INFINITI EX 2011 Owners Manual

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
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) driving safety
precautions (for AWD models) ................... 5-7
Push-button ignition switch ........................ 5-8
Operating range for engine start function ......... 5-8
Push-button ignition switch operation ............ 5-9
Steering lock (if so equipped) ................... 5-9
Push-button ignition switch positions ............ 5-9
Emergency engine shut off .....................5-10
Intelligent Key battery discharge ................5-10
Before starting the engine .........................5-11
Starting the engine ................................ 5-11
Driving the vehicle ................................ 5-12
Automatic transmission ......................... 5-12
Parking brake .................................... 5-16Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system/Lane
Departure Prevention (LDP) system (if so
equipped)
........................................ 5-17
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system ..........5-18
Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system .........5-20
Lane camera unit maintenance .................5-24
Blind spot warning (BSW) system (if so equipped) . . 5-25 Bsw system operation ......................... 5-26
Bsw driving situations ......................... 5-28
Bsw malfunction ............................... 5-31
System maintenance ........................... 5-31
Cruise control .................................... 5-32
Precautions on cruise control ...................5-32
Cruise control operations ......................5-33
Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system (FULL
SPEED RANGE) (if so equipped) ....................5-34
Selecting the vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode ................................. 5-35
Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode ........5-35
Precautions on vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control mode .................................
5-36
Vehicle-to-vehicle
distance control mode
operation ..................................... 5-37
Conventional (FIXED SPEED) cruise control
mode ........................................ 5-50

Preview function (for Intelligent Cruise
Control system equipped models)..............5-54
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system (if so
equipped) ....................................... 5-54
Precautions on distance control assist
system ....................................... 5-54
Distance control assist operation ...............5-56
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system (if so
equipped) ....................................... 5-66
Precautions on FCW system ....................5-67
Intelligent brake assist (IBA) system (if so
equipped) ....................................... 5-69
Precautions on IBA system .....................5-70
Break-in schedule ................................ 5-73
Increasing fuel economy .......................... 5-73
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) (if so equipped) .............5-74
Parking/parking on hills .......................... 5-76
Power steering ................................... 5-77Brake system
.................................... 5-77
Braking precautions ........................... 5-77
Parking brake break-in ......................... 5-77
Brake assist ..................................... 5-78
Brake assist .................................. 5-78
Preview function (Intelligent Cruise Control
system equipped models) ......................5-78
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) .................5-80
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system .............5-82
Cold weather driving ............................. 5-83
Freeing a frozen door lock .....................5-83
Antifreeze .................................... 5-83
Battery ....................................... 5-83
Draining of coolant water ......................5-83
Tire equipment ................................ 5-84
Special winter equipment ......................5-84
Driving on snow or ice ......................... 5-84
Engine block heater (if so equipped) ............5-85

WARNING
●Do not leave children or adults who would
normally require the support of others alone
in your vehicle. Pets should not be left alone
either. They could accidentally injure them-
selves or others through inadvertent opera-
tion of the vehicle. Also, on hot, sunny days,
temperatures in a closed vehicle could
quickly become high enough to cause severe
or possibly fatal injuries to people or
animals.
● Properly secure all cargo to help prevent it
from sliding or shifting. Do not place cargo
higher than the seatbacks. In a sudden stop
or collision, unsecured cargo could cause
personal injury.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
● Do not breathe exhaust gases; they contain
colorless and odorless carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide is dangerous. It can cause
unconsciousness or death.
● If you suspect that exhaust fumes are enter-
ing the vehicle, drive with all windows fully
open, and have the vehicle inspected
immediately. ●
Do not run the engine in closed spaces such
as a garage.
● Do not park the vehicle with the engine run-
ning for any extended length of time.
● Keep the lift gate closed while driving, oth-
erwise exhaust gases could be drawn into
the passenger compartment. If you must
drive with the lift gate open, follow these
precautions:
1. Open all the windows.
2. Set the
air recirculation to off and
the fan control to high to circulate the air.
● If electrical wiring or other cable connec-
tions must pass to a trailer through the seal
on the lift gate or the body, follow the manu-
facturer’s recommendation to prevent car-
bon monoxide entry into the vehicle.
● The exhaust system and body should be in-
spected by a qualified mechanic whenever:
– The vehicle is raised for service.
– You suspect that exhaust fumes are en- tering into the passenger compartment.
– You notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system. – You have had an accident involving dam-
age to the exhaust system, underbody, or
rear of the vehicle.
THREE-WAY CATALYST
The three-way catalyst is an emission control
device installed in the exhaust system. Exhaust
gases in the three-way catalyst are burned at
high temperatures to help reduce pollutants.
WARNING
●The exhaust gas and the exhaust system are
very hot. Keep people, animals or flammable
materials away from the exhaust system
components.
● Do not stop or park the vehicle over flam-
mable materials such as dry grass, waste
paper or rags. They may ignite and cause a
fire.
CAUTION
● Do not use leaded gasoline. Deposits from
leaded gasoline seriously reduce the three-
way catalyst’s ability to help reduce exhaust
pollutants.
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING AND
DRIVING
5-2Starting and driving

●Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunctions in
the ignition, fuel injection, or electrical sys-
tems can cause overrich fuel flow into the
three-way catalyst, causing it to overheat.
Do not keep driving if the engine misfires, or
if noticeable loss of performance or other
unusual operating conditions are detected.
Have the vehicle inspected promptly by an
INFINITI retailer.
● Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel
level. Running out of fuel could cause the
engine to misfire, damaging the three-way
catalyst.
● Do not race the engine while warming it up.
● Do not push or tow your vehicle to start the
engine.
TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM
(TPMS)
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label, you should determine the
proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.) As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres-
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when
the low tire pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pres-
sure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect the
vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s
responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The TPMS
malfunction indicator is combined with the low
tire pressure telltale. When the system detects
a malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi-
mately one minute and then remain continu-
ously illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may not beable to detect or signal low tire pressure as
intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a
variety of reasons, including the installation of
replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Additional information
●
The TPMS does not monitor the tire pressure
of the spare tire.
● The TPMS will activate only when the vehicle
is driven at speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h).
Also, this system may not detect a sudden
drop in tire pressure (for example a flat tire
while driving).
● The low tire pressure warning light does not
automatically turn off when the tire pressure
is adjusted. After the tire is inflated to the
recommended pressure, the vehicle must be
driven at speeds above 16 MPH (25 km/h) to
activate the TPMS and turn off the low tire
pressure warning light. Use a tire pressure
gauge to check the tire pressure.
● The CHECK TIRE PRESSURE warning appears
in the vehicle information display when the
low tire pressure warning light is illuminated
Starting and driving5-3

and low tire pressure is detected. The CHECK
TIRE PRESSURE warning turns off when the
low tire pressure warning light turns off.
The CHECK TIRE PRESSURE warning does not
appear if the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates to indicate a TPMS malfunction.
● Tire pressure rises and falls depending on
the heat caused by the vehicle’s operation
and the outside temperature. Low outside
temperature can lower the temperature of
the air inside the tire which can cause a
lower tire inflation pressure. This may cause
the low tire pressure warning light to illumi-
nate. If the warning light illuminates in low
ambient temperature, check the tire pres-
sure for all four tires.
For additional information, see “Low tire pres-
sure warning light” in the “2. Instruments and
controls” section and “TIRE PRESSURE MONI-
TORING SYSTEM (TPMS)” in the “6. In case of
emergency” section.WARNING
● If the low tire pressure warning light illumi-
nates while driving, avoid sudden steering
maneuvers or abrupt braking, reduce vehicle
speed, pull off the road to a safe location and
stop the vehicle as soon as possible. Driving
with under-inflated tires may permanently
damage the tires and increase the likelihood
of tire failure. Serious vehicle damage could
occur and may lead to an accident and could
result in serious personal injury. Check the
tire pressure for all four tires. Adjust the tire
pressure to the recommended COLD tire
pressure shown on the Tire and Loading In-
formation label to turn the low tire pressure
warning light OFF. If the light still illumi-
nates while driving after adjusting the tire
pressure, a tire may be flat. If you have a flat
tire, replace it with a spare tire as soon as
possible. (See “FLAT TIRE” in the “6. In case
of emergency” section for changing a flat
tire.)
● When a spare tire is mounted or a wheel is
replaced, the TPMS will not function and the
low tire pressure warning light will flash for
approximately 1 minute. The light will re-
main on after 1 minute. Contact your INFINITI
retailer as soon as possible for tire replace-
ment and/or system resetting. ●
Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the proper
operation of the TPMS.
● Do not inject any tire liquid or aerosol tire
sealant into the tires, as this may cause a
malfunction of the tire pressure sensors.
CAUTION
● The TPMS may not function properly when
the wheels are equipped with tire chains or
the wheels are buried in snow.
● Do not place metalized film or any metal
parts (antenna, etc.) on the windows. This
may cause poor reception of the signals from
the tire pressure sensors, and the TPMS will
not function properly.
Some devices and transmitters may temporarily
interfere with the operation of the TPMS and
cause the low tire pressure warning light to
illuminate. Some examples are:
● Facilities or electric devices using similar
radio frequencies are near the vehicle.
● If a transmitter set to similar frequencies is
being used in or near the vehicle.
5-4Starting and driving

●If a computer (or similar equipment) or a
DC/AC converter is being used in or near the
vehicle.
FCC Notice:
For USA:
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) This device may not cause harm-
ful interference, and (2) this device must accept
any interference received, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired operation.
Note: Changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the party responsible for compli-
ance could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment.
For Canada:
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry
Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) this device may not cause
interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.AVOIDING COLLISION AND ROLLOVER
WARNING
Failure to operate this vehicle in a safe and
prudent manner may result in loss of control or
an accident.
Be alert and drive defensively at all times. Obey
all traffic regulations. Avoid excessive speed,
high speed cornering, or sudden steering ma-
neuvers, because these driving practices could
cause you to lose control of your vehicle. As
with any vehicle, a loss of control could result in
a collision with other vehicles or objects, or
cause the vehicle to rollover, particularly if the
loss of control causes the vehicle to slide side-
ways. Be attentive at all times, and avoid
driving when tired. Never drive when under the
influence of alcohol or drugs (including pre-
scription or over-the-counter drugs which may
cause drowsiness). Always wear your seat belt
as outlined in the “SEAT BELTS” in the “1. Safety
— Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint
system” section of this manual, and also in-
struct your passengers to do so.
Seat belts help reduce the risk of injury in
collisions and rollovers. In a rollover crash, an
unbelted or improperly belted person is signifi- cantly more likely to be injured or killed than a
person properly wearing a seat belt.ON-PAVEMENT AND OFF-ROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONS
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher roll-
over rate than other types of vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than pas-
senger cars to make them capable of perform-
ing in a variety of on-pavement and off-road
applications. This gives them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary cars. An advantage of
higher ground clearance is a better view of the
road, allowing you to anticipate problems. How-
ever, they are not designed for cornering at the
same speeds as conventional passenger cars
any more than low-slung sports cars are de-
signed to perform satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. If at all possible, avoid sharp turns
or abrupt maneuvers, particularly at high
speeds. As with other vehicles of this type,
failure to operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle rollover. Seat
belts help reduce the risk of injury in collisions
and rollovers. In a rollover crash, an unbelted or
improperly belted person is significantly more
likely to be injured or killed than a person
properly wearing a seat belt.
Starting and driving5-5

Be sure to read “ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) DRIV-
ING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS (for AWD models)”
later in this section.
OFF-ROAD RECOVERY
If the right side or left side wheels unintention-
ally leave the road surface, maintain control of
the vehicle by following the procedure below.
Please note that this procedure is only a gen-
eral guide. The vehicle must be driven as ap-
propriate based on the conditions of the ve-
hicle, road and traffic.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Do not apply the brakes.
3. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheelwith both hands and try to hold a straight
course.
4. When appropriate, slowly release the ac- celerator pedal to gradually slow the ve-
hicle.
5. If there is nothing in the way, steer the vehicle to follow the road while the ve-
hicle speed is reduced. Do not attempt to
drive the vehicle back onto the road sur-
face until vehicle speed is reduced.
6. When it is safe to do so, gradually turn the steering wheel until both tires return
to the road surface. When all tires are on
the road surface, steer the vehicle to stay
in the appropriate driving lane.
If you decide that it is not safe to return the
vehicle to the road surface based on vehicle,
road or traffic conditions, gradually slow the
vehicle to a stop in a safe place off the road.
RAPID AIR PRESSURE LOSS
Rapid air pressure loss or a “blow-out” can
occur if the tire is punctured or is damaged due
to hitting a curb or pothole. Rapid air pressure
loss can also be caused by driving on under-
inflated tires.
Rapid air pressure loss can affect the handling
and stability of the vehicle, especially at high-
way speeds.
Help prevent rapid air pressure loss by main-
taining the correct air pressure and visually
inspect the tires for wear and damage. See
“WHEELS AND TIRES” in the “8. Maintenance
and do-it-yourself” section of this manual.
If a tire rapidly loses air pressure or “blows-out”
while driving maintain control of the vehicle by
following the procedure below. Please note that
this procedure is only a general guide. The
vehicle must be driven as appropriate based on
the conditions of the vehicle, road and traffic.
WARNING
The following actions can increase the chance
of losing control of the vehicle if there is a
sudden loss of tire air pressure. Losing control
of the vehicle may cause a collision and result
in personal injury.
●The vehicle generally moves or pulls in the
direction of the flat tire.
● Do not rapidly apply the brakes.
● Do not rapidly release the accelerator pedal.
● Do not rapidly turn the steering wheel.
1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel
with both hands and try to hold a straight
course.
3. When appropriate, slowly release the ac- celerator pedal to gradually slow the ve-
hicle.
4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe loca- tion off the road and away from traffic if
possible.
5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradually stop the vehicle.
5-6Starting and driving

6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers andeither contact a roadside emergency ser-
vice to change the tire or see “CHANGING
A FLAT TIRE” in the “6. In case of emer-
gency” section of this Owner’s Manual.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of alcohol or
drugs. Alcohol in the bloodstream reduces co-
ordination, delays reaction time and impairs
judgement. Driving after drinking alcohol in-
creases the likelihood of being involved in an
accident injuring yourself and others. Addition-
ally, if you are injured in an accident, alcohol
can increase the severity of the injury.
INFINITI is committed to safe driving. However,
you must choose not to drive under the influ-
ence of alcohol. Every year thousands of people
are injured or killed in alcohol-related acci-
dents. Although the local laws vary on what is
considered to be legally intoxicated, the fact is
that alcohol affects all people differently and
most people underestimate the effects of alco-
hol. Remember, drinking and driving don’t mix! And
that is true for drugs, too (over-the-counter,
prescription, and illegal drugs). Don’t drive if
your ability to operate your vehicle is impaired
by alcohol, drugs, or some other physical con-
dition.
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) DRIVING
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS (for AWD
models)
WARNING
●
Do not drive beyond the performance capa-
bility of the tires, even with AWD engaged.
Accelerating quickly, sharp steering maneu-
vers or sudden braking may cause loss of
control.
● Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or ra-
dial), and tread pattern on all four wheels.
Install tire chains on the rear wheels when
driving on slippery roads and drive carefully.
● This vehicle is not designed for offroad
(rough road) use. Do not drive on sandy or
muddy roads that tires may get stuck in. ●
For AWD equipped vehicles, do not attempt
to raise two wheels off the ground and shift
the transmission to any D (Drive) or R (Re-
verse) position with the engine running. Do-
ing so may result in drivetrain damage or
unexpected vehicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage or personal
injury.
● Do not attempt to test an AWD equipped ve-
hicle on a 2-wheel dynamometer, (such as
the dynamometers used by some states for
emissions testing), or similar equipment
even if the other two wheels are raised off
the ground. Make sure you inform test facil-
ity personnel that your vehicle is equipped
with AWD before it is placed on a dynamom-
eter. Using the wrong test equipment may
result in drivetrain damage or unexpected
vehicle movement which could result in seri-
ous vehicle damage or personal injury.
● When a wheel is off the ground due to an
unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel
excessively.
Starting and driving5-7

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 Intelligent Key can only be used for starting
the engine when the Intelligent Key is within the
specified operating range
1.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost dis-
charged or strong radio waves are present near
the operating location, the Intelligent Key sys-
tem’s operating range becomes narrower and
may not function properly.
If the Intelligent Key is within the operating
range, it is possible for anyone, even someone
who does not carry the Intelligent Key, to push
the ignition switch to start the engine. ●
The trunk area is not included in the operat-
ing range but the Intelligent Key may func-
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
5-8Starting and driving

PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
OPERATION
When the ignition switch is pushed without
depressing the brake pedal, the ignition switch
position will change as follows:
●Push center once to change to ACC.
● Push center two times to change to ON.
● Push center three times to change to OFF.
(No position illuminates.)
● Push center four times to return to ACC.
● Open or close any door to return to LOCK
during the OFF position. The ignition lock is designed so that the ignition
switch position cannot be switched to LOCK
until the selector lever is moved to the P (Park)
position.
When the ignition switch cannot be switched
toward the LOCK position, proceed as follows:
1. Move the selector lever into the P (Park)
position.
2. Push the ignition switch to the OFF posi- tion. The ignition switch position indicator
will not illuminate.
3. Open the door. The ignition switch will change to the LOCK position.
The selector lever can be moved from the P
(Park) position if the ignition switch is in the ON
position and the brake pedal is depressed.
If the battery of the vehicle is discharged, the
push-button ignition switch cannot be turned
from the LOCK position.
Some indicators and warnings for operation are
displayed on the dot matrix liquid crystal dis-
play between the speedometer and tachometer.
(See “DOT MATRIX LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY” in
the “2. Instruments and controls” section.)
STEERING LOCK (if so equipped)
In order for the steering wheel to be locked, it
must be turned about 1/8 of a right or left turn
from the straight up position.
To lock the steering wheel, push the ignition
switch to the OFF position. To unlock the steer-
ing wheel, push the ignition switch.
If the steering lock release malfunction indica-
tor appears on the dot matrix liquid crystal
display, push the push-button ignition switch
again while lightly turning the steering wheel
right and left. (See “DOT MATRIX LIQUID CRYS-
TAL DISPLAY” in the “2. Instruments and con-
trols” section.)
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
POSITIONS
LOCK (Normal parking position)
The ignition switch can only be locked in this
position.
The ignition switch will be unlocked when it is
pushed to the ACC position while carrying the
Intelligent Key or with the Intelligent Key in-
serted in the port.
SSD1021
Starting and driving5-9