tow INFINITI QX50 2019 Owner's Guide

5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving.............5-4
Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ................5-4
Three-way catalyst ............................5-4
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) .......5-5
On-pavement and off-road driving
precautions ...................................5-9
Avoiding collision and rollover ..................5-9
Off-road recovery .............................5-9
Rapid air pressure loss ....................... 5-10
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ...........5-10
Driving safety precautions ....................5-11
Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD) driving
safety precautions (if so equipped) ...........5-13
Push-button ignition switch ....................5-13
Operating range ............................ 5-14
Push-button ignition switch positions .........5-15
Emergency engine shut off ..................5-16
INFINITI Intelligent Key battery
discharge ................................... 5-16
INFINITI Vehicle Immobilizer System ..........5-17
Before starting the engine .......................5-17
Starting the engine .............................. 5-17
Remote Engine Start (if so equipped) .........5-18 Driving the vehicle
.............................. 5-19
Continuously Variable Transmission
(CVT) ....................................... 5-19
Electronic parking brake ........................ 5-24
Automatic operation ........................ 5-24
Manual operation ........................... 5-25
When towing a trailer ....................... 5-26
Automatic brake hold ........................... 5-26
How to activate/deactivate the
automatic brake hold function ...............5-27
How to use the automatic brake hold
function .................................... 5-28
INFINITI Drive Mode Selector ..................5-29
Standard mode ............................. 5-29
Sport mode ................................. 5-29
Personal mode .............................. 5-29
ECO mode .................................. 5-30
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
(if so equipped) ................................. 5-33
L

DW system operation ...................... 5-34
How to enable/disable the LDW system .....5-35
LDW system limitations .....................5-35
System temporarily unavailable ..............5-36

CAUTION
∙ Do not use leaded gasoline. Depositsfrom leaded gasoline will seriously reduce
the three-way catalyst’s ability to help
reduce exhaust pollutants.
∙ Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunctions in the ignition, fuel injection, or electrical
systems can cause over rich fuel flow into
the three-way catalyst, causing it to
overheat. Do not keep driving if the en-
gine misfires, or if noticeable loss of per-
formance or other unusual operating
conditions are detected. Have the vehicle
inspected promptly. It is recommended
that you visit an INFINITI retailer for this
service.
∙ 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 recom-
mended 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 Monitor-
ing System (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu-
minates, you should stop and check all your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. 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 driv-
er’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 approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This se-
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illumi-
nated, the system may not be able to detect
or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea-
sons, including the installation of replace-
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the ve-
hicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunc-
tion telltale after replacing one or more tires
or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels al-
low the TPMS to continue to function prop-
erly.
Starting and driving5-5

INFINITI is committed to safe driving. How-
ever, you must choose not to drive under the
influence of alcohol. Every year thousands of
people are injured or killed in alcohol-related
accidents. Although the local laws vary on
what is considered to be legally intoxicated,
the fact is that alcohol affects all people dif-
ferently and most people underestimate the
effects of alcohol.
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 condition.
DRIVING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Your INFINITI is designed for both normal
and off-road use. However, avoid driving in
deep water or mud as your INFINITI is mainly
designed for leisure use, unlike a conventional
off-road vehicle.
Remember that 2-wheel drive models are
less capable than All-Wheel Drive (AWD)
models for rough road driving and extrication
when stuck in deep snow or mud, or the like.
Please observe the following precautions:
WARNING
∙ Spinning the front wheels on slipperysurfaces may cause the AWD warning
message to display and the AWD system
to automatically switch from the AWD to
the 2WD mode. This could reduce the
traction. Be especially careful when tow-
ing a trailer (AWD models).
∙ Drive carefully when off the road and avoid dangerous areas. Every person
who drives or rides in this vehicle should
be seated with their seat belt fastened.
This will keep you and your passengers in
position when driving over rough terrain.
∙ Do not drive across steep slopes. Instead drive either straight up or straight down
the slopes. Off-road vehicles can tip over
sideways much more easily than they can
forward or backward.
∙ Many hills are too steep for any vehicle. If you drive up them, you may stall. If you
drive down them, you may not be able to
control your speed. If you drive across
them, you may roll over.
∙ Do not shift gears while driving on down- hill grades as this could cause loss of con-
trol of the vehicle. ∙ Stay alert when driving to the top of a
hill. At the top there could be a drop-off
or other hazard that could cause an
accident.
∙ If your engine stalls or you cannot make it to the top of a steep hill, never attempt to
turn around. Your vehicle could tip or roll
over. Always back straight down in R
(Reverse) gear and apply brakes to con-
trol your speed.
∙ Heavy braking going down a hill could cause your brakes to overheat and fade,
resulting in loss of control and an acci-
dent. Apply brakes lightly and use a low
gear to control your speed.
∙ Unsecured cargo can be thrown around when driving over rough terrain. Prop-
erly secure all cargo so it will not be
thrown forward and cause injury to you
or your passengers.
∙ Secure heavy loads in the cargo area as far forward and as low as possible. Do not
equip the vehicle with tires larger than
specified in this manual. This could cause
your vehicle to roll over.
Starting and driving5-11

∙ Remember not to drive at high speeds forextended periods of time in lower than
8th gear. This reduces fuel economy.
When shifting up
Use the + (up) side paddle shifter. (Shifts to
higher range.)
When shifting down
Use the (down) side paddle shifter. (Shifts
to lower range.)
∙ The transmission will automatically downshift the gears. (For example, if you
select the 3rd range, the transmission will
shift down between the 3rd and 1st
gears.)
∙ Moving the shift lever rapidly to the same side twice will shift the ranges in succes-
sion.
When canceling the manual shift mode
Move the shift lever to the D (Drive) position
to return the transmission to the normal driv-
ing mode. ∙ In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may not shift to the selected gear.
This helps maintain driving performance
and reduces the chance of vehicle dam-
age or loss of control. ∙
When this situation occurs, the Continu-
ously Variable Transmission (CVT) posi-
tion indicator will blink and the chime
will sound.
∙ In the manual shift mode, the transmis-
sion may shift up automatically to a
higher range than selected if the engine
speed is too high. When the vehicle
speed decreases, the transmission auto-
matically shifts down and shifts to 1st
gear before the vehicle comes to a stop.
∙ CVT operation is limited to automatic drive mode when CVT fluid temperature
is extremely low even if manual shift
mode is selected. This is not a malfunc-
tion. When CVT fluid warms up, manual
mode can be selected.
∙ When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shift range may upshift in lower rpm
than usual. This is not a malfunction.
Accelerator downshift
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the ac-
celerator pedal to the floor. This shifts the
transmission down into a lower gear, de-
pending on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tempera-
ture protection mode. If the fluid temperature
becomes too high (for example, when climb-
ing steep grades in high temperatures with
heavy loads, such as when towing a trailer),
engine power and, under some conditions,
vehicle speed will be decreased automatically
to reduce the chance of transmission dam-
age. Vehicle speed can be controlled with the
accelerator pedal, but the engine and vehicle
speed may be limited.
Fail-safe
When the fail-safe operation occurs, the
Continuously Variable Transmission will not
be shifted into the selected driving position.
If the vehicle is driven under extreme condi-
tions, such as excessive wheel spinning and
subsequent hard braking, the fail-safe sys-
tem may be activated. The Malfunction Indi-
cator Light (MIL) may come on to indicate
the fail-safe mode is activated. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Malfunction In-
dicator Light (MIL)” in the “Instruments and
controls” section of this manual. This will oc-
cur even if all electrical circuits are function-
ing properly. In this case, place the ignition
Starting and driving5-23

∙When the electronic parking brake is fre-
quently applied and released in a short
period of time, the parking brake may
not operate in order to prevent the park-
ing brake system from overheating. If
this occurs, operate the electronic park-
ing brake switch again after waiting ap-
proximately 1 minute.
∙ If the electronic parking brake must be
applied while driving in an emergency,
pull up and hold the parking brake
switch. When you release the parking
brake switch, the parking brake will be
released.
∙ While pulling up the electronic parking
brake switch during driving, the parking
brake is applied and a chime sounds. The
electronic parking brake indicator light
(red) in the meter and in the parking
brake switch illuminates. This does not
indicate a malfunction. The electronic
parking brake indicator light (red) in the
meter and in the parking brake switch
turns off when the parking brake is re-
leased. ∙
When pulling the electronic parking
brake switch up with the ignition switch
in the OFF or AUTO ACC position, the
parking brake switch indicator light will
continue to illuminate for a short period
of time.
WHEN TOWING A TRAILER
Depending on the weight of the vehicle and
trailer and the steepness of the slope, there
may be a tendency for the vehicle to move
backwards when starting from a standstill.
When this occurs, you can use the parking
brake switch in the same way as a conven-
tional lever type parking brake.
Before starting on sloping roads when tow-
ing a trailer, be sure to read the following to
prevent the vehicle from moving backwards
unintentionally.
∙ Release the parking brake switch as soon as the engine is delivering enough torque
to the wheels. The automatic brake hold function maintains
the braking force without the driver having to
depress the brake pedal when the vehicle is
stopped at a traffic light or intersection. As
soon as the driver depresses the accelerator
pedal again, the automatic brake hold func-
tion is deactivated and the braking force is
released. The operating status of the auto-
matic brake hold can be displayed on the
vehicle information display.
WARNING
∙ The automatic brake hold function is not
designed to hold the vehicle on a steep hill
or slippery road. Never use the automatic
brake hold when the vehicle is stopped on
a steep hill or slippery road. Failure to do
so may cause the vehicle to move.
∙ When the automatic brake hold function is activated but fails to maintain the ve-
hicle at a standstill, depress the brake
pedal to stop the vehicle. If the vehicle
unexpectedly moves due to outside con-
ditions, the chime may sound and auto-
matic brake hold warning may illuminate
in the vehicle information display.
∙ Be sure to deactivate the automatic brake hold function when using a car
wash or towing your vehicle.
AUTOMATIC BRAKE HOLD
5-26Starting and driving

∙ The system will not operate at speeds be-low approximately 37 mph (60 km/h) or
if it cannot detect lane markers.
∙ Do not use the LDW system under the following conditions as it may not func-
tion properly:
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.).
– When driving on slippery roads, such as on ice or snow.
– When driving on winding or uneven roads.
– When there is a lane closure due to road repairs.
– When driving in a makeshift or tempo- rary lane.
– When driving on roads where the lane width is too narrow.
– When driving without normal tire conditions (for example, tire wear, low
tire pressure, installation of spare tire,
tire chains, nonstandard wheels).
– When the vehicle is equipped with non-original brake parts or suspen-
sion parts.
– When you are towing a trailer or other vehicle. The system may not function properly under
the following conditions:
∙ On roads where there are multiple paral- lel lane markers; lane markers that are
faded or not painted clearly; yellow
painted lane markers; non-standard lane
markers; or lane markers covered with
water, dirt, snow, etc.
∙ On roads where the discontinued lane markers are still detectable.
∙ On roads where there are sharp curves.
∙ On roads where there are sharply con- trasting objects, such as shadows, snow,
water, wheel ruts, seams or lines remain-
ing after road repairs. (The LDW system
could detect these items as lane markers.)
∙ On roads where the traveling lane merges or separates.
∙ When the vehicle’s traveling direction does not align with the lane marker.
∙ When traveling close to the vehicle in front of you, which obstructs the lane
camera unit detection range.
∙ When rain, snow, dirt or an object ad- heres to the windshield in front of the
lane camera unit. ∙ When the headlights are not bright due to
dirt on the lens or if the aiming is not
adjusted properly.
∙ When strong light enters the lane camera unit. (For example, the light directly
shines on the front of the vehicle at sun-
rise or sunset.)
∙ When a sudden change in brightness oc- curs. (For example, when the vehicle en-
ters or exits a tunnel or under a bridge.)
SYSTEM TEMPORARILY
UNAVAILABLE
If the vehicle is parked in direct sunlight under
high temperature conditions (over approxi-
mately 104°F [40°C]) and then started, the
LDW system may be deactivated automati-
cally and the following message will appear in
the vehicle information display: “Not avail-
able: High Camera Temp.”
When the interior temperature is reduced, the
LDW system will resume operating auto-
matically.
5-36Starting and driving

LDP SYSTEM LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limitations for
the LDP system. Failure to follow the warn-
ings and instructions for proper use of the
LDP system could result in serious injury or
death.
∙ The LDP system may activate if youchange lanes without first activating
your turn signal or, for example, if a con-
struction zone directs traffic to cross an
existing lane marker. If this occurs you
may need to apply corrective steering to
complete your lane change.
∙ Because the LDP may not activate under the road, weather, and lane marker con-
ditions described in this section, it may
not activate every time your vehicle be-
gins to leave its lane and you will need to
apply corrective steering.
∙ The LDP system will not operate at speeds below approximately 37 mph
(60 km/h) or if it cannot detect lane
markers.
∙ Do not use the LDP system under the fol- lowing conditions as it may not function
properly: – During bad weather (rain, fog, snow,
etc.).
– When driving on slippery roads, such as on ice or snow.
– When driving on winding or uneven roads.
– When there is a lane closure due to road repairs.
– When driving in a makeshift or tempo- rary lane.
– When driving on roads where the lane width is too narrow.
– When driving without normal tire conditions (for example, tire wear, low
tire pressure, installation of spare tire,
tire chains, non-standard wheels).
– When the vehicle is equipped with nonoriginal brake parts or suspension
parts.
– When you are towing a trailer or other vehicle.
The system may not function properly un-
der the following conditions: ∙ On roads where there are multiple paral-
lel lane markers; lane markers that are
faded or not painted clearly; yellow
painted lane markers; non-standard lane
markers; or lane markers covered with
water, dirt, snow, etc.
∙ On roads where discontinued lane mark- ers are still detectable.
∙ On roads where there are sharp curves.
∙ On roads where there are sharply con- trasting objects, such as shadows, snow,
water, wheel ruts, seams or lines remain-
ing after road repairs. (The LDP system
could detect these items as lane
markers.)
∙ On roads where the traveling lane merges or separates.
∙ When the vehicle’s traveling direction does not align with the lane marker.
∙ When traveling close to the vehicle in front of you, which obstructs the lane
camera unit detection range.
∙ When rain, snow or dirt adheres to the windshield in front of the lane camera
unit.
Starting and driving5-41

– On roads where there are sharply con-trasting objects, such as shadows,
snow, water, wheel ruts, seams or
lines remaining after road repairs.
– On roads where the traveling lane merges or separates.
– When the vehicle’s traveling direction does not align with the lane markers.
– When traveling close to the vehicle in front of you, which obstructs the lane
camera unit detection range.
– When rain, snow or dirt adheres to the windshield in front of a lane camera
unit.
– When the headlights are not bright due to dirt on the lens or if aiming is
not adjusted properly.
– When strong light enters a lane cam- era unit (e.g., light directly shines on
the front of the vehicle at sunrise or
sunset).
– When a sudden change in brightness occurs (e.g., when the vehicle enters or
exits a tunnel or under a bridge). ∙ Do not use the BSI system under the fol-
lowing conditions because the system
may not function properly:
– During bad weather (e.g., rain, fog, snow, etc.).
– When driving on slippery roads, such as on ice or snow, etc.
– When driving on winding or uneven roads.
– When there is a lane closure due to road repairs.
– When driving in a makeshift lane.
– When driving on roads where the lane width is too narrow.
– When driving with a tire that is not within normal tire conditions (e.g., tire
wear, low tire pressure, installation of
spare tire, tire chains, nonstandard
wheels).
– When the vehicle is equipped with non-original brake parts or suspen-
sion parts.
∙ Do not use the BSI system when towing a trailer. ∙ Excessive noise (e.g., audio system vol-
ume, open vehicle window) will interfere
with the chime sound, and it may not be
heard.
5-58Starting and driving

– IllustrationC: When the vehicle is
parked on inclined ground.
– Illustration
D: When an approaching
vehicle turns into your vehicle’s park-
ing lot aisle.
– Illustration
E: When the angle
formed by your vehicle and approach-
ing vehicle is small.
∙ The radar sensors are designed to ignore most stationary objects; however, ob-
jects such as guardrails, walls, foliage and
parked vehicles may occasionally be de-
tected. This is a normal operation
condition.
∙ The following conditions may reduce the ability of the radar to detect other
vehicles:
– Severe weather
– Road spray
– Ice/frost/dirt build up on the vehicle
∙ Do not attach stickers (including trans- parent material), install accessories or
apply additional paint near the radar sen-
sors. These conditions may reduce the
ability of the radar to detect other
vehicles. ∙ The sonar sensors detect stationary ob-
jects behind the vehicle. The sonar sensor
may not detect:
– Small or moving objects
– Wedge-shaped objects
– Objects close to the bumper (less than approximately 1 ft [30 cm])
– Thin objects such as rope, wire and chain, etc.
∙ The brake engagement by the BCI system is not as effective on a slope as it is on flat
ground. When on a steep slope the sys-
tem may not function properly.
∙ Do not use the BCI system under the fol- lowing conditions because the system
may not function properly:
– When driving with a tire that is not within normal tire conditions (e.g., tire
wear, low tire pressure, installation of
spare tire, tire chains, non-standard
wheels).
– When the vehicle is equipped with non-original brake parts or suspen-
sion parts.
∙ Do not use the BCI system when towing a trailer. ∙ Excessive noise (e.g., audio system vol-
ume, open vehicle window) will interfere
with the chime sound, and it may not be
heard.
SYSTEM TEMPORARILY NOT
AVAILABLE
If the following messages appear on the ve-
hicle information display, a chime will sound
and the BCI system will be turned off auto-
matically:
∙ “Unavailable: High Accelerator Temp.”: If the vehicle is parked in direct sunlight
under high temperature conditions (over
approximately 104°F [40°C]) and then
started, the BCI system may be deacti-
vated automatically and the “Unavailable:
High Accelerator Temp” message will ap-
pear in the vehicle information display for
a period of time.
When the interior temperature is re-
duced, turn off the BCI system and turn it
on again.
∙ “Unavailable: Side Radar Obstruction”: When side radar blockage is detected.
When the blockage is removed, turn off
the BCI system and turn it on again.
5-72Starting and driving

VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE
DISTANCE CONTROL MODE
LIMITATIONS
WARNING
Listed below are the system limitations for
the ICC system. Failure to operate the ve-
hicle in accordance with these system limi-
tations could result in serious injury or
death.
∙ The ICC system is primarily intended foruse on straight, dry, open roads with light
traffic. It is not advisable to use the ICC
system in city traffic or congested areas.
∙ The ICC system will not adapt automati- cally to road conditions. This system
should be used in evenly flowing traffic.
Do not use the system on roads with
sharp curves, or on icy roads, in heavy
rain or in fog. ∙ As there is a performance limit to the dis-
tance control function, never rely solely
on the ICC system. This system does not
correct careless, inattentive or absent-
minded driving, or overcome poor visibil-
ity in rain, fog, or other bad weather. De-
celerate the vehicle speed by depressing
the brake pedal, depending on the dis-
tance to the vehicle ahead and the sur-
rounding circumstances in order to main-
tain a safe distance between vehicles.
∙ 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 and sound a
warning chime. To prevent the vehicle
from moving, the driver must depress the
brake pedal.
∙ Always pay attention to the operation of the vehicle and be ready to manually con-
trol the proper following distance. The
ICC system may not be able to maintain
the selected distance between vehicles
(following distance) or selected vehicle
speed under some circumstances. ∙ The system may not detect the vehicle in
front of you in certain road or weather
conditions. To avoid accidents, never use
the ICC system under the following
conditions:
– On roads where the traffic is heavy or there are sharp curves
– On slippery road surfaces such as on ice or snow, etc.
– During bad weather (rain, fog, snow, etc.)
– When rain, snow or dirt adhere to the bumper around the distance sensor
– On steep downhill roads (the vehicle may go beyond the set vehicle speed
and frequent braking may result in
overheating the brakes)
– On repeated uphill and downhill roads
– When traffic conditions make it diffi- cult to keep a proper distance be-
tween vehicles because of frequent
acceleration or deceleration
– Interference by other radar sources
∙ Do not use the ICC system if you are tow- ing a trailer. The system may not detect a
vehicle ahead.
5-96Starting and driving