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.
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
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.
• 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
• 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.
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. 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.
This Continuously Variable Transmis-
sion is designed so that the foot brake
pedal must be depressed before shif t-
ing from P (Park) to any driving posi-
tion 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 positions if the ignition
switch is placed in the LOCK, OFF or
ACC position.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shif t lever to a driving
position.
3. Release the parking brake and foot brake pedal, and then gradually start the
vehicle in motion.
Starting and driving5-19
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 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
•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
vehicle information display if the system is
enabled in the Driver Assistance settings.
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.
LSD4587
TRAFFIC SIGN RECOGNITION (TSR)
(if so equipped)
Starting and driving5-25
by pushing thebuttons. Cruise con-
trol status will continue to display in the
upper right corner of the vehicle informa-
tion display while the system is on.
When the SET/– switch is pushed under the
following conditions, the system cannot be
set and the ICC indicators will blink for ap-
proximately 2 seconds:
• When traveling below 20 mph (32 km/h)and a vehicle ahead is not detected
• When the shif t lever is not in the D (Drive) or Manual mode
• When the parking brake is applied
• When the brakes are operated by the driver
When the SET/– switch is pushed under the
following conditions, the system cannot be
set. A warning chime will sound and a message
will pop up:
• When the VDC system is off (To use the
ICC system, turn on the VDC system. Push
the ICC switch to turn off the ICC system
and reset the ICC switch by pushing the
ICC switch again.)
For additional information about the
VDC system, see “Vehicle Dynamic Con-
trol (VDC) system” (P. 5-123).
• When VDC is operating
• When a wheel is slipping (To use the ICC system, make sure the wheels are no lon-
ger slipping.)
LSD3395
Starting and driving5-67
NOTE:
The approach warning chime may sound
and the system display may blink when
the ICC sensor detects objects on the side
of the vehicle or on the side of the road.
This may cause the ICC system to deceler-
ate or accelerate the vehicle. The ICC sen-
sor may detect these objects when the
vehicle is driven on winding roads, narrow
roads, hilly roads, or when entering or ex-
iting a curve. In these cases you will have
to manually control the proper distance
ahead of your vehicle.
Also, the radar sensor sensitivity can be
affected by vehicle operation (steering ma-
neuver or driving position in the lane) or
traffic or vehicle condition (for example, if a
vehicle is being driven with some damage).
Automatic cancellation
A chime sounds under the following condi-
tions and the control is automatically can-
celed:
• When the vehicle ahead is not detectedand your vehicle is traveling below the
speed of 15 mph (24 km/h)
• When the system judges the vehicle is at a standstill • When the shif t lever is not in the D (Drive)
position, Manual mode.
• When the parking brake system is applied
• When the VDC system is turned off
• When VDC operates
• When distance measurement becomes impaired due to adhesion of dirt or ob-
struction to the sensor
• When a wheel slips
• When the radar signal is temporarily interrupted
VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE DISTANCE
CONTROL MODE LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limitations
for the ICC system. Failure to operate
the vehicle in accordance with these
system limitations could result in seri-
ous injury or death.
• The ICC system is primarily intended
for use on straight, dry, open roads
with light traffic. It is not advisable to
use the ICC system in city traffic or
congested areas. •
The ICC system will not adapt auto-
matically to road conditions. This
system should be used in evenly
flowing traffic. Do not use the system
on roads with sharp curves, or on icy
roads, in heavy rain or in fog.
• As there is a performance limit to the
distance control function, never rely
solely on the ICC system. This system
does not correct careless, inattentive
or absentminded driving, or over-
come poor visibility in rain, fog, or
other bad weather. Decelerate the
vehicle speed by depressing the
brake pedal, depending on the dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead and the
surrounding circumstances in order
to maintain a safe distance between
vehicles.
• If the vehicle ahead comes to a stop,
the vehicle decelerates to a standstill
within the limitations of the system.
The system will cancel once it judges
that the vehicle has come to a stand-
still and sound a warning chime. To
prevent the vehicle from moving, the
driver must depress the brake pedal.
Starting and driving5-71
SYSTEM TEMPORARILY
UNAVAILABLE
The following are conditions in which the
ICC system may be temporarily unavail-
able. In these instances, the ICC system
may not cancel and may not be able to
maintain the selected following distance
from the vehicle ahead.
Condition A
Under the following conditions, the ICC sys-
tem is automatically canceled. A chime will
sound and the system will not be able to be
set:
• When the VDC system is turned off
• When the VDC operates
• When a vehicle ahead is not detected andyour vehicle is traveling below the speed
of 15 mph (24 km/h)
• When the system judges the vehicle is at a standstill
• When the shif t lever is not in the D (Drive) or Manual mode.
• When the parking brake is applied
• When a wheel slips
• When the radar signal is temporarily interrupted
LSD3449
Starting and driving5-75