
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) position. 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.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.
• 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.
Shif ting
To move the shif t lever:
: Press the buttonOAwhile depressing
the brake pedal
: Shif t without depressing the brake
pedal
Af ter starting the engine, fully depress the
brake pedal, press the shif t lever button
and move the shif t lever from the P (Park)
position to any of the desired shif t
positions.
LSD4800
5-20Starting 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.
CAUTION
Use the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position
only when the vehicle is completely
stopped.
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 must be de-
pressed and the shif t lever button
pressed in 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 and the shif t lever button
pressed in 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
When the shif t lever is in the manual shif t
gate, the transmission is ready for the
manual shif t mode. Shif t ranges can be
selected manually by moving the shif t le-
ver up or down. To cancel manual shif t
mode, return the shif t lever to the D (Drive)
position. The transmission returns to auto-
matic driving mode.
When the shif t lever is moved from D (Drive)
to the manual shif t gate with the vehicle
stopped or while driving, the transmission
enters the manual shif t mode. Shif t ranges
can be selected manually. In the manual
LSD4524
Starting and driving5-21

shif t mode, the shif t range is displayed on
the position indicator in the meter. When
moving the shif t lever to the manual shif t
gate, the position indicator displays 1 (First)
up to 7 (Seventh) depending on vehicle
speed.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
1⇔2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7
7 (Seventh)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
6 (Sixth) and 5 (Fif th)
Use this position when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes.
4 (Fourth), 3 (Third) and 2 (Second)
Use these positions for hill climbing or en-
gine braking on downhill grades.
1 (First)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or when driving slowly, or for maxi-
mum engine braking on steep downhill
grades. • Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than
seventh gear. 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.)
• The transmission will automatically downshif t the gears. (For example, if you
select the third range, the transmission
will shif t down between the third and first
gears.)
• Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
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. •
When this situation occurs, the Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
position indicator light 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 first 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.
5-22Starting and driving

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. To move the shif t lever, perform
the following procedure:
1. Place the ignition switch in the OFF orLOCK position.
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 and move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position
while holding down the shif t lock
release. The vehicle may be moved to
the desired location. Replace the re-
moved 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 Continuously Variable Transmission
system checked as soon as possible. It is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
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 —
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.
LSD3163
Starting and driving5-23

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. 2-14). 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.
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.
LSD0158
PARKING BRAKE
5-24Starting and driving

WARNING
•
Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires. Accelerating
quickly, sharp steering maneuvers or
sudden braking may cause loss of
control, even with AWD engaged.
• For AWD equipped vehicles, do not
attempt to raise two wheels off the
ground and shif t 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 personal injury or vehicle
damage.
•
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 that you inform the
test facility personnel that your vehicle
is equipped with AWD before it is placed
on a dynamometer. Using the wrong
test equipment may result in drivetrain
damage or unexpected vehicle move-
ment which could result in serious per-
sonal injury or vehicle damage.
CAUTION
• Do not operate the engine on a free
roller when any of the wheels are
raised.
• If you use the free roller, rotate four
wheels with the same speed without
raising any wheels.
• If an AWD warning message is dis-
played while driving there may be a
malfunction in the AWD system. Re-
duce the vehicle speed immediately
and have your vehicle checked. It is
recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer as soon as possible.
• The powertrain may be damaged if
you continue driving when the AWD
temperature or tire size incorrect
messages are displayed
• If the AWD high temperature mes-
sage is displayed while you are driv-
ing, pull off the road in a safe area,
and idle the engine. The driving
mode will change to 2WD to prevent
the AWD system from malfunction-
ing. If the warning message turns off,
you can drive again. •
If the tire size incorrect message is
displayed while you are driving, pull
off the road in a safe area with the
engine idling. Check that all tire sizes
are the same, that the tire pressure is
correct and that the tires are not ex-
cessively worn.
• If a warning message continues to be
displayed af ter the above opera-
tions, have your vehicle checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
5-118Starting and driving

WARNING
• Do not stop or park the vehicle over
flammable 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).
Failure to do so could cause the ve-
hicle to move unexpectedly or roll
away and result in an accident. Make
sure the shif t lever has been pushed
as far forward as it can go and cannot be moved without depressing 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
serious 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. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) position.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into traffic when parked on an incline, it
is a good practice to turn the wheels as
illustrated.
• HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB
OA:
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
• HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB
OB:
Turn the wheels away from the curb
and move the vehicle back until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
Starting and driving5-119

CAUTION
• Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) models cannot be push-
started or tow-started. Attempting
to do so may cause transmission
damage.
•
Do not push start this vehicle. The
three-way catalyst may be damaged.
WARNING
• Do not continue to drive if your ve-
hicle overheats. Doing so could cause
engine damage or a vehicle fire.
• To avoid the danger of being scalded,
never remove the radiator or coolant
reservoir cap while the engine is still
hot. When the radiator or coolant res-
ervoir cap is removed, pressurized
hot water will spurt out, possibly
causing serious injury.
• Do not open the hood if steam is
coming out.
If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by
an extremely high temperature gauge
reading), or if you feel a lack of engine
power, detect abnormal noise, etc. take the
following steps:
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, ap- ply the parking brake and move the shif t
lever to P (Park).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maximum
hot and fan control to high speed. 3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen for
steam or coolant escaping from the ra-
diator before opening the hood. If steam
or coolant is escaping, turn off the en-
gine. Do not open the hood further until
no steam or coolant can be seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling fan
is running. The radiator hoses and radia-
tor should not leak water. If coolant is
leaking, the water pump belt is missing
or loose, or the cooling fan does not run,
stop the engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into con-
tact with, or get caught in, engine belts
or the engine cooling fan. The engine
cooling fan can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
6-12In case of emergency