Driving the vehicle
5-18 Starting and driving
Engine power may be automatically re- duced to protect the A/T if the engine speed increases quickly when driving on slippery roads or while being tested on some dynamometers.
Starting the vehicle 1. After starting the engine, fully depress
the foot brake pedal before moving the shift position out of the P (Park) position.
This Automatic Transmission is de- signed so that the foot brake pedal must be depressed before shifting from P (Park) to any driving position while the ignition switch is in the ON position. The shift position cannot be moved out of the P (Park) position and into any of the other positions if the igni- tion switch is placed in the LOCK, OFF or AUTO ACC position while the ready light illuminates.
2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and move the shift lever to a driving 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 shifting from P (Park) or N (Neu- tral) to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or M (Manual) range. Always depress the brake pedal until shifting 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 shifting into a forward or reverse gear before the engine has warmed up.
• Do not downshift abruptly on slip- pery roads. This may cause a loss of control.
• Never shift 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 shift to the N (Neutral) position while driv- ing. Coasting with the transmission in the N (Neutral) position may cause serious damage to the transmission.
• WARM UP THE ENGINE – Due to the higher idle speeds, the engine is cold. Extra caution must be exercised when shifting the shift lever into a driving position immediately after starting the engine.
Shifting
OA Home position (central position)
Press the button O1 to shift
Shift without pressing the button O1
Press the park button O2 to shift to the P (Park) position. After starting the engine, fully depress the brake pedal, press the shift lever button O1 and move the shift lever from the P (Park) position O2 to any of the desired shift positions.
Confirm that the vehicle is in the desired shift position by checking the shift indica- tor located on the shift lever or in the ve- hicle information display.
WARNING Apply the electronic parking brake if the shift lever is in any position while the engine is not running. Failure to do so could cause the vehicle to move un- expectedly or roll away and result in serious personal injury or property damage.
CAUTION
• Use the P (Park), R (Reverse) or D
(Drive) position only when the vehicle is completely stopped.
• When switching to the desired shift position by operating the shift lever, check that the shift lever returns to the home position by releasing your hand from the lever. Holding the shift lever in a mid-way position may also damage the shift control system.
• Do not operate the shift lever while the accelerator pedal is depressed. 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 transmission and this may result in damage to the vehicle:
– Moving the shift lever to the R (Re- verse) position when driving forward
– Moving the shift lever to the D (Drive) position when reversing
If these operations are attempted, a chime sounds and the vehicle shifts to the N (Neutral) position.
P (Park) CAUTION
• To prevent transmission damage, use the P (Park) position only when the vehicle is completely stopped.
• Do not slide the shift lever while pressing the park button. This may damage the shift control system.
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5-20 Starting and driving
Use the P (Park) position when the vehicle is parked or when starting the engine. Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped be- fore pressing the park button to engage the P (Park) position. For maximum safety, the brake pedal must be depressed before en- gaging the P (Park) position. Use this position together with the electronic parking brake. When parking on a hill, first depress the brake pedal, apply the electronic parking brake and then engage the P (Park) position. The park- ing lock should not be used as a brake when parking. In order to secure the vehicle, always apply the electronic parking brake in addi- tion to the parking lock. In the event of a malfunction of the vehi- cle’s electronics, the transmission may lock in the P (Park) position. Have the vehicle’s electronics checked immediately. It is rec- ommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service. The P (Park) position is automatically en- gaged if: • You place the ignition switch in the OFF
position • You unfasten the driver’s seat belt and
open the driver side door when the ve- hicle is stationary or driving at very low speed and the transmission is in the D (Drive) position, the N (Neutral) position, or the R (Reverse) position.
CAUTION To avoid A/T malfunction, you must manually place the shift position in the P (Park) position under the above conditions.
R (Reverse) CAUTION
• To prevent transmission damage, use the R (Reverse) position only when the vehicle is completely stopped and the brake is pressed.
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 shift lever button pressed to move the shift lever from the home position to R (Reverse). If the ve- hicle is placed in R (Reverse) position while the vehicle is moving forward, the chime will sound and the vehicle will switch into the N (Neutral) position.
NOTE: If the vehicle is moving over 5 mph (8 km/h) when shifting to D (Drive) from R (Reverse), the N (Neutral) position will au- tomatically be selected. A buzzer will sound, noting that D (Drive) was not se- lected. When selecting D (Drive) while re- versing below 5 mph (8 km/h), the range will change normally. N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en- gaged when the vehicle is completely stopped, and the brake is pressed. The en- gine can be started in this position. You may shift to the N (Neutral) position and restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is moving. You can select this position by holding the shift lever at this position for 0.5 seconds.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward driv- ing when the vehicle is completely stopped, and the brake is pressed. The A/T changes gears automatically. All forward gears are available. If the vehicle is placed in the D (Drive) position while the vehicle is revers- ing, the chime will sound and the vehicle will switch into the N (Neutral) position.
Starting and driving 5-21
NOTE: If the vehicle is moving over 5 mph (8 km/h) when shifting to D (Drive) from R (Reverse), the N (Neutral) position will au- tomatically be selected. A buzzer will sound, noting that D (Drive) was not se- lected. When selecting D (Drive) while re- versing below 5 mph (8 km/h), the range will change normally.
Neutral hold mode function (if so equipped) This function enables you to get out of the vehicle when it is in the N (Neutral) position, while the engine is running. While this func- tion is activated, the vehicle can be moved by pushing with hand (when car washing). When using this function, release the elec- tronic parking brake.
WARNING
• Use this function on a level surface
only. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move accidentally and could result in a collision or serious personal injury.
• Do not use this function for a purpose other than car washing.
• Do not turn the engine off after neu- tral hold mode function is activated, otherwise the N (Neutral) position will not be kept and the vehicle will automatically be placed in the P (Park) position.
• If this function is not activated re- gardless of proper operation, trans- mission may malfunction. It is rec- ommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
To activate the Neutral hold mode, perform the following operations: 1. Push the ignition switch to start the
engine. 2. Release the electronic parking brake. 3. Depress and hold the brake pedal. 4. Push the P (Park) button. 5. Slide the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position, and hold it for 0.5 second until “N” appears in the vehicle information display.
6. Slide the shift lever to the N (Neutral) position again, and hold it for 0.5 sec- onds, until a message “Neutral Hold Mode has been activated” appears in the vehicle information display. For addi- tional information, see “Neutral Hold Mode activated” (P. 2-39) or (P. 2-66).
7. The ignition switch has to be kept in the ON position. Otherwise Neutral hold mode is canceled and the P (Park) posi- tion is engaged automatically.
To exit the Neutral hold mode, place the shift lever in any position other than the N (Neutral) position.
NOTE:
• It is necessary to perform the steps 4
through 6 within approximately 5 sec- onds to prevent incorrect operation.
• When the shifter is changed to the N (Neutral) position, approximately 5 seconds later, a message will appear in the vehicle information display. For ad- ditional information, see “Neutral Hold Mode guidance” (P. 2-39) or (P. 2-66).
• If the Neutral hold mode is unavailable, a message will appear in the vehicle information display. For additional in- formation, see “Neutral Hold Mode was not activated” (P. 2-39) or (P. 2-66). To activate the Neutral hold mode, wait for a while without shifting operation and then perform the operations again.
Manual shift mode
When the shift lever is moved to the D (Drive) position again with the vehicle in the D (Drive) position while driving, the trans- mission enters the manual shift mode. Shift range can be selected manually by using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. When shifting up, pull the right-side paddle shifter (+) OA . The transmission shifts to the higher range. When shifting down, pull the left-side paddle shifter (−) OB . The transmission shifts to the lower range.
When canceling the manual shift mode, move the shift lever to the D (Drive) position again. The transmission returns to the nor- mal driving mode. When you pull the paddle shifter while in the D (Drive) position, the transmission will shift to the upper or lower range temporar- ily. The transmission will automatically re- turn to the D (Drive) position after a short period of time. If you want to return to the D (Drive) position manually, pull and hold the paddle shifter for about 1.5 seconds. In the manual shift mode, the shift range is displayed in the vehicle information display. Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows: 1M⇔ 2M ⇔ 3M ⇔ 4M ⇔ 5M ⇔ 6M ⇔ 7M ⇔ 8M ⇔ 9M
9M (9th) and 8M (8th)
Use this position for all normal forward driving at highway speeds.
7M (7th), 6M (6th) and 5M (5th)
Use these positions when driving up long slopes, or for engine braking when driving down long slopes.
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Starting and driving 5-23
4M (4th), 3M (3rd) and 2M (2nd)
Use these positions for hill climbing or en- gine braking on downhill grades.
1M (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills slowly or driving slowly through deep snow, or for maximum engine braking on steep downhill grades. • Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than the 8th range. This reduces fuel economy.
• Pulling the same paddle shifter twice will shift the ranges in succession. However, if this motion is rapidly done, the second shifting may not be completed properly.
• In the manual shift mode, the trans- mission may not shift to the selected gear. This helps maintain driving per- formance and reduces the chance of vehicle damage or loss of control.
• In the manual shift mode, the trans- mission may shift 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 shifts down and shifts to 1st gear before the vehicle comes to a stop.
Accelerator downshift — in D (Drive) position — For passing or hill climbing, depress the accelerator pedal to the floor. This shifts 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.
Fail-safe When the fail-safe operation occurs, please note that the transmission will be locked in any of the forward gears according to the condition.
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. 2-19). 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.
5-24 Starting and driving
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.
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