four wheel drive INFINITI QX50 2020 Owner's Manual

WARNING
∙ Radio waves could adversely affect elec-tric 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 placed in the ON position,
have the vehicle checked as soon as pos-
sible. It is recommended that you visit an
INFINITI retailer for this service. ∙ 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 perma-
nently 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 per-
sonal injury or death. Check the tire pres-
sure for all four tires. Adjust the tire pres-
sure to the recommended COLD tire
pressure show on the Tire and Loading
Information label located in the driver’s
door opening to turn the low tire pressure
warning light OFF. If the light still illumi-
nates while driving after adjusting the
tire pressure, a tire may be flat or the
TPMS may be malfunctioning. If you
have a flat tire, replace it with a replace-
ment tire as soon as possible. If no tire is
flat and all tires are properly inflated,
have the vehicle checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit an INFINITI re-
tailer for this service. ∙ When replacing a wheel without the
TPMS such as the spare tire, the TPMS
will not function and the low tire pressure
warning light will flash for approximately
1 minute. The light will remain on after
1 minute. Have your tires replaced
and/or TPMS system reset as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you visit
an INFINITI retailer for these services.
∙ 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 theregular 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.
Instruments and controls2-13

WARNING
∙ Failure to follow the warnings and in-structions for the proper use of the
Around View® Monitor system could re-
sult in serious injury or death.
∙ The Around View® Monitor is a conve- nience feature and is not a substitute for
proper vehicle operation because it has
areas where objects cannot be viewed.
The four corners of the vehicle in particu-
lar, are areas where objects do not al-
ways appear in the bird’s-eye, front, or
rear views. Always check your surround-
ings to be sure that it is safe to move
before operating the vehicle. Always op-
erate the vehicle slowly.
∙ The driver is always responsible for safety during parking and other
maneuvers.
CAUTION
Do not scratch the camera lens when clean-
ing dirt or snow from the front of the
camera.
The Around View® Monitor system is de-
signed as an aid to the driver in situations
such as slot parking or parallel parking. The monitor displays various views of the
position of the vehicle in a split screen format.
Not all views are available at all times.
Available views:
∙ Front View An approximately 150–degree view of
the front of the vehicle.
∙ Rear View An approximately 150–degree view of
the rear of the vehicle.
∙ Bird’s-Eye View The surrounding views of the vehicle
from above.
∙ Front-Side View The view around and ahead of the front
passenger’s side wheel.
∙ Front-Wide View An approximately 180–degree view of
the front the vehicle.
∙ Rear-Wide View An approximately 180–degree view of
the rear of the vehicle. To display the multiple views, the Around
View® Monitor system uses cameras located
in the front grille, on the vehicle’s outside
mirrors and one just above the vehicle’s li-
cense plate
1.
AROUND VIEW® MONITOR
SYSTEM OPERATION
With the engine running, move the shift lever
to the R (Reverse) position or press
the
CAMERA button to operate the
Around View® Monitor. When activating the
Around View® Monitor, the guide lines, the
icons and the messages may not be displayed
immediately.
LHA4554
4-12Monitor, climate, audio, phone and voice recognition systems

Additional information:∙ When replacing a wheel without the TPMS such as the spare tire, the TPMS
does not monitor the tire pressure of the
spare tire.
∙ The TPMS will activate only when the vehicle is driven at speeds above 16 mph
(25 km/h). Also, this system may not de-
tect 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 in-
flated 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” warn- ing appears in the vehicle information
display when the low tire pressure warn-
ing light is illuminated and low tire pres-
sure 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” warn-
ing appears each time the ignition switch
is in the ON position as long as the low
tire pressure warning light remains illumi-
nated.
∙ The “Tire Pressure Low — Add Air” warn- ing does not appear if the low tire pres-
sure warning light illuminates to indicate
a TPMS malfunction.
∙ Tire pressure rises and falls depending on the heat caused by the vehicle’s opera-
tion and the outside temperature. Do not
reduce the tire pressure after driving be-
cause the tire pressure rises after driving.
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, check the tire
pressure for all four tires.
∙ The Tire and Loading Information label is located in the driver’s door opening.
∙ You can also check the pressure of all tires (except the spare tire) on the vehicle
information display screen. The order of
the tire pressure figures displayed on the
screen corresponds with the actual order
of the tire position. For additional information, refer to “Low tire
pressure warning light” and “Tire Pressure
Low — Add Air” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section and “Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (TPMS)” in the “In case of emergency”
section of this manual.
WARNING
∙ Radio waves could adversely affect elec-
tric medical equipment. Those who use a
pacemaker should contact the electric
medical equipment manufacturer for the
possible influences before use.
5-6Starting and driving

∙ Do not grip the inside or spokes of thesteering wheel when driving off-road.
The steering wheel could move suddenly
and injure your hands. Instead drive with
your fingers and thumbs on the outside of
the rim.
∙ Before operating the vehicle, ensure that the driver and all passengers have their
seat belts fastened.
∙ Always drive with the floor mats in place as the floor may become hot.
∙ Lower your speed when encountering strong crosswinds. With a higher center
of gravity, your INFINITI is more affected
by strong side winds. Slower speeds en-
sure better vehicle control.
∙ Do not drive beyond the performance ca- pability of the tires, even with AWD
engaged.
∙ For AWD equipped vehicles, do not at- tempt to raise two wheels off the ground
and shift the transmission to any drive or
reverse position with the engine 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.
∙ Accelerating quickly, sharp steering ma- neuvers or sudden braking may cause loss
of control.
∙ If at all possible, avoid sharp turning ma- neuvers, particularly at high speeds. Your
INFINITI vehicle has a higher center of
gravity than a passenger car. The vehicle
is not designed for cornering at the same
speeds as passenger cars. Failure to op-
erate this vehicle correctly could result in
loss of control and/or a rollover accident. ∙ 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 front
wheels when driving on slippery roads
and drive carefully.
∙ Be sure to check the brakes immediately after driving in mud or water. For addi-
tional information, refer to “Brake pre-
cautions” in this section.
∙ Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If you get out of the vehicle and it rolls
forward, backward or sideways, you
could be injured.
∙ Whenever you drive off-road through sand, mud or water as deep as the wheel
hub, more frequent maintenance may be
required. For additional information, re-
fer to “Maintenance under severe oper-
ating conditions” in the “Maintenance
and schedules” section of this manual.
5-12Starting and driving

INTELLIGENT ALL-WHEEL
DRIVE (AWD) DRIVING SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS (if so equipped)
WARNING
∙ Replacing tires with those not originallyspecified by INFINITI could affect the
proper operation of the TPMS.
∙ 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 front
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 at- tempt to raise two wheels off the ground
and shift the transmission to any D
(Drive) or R (Reverse) position with the
engine 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 engine will stop when the
ignition switch is pushed three consecutive
times in quick succession or the ignition
switch is pushed and held for more than
2 seconds.) If the engine stops while the
vehicle is being driven, this could lead to a
crash and serious injury.
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
Starting and driving5-13

When driving on the freeway at a set speed
and approaching a slower traveling vehicle
ahead, the ICC system will adjust the speed
to maintain the distance, selected by the
driver, from the vehicle ahead. If the vehicle
ahead changes lanes or exits the freeway, the
ICC system will accelerate and maintain the
speed up to the set speed. Pay attention to
the driving operation to maintain control of
the vehicle as it accelerates to the set speed.
The vehicle may not maintain the set speed
on winding or hilly roads. If this occurs, you
will have to manually control the vehicle
speed.Normally when controlling the distance to a
vehicle ahead, this system automatically ac-
celerates or decelerates your vehicle accord-
ing to the speed of the vehicle ahead. De-
press the accelerator to properly accelerate
your vehicle when acceleration is required for
a lane change. Depress the brake pedal when
deceleration is required to maintain a safe
distance to the vehicle ahead due to its sud-
den braking or if a vehicle cuts in. Always stay
alert when using the ICC system.VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE
DISTANCE CONTROL MODE
SWITCHES
The system is operated by the ICC switch and
four control switches, all mounted on the
steering wheel.
1. RES+ switch:
Resumes set speed or increases speed
incrementally.
SSD0254LSD3053
5-82Starting and driving

WARNING
∙ Do not drive beyond the performance ca-pability of the tires. Accelerating quickly,
sharp steering maneuvers or sudden
braking may cause loss of control, even
with Intelligent AWD engaged.
∙ For AWD equipped vehicles, do not at- tempt to raise two wheels off the ground
and shift the transmission to any drive or
reverse position with the engine running.
Doing so may result in drivetrain damage
or unexpected vehicle movement which
could result in serious personal injury or
vehicle damage.
∙ 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 that
you inform the test facility personnel
that your vehicle is equipped with AWD
before it is placed on a dynamometer. Us-
ing the wrong test equipment may result
in drivetrain damage or unexpected ve-
hicle movement which could result in se-
rious personal injury or vehicle damage.
CAUTION
∙ Do not operate the engine on a free rollerwhen any of the wheels are raised.
∙ If you use the free roller, rotate four wheels with the same speed without rais-
ing any wheels.
∙ If an AWD warning message is displayed while driving there may be a malfunction
in the AWD system. Reduce the vehicle
speed immediately and have your vehicle
checked as soon as possible. It is recom-
mended that you visit an INFINITI re-
tailer for this service.
∙ The powertrain may be damaged if you continue driving when the AWD tem-
perature or tire size incorrect messages
are displayed.
∙ If the AWD high temperature message is displayed while you are driving, pull off
the road in a safe area, and idle the en-
gine. The driving mode will change to
2WD to prevent the AWD system from
malfunctioning. If the warning message
turns off, you can drive again. ∙ If the tire size incorrect message is dis-
played while you are driving, pull off the
road in a safe area with the engine idling.
Check that all tire sizes are the same, that
the tire pressure is correct and that the
tires are not excessively worn.
∙ If a warning message continues to be dis- played after the above operations, have
your vehicle checked as soon as possible.
It is recommended that you visit an
INFINITI retailer for this service.
Starting and driving5-175

The brake system has two separate hydraulic
circuits. If one circuit malfunctions, you will
still have braking at two wheels.
BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brakes
The brake booster aids braking by using en-
gine vacuum. If the engine stops, you can
stop the vehicle by depressing the brake
pedal. However, greater foot pressure on the
brake pedal will be required to stop the ve-
hicle and stopping distance will be longer.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal
while driving. This will overheat the brakes,
wear out the brake pads faster, and reduce
gas mileage.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the
brakes from overheating, reduce speed and
downshift to a lower gear before going down
a slope or long grade. Overheated brakes
may reduce braking performance and could
result in loss of vehicle control.
WARNING
∙ While driving on a slippery surface, becareful when braking, accelerating or
downshifting. Abrupt braking or acceler-
ating could cause the wheels to skid and
result in an accident.
∙ If the engine is not running or is turned off while driving, the power assist for the
brakes will not work. Braking will be
harder.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through
water, the brakes may get wet. As a result,
your braking distance will be longer and the
vehicle may pull to one side during braking.
To dry the brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe
speed while lightly pressing the brake pedal
to heat up the brakes. Do this until the brakes
return to normal. Avoid driving the vehicle at
high speeds until the brakes function cor-
rectly.
Parking brake break-in
Break in the parking brake shoes whenever
the stopping effect of the parking brake is
weakened or whenever the parking brake
shoes and/or rotors are replaced, in order to
assure the best brake performance. This procedure is described in the INFINITI
Service Manual. It is recommended that you
visit an INFINITI retailer for this service.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
(ABS)
WARNING
∙ The ABS is a sophisticated device, but it
cannot prevent accidents resulting from
careless or dangerous driving techniques.
It can help maintain vehicle control dur-
ing braking on slippery surfaces. Remem-
ber 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 speci- fied size of tires on all four wheels.
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-180Starting and driving

∙ Do not modify the vehicle’s suspension. Ifsuspension parts such as shock absorb-
ers, struts, springs, stabilizer bars, bush-
ings and wheels are not INFINITI recom-
mended for your vehicle or are extremely
deteriorated, the VDC system may not
operate properly. This could adversely
affect vehicle handling performance, and
the
indicator light may flash or
both the
andindicator lights
may illuminate.
∙ If brake related parts such as brake pads, rotors and calipers are not INFINITI rec-
ommended or are extremely deterio-
rated, the VDC system may not operate
properly and both the
and
the
indicator lights may illuminate.
∙ If engine control related parts are not INFINITI recommended or are extremely
deteriorated, both the
andindicator lights may illuminate. ∙ When driving on extremely inclined sur-
faces such as higher banked corners, the
VDC system may not operate properly
and the
indicator light may flash or
both the
andindicator lights
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
indicator light may flash or
both the
andindicator lights
may illuminate. This is not a malfunction.
Restart the engine 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
indicator light may flash or
both the
andindicator lights
may illuminate.
∙ The VDC system is not a substitute for winter tires or tire chains on a snow cov-
ered road.
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 thedriver maintain controllability 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.
∙ Do not modify the vehicle’s suspension. If suspension parts such as shock absorb-
ers, struts, springs, stabilizer bars, bush-
ings and wheels are not INFINITI recom-
mended for your vehicle or are extremely
deteriorated, the VDC system may not
operate properly. This could adversely
affect vehicle handling performance, and
the
indicator light may flash or
both the
andindicator lights
may illuminate.
Starting and driving5-183

ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL
This system senses upper body motion
(based on wheel speed information) and con-
trols engine torque and four wheel brake
pressure. This will enhance ride comfort in an
effort to restrain uncomfortable upper body
movement when passing over undulated
road surfaces. This system comes into effect
above 25 mph (40 km/h).
When the lower display is used to turn off the
VDC system, the Active Ride Control is also
turned off.
If the Integrated Dynamics-control Module
warning message appears in the vehicle in-
formation display, it may indicate that the
Active Ride Control is not functioning prop-
erly. Have the system checked as soon as
possible. It is recommended that you visit an
INFINITI retailer for this service.
When the Active Ride Control is operating,
you may hear noise and sense slight decel-
eration. This is normal and indicates that the
Active Ride Control is operating properly.
WARNING
∙ Never rely solely on the hill start assistsystem to prevent the vehicle from mov-
ing backward on a hill. Always drive care-
fully and attentively. Depress the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped on a
steep hill. Be especially careful when
stopped on a hill on frozen or muddy
roads. Failure to prevent the vehicle from
rolling backwards may result in a loss of
control of the vehicle and possible serious
injury or death.
∙ The hill start assist system is not de- signed to hold the vehicle at a standstill
on a hill. Depress the brake pedal when
the vehicle is stopped on a steep hill. Fail-
ure to do so may cause the vehicle to roll
backwards and may result in a collision or
serious personal injury.
∙ The hill start assist system may not pre- vent the vehicle from rolling backwards
on a hill under all load or road conditions.
Always be prepared to depress the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards. Failure to do so may result in
a collision or serious personal injury. When the vehicle is stopped on a hill, the hill
start assist system automatically keeps the
brakes applied to help prevent the vehicle
from rolling backward in the time it takes the
driver to release the brake pedal and apply
the accelerator.
The hill start assist system will operate auto-
matically under the following conditions:
∙ The transmission is shifted to a forward or reverse gear.
∙ The vehicle is stopped completely on a hill by applying the brake. The maximum
holding time is 2 seconds. After 2 sec-
onds the vehicle will begin to roll back and
the hill start assist system will stop oper-
ating completely.
The hill start assist system will not operate
when the shift lever is placed in the N (Neu-
tral), the Park button is pressed to place the
vehicle in the P (Park) position or on a flat and
level road.
HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM
5-186Starting and driving