suspension INFINITI G-CONVERTIBLE 2011 Owners Manual

If the passenger air bag status light will not
illuminate even though you believe that the
child restraint, the seat belts and the occupant
are properly positioned, the system may be
sensing an unoccupied seat (in which case the
air bag is OFF). Your INFINITI retailer can check
that the system is OFF by using a special tool.
However, until you have confirmed with your
retailer that your air bag is working properly,
reposition the occupant or child restraint in a
rear seat.
The INFINITI Advanced Air Bag System and
passenger air bag status light will take a few
seconds to register a change in the passenger
seat status. However, if the seat becomes un-
occupied, the air bag status light will remain
off.
If a malfunction occurs in the front passenger
air bag system, the supplemental air bag warn-
ing light
, located in the meter and
gauges area will blink. Have the system
checked by an INFINITI retailer.
Other supplemental front-impact air
bag precautions
WARNING
● Do not place any objects on the steering
wheel pad or on the instrument panel. Also,
do not place any objects between any occu-
pant and the steering wheel or instrument
panel. Such objects may become dangerous
projectiles and cause injury if the front air
bag inflates.
● Do not place objects with sharp edges on the
seat. Also, do not place heavy objects on the
seat that will leave permanent impressions
in the seat. Such objects can damage the
seat or occupant classification sensor (pat-
tern sensor). This can affect the operation of
the air bag system and result in serious per-
sonal injury.
● Do not use water or acidic cleaners (hot
steam cleaners) on the seat. This can dam-
age the seat or occupant classification sen-
sor. This can also affect the operation of the
air bag system and result in serious personal
injury.
● Immediately after inflation, several front air
bag system components will be hot. Do not
touch them; you may severely burn yourself. ●
No unauthorized changes should be made to
any components or wiring of the air bag sys-
tem. This is to prevent accidental inflation of
the supplemental air bag or damage to the
supplemental air bag system.
● Do not make unauthorized changes to your
vehicle’s electrical system, suspension sys-
tem or front end structure. This could affect
proper operation of the front air bag system.
● Tampering with the air bag system may re-
sult in serious personal injury. Tampering
includes changes to the steering wheel and
the instrument panel assembly by placing
material over the steering wheel pad and
above the instrument panel or by installing
additional trim material around the air bag
system.
● Modifying or tampering with the front pas-
senger seat may result in serious personal
injury. For example, do not change the front
seats by placing material on the seat cush-
ion or by installing additional trim material,
such as seat covers, on the seat that is not
specifically designed to assure proper air
bag operation. Additionally, do not stow any
objects under the front passenger seat or the
seat cushion and seatback. Such objects
may interfere with the proper operation of
the occupant classification sensor.
1-44Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

The seat belts should be correctly worn and the
driver and passenger seated upright as far as
practical away from the side air bag. The side
air bags and curtain side air bags inflate quickly
in order to help protect the occupants. Because
of this, the force of the side air bags and curtain
air bags inflating can increase the risk of injury
if the occupant is too close to, or is against,
these air bag modules during inflation. The side
air bags and curtain air bags will deflate quickly
after the collision is over.
The side air bags and curtain air bags operate
only when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
After pushing the ignition switch to the ON posi-
tion, the supplemental air bag warning light illu-
minates. The air bag warning light will turn off
after about 7 seconds if the systems are opera-
tional.
WARNING
●Do not place any objects near the seatback
of the front seats. Also, do not place any
objects (an umbrella, bag, etc.) between the
front door finisher and the front seat. Such
objects may become dangerous projectiles
and cause injury if side air bag inflates. ●
Right after inflation, several side air bags
and curtain air bag system components will
be hot. Do not touch them; you may severely
burn yourself.
● No unauthorized changes should be made to
any components or wiring of side air bag and
curtain air bags. This is to prevent accidental
inflation of the side air bag and curtain air
bag or damage to side air bag and curtain air
bag systems.
● Do not make unauthorized changes to your
vehicle’s electrical system, suspension sys-
tem, door panel and door trim, and side
panel. This could affect proper operation of
the side air bag and curtain air bag systems.
● Tampering with the side air bag system may
result in serious personal injury. For ex-
ample, do not change the front seats by plac-
ing material near the seatback or by install-
ing additional trim material, such as seat
covers, around the side air bags. ●
Work around and on the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems should be done by an
INFINITI retailer. Installation of electrical
equipment should also be done by an
INFINITI retailer. The Supplemental Re-
straint System (SRS) wiring harnesses*
should not be modified or disconnected. Un-
authorized electrical test equipment and
probing devices should not be used on the
side-impact air bag system.
*1.The SRS wiring harness connectors are yellow and orange for easy identifica-
tion.
When selling your vehicle, we request that you
inform the buyer about the side air bag and
curtain air bag systems and guide the buyer to
the appropriate sections in this Owner’s
Manual.
1-46Safety — Seats, seat belts and supplemental restraint system

will not flash. The VDC system is auto-
matically reset to on when the ignition switch is
placed in the off position then back to the on
position.
See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) warning
light” in the “2. Instruments and controls”
section and “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) off
indicator light” in the “2. Instruments and con-
trols” section.
The computer has a built-in diagnostic feature
that tests the system each time you start the
engine and move the vehicle forward or in
reverse at a slow speed. When the self-test
occurs, you may hear a “clunk” noise and/or
feel a pulsation in the brake pedal. This is
normal and is not an indication of a malfunc-
tion.
WARNING
● The VDC system is designed to help the
driver maintain stability but does not pre-
vent accidents due to abrupt steering opera-
tion at high speeds or by careless or danger-
ous driving techniques. Reduce vehicle
speed and be especially careful when driving
and cornering on slippery surfaces and al-
ways drive carefully. ●
Do not modify the vehicle’s suspension. If
suspension parts such as shock absorbers,
struts, springs, stabilizer bars, bushings
and wheels are not INFINITI recommended
for your vehicle or are extremely deterio-
rated, the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly. This could adversely affect vehicle han-
dling performance, and the VDC warning
light
may illuminate.
● If brake related parts such as brake pads,
rotors and calipers are not INFINITI recom-
mended or are extremely deteriorated, the
VDC system may not operate properly and
the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
● If engine control related parts are not
INFINITI recommended or are extremely de-
teriorated, the VDC warning light
may
illuminate.
● When driving on extremely inclined surfaces
such as higher banked corners, the VDC sys-
tem may not operate properly and the VDC
warning light
may illuminate. Do not
drive on these types of roads.
● When driving on an unstable surface such as
a turntable, ferry, elevator or ramp, the VDC
warning light
may illuminate. This is
not a malfunction. Restart the engine after
driving onto a stable surface. ●
If wheels or tires other than the INFINITI rec-
ommended ones are used, the VDC system
may not operate properly and the VDC warn-
ing light
may illuminate.
● The VDC system is not a substitute for winter
tires or tire chains on a snow covered road.
Starting and driving5-53

Rear :
Do not use the tie down hook
2for towing or
vehicle recovery.
CAUTION
● Tow chains or cables must be attached only
to the vehicle recovery hooks or main struc-
tural members of the vehicle. Otherwise, the
vehicle body will be damaged.
● Do not use the vehicle tie downs to free a
vehicle stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.
● Never tow a vehicle using the vehicle tie
downs or recovery hooks. ●
Always pull the cable straight out from the
front of the vehicle. Never pull on the vehicle
at an angle.
● Pulling devices should be routed so they do
not touch any part of the suspension, steer-
ing, brake or cooling systems.
● Pulling devices such as ropes or canvas
straps are not recommended for use in ve-
hicle towing or recovery.
Rocking a stuck vehicle
If your vehicle is stuck in sand, snow, mud, etc.,
use the following procedure:
1. Turn off the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system.
2. Make sure the area in front and behind the vehicle is clear of obstructions.
3. Turn the steering wheel right and left to clear an area around the front tires.
4. Slowly rock the vehicle forward and back- ward.
●Shift back and forth between R (Reverse)
and D (Drive) (automatic transmission
models) or 1st and R (Reverse) (manual
transmission models). ●
Apply the accelerator as little as possible
to maintain the rocking motion.
● Release the accelerator pedal before
shifting between R (Reverse) and D (Drive)
(automatic transmission models) or 1st
and R (Reverse) (manual transmission
models).
● Do not spin the tires above 35 MPH (55
km/h).
5. If the vehicle cannot be freed after a few tries, contact a professional towing ser-
vice to remove the vehicle.
Rear
SCE0894
In case of emergency6-21

Machine compound or aggressive polishing on
a base coat/clear coat paint finish may dull the
finish or leave swirl marks.
REMOVING SPOTS
Remove tar and oil spots, industrial dust, in-
sects, and tree sap as quickly as possible from
the paint surface to avoid lasting damage or
staining. Special cleaning products are avail-
able at an INFINITI retailer or any automotive
accessory stores.
UNDERBODY
In areas where road salt is used in winter, the
underbody must be cleaned regularly. This will
prevent dirt and salt from building up and
causing the acceleration of corrosion on the
underbody and suspension. Before the winter
period and again in the spring, the underseal
must be checked and, if necessary, re-treated.
GLASS
Use glass cleaner to remove smoke and dust
film from the glass surfaces. It is normal for
glass to become coated with a film after the
vehicle is parked in the hot sun. Glass cleaner
and a soft cloth will easily remove this film.
CAUTION
When cleaning the inside of the windows, do
not use sharp-edged tools, abrasive cleaners or
chlorine-based disinfectant cleaners. They
could damage the electrical conductors, radio
antenna elements or rear window defroster
elements.
ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS
Wash regularly with a sponge dampened in a
mild soap solution, especially during winter
months in areas where road salt is used. Salt
could discolor the wheels if not removed.
CAUTION
Follow the directions below to avoid staining or
discoloring the wheels:
●Do not use a cleaner that uses strong acid or
alkali contents to clean the wheels.
● Do not apply wheel cleaners to the wheels
when they are hot. The wheel temperature
should be the same as ambient temperature.
● Rinse the wheel to completely remove the
cleaner within 15 minutes after the cleaner is
applied.
CHROME PARTS
Clean chrome parts regularly with a non- abra-
sive chrome polish to maintain the finish.
TIRE DRESSING
INFINITI does not recommend the use of tire
dressings. Tire manufacturers apply a coating
to the tires to help reduce discoloration of the
rubber. If a tire dressing is applied to the tires,
it may react with the coating and form a com-
pound. This compound may come off the tire
while driving and stain the vehicle paint.
If you choose to use a tire dressing, take the
following precautions:
● Use a water-based tire dressing. The coating
on the tire dissolves more easily with an
oil-based tire dressing.
● Apply a light coat of tire dressing to help
prevent it from entering the tire
tread/grooves (where it would be difficult to
remove).
● Wipe off excess tire dressing using a dry
towel. Make sure the tire dressing is com-
pletely removed from the tire tread/grooves.
● Allow the tire dressing to dry as recom-
mended by tire dressing manufacturer.
Appearance and care7-3

TYPES OF TIRES
WARNING
●When changing or replacing tires, be sure all
four tires are of the same type (Example:
Summer, All Season or Snow) and construc-
tion. An INFINITI retailer may be able to help
you with information about tire type, size,
speed rating and availability.
● Replacement tires may have a lower speed
rating than the factory equipped tires, and
may not match the potential maximum ve-
hicle speed. Never exceed the maximum
speed rating of the tire.
● Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the proper
operation of the TPMS.
● For additional information regarding tires,
refer to “Important Tire Safety Information”
(US) or “Tire Safety Information” (Canada) in
the Warranty Information Booklet.
All season tires
INFINITI specifies all season tires on some
models to provide good performance all year,
including snowy and icy road conditions. All
Season tires are identified by ALL SEASON
and/or M&S (Mud and Snow) on the tire side- wall. Snow tires have better snow traction than
All Season tires and may be more appropriate in
some areas.
Summer tires
INFINITI specifies summer tires on some models
to provide superior performance on dry roads.
Summer tire performance is substantially re-
duced in snow and ice. Summer tires do not
have the tire traction rating M&S on the tire
sidewall.
If you plan to operate your vehicle in snowy or
icy conditions, INFINITI recommends the use of
SNOW tires or ALL SEASON tires on all four
wheels.
Snow tires
If snow tires are needed, it is necessary to
select tires equivalent in size and load rating to
the original equipment tires. If you do not, it can
adversely affect the safety and handling of your
vehicle.
Generally, snow tires will have lower speed
ratings than factory equipped tires and may not
match the potential maximum vehicle speed.
Never exceed the maximum speed rating of the
tire.
If you install snow tires, they must be the same
size, brand, construction and tread pattern on
all four wheels.
For additional traction on icy roads, studded
tires may be used. However, some U.S. states
and Canadian provinces prohibit their use.
Check local, state and provincial laws before
installing studded tires. Skid and traction capa-
bilities of studded snow tires, on wet or dry
surfaces, may be poorer than that of non-
studded snow tires.
TIRE CHAINS
Use of tire chains may be prohibited according
to location. Check the local laws before install-
ing tire chains. When installing tire chains,
make sure they are the proper size for the tires
on your vehicle and are installed according to
the chain manufacturer’s suggestions.
Use only
SAE Class S chains. Class “S” chains are used
on vehicles with restricted tire to vehicle clear-
ance. Vehicles that can use Class “S” chains are
designed to meet the SAE standard minimum
clearances between the tire and the closest
vehicle suspension or body component re-
quired to accommodate the use of a winter
traction device (tire chains or cables). The mini-
mum clearances are determined using the fac-
tory equipped tire size. Other types may dam-
age your vehicle. Use chain tensioners when
8-32Maintenance and do-it-yourself