ECO mode INFINITI FX 2010 Owners Manual

Page 323 of 509

5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving.............. 5-2
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) .................. 5-2
Three-way catalyst ............................. 5-2
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) ......... 5-3
Avoiding collision and rollover ................... 5-5
On-pavement and off-road driving
precautions .................................... 5-5
Off-road recovery ............................... 5-6
Rapid air pressure loss ......................... 5-6
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving .............. 5-7
Driving safety precautions ...................... 5-7
Push-button ignition switch ........................ 5-9
Operating range for engine start function ......... 5-9
Push-button ignition switch positions ...........5-10
Intelligent Key battery discharge .................5-11
Before starting the engine .........................5-12
Starting the engine ................................ 5-12
Driving the vehicle ................................ 5-13
Automatic transmission ......................... 5-13
Parking brake ..................................... 5-17
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system/Lane
Departure Prevention (LDP) system
(if so equipped) .................................. 5-18Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system
...........5-19
Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system ..........5-21
Lane camera unit maintenance .................5-25
Cruise control .................................... 5-26
Precautions on cruise control ...................5-26
Cruise control operations ......................5-27
Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system
(FULL SPEED RANGE) (if so equipped) ..............5-28
Selecting the vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode ................................. 5-29
Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode ........5-29
Precautions on vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode ................................. 5-30
Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode
operation ...................................... 5-31
Conventional (FIXED SPEED) cruise control
mode ........................................ 5-45
Preview function (for Intelligent Cruise
Control system equipped models) ..............5-49
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
(if so equipped) .................................. 5-49
Precautions on distance control assist
system ....................................... 5-49
—

08/03/09—tbrooks


Page 324 of 509

Distance control assist operation................5-51
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system
(if so equipped) .................................. 5-61
Precautions on FCW system ....................5-62
Intelligent brake assist (IBA) system
(if so equipped) .................................. 5-64
Precautions on IBA system .....................5-65
Break-in schedule ................................ 5-68
Increasing fuel economy .......................... 5-68
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) (if so equipped) .............5-69
Parking/parking on hills ........................... 5-71
Power steering ................................... 5-72
Continuous damping control (if so equipped) .......5-72
Brake system .................................... 5-73
Braking precautions ........................... 5-73
Parking brake break-in ......................... 5-73Brake assist
..................................... 5-74
Brake assist .................................. 5-74
Preview function (Intelligent Cruise Control
system equipped models) ......................5-74
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) .................5-76
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system .............5-77
Rear active steer system (if so equipped) ...........5-79
Cold weather driving ............................. 5-80
Freeing a frozen door lock .....................5-80
Antifreeze .................................... 5-80
Battery ....................................... 5-80
Draining of coolant water ......................5-80
Tire equipment ................................ 5-80
Special winter equipment ......................5-80
Driving on snow or ice ......................... 5-80
Engine block heater (if so equipped) ............5-81
—

08/03/09—tbrooks


Page 332 of 509

●Spinning the rear wheels on slippery sur-
faces may cause the AWD warning light to
flash and the AWD system to automatically
switch from the AWD mode to the 2WD mode.
This could reduce traction. Be especially
careful when towing a trailer. (AWD models)WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition switch
while driving the vehicle except in an emer-
gency. (The engine will stop when the ignition
switch is pushed 3 consecutive times or the
ignition switch is pushed and held for more
than 2 seconds.) If the engine stops while the
vehicle is being driven, this could lead to a
crash and serious injury.
Before operating the push-button ignition
switch, be sure to move the selector lever to the
P (Park) position.
OPERATING RANGE FOR ENGINE
START FUNCTION
The operating range for starting the engine
inside the vehicle
1is shown in the illustra-
tion.
● If the Intelligent Key is on the instrument
panel, cargo area, inside the glove box or
door pocket, or the corner of interior com-
partment, it may not be possible to start the
engine.
● If the Intelligent Key is near the door or door
glass outside the vehicle, it may be possible
to start the engine.
SSD0436
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving5-9
—

08/03/09—pattie


Page 335 of 509

●Make sure the area around the vehicle is
clear.
● Check fluid levels such as engine oil, cool-
ant, brake fluid and window washer fluid as
frequently as possible, or at least whenever
you refuel.
● Check that all windows and lights are clean.
● Visually inspect tires for their appearance
and condition. Also check tires for proper
inflation.
● Lock all doors.
● Position seat and adjust head
restraints/headrests.
● Adjust inside and outside mirrors.
● Fasten seat belts and ask all passengers to
do likewise.
● Check the operation of warning lights when
the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position. (See “WARNING/INDICATOR LIGHTS
AND AUDIBLE REMINDERS” in the “2. Instru-
ments and controls” section.)1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park) or
N (Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the selector lever is in either of the above
positions.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-tion. Depress the brake pedal and push
the ignition switch to start the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push and
release the ignition switch while depressing
the brake pedal with the ignition switch in
any position.
● If the engine is very hard to start in
extremely cold weather or when restart-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal a little
(approximately 1/3 to the floor) and while
holding, crank the engine. Release the
accelerator pedal when the engine starts.
● If the engine is very hard to start because
it is flooded, depress the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Push the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion to start cranking the engine. After 5
or 6 seconds, stop cranking by pushing
the ignition switch to OFF. After cranking
the engine, release the accelerator pedal.
Crank the engine with your foot off the accelerator pedal
by depressing the brake
pedal and pushing the push-button igni-
tion switch to start the engine. If the
engine starts, but fails to run, repeat the
above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more than 15
seconds at a time. If the engine does not start,
push the ignition switch to OFF and wait 10
seconds before cranking again, otherwise the
starter could be damaged.
4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds after starting. Do not race the en-
gine while warming it up. Drive at moderate
speed for a short distance first, especially in
cold weather. In cold weather, keep the
engine running for a minimum of 2 - 3
minutes before shutting it off. Starting and
stopping the engine over a short period of
time may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
5. To stop the engine, shift the selector lever
to the P (Park) position and push the
ignition switch to the OFF position.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE STARTING THE ENGINE
5-12Starting and driving
—

08/03/09—pattie


Page 336 of 509

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7 speed automatic transmission
The automatic transmission in your vehicle is
electronically controlled by a transmission con-
trol module to produce maximum efficiency and
smooth operation.
Shown on the following pages are the recom-
mended operating procedures for this transmis-
sion. Follow these procedures for maximum
vehicle performance and driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle
After starting the engine, fully depress the foot
brake pedal and push the selector lever button
before shifting the selector lever to the R (Re-
verse), N (Neutral), D (Drive), DS (Drive Sport) or
Manual shift mode position. Be sure the vehicle
is fully stopped before attempting to shift the
selector lever.
This automatic transmission model is designed
so that the foot brake pedal must be depressed
before shifting from P (Park) to any drive posi-
tion while the ignition switch position is ON.
The selector lever cannot be moved out of the P
(Park) position and into any of the other gear
positions if the ignition switch is pushed to the
LOCK, OFF or ACC position.
1. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed andpush the selector lever button to shift into
a driving gear.
2. Release the parking brake and foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
WARNING
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal while
shifting from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to R (Re-
verse), D (Drive), DS (Drive Sport) or manual
shift mode. Always depress the brake pedal
until shifting is completed. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and have an
accident.
● Cold engine idle speed is high, so use cau-
tion when shifting into a forward or reverse
gear before the engine has warmed up.
● Never shift to P (Park) or R (Reverse) while
vehicle is moving forward. Never shift to P
(Park), D (Drive) or DS (Drive Sport) while
vehicle is moving rearward. Failure to do so
could cause you to lose control and have an
accident.
CAUTION
● 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.
● Do not downshift abruptly on slippery roads.
This may cause a loss of control.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
Starting and driving5-13
—

08/03/09—pattie


Page 339 of 509

M6 (6th) andM5 (5th) :
Use this position when driving up long slopes,
or for engine braking when driving down long
slopes.
M4 (4th),M3 (3rd) andM2 (2nd) :
Use these positions 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, or
for maximum engine braking on steep downhill
grades.
● Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time in lower than 7th
gear. This reduces fuel economy.
● Moving the selector lever rapidly to the same
side twice will shift the ranges in succes-
sion.
● In the manual shift mode, the transmission
may not shift to the selected gear. This helps
maintain driving performance and reduces
the chance of vehicle damage or loss of con-
trol.
When this situation occurs, the Automatic
Transmission (AT) position indicator light (on
the dot matrix liquid crystal display) will
blink and the chime will sound. ●
In the manual shift mode, the transmission
automatically shifts down to 1st gear before
the vehicle comes to a stop. When accelerat-
ing again, it is necessary to shift up to the
desired range.
Accelerator downshift — In D (Drive)
position —
For passing or hill climbing, fully depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into the lower gear, depend-
ing on the vehicle speed.
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, 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 subse-
quent hard braking, the fail-safe system may be
activated. This will occur even if all electrical
circuits are functioning properly. In this case,
push the switch to the OFF position and wait for 3
seconds. Then push the ignition switch back to
the ON position. The vehicle should return to its
normal operating condition. If it does not return
to its normal operating condition, have an
INFINITI retailer check the transmission and re-
pair if necessary.Shift lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged, the
selector lever may not be moved from the P
(Park) position even with the brake pedal de-
pressed and the selector lever button pushed.
To move the selector lever, perform the follow-
ing procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or
LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
Ausing a
suitable tool.
SSD0775
5-16Starting and driving
—

08/03/09—pattie


Page 343 of 509

LDW system operation
The LDW system provides a lane departure
warning function when the vehicle is driven at
speeds of approximately 45 MPH (72 km/h) and
above. When the vehicle approaches either the
left or the right side of the traveling lane, a
warning chime will sound and the lane depar-
ture warning light (orange) on the instrument
panel will blink to alert the driver.
The warning function will stop when the vehicle
returns inside of the lane markers.
When you operate the lane change signal and
change traveling lanes in the direction of the
signal, the LDW system temporarily suspends
operation. It will become operable again ap-
proximately 2 seconds after the lane change
signal is turned off.
When the vehicle speed lowers to less than
approximately 45 MPH (72 km/h), the LDW
system will not provide a warning.
The LDW system has an automatic setting mode
and a manual setting mode. The setting mode
can be changed. In the automatic setting mode,
the LDW system is automatically turned on
when the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position. When the LDW system is on, the LDW
ON indicator
1on the LDW switch illuminates.
To cancel the LDW system, push the LDW switch. The LDW ON indicator will turn off. To
turn on the system, push the LDW switch again.
In the manual setting mode, you need to push
the LDW switch to turn on the system after the
ignition switch is pushed to the ON position.
The setting mode can be changed using the
LDW switch. To change the setting mode, push
and hold the LDW switch for more than 4
seconds when the LDW ON indicator is off.
When the mode is changed, a chime sounds
and the lane departure warning light (orange)
flashes.
Temporary disabled status at high
temperature
If the vehicle is parked in direct sunlight under
high temperature conditions (over approxi-
mately 104°F (40°C) and then started, the LDW
system may be deactivated automatically. The
LDW ON indicator on the switch will flash.
When the interior temperature is reduced, the
LDW system will resume operating automati-
cally and the LDW ON indicator will stop flash-
ing.
Lane departure warning light (orange)
SSD0672
LDW switch
SIC3832
5-20Starting and driving
—

08/03/09—pattie


Page 352 of 509

1. Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode
2. Conventional (fixed speed) cruise controlmode
Push the MAIN switchAto choose the cruise
control mode between the vehicle-to-vehicle
distance control mode
1and the conventional
(fixed speed) cruise control mode
2.
To choose the vehicle-to-vehicle distance con-
trol mode
1, quickly push and release the
MAIN switch
A. To choose the conventional
(fixed speed) cruise control mode
2, push and
hold the MAIN switch
Afor longer than ap-
proximately 1.5 seconds. Once a control mode is activated, it cannot be
changed to the other cruise control mode. To
change the mode, push the MAIN switch once to
turn the system off. Then push the MAIN switch
again to turn the system back on and select the
desired cruise control mode.
Always confirm the setting in the Intelligent
Cruise Control system display.
For the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control
mode, see the following description. For the
conventional (fixed speed) cruise control mode,
see page 5-45.
SELECTING THE VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE
DISTANCE CONTROL MODE
To choose the vehicle-to-vehicle distance con-
trol mode
1, quickly push and release the
MAIN switch
A.
VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE DISTANCE
CONTROL MODE
In the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode,
the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system auto-
matically maintains a selected distance from
the vehicle traveling in front of you according to
that vehicle’s speed (up to the set speed), or at
the set speed when the road ahead is clear.
With ICC, the driver can maintain the same
speed as other vehicles without the constant
need to adjust the set speed as you would with
a normal cruise control system.
SSD0913
Starting and driving5-29
—

08/03/09—tbrooks


Page 354 of 509

– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)When the windshield wiper is operated at
the low speed (LO) or high speed (HI) po-
sition, the Intelligent Cruise Control sys-
tem is automatically canceled.
– When strong light (for example, at sun- rise or sunset) is directly shining on the
front of the vehicle
– When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the sys- tem sensor
– On steep downhill roads (the vehicle may go beyond the set vehicle speed and fre-
quent braking may result in overheating
the brakes)
– On repeated uphill and downhill roads
– When traffic conditions make it difficult to keep a proper distance between vehicles
because of frequent acceleration or
deceleration
● Do not use the Intelligent Cruise Control sys-
tem if you are towing a trailer. The system
may not detect a vehicle ahead. ●
In some road or traffic conditions, a vehicle
or object can unexpectedly come into the
sensor detection zone and cause automatic
braking. You may need to control the dis-
tance from other vehicles using the accelera-
tor pedal. Always stay alert and avoid using
the ICC system when it is not recommended
in this section.
VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE DISTANCE
CONTROL MODE OPERATION
Always pay attention to the operation of the
vehicle and be ready to manually control the
proper following distance. The vehicle-to-
vehicle distance control mode of the Intelligent
Cruise Control (ICC) system may not be able to
maintain the selected distance between ve-
hicles (following distance) or selected vehicle
speed under some circumstances.
The vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode
uses a sensor
Alocated on the front of the
vehicle to detect vehicles traveling ahead. The
sensor generally detects the signals returned
from the reflectors on a vehicle ahead. There-
fore, if the sensor cannot detect the reflector on
SSD0738
Starting and driving5-31
—

08/03/09—pattie


Page 355 of 509

the vehicle ahead, the ICC system may not
maintain the selected distance.
The following are some conditions in which the
sensor cannot detect the signals:
●When the reflector of the vehicle ahead is
positioned high on the vehicle (trailer, etc.)
● When the reflector on the vehicle ahead is
missing, damaged or covered
● When the reflector of the vehicle ahead is
covered with dirt, snow and road spray
● When the snow or road spray from traveling
vehicles reduces the sensor’s visibility
● When dense exhaust or other smoke (black
smoke) from vehicles reduces the sensor’s
visibility
● When excessively heavy baggage is loaded
in the rear seat or the luggage room of your
vehicle
The ICC system is designed to automatically
check the sensor’s operation within the limita-
tion of the system. When the sensor is covered
with dirt or is obstructed, the system will auto-
matically be canceled. If the sensor is covered
with ice, a transparent or translucent vinyl bag,
etc., the ICC system may not detect them. In
these instances, the vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode may not cancel and may not be able to maintain the selected following distance
from the vehicle ahead. Be sure to check and
clean the sensor regularly.
The vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode is
designed to maintain a selected distance and
reduce the speed to match the slower vehicle
ahead. The system will decelerate the vehicle as
necessary and if the vehicle ahead comes to a
stop, the vehicle decelerates to a standstill.
However, the ICC system can only apply up to
25% of the vehicles total braking power. This
system should only be used when traffic condi-
tions allow vehicle speeds to remain fairly
constant or when vehicle speeds change gradu-
ally. If a vehicle moves into the traveling lane
ahead or if a vehicle traveling ahead rapidly
decelerates, the distance between vehicles may
become closer because the ICC system cannot
decelerate the vehicle quickly enough. If this
occurs, the ICC system will sound a warning
chime and blink the system display to notify the
driver to take necessary action.
The system will cancel and a warning chime will
sound if the speed is below approximately 15
MPH (24 km/h) and a vehicle is not detected
ahead. The system will also disengage when
the vehicle goes above the maximum set speed.
See “Approach warning” later in this section.
The following items are controlled in the
vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode:

When there are no vehicles traveling ahead,
the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode
maintains the speed set by the driver. The
set speed range is between approximately
20 and 90 MPH (32 and 144 km/h).
● When there is a vehicle traveling ahead, the
vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode ad-
justs the speed to maintain the distance,
selected by driver, from the vehicle ahead.
The adjusting speed range is up to the set
speed. 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 a standstill with a
warning chime.
● When the vehicle traveling ahead has moved
out from its lane of travel, the vehicle-to-
vehicle distance control mode accelerates
and maintains vehicle speed up to the set
speed.
5-32Starting and driving
—

08/03/09—pattie


Page:   < prev 1-10 ... 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100 101-110 111-120 121-130 131-140 140 next >