ECO mode INFINITI M-HEV 2013 Owners Manual

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 themselves or others
through inadvertent operation 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.
. Closely supervise children when they are
around cars to prevent them from play-
ing and becoming locked in the trunk
where they could be seriously injured.
Keep the car locked, with the rear
seatback and trunk lid securely latched
when not in use, and prevent children’s
access to car keys.
. Do not attempt to test the vehicle on a
dynamometer (such as the dynam-
ometers used by some states for emis-
sions testing), or similar equipment.
Doing so may cause damage to the
drivetrain or the high voltage battery.
Make sure you inform test facility personnel that your vehicle is hybrid.
Using the wrong test equipment may
result in drivetrain damage or unex-
pected vehicle movement which could
result in serious vehicle damage or
pearsonal injury.
EXHAUST GAS (carbon monoxide)
WARNING
.
Do not breathe exhaust gases; they
contain colorless and odorless carbon
monoxide. Carbon monoxide is danger-
ous. It can cause unconsciousness or
death.
. If you suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering 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 ignition
switch in the ON position and the
INFINITI Direct Response Hybrid
TMSys-
tem in the ready to drive mode for any
extended length of time. .
Do not park the vehicle with the engine
running for any extended length of time.
. Keep the trunk lid closed while driving,
otherwise exhaust gases could be drawn
into the passenger compartment. If you
must drive with the trunk lid 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 con-
nections must pass to a trailer through
the seal on the trunk lid or the body,
follow the manufacturer’s recommenda-
tion to prevent carbon monoxide entry
into the vehicle.
. The exhaust system and body should be
inspected by a qualified mechanic when-
ever:
—The vehicle is raised for service.
—You suspect that exhaust fumes are
entering into the passenger compart-
ment.
—You notice a change in the sound ofthe exhaust system.
Starting and driving5-3
PRECAUTIONS WHEN STARTING AND
DRIVING

1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shift selector to P (Park)position.
The INFINITI Direct Response Hybrid
TM
System is designed not to operate if
the shift selector is not in the P (Park)
position.
3. Depress the brake pedal and push the ignition switch to start the hybrid
system. The READY to drive indicator
light will illuminate on the meter.
When starting the hybrid system at
very low outside temperatures, the
READY to drive indicator light will flash
and it may take longer for the READY to
drive indicator light to illuminate.
. The hybrid system may not start even
with the READY to drive indicator light
illuminated. Once the READY to drive
indicator light is illuminated you may
begin driving the vehicle.
. You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment when the brake pedal is
depressed with the hybrid system off.
This does not indicate a problem.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential 12-volt battery discharge and potential no-start condi-
tions such as:
1.
Installation or extended use of electro-
nic accessories that consume 12-volt
battery power when the engine is not
running (Phone chargers, GPS, DVD
players, etc.)
2. Vehicle is not driven regularly and/or
only driven short distances.
In these cases, the 12-volt battery may
need to be charged to maintain 12-volt
battery health.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The automatic transmission in your vehicle
is electronically controlled by a transmis-
sion control module to produce maximum
efficiency and smooth operation.
Shown on the following pages are the
recommended operating procedures for
this transmission. Follow these procedures
for maximum vehicle performance and
driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle
After starting the INFINITI Direct Response
HybridTMSystem, fully depress the foot
brake pedal and push the selector lever
button before shifting the selector lever to
the R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive) 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 position 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
Starting and driving5-13
STARTING THE INFINITI DIRECT RESPONSE
HYBRIDTMSYSTEM DRIVING THE VEHICLE

5-16Starting and driving
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 econ-
omy.
. Moving the selector lever rapidly to the
same side twice will shift the ranges in
succession.
. In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear
or may automatically shift to the other
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
When the transmission does not shift
to the selected gear, 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 transmis-
sion automatically shifts down to 1st
gear before the vehicle comes to a
stop. When accelerating 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, depending 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 spin-
ning and subsequent 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 ignition 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 repair if necessary.

SSD1024
Drive mode select switch
Four driving modes can be selected by
using the drive mode selector switch,
STANDARD, SPORT, ECO and SNOW. Select
the STANDARD mode for normal driving.
NOTE:
When the drive mode select switch selects
a mode, the mode may not switch quickly.
This is not a malfunction.
STANDARD MODE
Recommended for normal driving. Turn the
drive mode select switch to the
position. “STANDARD” appears in the
vehicle information display for 2 seconds.
SPORT MODE
Adjusts the engine and transmission
points to enhance performance. If the
vehicle is equipped with the active trace
control system, the amount of brake
control provided by active trace control is
reduced. (See “Vehicle Dynamic Control
(VDC) system” later in this section.) Turn
the drive mode select switch to the SPORT
position. “SPORT”appears in the vehicle
information display for 2 seconds.
NOTE:
In the SPORT mode, fuel economy may be
reduced.
SNOW MODE
Used on snowy roads or slippery areas.
When the SNOW mode is activated, engine
output is controlled to avoid wheel spin.
Turn the SNOW mode off for normal
driving. Turn the drive mode select switch
to the SNOW position. “SNOW”appears in
the vehicle information display for 2 seconds.
ECO MODE
Adjusts engine and transmission points to
enhance fuel economy.
NOTE:
Selecting this drive mode will not neces-
sarily improve fuel economy as many
driving factors influence its effectiveness.
Operation
Turn the drive mode select switch to the
ECO position.
“ECO”appears in the vehicle
information display for 2 seconds and the
ECO drive indicator light illuminates on the
instrument panel.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
within the range of economy drive, the ECO
drive indicator light illuminates in green.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
above the range of economy drive, the
color of the ECO drive indicator light
changes to orange. For ECO pedal system
equipped models see “ECO pedal system”
later in this section.
The ECO drive indicator light will not
illuminate in the following cases:
. When the selector lever is in the R
(Reverse) position.
Starting and driving5-19
INFINITI DRIVE MODE SELECTOR

5-20Starting and driving
.When the vehicle speed is below 3 MPH
(4.8 km/h) or over 90 MPH (144 km/h).
. When the Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC)
system is operated.
ECO pedal system (if so equipped)
Helps assist the driver to improve fuel
economy by increasing the reaction force
of the accelerator pedal. When the ECO
drive indicator light is blinking or turns
orange, the ECO pedal system increases
the reaction force of the accelerator pedal.
SSD1041
When the ECO drive indicator illuminates in
green, the accelerator reaction force is
normal. When the ECO drive indicator light
is blinking or turns orange, the ECO pedal
system increases the reaction force of the
accelerator pedal.
The ECO pedal system may not vary
accelerator reaction force under the follow-
ing conditions:
. When the selector lever is in the N
(Neutral) or R (Reverse) position.
. When Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) is
being operated.
If the ECO pedal system malfunctions, it
will cancel automatically. The ECO pedal system will not vary the reaction force of
the accelerator pedal.
When the drive mode select switch is
rotated from the ECO mode to another
mode (STANDARD, SPORT or SNOW) while
the ECO pedal system is operating, the ECO
pedal system continues to operate until
the pedal is released.
If the accelerator pedal is depressed
quickly, the ECO pedal system will not
increase the reaction force of the accelera-
tion pedal. The ECO pedal system is not
designed to prevent the vehicle from
accelerating.
Adjusting the ECO pedal system reaction
force:
The ECO pedal system reaction force can
be adjusted. The reaction force setting will
be maintained until the setting is changed
even if the INFINITI Direct Response Hy-
brid
TMSystem is turned off.

road and traffic conditions.
. In the conventional (fixed speed) cruise
control mode, a warning chime will not
sound to warn you if you are too close to
the vehicle ahead. Pay special attention
to the distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle ahead of you or a collision
could occur.
SSD0976
1. Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control
mode
2. Conventional (fixed speed) cruise con- trol mode
Push the MAIN switch
*Ato choose the
cruise control mode between the vehicle-
to-vehicle distance control mode
*1and
the conventional (fixed speed) cruise con-
trol mode
*2.
To choose the vehicle-to-vehicle distance
control 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 approximately 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 con-
trol mode, see
“Conventional (fixed speed)
Starting and driving5-47

5-50Starting and driving
JVS0069X
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 vehicles (following dis-
tance) 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. Therefore, if
the sensor cannot detect the reflector on
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 trunk of
your vehicle
The ICC system is designed to automati-
cally check the sensor’s operation within
the limitations of the system. When the sensor is covered with dirt or obstructs, the
system will automatically be canceled. If
the sensor is covered with ice, a transpar-
ent 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. How-
ever, the ICC system can only apply up to
25% of the vehicles total braking power.
This system should only be used when
traffic conditions allow vehicle speeds to
remain fairly constant or when vehicle
speeds change gradually. If a vehicle
moves into the traveling lane ahead or if
a vehicle traveling ahead rapidly decele-
rates, the distance between vehicles may
become closer because the ICC system
cannot decelerate the vehicle quickly en-
ough. If this occurs, the ICC system will

5-56Starting and driving
SSD0981
To set cruising speed,accelerate your
vehicle to the desired speed, push the
COAST/SET switch and release it. (Vehicle
ahead detection indicator, set distance
indicator and set vehicle speed indicator
come on.) Take your foot off the accelerator
pedal. Your vehicle will maintain the set
speed.
SSD0982
When the COAST/SET switch is pushed
under the following conditions, the system
cannot be set and the ICC indicators will
blink for approximately 2 seconds:
. When traveling below 20 MPH (32
km/h) and the vehicle ahead is not
detected
. When the selector lever is not in the D
or Manual mode
. When the windshield wipers are operat-
ing at high speed (HI). If the vehicle is
equipped with a rain sensing auto
wiper, the system may cancel when
the wipers are set to the AUTO position. .
When the parking brake is applied
. When the brakes are operated by the
driver

5-62Starting and driving
SSD0284A
NOTE:
The approach warning chime may sound
and the system display may blink when
the ICC sensor detects some reflectors
*A
which are fitted on vehicles in other lanes
or on the side of the road. This may cause
the ICC system to decelerate or accelerate
the vehicle. The ICC sensor may detect
these reflectors when the vehicle is driven
on winding roads, hilly roads or when
entering or exiting a curve. The ICC sensor
may also detect reflectors on narrow roads
or in road construction zones. In these
cases you will have to manually control
the proper distance ahead of your vehicle.Also, the sensor sensitivity can be affected
by vehicle operation (steering maneuver or
driving position in the lane) or traffic or
vehicle condition (for example, if a vehicle
is being driven with some damage).
Automatic cancellation
A chime sounds under the following con-
ditions and the control is automatically
canceled.
.
When the vehicle ahead is not detected
and your vehicle is traveling below the
speed of 15 MPH (24 km/h)
. When the system judges the vehicle is
at standstill
. When the selector lever is not in the D
or Manual mode
. When the windshield wipers are operat-
ing at high speed (HI). If the vehicle is
equipped with a rain sensing auto-
wiper, the system may cancel when the
wipers are set to the AUTO position.
. When the parking brake is applied
. When the drive mode select switch is
turned to the SNOW mode
. When the VDC system is turned off
. When ABS or VDC (including the trac-
tion control system) operates .
When driving into a strong light (for
example, sunlight)
. When distance measurement becomes
impaired due to adhesion of dirt or
obstruction to the sensor
. When a wheel slips

5-66Starting and driving
JVS0077X
Conventional (fixed speed) cruise
control mode display and indica-
tors
The display is located between the speed-
ometer and tachometer.
1. MAIN switch indicator:Indicates that the MAIN switch is ON.
2. Cruise set switch indicator: Displays while the vehicle speed is
controlled by the conventional (fixed
speed) cruise control mode.
SSD0992
Operating conventional (fixed
speed) cruise control mode
To turn on the conventional (fixed speed)
cruise control mode, push and hold the
MAIN switch
*Afor longer than about 1.5
seconds.
When pushing the MAIN switch on, the
Intelligent Cruise Control system display
and the CRUISE indicator are displayed on
the dot matrix crystal display. After you
hold the MAIN switch on for longer than
about 1.5 seconds, the Intelligent Cruise
Control system display goes out. The
CRUISE indicator stays lit. You can now set your desired cruising speed. Pushing
the MAIN switch again will turn the system
completely off.
When the Distance Control Assist (DCA)
system is on, the conventional (fixed
speed) cruise control mode cannot be
turned on even though the MAIN switch is
pushed and held.
To turn on the conventional (fixed speed)
cruise control mode, turn off the DCA
system. See
“Distance Control Assist
(DCA) system” later in this section.
When the ignition switch is pushed to the
OFF position, the system is also automati-
cally turned off. To use the Intelligent
Cruise Control again, quickly push and
release the MAIN switch (vehicle-to-vehicle
distance control mode) or push and hold it
(conventional cruise control mode) again to
turn it on.
CAUTION
To avoid accidentally engaging cruise con-
trol, make sure to turn the MAIN switch off
when not using the Intelligent Cruise Con-
trol system.