INFINITI M 2013 Owner's Manual

5-70Starting and driving
The Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
brakes and moves the accelerator pedal
upward according to the distance from and
the relative speed of the vehicle ahead to
help assist the driver to maintain a
following distance.
WARNING
.Always drive carefully and attentively
when using the Distance Control Assist
system. Read and understand the Own-
er’s Manual thoroughly before using the
DCA system. To avoid serious injury or
death, do not rely on the system to
prevent accidents or to control the
vehicle’s speed in emergency situations.
Do not use the Distance Control Assist
system except in appropriate road and
traffic conditions.
. 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 standstill with
a warning chime. To prevent the vehicle
from moving, the driver must depress
the brake pedal. .
The DCA system will not apply brake
control while the driver’s foot is on the
accelerator pedal.
SSD0943
PRECAUTIONS ON DISTANCE CON-
TROL ASSIST SYSTEM
The system is intended to assist the driver
to keep a following distance from the
vehicle ahead traveling in the same lane
and direction.
If the distance sensor
*Adetects a slower
moving vehicle ahead, the system will
reduce the vehicle speed to help assist
the driver to maintain a following distance.
The system automatically controls the
throttle and applies the brakes (up to
25% of vehicle braking power) if neces-
sary.
DISTANCE CONTROL ASSIST (DCA) SYSTEM
(if so equipped)

The detection range of the sensor is
approximately 390 ft (120 m) ahead.
WARNING
.This system is only an aid to assist the
driver and is not a collision warning or
avoidance device. It is the driver’ s
responsibility to stay alert, drive safely
and be in control of the vehicle at all
times.
. This system will not adapt automatically
to road conditions. Do not use the
system on roads with sharp curves, or
on icy roads, in heavy rain or in fog.
The distance sensor will not detect the
following objects:
.Stationary and slow moving vehicles
. Pedestrians or objects in the roadway
. Oncoming vehicles in the same lane
. Motorcycles traveling offset in the travel
lane
WARNING
. As there is a performance limit to the
distance control function, never rely
solely on the Distance Control Assist
system. This system does not correct
careless, inattentive or absent-minded
driving, or overcome poor visibility in
rain, fog, or other bad weather. Decele-
rate the vehicle speed by depressing the
brake pedal, depending on the distance
to the vehicle ahead and the surround-
ing circumstances in order to maintain a
safe distance between vehicles.
. The system may not detect the vehicle in
front of you in certain road or weather
conditions. To avoid accidents, never use
the Distance Control Assist system
under the following conditions:
—On roads with sharp curves
—On slippery road surfaces such as
on ice or snow, etc.
—During bad weather (rain, fog, snow,etc.)
—When strong light (for example, atsunrise or sunset) is directly shining
on the front of the vehicle
—When rain, snow or dirt adhere tothe system sensor
—On steep downhill roads (frequentbraking may result in overheating
the brakes)
—On repeated uphill and downhill
roads
. 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 distance from other vehicles
using the accelerator pedal. Always stay
alert and avoid using the DCA system
when it is not recommended in this
section.
Starting and driving5-71

5-72Starting and driving
SSD0943
DISTANCE CONTROL ASSIST OP-
ERATION
Always pay attention to the operation of
the vehicle and be ready to manually
decelerate to maintain the proper following
distance. The Distance Control Assist (DCA)
system may not be able to decelerate the
vehicle under some circumstances.
The DCA system uses a sensor
*Alocated
on the front of the vehicle to detect
vehicles traveling ahead. The sensor gen-
erally detects the signals returned from the
reflectors on a vehicle ahead. Therefore, if
the sensor cannot detect the reflector on the vehicle ahead, the DCA system may not
operate.
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 DCA system is designed to automati-
cally check the sensor’s operation. When
the sensor is covered with dirt or is
obstructed, the system will automatically
be canceled. If the sensor is covered with
ice, a transparent or translucent vinyl bag,
etc., the DCA system may not detect them. In these instances, the Distance Control
Assist (DCA) system may not be able to
decelerate the vehicle properly. Be sure to
check and clean the sensor regularly.
The DCA system is designed to help assist
the driver to maintain a following distance
from the vehicle ahead. The system will
decelerate as necessary and if the vehicle
ahead comes to a stop, the vehicle
decelerates to a standstill. However, the
DCA system can only apply up to 25% of
the vehicles total braking power. 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 DCA
system cannot decelerate the vehicle
quickly enough. If this occurs, the DCA
system will sound a warning chime and
blink the system display to notify the driver
to take necessary action.
See
“Approach warning” later in this
section.
This system only brakes and moves the
accelerator pedal upward to help assist the
driver to maintain a following distance
from the vehicle ahead. Acceleration
should be operated by the driver.

The DCA system does not control vehicle
speed or warn you when you approach
stationary and slow moving vehicles. You
must pay attention to vehicle operation to
maintain proper distance from vehicles
ahead.
SSD0252
The detection zone of the sensor is limited.
A vehicle ahead must be in the detection
zone for the system to operate.
A vehicle ahead may move outside of the
detection zone due to its position within
the same lane of travel. Motorcycles may
not be detected in the same lane ahead if
they are traveling offset from the centerline
of the lane. A vehicle that is entering the
lane ahead may not be detected until the
vehicle has completely moved into the
lane.If this occurs, the system may warn
you by blinking the system indicator and
sounding the chime. The driver may have
to manually control the proper distance away from vehicle traveling ahead.
Starting and driving5-73

5-74Starting and driving
SSD0253
When driving on some roads, such as
winding, hilly, curved, narrow roads, or
roads which are under construction, the
sensor may detect vehicles in a different
lane, or may temporarily not detect a
vehicle traveling ahead. This may cause
the system to work inappropriately.
The detection of vehicles may also be
affected by vehicle operation (steering
maneuver or traveling position in the lane,
etc.) or vehicle condition.If this occurs, the
system may warn you by blinking the
system indicator and sounding the chime
unexpectedly. You will have to manually
control the proper distance away from the vehicle traveling ahead.
SSD0994
Distance Control Assist system
display and indicators
The display is located between the speed-
ometer and tachometer.
1. Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
switch indicator:
Indicates that the dynamic driver assis-
tance switch is ON.
2. Vehicle ahead detection indicator: Indicates whether it detects a vehicle in
front of you.
3. Distance Control Assist system warning light (orange):

The light comes on if there is a
malfunction in the DCA system.
SSD0995
Operating Distance Control Assist
(DCA) system
The DCA system turns on when the
dynamic driver assistance switch on the
steering wheel is pushed when the“Dis-
tance Control Assist” is enabled in the
settings menu on the center display. The
Distance Control Assist (DCA) system in-
dicator in the dot matrix liquid crystal
display appears when the DCA system is
turned on.
The system will start to operate after the
vehicle speed becomes above approxi-
mately 3 MPH (5 km/h).
WARNING
When the DCA system is not necessary, be
sure to turn off the dynamic driver assis-
tance switch. Using the system when it is
not necessary may result in an accident.
Starting and driving5-75

5-76Starting and driving
SSD0939
With navigation system
SSD1001
How to enable/disable the DCA system
using the settings menu:
Perform the following steps to enable or
disable the DCA system.
1. Push the SETTING
*1button and high-
light the “Driver Assistance” key on the
display using the INFINITI controller.
Then push the ENTER
*2button.
2. Highlight the “Dynamic Assistance Set-
tings” key, and push the ENTER
*2
button.
SSD1002
3. Highlight the “Distance Control Assist”
key, select ON (enabled) or OFF (dis-
abled) and push the ENTER
*2button.
For the LDP and BSI systems, see “Lane
Departure Warning (LDW) system/Lane
Departure Prevention (LDP) system” earlier
in this section and “Blind Spot Warning
(BSW) system/Blind Spot Intervention
TM
(BSI) system” earlier in this section.

SSD0996
Under the following conditions, the DCA
system will not operate and the DCA
system switch indicator light will blink:
.When the drive mode select switch is
turned to the SNOW mode (To use the
DCA system, turn the drive mode select
switch to a mode other than the SNOW
mode, then turn on the dynamic driver
assistance switch.)
For details about the INFINITI drive
mode selector, see “INFINITI drive mode
selector” in the“5. Starting and driv-
ing” section.
. When the VDC system is off (To use the
DCA system, turn on the VDC, then push the dynamic driver assistance
switch.)
For details about the VDC system, see
“Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) sys-
tem”
later in this section.
. When ABS or VDC (including the trac-
tion control system) is operating
. When driving into a strong light (for
example, sunlight)
When the Conventional (fixed speed) cruise
control mode is operating, the DCA system
will not operate. (To use the DCA system,
turn the Conventional (fixed speed) cruise
control mode off, then push the dynamic
driver assistance switch.)
For details about the Conventional (fixed
speed) cruise control mode, see “Intelli-
gent Cruise Control (ICC) system” earlier in
this section.
When the engine is turned off, the DCA
system is automatically turned off.
Starting and driving5-77

5-78Starting and driving
SSD0997
System operation
1. System set display with vehicle ahead
2. System set display without vehicleahead
WARNING
The Distance Control Assist system auto-
matically decelerates your vehicle to help
assist the driver to maintain a following
distance from the vehicle ahead. Manually
brake when deceleration is required to
maintain a safe distance upon sudden
braking by the vehicle ahead or when a vehicle suddenly appears in front of you.
Always stay alert when using the DCA
system.
The Distance Control Assist (DCA) system
helps assist the driver to keep a following
distance to the vehicle ahead by braking
and moving the accelerator pedal upward
in the normal driving condition.
When a vehicle is detected ahead:
The vehicle ahead detection indicator
comes on.When vehicle approaches a vehicle ahead:
. If the driver’ s foot is not on the
accelerator pedal, the system activates
the brakes to decelerate smoothly as
necessary. If the vehicle ahead comes
to a stop, the vehicle decelerates to a
standstill within the limitations of the
system.
. If the driver’s foot is on the accelerator
pedal, the system moves the accelera-
tor pedal upward to assist the driver to
release the accelerator pedal.
When brake operation by driver is re-
quired:
The system alerts the driver by a warning
chime and blinking the vehicle ahead
detection indicator. If the driver’s foot is
on the accelerator pedal after the warning,
the system moves the accelerator pedal
upward to assist the driver to switch to the
brake pedal.
The stoplights of the vehicle come on
when braking is performed by the DCA
system.
When the brake operates, a noise may be
heard. This is not a malfunction.

WARNING
.When the vehicle ahead detection in-
dicator light is not illuminated, system
will not control or warn the driver.
. Depending on the position of the accel-
erator pedal, the system may not be able
to assist the driver to release the
accelerator pedal appropriately.
. If the vehicle ahead comes to a stand-
still, the vehicle decelerates to a stand-
still within the limitations of the system.
The system will release brake control
with a warning chime once it judges the
vehicle is at a standstill. To prevent the
vehicle from moving, the driver must
depress the brake pedal. (The system
will resume control automatically once
the system reaches 3 MPH (5 km/h)).
Overriding the system:
The following driver’s operation overrides
the system operation.
. When the driver depresses the accel-
erator pedal even further while the
system is moving the accelerator pedal
upward, the DCA system control of the accelerator pedal is canceled.
. When the driver’s foot is on the accel-
erator pedal, the brake control by the
system is not operated.
. When the driver’s foot is on the brake
pedal, neither the brake control nor the
alert by the system operates.
. When the Intelligent Cruise Control
system is set, the DCA system will be
cancelled.
Approach warning
If your vehicle comes closer to the vehicle
ahead due to rapid deceleration of that
vehicle or if another vehicle cuts in, the
system warns the driver with the chime
and DCA system display. Decelerate by
depressing the brake pedal to maintain a
safe vehicle distance if:
. The chime sounds.
. The vehicle ahead detection indicator
blinks.
The warning chime may not sound in some
cases when there is a short distance
between vehicles. Some examples are:
. When the vehicles are traveling at the
same speed and the distance between
vehicles is not changing .
When the vehicle ahead is traveling
faster and the distance between vehi-
cles is increasing
. When a vehicle cuts in near your vehicle
The warning chime will not sound when
your vehicle approaches vehicles that are
parked or moving slowly.
Starting and driving5-79