2023 NISSAN MAXIMA automatic transmission

Tire Pressure Low - Add Air
This warning appears when the low tire
pressure warning light in the meter illumi-
nates and low tire pressure is detected. The
warning appears each time the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position as long
as the low tire pressure warning light re-
mains illuminated. If this warning appears,
stop the vehicle and adjust the tire pres-
sures of all four tires to the recommended
COLD tire pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. For additional
information, see “Low tire pressure warning
light” (P. 2-12) and “Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)” (P. 5-5).
Transmission Shif t Position
indicator
This indicator shows the transmission shif t
position.
CVT Error: See Owner's
Manual
This warning appears when there is a prob-
lem with the CVT system. If this warning ap-
pears, have the system checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
this service.
Automatic Emergency
Braking (AEB) with
Pedestrian Detection
emergency warning
indicator
This indicator appears along, with an au-
dible warning, when the system detects
the possibility of a forward collision.
For additional information, see “Automatic
Emergency Braking (AEB) with Pedestrian
Detection” (P. 5-85).
Blind Spot Warning (BSW)
and Rear Cross Traffic Alert
(RCTA) indicator
This indicator appears when the BSW and
RCTA systems are engaged.
For additional information, see “Blind Spot
Warning (BSW)” (P. 5-37) and “Rear Cross
Traffic Alert (RCTA)” (P. 5-47).
Chassis Control System Error: See
Owner’s Manual
This warning appears if the Integrated
Dynamics-control Module detects an error
in the Intelligent Trace Control, Intelligent
Engine Brake, or the Active Ride Control
systems. Have the system checked. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSANdealer for this service. For additional infor-
mation, see “Integrated Dynamics-control
Module” (P. 5-118).
Cruise control indicator
This indicator shows the cruise control sys-
tem status.
When cruise control is activated, a green
circle will appear to indicate it is set. The
vehicle information display will also display
the speed the cruise control was set at. If
you accelerate past the set speed, the
speed will blink until you either cancel
cruise control or go back to the set speed. If
cruise control is on and canceled, the
speed will be displayed to show the speed
the vehicle will return to if the resume but-
ton is activated.
Cruise ON
This message appears if thecruise
control switch on the steering wheel is
pressed and Cruise Control Alerts are en-
abled in the vehicle information display.
For additional information, see “Cruise con-
trol” (P. 5-76).
2-30Instruments and controls

LOCKING WITH INSIDE LOCK KNOB
To lock the door without the key, move the
inside lock knob to the lock position
O1,
then close the door.
To unlock the door without the key, move
the inside lock knob to the unlock position
O2.
LOCKING WITH POWER DOOR
LOCK SWITCH
To lock all the doors without a key, push the
door lock switch (driver's or front passen-
ger's side) to the lock position
O1. When
locking the door this way, be certain not to
leave the key inside the vehicle.
To unlock all the doors without a key, push
the door lock switch (driver's or front pas-
senger's side) to the unlock position
O2.
Lockout protection
When the power door lock switch (driver's
or front passenger's side) is moved to the
lock position with the Intelligent Key lef t in
the vehicle and any door open, all doors will
unlock automatically and a chime will
sound af ter the door is closed.
AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS
• All doors lock automatically when the ve- hicle speed reaches 15 mph (24 km/h).
• All doors unlock automatically when the transmission is placed in the P (Park) po-
sition or when the ignition switch is
placed in the OFF position, depending on
the option selected in the “Vehicle Set-
tings” menu.
NOTE:The Auto Door Unlock function can be
changed using “Vehicle Settings” of the
vehicle information display. For addi-
tional information, see “Vehicle informa-
tion display ” (P. 2-17).
LPD2092
Inside lock
LPD2309
Pre-driving checks and adjustments3-5

CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT)
WARNING
• Do not depress the accelerator pedal
while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), or M
(Manual shif t mode). Always depress
the brake pedal until shif ting is com-
pleted. Failure to do so could cause
you to lose control and have an acci-
dent. It can also damage the vehicle. •
Cold engine idle speed is high, so use
caution when shif ting into a forward
or reverse gear before the engine has
warmed up.
• Do not downshif t abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
• 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.
CAUTION
• 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.
• 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 CVT in your vehicle is electronically
controlled 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.
NOTE:
Engine power may be automatically re-
duced to protect the CVT if the engine
speed increases quickly when driving on
slippery roads or while being tested on
some dynamometers.
Starting the vehicle
1. Af ter starting the engine, fully depress
the 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 parking brake and the foot brake pedal, then gradually start the ve-
hicle in motion.
4. Stop the vehicle completely before shif t- ing the shif t lever to the P (Park) position.
LSD2354
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
5-16Starting and driving

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.
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).
Apply the parking brake. When parking on a
hill, apply the parking brake first, then move
the shif t lever into the P (Park) position.
R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the R (Reverse) position only when the
vehicle is completely stopped.
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 de-
pressed to move the shif t lever from P
(Park), N (Neutral) or any drive position to
R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shif t to N (Neutral) and
restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is
moving.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving.
Manual shif t mode
The transmission enters the manual shif t
mode by moving the shif t lever to the lef t
side in the “D” range. You can select the
manual shif t range either by moving the
shif t lever up or down, or by pulling the
right-side or lef t-side paddle shif ter (if so
equipped). To cancel the manual shif t
mode, return the shif t lever to the right D
(Drive) position. The transmission returns
to automatic driving mode.
When the shif t lever is shif ted from D (Drive)
to the manual shif t gate
OAwith the vehicle
stopped or while driving, the transmission
LSD2359
Manual shif t gate
5-18Starting and driving

enters the manual shif t mode. Shif t ranges
can be selected manually. Shif t ranges can
also be selected using the paddle shif ters
(if so equipped) on the steering wheel
OB
andOC. When you pull the paddle shif ter
while in the D (Drive) position, the transmis-
sion will shif t to the upper or lower range
temporarily. If the paddle shif ters are not
used for about 5–10 seconds, the transmis-
sion will automatically return to the D
(Drive) position. If you want to return to the
D (Drive) position manually, pull and hold
either paddle shif ter for about 1.5 seconds. In the manual shif t mode, the shif t range is
displayed on the position indicator in the
meter. When shif ting the shif t lever to the
manual shif t gate, the position indicator
displays 1 (1st) up to 7 (7th) depending on
vehicle speed.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
1⇔
2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7
M7 (7th)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M6 (6th) and M5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long
slopes or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes.
M4 (4th), M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
M1 (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine brak-
ing on steep downhill grades. • Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than
the 6th range. This reduces fuel economy.
When shif ting up
Move the shif t lever to the + (up) side. (Shif ts
to higher range.)
When shif ting down
Move the shif t lever to the − (down) side.
(Shif ts to lower range.)
• Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
•
The transmission will automatically down-
shif t the gears. (For example, if you select
the 3rd range, the transmission will shif t
down between the 3rd and 1st gears.)
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.
• In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may not shif t to the selected
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
LSD2635
Paddle shif ters (if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-19

•When this situation occurs, the Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
position indicator will blink and the
chime will sound.
• In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may shif t up automatically to a
higher range than selected if the en-
gine speed is too high. When the ve-
hicle speed decreases, the transmis-
sion automatically shif ts down and
shif ts to 1st gear before the vehicle
comes to a stop.
• CVT operation is limited to automatic drive mode when CVT fluid temperature
is extremely low even if manual shif t
mode is selected. This is not a malfunc-
tion. When CVT fluid warms up, manual
mode can be selected.
• When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shif t range may upshif t in lower rpm
than usual. This is not a malfunction.
Shif t lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged,
the shif t lever may not be moved from the
P (Park) position even with the brake pedal
depressed and the shif t lever button
pressed.
It will be necessary to jump start or have
your battery charged. For additional infor-
mation, see “Jump starting” (P. 6-9). It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
or a professional towing service. To move the shif t lever, complete the fol-
lowing procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK
position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Using a protective cloth on the tip of a small (1/8 inch or 3 mm) flat-head
screwdriver, remove the shif t lock re-
lease cover.
• If available, a plastic trim tool can also be used.
4. Insert the car key into the shif t lock re- lease slot and press straight down.
A small screwdriver or small trim tool
may also be used.
•For additional information, see “NISSAN
Intelligent Key®” (P. 3-2).
5. Move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position while holding down the shif t
lock release.
6. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi- tion to unlock the steering wheel. Now
the vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
LSD2360
5-20Starting and driving

If the shif t lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park), have the transmission checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
CAUTION
Make sure to take extra care during the
removal of the shif t lock cap as this
part is easily damaged.
WARNING
If the shif t lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position while the engine is
running and the brake pedal is de-
pressed, the stop lights may not work.
Malfunctioning stop lights could cause
an accident injuring yourself and
others.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position and manual
shif t mode
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into lower range,
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
decreased 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. 2-13). 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 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 nor-
mal operating condition, have the trans-
mission checked and repaired, if neces-
sary. 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 driving5-21

CAUTION
• NISSAN recommends using Genuine
NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 (or equiva-
lent) ONLY in NISSAN CVTs. Do not mix
with other fluids.
• Do not use Automatic Transmission
Fluid (ATF) or manual transmission
fluid in a NISSAN CVT, as it may dam-
age the CVT. Damage caused by the
use of fluids other than as recom-
mended is not covered under
NISSAN's New Vehicle Limited War-
ranty outlined in your Warranty Infor-
mation Booklet.
• Using fluids that are not equivalent
to Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3
may also damage the CVT. Damage
caused by the use of fluids other than
as recommended is not covered un-
der NISSAN's New Vehicle Limited
Warranty outlined in your Warranty
Information Booklet.
When checking or replacement of CVT fluid
is required, it is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for this service. Check the fluid level in the reservoir.
The fluid level should be checked when the
fluid is cold at fluid temperatures of 32 to
86ºF (0 to 30ºC). The fluid level can be
checked with the level gauge which is at-
tached to the cap. To check the fluid level,
remove the cap. The fluid level should be
between the MAX
OAand MINOBlines.
If the fluid is below the MIN
OBline, add
Genuine NISSAN E-PSF or equivalent. Re-
move the cap and fill through the opening.
WARNING
Power steering fluid is poisonous and
should be stored carefully in marked
containers out of the reach of children.
CAUTION
• DO NOT OVERFILL.
•
Use of a power steering fluid other
than Genuine NISSAN E-PSF or equiva-
lent will prevent the power steering
system from operating properly.
LDI2752
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT) FLUID POWER STEERING FLUID (PSF)
Do-it-yourself8-11