four wheel drive INFINITI Q50-HYBRID 2014 Owners Manual

2-16Instruments and controls
approximately 1 minute when the ignition
switch is placed in the ON position. The
light will remain on after the 1 minute.
Have the system checked by an INFINITI
retailer. The“Tire Pressure Low - Add Air”
warning does not appear if the low tire
pressure warning light illuminates to in-
dicate a TPMS malfunction.
For additional information, see “Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring System (TPMS)” (P.5-4).
WARNING
.Radio waves could adversely affect
electric medical equipment. Those who
use a pacemaker should contact the
electric medical equipment manufacturer
for the possible influences before use.
. If the light does not illuminate with the
ignition switch pushed ON, have the
vehicle checked by an INFINITI retailer as
soon as possible.
. If the light illuminates 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 in-
crease 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 Information label to turn
the low tire pressure warning light OFF. If
the light still illuminates while driving
after adjusting the tire pressure, a tire
may be flat.
. Although you can continue driving with a
punctured run-flat tire, remember that
vehicle handling stability is reduced,
which could lead to an accident and
personal injury. Also, driving a long
distance at high speeds may damage
the tires.
. Do not drive at speeds above 50 MPH
(80 km/h) and do not drive more than
approximately 93 miles (150 km) with a
punctured run-flat tire. The actual dis-
tance the vehicle can be driven on a flat
tire depends on outside temperature,
vehicle load, road conditions and other
factors. .
If you detect any unusual sounds or
vibrations while driving with a punctured
run-flat tire, pull off the road to a safe
location and stop the vehicle as soon as
possible. The tire may be seriously
damaged and need to be replaced.
. When a wheel is replaced, the TPMS will
not function and the low tire pressure
warning light will flash for approxi-
mately 1 minute. The light will remain
on after the 1 minute. Contact your
INFINITI retailer as soon as possible for
tire replacement and/or system reset-
ting.
. Replacing tires with those not originally
specified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
CAUTION
.The TPMS is not a substitute for the
regular tire pressure check. Be sure to
check the tire pressure regularly.
. If the vehicle is being driven at speeds of
less than 16 MPH (25 km/h), the TPMS
may not operate correctly.

.Be sure to install the specified size of
tires to the four wheels correctly.
Master warning light
When the ignition switch is in the ON
position, the master warning light illumi-
nates if any of the following warnings
appear in the vehicle information display:
.NO KEY warning
. PUSH warning
. Key ID Incorrect warning
. Low washer fluid warning
. Door/trunk open warning
. Loose Fuel Cap warning
. Tire Pressure Low - Add Air warning
. Flat Tire - Visit dealer warning
. All-Wheel Drive (AWD) warning (if so
equipped)
. Headlight warning
. Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS)
warning (if so equipped)
. Intelligent Key system warning
. Chassis control warning
See “Vehicle information display” (P.2-21).
If the driver assist system warnings appear
in the vehicle information display, the master warning light also illuminates. See
“Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system/
Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system”
(P.5-30),
“Blind Spot Warning/Blind Spot
Intervention
TM/Back-up Collision Interven-
tion systems” (P.5-37),“Distance Control
Assist (DCA) system” (P.5-79),“Forward
emergency braking system” (P.5-89) and
“Predictive forward collision warning sys-
tem” (P.5-94).
Power steering warning light
When the ignition switch is in the ON
position, the power steering warning light
illuminates. After starting the hybrid sys-
tem, the power steering warning light turns
off. This indicates that the direct adaptive
steering system is operational.
If the power steering warning light illumi-
nates while the hybrid system is running, it
may indicate the direct adaptive steering
system is not functioning properly and may
need servicing. Have the direct adaptive
steering system checked by an INFINITI
retailer. (See “Power steering” (P.5-104).)
Seat belt warning light and
chime
The light and chime remind you to fasten
seat belts. The light illuminates whenever the ignition switch is pushed to the ON
position, and will remain illuminated until
the driver’s seat belt is fastened. At the
same time, the chime will sound for about
6 seconds unless the driver’s seat belt is
securely fastened.
The seat belt warning light for the front
passenger will illuminate if the seat belt is
not fastened when the front passenger’s
seat is occupied.
See
“Seat belts” (P.1-10) for precautions
on seat belt usage.
Supplemental air bag warning
light
After pushing the ignition switch to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warning
light will illuminate. The supplemental air
bag warning light will turn off after about 7
seconds if the supplemental front air bag
and supplemental side air bag, curtain
side-impact air bag systems and/or pre-
tensioner seat belt are operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the
supplemental front air bag, supplemental
side air bag, supplemental curtain side-
impact air bag and pretensioner seat belt
needs servicing and your vehicle must be
taken to your nearest INFINITI retailer.
Instruments and controls2-17

light will continue to illuminate until the
system is reset by an INFINITI retailer. Your
vehicle can be driven for a limited time on
a flat tire. See“Run-flat tires” (P.8-36).
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 com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale.
When the system detects a malfunction,
the telltale will flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as long
as the malfunction exists. When the mal-
function indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low
tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunc-
tions 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 prop- erly. 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 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 “Tire Pressure Low - Add Air”
warning appears in the vehicle informa-
tion display when the low tire pressure
warning light is illuminated and low tire
pressure is detected. The “Tire Pressure
Low - Add Air” warning turns off when
the low tire pressure warning light turns off.
The
“Tire Pressure Low - Add Air”
warning does not appear if the low tire
pressure warning light illuminates to
indicate a TPMS malfunction.
. The “Flat Tire - Visit dealer” warning
appears in the vehicle information dis-
play when the low tire pressure warn-
ing light is illuminated and one or more
flat tires are detected.
. 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 illuminate. If
the warning light illuminates in low
ambient temperature, check the tire
pressure for all four tires.
. You can also check the pressure of all
tires in the vehicle information display.
(See “Vehicle information display” (P.2-
21).)
For additional information, see “Low tire
pressure warning light” (P.2-15) and“Tire
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)” (P.6-
3).
Starting and driving5-5

5-6Starting and driving
WARNING
.Radio waves could adversely affect
electric medical equipment. Those who
use a pacemaker should contact the
electric medical equipment manufacturer
for the possible influences before use.
. If the low tire pressure warning light
illuminates 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 Information
label to turn the low tire pressure
warning light OFF. If the light still
illuminates while driving after adjusting
the tire pressure, a tire may be flat.
. Although you can continue driving with a
punctured run-flat tire, remember that vehicle handling stability is reduced,
which could lead to an accident and
personal injury. Also, driving a long
distance at high speeds may damage
the tires.
. Do not drive at speeds above 50 MPH
(80 km/h) and do not drive more than
approximately 93 miles (150 km) with a
punctured run-flat tire. The actual dis-
tance the vehicle can be driven on a flat
tire depends on outside temperature,
vehicle load, road conditions and other
factors.
. If you detect any unusual sounds or
vibrations while driving with a punctured
run-flat tire, pull off the road to a safe
location and stop the vehicle as soon as
possible. The tire may be seriously
damaged and need to be replaced.
. When a wheel is replaced, the TPMS will
not function and the low tire pressure
warning light will flash for approxi-
mately 1 minute. The light will remain
on after 1 minute. Contact your INFINITI
retailer as soon as possible for tire
replacement 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 tem-
porarily interfere with the operation of the
TPMS and cause the low tire pressure
warning light to illuminate. Some exam-
ples are:
.Facilities or electric devices using simi-
lar radio frequencies are near the
vehicle.
. If a transmitter set to similar frequen-
cies is being used in or near the

5-10Starting and driving
INTELLIGENT ALL-WHEEL DRIVE
(AWD) DRIVING SAFETY PRECAU-
TIONS (AWD models)
WARNING
.Do not drive beyond the performance
capability of the tires, even with Intelli-
gent AWD engaged. Accelerating quickly,
sharp steering maneuvers or sudden
braking may cause loss of control.
. Always use tires of the same type, size,
brand, construction (bias, bias-belted or
radial), 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 off-road
(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 (Reverse) position with
the hybrid system running. Doing 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
vehicle 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 facility personnel that your
vehicle is equipped with AWD before it is
placed on a dynamometer. Using the
wrong test equipment may result in
drivetrain damage or unexpected vehicle
movement which could result in serious
vehicle damage or personal injury.
. When a wheel is off the ground due to an
unlevel surface, do not spin the wheel
excessively.
WARNING
Do not operate the push-button ignition
switch while driving the vehicle except in an
emergency. (The INFINITI Direct Response
Hybrid
®System 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 hybrid system turns
off 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 shift lever to
the P (Park) position.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH

5-24Starting and driving
Engine·Transmission:
“Engine·Transmission” can be set to
[Sport], [Eco], [Standard] or [Snow].
Steering:
Four combinations of steering effort and
steering response can be set.
Steering effort Steering response
Standard Standard
Standard Quick
Heavy Quick
Light Casual
Active Trace Control:
“Active Trace Control”
can be set to ON
(enabled) or OFF (disabled).
For details about the Active Trace Control,
see “Active trace control” (P.5-110).Active Lane Control enables the driver to
make fewer steering corrections on free-
ways.
JVS0231X
Active Lane Control slightly corrects front
tire angles and steering wheel torque to
help reduce the difference between the
vehicle’s direction and the lane direction
*2which is detected by using the camera
unit
*1located above the inside mirror.
ACTIVE LANE CONTROL (if so equipped)

“Power steering warning light”(P.2-17).)
When the power steering warning light
illuminates with the hybrid system run-
ning, the power assist for the steering will
cease operation. You will still have control
of the vehicle. However, greater steering
effort will be needed, especially in sharp
turns and at low speeds.
If the direct adaptive steering system is
malfunctioning, the steering wheel may
turn slightly even when driving on a
straight road.
Under the following conditions, the steer-
ing wheel may turn slightly even when
driving on a straight road. This is due to a
protection mechanism for the direct adap-
tive steering system.
. When the battery is discharged
. When the hybrid system is stalled
. After the vehicle is tested on the four-
wheel dynamometer
. When the steering wheel is held in the
full lock position or when the front tire
touches an obstruction.
The steering wheel will return to the
normal position after the protection me-
chanism deactivates. To return to the
normal position, turn the hybrid system off, restart the hybrid system, and then
drive the vehicle for a period of time.
When the vehicle is tested on the 2-wheel
dynamometer, the power steering warning
light may illuminate. To turn off the power
steering warning light, stop the vehicle in a
safe location, turn the hybrid system off,
restart the hybrid system, and then drive
the vehicle for a period of time.
The following conditions do not indicate a
malfunction of the direct adaptive steering
system.
.
You may notice wider steering play
when the ignition switch is in the OFF
or ACC position compared to when it is
in the ON position.
. After the hybrid system is started, the
steering wheel may turn slightly even
when driving on a straight road. To
return to the normal position, drive the
vehicle on a straight road for a period
of time.
. After the hybrid system is started, the
steering wheel may move if the steering
wheel was turned to the fully locked
position while the ignition switch was
in the OFF position.
You may hear a noise under the following
conditions. However, this is not a malfunc- tion.
.
When the hybrid system is started or
stopped.
. When the steering wheel is turned in
the full lock position.
Starting and driving5-105

BRAKE ASSIST
When the force applied to the brake pedal
exceeds a certain level, the Brake Assist is
activated generating greater braking force
than a conventional brake booster even
with light pedal force.
WARNING
The Brake Assist is only an aid to assist
braking operation 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.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
WARNING
.The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is a
sophisticated device, but it cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from careless or
dangerous driving techniques. It can
help maintain vehicle control during
braking on slippery surfaces. Remember
that stopping distances on slippery
surfaces will be longer than on normal surfaces even with ABS. Stopping dis-
tances may also be longer on rough,
gravel or snow covered roads, or if you
are using tire chains. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front of
you. Ultimately, the driver is responsible
for safety.
. Tire type and condition may also affect
braking effectiveness.
—When replacing tires, install the
specified size of tires on all four
wheels.
—For detailed information, see“Wheels and tires” (P.8-30) of this
manual.
The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) con-
trols the brakes so the wheels do not lock
during hard braking or when braking on
slippery surfaces. The system detects the
rotation speed at each wheel and varies
the brake fluid pressure to prevent each
wheel from locking and sliding. By pre-
venting each wheel from locking, the
system helps the driver maintain steering
control and helps to minimize swerving
and spinning on slippery surfaces.
Using the system
Depress the brake pedal and hold it down.
Depress the brake pedal with firm steady
pressure, but do not pump the brakes. The
ABS will operate to prevent the wheels
from locking up. Steer the vehicle to avoid
obstacles.
WARNING
Do not pump the brake pedal. Doing so may
result in increased stopping distances.
Self-test feature
The ABS includes electronic sensors, elec-
tric pumps, hydraulic solenoids and a
computer. The computer has a built-in
diagnostic feature that tests the system
each time you start the hybrid system and
move the vehicle at a low speed in forward
or reverse. When the self-test occurs, you
may hear a “clunk”noise and/or feel a
pulsation in the brake pedal. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction. If the
computer senses a malfunction, it switches
the ABS off and illuminates the ABS
warning light on the instrument panel.
The brake system then operates normally,
Starting and driving5-107
BRAKE ASSIST

lightwill not flash. The VDC system is
automatically reset to on when the ignition
switch is placed in the off position then
back to the on position.
See “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) warn-
ing light” (P.2-18) and “Vehicle Dynamic
Control (VDC) off indicator light” (P.2-20).
The computer has a built-in diagnostic
feature that tests the system each time you
start the INFINITI Direct Response Hybrid
®
System 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
malfunction.
RISE-UP AND BUILD-UP
The system gradually adjusts braking
power during normal braking to help
provide an enhanced brake feel.
BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION
During braking while driving through turns,
the system optimizes the distribution of
force to each of the four wheels depending
on the radius of the turn.
WARNING
. The VDC system is designed to help the
driver maintain stability but does not
prevent accidents due to abrupt steering
operation at high speeds or by careless
or dangerous driving techniques. Reduce
vehicle speed and be especially careful
when driving and cornering on slippery
surfaces and always drive carefully.
. The rise-up and build-up, and brake force
distribution system may not be effective
depending on the driving condition.
Always drive carefully and attentively.
. 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 deteriorated, the VDC
system may not operate properly. This
could adversely affect vehicle handling performance, and the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
. If brake related parts such as brake
pads, rotors and calipers are not INFINITI
recommended or are extremely deterio-
rated, 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
deteriorated, the VDC warning light
may illuminate.
. When driving on extremely inclined
surfaces such as higher banked corners,
the VDC system may not operate prop-
erly 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 hybrid system after driving
onto a stable surface.
. If wheels or tires other than the INFINITI
recommended ones are used, the VDC
system may not operate properly and
the VDC warning light
may illumi-
Starting and driving5-109

FREEING A FROZEN DOOR LOCK
To prevent a door lock from freezing, apply
deicer through the key hole. If the lock
becomes frozen, heat the key before
inserting it into the key hole or use the
Intelligent Key system.
ANTIFREEZE
In the winter when it is anticipated that the
outside temperature will drop below 328F
(08C), check antifreeze to assure proper
winter protection. For additional informa-
tion, see“Engine cooling system” (P.8-9).
12-VOLT BATTERY
If the 12-volt battery is not fully charged
during extremely cold weather conditions,
the battery fluid may freeze and damage
the 12-volt battery. To maintain maximum
efficiency, the 12-volt battery should be
checked regularly. For additional informa-
tion, see“12-volt battery” (P.8-17).
DRAINING OF COOLANT WATER
If the vehicle is to be left outside without
antifreeze, drain the cooling system, in-
cluding the engine block. Refill before
operating the vehicle. For details, see
“Engine cooling system” (P.8-9) and“In-
verter cooling system” (P.8-11).
TIRE EQUIPMENT
SUMMER tires have a tread designed to
provide superior performance on dry pave-
ment. However, the performance of these
tires will be substantially reduced in snowy
and icy conditions. If you operate your
vehicle on snowy or icy roads, INFINITI
recommends the use of MUD & SNOW or
ALL SEASON tires on all four wheels.
Consult an INFINITI retailer for the tire
type, size, speed rating and availability
information.
For additional traction on icy roads,
studded tires may be used. However, some
U.S. states and Canadian provinces prohi-
bit their use. Check local, state and
provincial laws before installing studded
tires.
Skid and traction capabilities of studded
snow tires, on wet or dry surfaces, may be
poorer than that of non-studded snow
tires.
Tire chains may be used. For details, see
“Tire chains”(P.8-37) of this manual.
Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
models
If you install snow tires, they must also be
the same size, brand, construction and tread pattern on all four wheels.
SPECIAL WINTER EQUIPMENT
It is recommended that the following items
be carried in the vehicle during winter:
.
A scraper and stiff-bristled brush to
remove ice and snow from the windows
and wiper blades.
. A sturdy, flat board to be placed under
the jack to give it firm support.
. A shovel to dig the vehicle out of
snowdrifts.
. Extra window washer fluid to refill the
reservoir tank.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
WARNING
. Wet ice (328F, 0 8C and freezing rain),
very cold snow or ice can be slick and
very hard to drive on. The vehicle will
have much less traction or “grip”under
these conditions. Try to avoid driving on
wet ice until the road is salted or
sanded.
. Whatever the condition, drive with cau-
tion. Accelerate and slow down with
care. If accelerating or downshifting too
Starting and driving5-113
COLD WEATHER DRIVING