap-
ply the parking brake. When parking on a
hill, apply the parking brake first while keep- ing the foot brake pedal depressed then
push the P (Park) position switch and place
the vehicle in the P (Park) position. For ad-
ditional information, see “Parking brake”
(P. 5-18).
NOTE:
• While the vehicle is stationary, if the
shif t position is placed in any position
other than the P (Park) position when
the power switch is set to OFF, it will
automatically switch to the P (Park)
position.
• If the P (Park) position switch is pushed while sliding the shif t lever, the shif t
position will not switch to the P (Park)
position. When pushing the P (Park)
position switch be sure to first allow
the shif t lever to return to its home
position.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to back up. Make sure that
the vehicle is completely stopped before
selecting the R (Reverse) position. If the ve-
hicle is placed in the D (Drive) position
while reversing, the chime will sound and
the vehicle will switch into the N (Neutral)
position.
LSD2836
Starting and driving5-17

N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The vehicle can be placed in the
READY to drive position in this position.
Do not shif t to the N (Neutral) position while
driving. The regenerative brake system
does not operate in the N (Neutral) position.
However, the vehicle brakes will still stop
the car.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.If the vehicle is placed in the D
(Drive) position while reversing, the
chime will sound and the vehicle will
switch into the N (Neutral) position. B mode
The B mode engages the regenerative
braking system more aggressively on
downhill slopes, and helps reduce brake
use. It is activated by moving the shif t lever
lef t and down. The shif t lever will then re-
turn to the home position. For additional
information, see “Brake system” (P. 5-161).WARNING
• Be sure the parking brake is released
before driving. Failure to do so could
cause brake failure and lead to an
accident.
• Do not release the parking brake
from outside the vehicle.
• 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.
• When leaving the vehicle, apply the
parking brake and push the P (Park)
position switch on the shif t lever.
LSD2837
PARKING BRAKE
5-18Starting and driving

PEDAL TYPE
To engage:Firmly depress the parking
brake.
To release:
1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Push the P (Park) position switch on the shif t lever.
3. Firmly depress the parking brake pedal and it will release.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
SWITCH TYPE (models with
electronic parking brake system)
The electronic parking brake can be ap-
plied or released automatically or by oper-
ating the electronic parking brake switch.
Automatic operation
The electronic parking brake is automati-
cally released as soon as the vehicle starts
and the accelerator pedal is depressed.
In order for the electronic parking brake to
disable when the driver pushes the accel-
erator, the driver’s seat belt must be
fastened.
WARNING
• The electronic parking brake will not
be automatically applied when the
EV system is stopped without using
the power switch (for example, by EV
system stalling). •
Before leaving the vehicle, push the P
(Park) position switch on the shif t le-
ver and check that the electronic
parking brake indicator light (
or
PARK) is illuminated to confirm that
the electronic parking brake is ap-
plied. The electronic parking brake
indicator light (
or PARK) will re-
main on for a period of time af ter the
driver’s door is locked.
CAUTION
• When parking in an area where the
outside temperature is below 32°F
(0°C), the parking brake, if applied,
may freeze in place and may be diffi-
cult to release.
• For safe parking, it is recommended
that you place the vehicle in the P
(Park) position and securely block
the wheels.
LSD0158
Starting and driving5-19

NOTE:
• If a malfunction occurs in the elec-tronic parking brake system (for ex-
ample, due to battery discharge), it is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
certified LEAF dealer.
• When the ICC system (if so equipped) is canceled under the following condi-
tions at a standstill, the electronic
parking brake is automatically
activated:– Any door is open.
– The driver’s seat belt is not fastened.
– Your vehicle has been stopped by the ICC system for approximately 3
minutes or longer.
– The shif t lever is not in the D (Drive) position or B mode.
– The Vehicle Dynamic Control system is turned off.
– When distance measurement be- comes impaired due to adhesion of
dirt or obstruction to the sensor.
– When the radar signal is temporarily interrupted.
Manual operation
The electronic parking brake will not be au-
tomatically applied if the EV system is
stopped without using the power switch
(for example, by EV system stalling). In such
a case, you have to apply the parking brake
manually.
To apply: Pull the switch up
O1. The indica-
tor light
OAwill illuminate.
To release: With the power switch in the ON
position, depress the brake pedal and push
the switch down
O2. The indicator lightOA
will turn off. Before driving, check that the electronic
parking brake indicator light (
or PARK)
goes out. For additional information, see
“Warning lights, indicator lights and audible
reminders” (P. 2-14).
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 reminders” (P. 2-14).
• While the electronic parking brake is applied 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 frequently applied and released in a
short period of time, the parking brake
may not operate in order to prevent the
parking brake system from overheat-
ing. If this occurs, operate the elec-
tronic parking brake switch again af ter
waiting approximately 1 minute.
LSD2838
5-20Starting and driving

• If the electronic parking brake must beapplied while driving in an emergency,
pull up and hold the electronic parking
brake switch. When you release the
electronic parking brake switch, the
parking brake will be released.
• While pulling up the electronic parking brake switch during driving, the park-
ing brake is applied and a chime
sounds. The electronic parking brake
indicator light (
or PARK) in the me-
ter and in the electronic parking brake
switch illuminates. This does not indi-
cate a malfunction. The electronic
parking brake indicator light (
or
PARK) in the meter and in the elec-
tronic parking brake switch turns off
when the parking brake is released.
• When pulling the electronic parking brake switch up with the power switch
in the OFF or ACC position, the elec-
tronic parking brake switch indicator
light will continue to illuminate for a
short period of time.
WARNING
Never rely solely on the e-Pedal system,
as there is a performance limit to the
system function. Always drive carefully
and attentively. The brake pedal should
be operated to slow or stop the vehicle,
depending on traffic or road
conditions.
The e-Pedal system enables the driver to
slow or stop the vehicle or to keep the ve-
hicle stopped by operating only the accel-
erator pedal. This system helps to keep the
driver from moving his/her foot between
the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal.
E-PEDAL SYSTEM OPERATION
LSD3165
E-PEDAL SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-21