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 engine 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.AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (A/T)
(if so equipped)
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.
WARNING
∙ Do not depress the accelerator pedal while shif ting from P (Park) or N (Neu-
tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive), 2 or 1.
Always depress the brake pedal until
shif ting is completed. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and
have an accident.
∙ The cold engine idle speed is high, so use caution when shif ting the trans-
mission into a forward or reverse po-
sition before the engine has warmed
up.
∙ Avoid revving up the engine while the vehicle is stopped. This could cause
unexpected vehicle movement. ∙ Do not downshif t abruptly on slippery
roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
CAUTION
∙ 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 re-
versing. This could cause an accident
or damage the transmission.
∙ 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 se-
rious damage to the transmission.
∙ Start the engine in either the P (Park) or N (Neutral) position. The engine will
not start in any other position. If it
does, have your vehicle checked. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
∙ Shif t into the P (Park) position and ap- ply the parking brake when at a
standstill for longer than a short wait-
ing period.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-9
∙ Keep the engine at idling speed whileshif ting from the N (Neutral) position
to any driving position.
∙ 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.
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 to a drive po-
sition.
3. Release the parking brake, the foot brake pedal, and 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 P
(Park) and into any of the other gear po-
sitions if the ignition switch is turned to
the LOCK, OFF or ACC position or if the
keyisremoved.
CAUTION
∙ Depress the foot brake pedal - Shif t-
ing the shif t lever to D (Drive), R (Re-
verse), 2 or 1 without depressing the
foot brake pedal causes the vehicle to
move slowly when the engine is run-
ning. Make sure the foot brake pedal is
depressed fully and the vehicle is
stopped before shif ting the shif t
lever.
∙ Make sure of the shif t lever position- Make sure the shif t lever is in the de-
sired position. D (Drive), 2 and 1 are
used to move forward and R (Reverse)
to back up.
∙ Warm up the engine. Due to the higher idle speeds when the engine is cold,
extra caution must be exercised when
shif ting the shif t lever into the driving
position immediately af ter starting
the engine. To move the shif t lever:
Press the buttonAwhile depressing
the brake pedal.
Press the buttonA.
Just move the shif t lever.
LSD2005
5-10Starting and driving
2 (Second gear)
Use this position for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1 (Low gear)
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.
Do not shif t into the gears when the vehicle
speed exceeds the following limits, other-
wise the engine may over-rev and cause
engine damage.
Shif t Lever position
12
50 km/h (31 mph) 95 km/h (59 mph)Shif t lock release
If the battery is discharged, the shif t lever
may not be moved from the P (Park) posi-
tion even with the foot brake pedal de-
pressed.
To move the shif t lever, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
1. Place the ignition switch into the LOCK position and remove the key.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shif t lock release cover us- ing a suitable tool. 4. Push down the shif t lock release using
a suitable tool.
5. Press the shif t lever button
Aand
move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral)
position while holding down the shif t
lock release.
6. Place the ignition switch in the ON po- sition to unlock the steering wheel.
7. Release the parking brake.
The vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
Replace the removed shif t lock release
cover af ter the operation.
If the shif t lever cannot be moved out of the
P (Park) position, have the automatic trans-
mission system checked as soon as pos-
sible. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
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.
LSD2006
5-12Starting and driving
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, the
Automatic Transmission will be locked in
any of the forward gears depending on
conditions.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
This will occur even if all electrical cir-
cuits are functioning properly. In this
case:∙ Place the shif t lever in the P (Park)
position.
∙ Place the ignition switch in the OFF
position and wait for 3 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 condition, have
the transmission checked and repaired,
if necessary. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
Overdrive (O/D) OFF switch
Each time your vehicle is started, the trans-
mission is automatically “reset” to overdrive
ON.
ON: With the engine running and the shif t lever in the D (Drive)
position, the transmission up-
shif ts into overdrive as vehicle
speed increases.
Overdrive does not engage until the en-
gine has reached operating tempera-
ture.
OFF: For driving up and down longslopes where engine braking is
necessary push the O/D off
switch once. The Overdrive OFF
indicator light in the instrument
panel comes on at this time.
When cruising at a low speed or climbing a
gentle slope, you may feel uncomfortable
shif t shocks as the transmission shif ts into
and out of overdrive repeatedly. In this
case, depress the overdrive switch to turn
the overdrive off. The Overdrive OFF indica-
tor light in the instrument panel comes on
at this time.
When driving conditions change, depress
the O/D off switch to turn the overdrive on.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time with the over-
drive off. This reduces fuel economy.
LSD2012
Starting and driving5-13
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:
Pull the parking brake lever up
A.
To release: 1. Firmly apply the foot brake.
2. Manual transmission models:
Place the shif t lever in the N (Neutral)
position.
Automatic transmission models:
Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) po-
sition. 3. While pulling up on the parking brake
lever slightly, press the button
Band
lower the lever completely.
4. Before driving, be sure the brake warn- ing light goes out.
WSD0048
PARKING BRAKE
5-16Starting and driving
WARNING
∙ Do not stop or park the vehicle overflammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They may
ignite and cause a fire. ∙ Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park) for
automatic transmission models or in
an appropriate gear for manual trans-
mission models. Failure to do so could
cause the vehicle to move unexpect-
edly or roll away and result in an acci-
dent. Make sure the shif t lever has
been pushed as far forward as it can
go and cannot be moved without de-
pressing the foot brake pedal.
∙ Never leave the engine running while the vehicle is unattended. ∙ Do not leave children unattended in-
side the vehicle. They could unknow-
ingly activate switches or controls or
make the vehicle move. Unattended
children could become involved in se-
rious accidents.
∙ 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.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Manual transmission models:
Place the shif t lever in the R (Reverse)
position. When parking on an uphill
grade, place the shif t lever in 1st gear.
Automatic transmission models:
Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) po-
sition.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
Starting and driving5-21
Push the switch on to warn other drivers
when you must stop or park under emer-
gency conditions. All turn signal lights flash.
WARNING
∙ If stopping for an emergency, be sureto move the vehicle well off the road.
∙
Do not use the hazard warning flashers
while moving on the highway unless
unusual circumstances force you to
drive so slowly that your vehicle might
become a hazard to other traffic.
∙ Turn signals do not work when the hazard warning flasher lights are on. The flashers will operate with the ignition
switch placed in any position.
Some jurisdictions may prohibit the use
of the hazard warning flasher switch
while driving.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below:
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road and
away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake. Shif t the automatic
transmission (if so equipped) to P (Park)
or the manual transmission (if so
equipped) to R (Reverse).
4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic and to signal professional road assis-
tance personnel that you need assis-
tance.
6. Have all passengers get out of the ve- hicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
LIC0394
HAZARD WARNING FLASHER SWITCH FLAT TIRE
6-2In case of emergency
WARNING
∙ Make sure the parking brake is se-curely applied and the automatic
transmission (if so equipped) is
shif ted to P (Park) or the manual
transmission (if so equipped) is
shif ted to R (Reverse).
∙ Never change tires when the vehicle is on a slope, ice or slippery areas. This is
hazardous.
∙ Never change tires if oncoming traffic is close to your vehicle. Wait for pro-
fessional road assistance.
A. Blocks
B. Flat tire
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocks at both the front and
back of the wheel diagonally opposite the
flat tire to prevent the vehicle from moving
when it is jacked up.
WARNING
Be sure to block the wheel as the vehicle
may move and result in personal injury.
Getting the spare tire and tools
1. Open the rear hatch and lif t the floor- board.
LCE2142LCE2083
In case of emergency6-3