manual transmission NISSAN 370Z COUPE 2016 Z34 User Guide

5 Starting and driving
Precautions when starting and driving ................................ 5-2Exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) ...................................... 5-2
Three-way catalyst .............................................................. 5-3
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) .................... 5-3
Avoiding collision and rollover ......................................... 5-5
Off-road recovery ................................................................ 5-6
Rapid air pressure loss ...................................................... 5-6
Drinking alcohol/drugs and driving ................................. 5-7
Push-button ignition switch .................................................... 5-7 Operating range for engine start function .................... 5-8
Push-button ignition switch operation ........................... 5-8
Push-button ignition switch positions ............................ 5-9
Emergency engine shut off ............................................... 5-9
Intelligent Key battery discharge .................................. 5-10
Before starting the engine ................................................... 5-10
Starting the engine ................................................................ 5-11
Driving the vehicle ................................................................. 5-12 Automatic transmission ................................................... 5-12
Manual Transmission ....................................................... 5-16
Parking brake ........................................................................\
.. 5-20
Cruise control ........................................................................\
. 5-21 Precautions on cruise control ....................................... 5-21
Cruise control operations ............................................... 5-22
Break-in schedule .................................................................. 5-23
Fuel efficient driving tips ...................................................... 5-23 Increasing fuel economy ...................................................... 5-24
Parking/parking on hills ........................................................ 5-25
Power steering ....................................................................... 5-26
Brake system ........................................................................\
.. 5-26
Braking precautions ...................................................... 5-26
Parking brake break-in .................................................. 5-26
Brake assist ........................................................................\
.... 5-27 Brake assist ..................................................................... 5-27
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ............................... 5-27
Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system ......................... 5-28
Performance dampers (NISMO models) ........................ 5-31
Cold weather driving ............................................................ 5-32 Freeing a frozen door lock ........................................... 5-32
Antifreeze ........................................................................\
. 5-32
Battery ........................................................................\
....... 5-32
Draining of coolant water ............................................. 5-32
Tire equipment ................................................................ 5-32
Special winter equipment ............................................ 5-32
Driving on snow or ice ................................................. 5-32
Engine block heater (if so equipped) ....................... 5-33
Active noise control/Active sound control
(if so equipped) ..................................................................... 5-34 Active noise control ....................................................... 5-34
Active sound control ..................................................... 5-34

1. Remain calm and do not overreact.
2. Maintain a firm grip on the steering wheelwith both hands and try to hold a straight
course.
3. When appropriate, slowly release the accel- erator pedal to gradually slow the vehicle.
4. Gradually steer the vehicle to a safe location off the road and away from traffic if possible.
5. Lightly apply the brake pedal to gradually stop the vehicle.
6. Turn on the hazard warning flashers and either contact a roadside emergency service
to change the tire or see “Changing a flat
tire (for models with spare tire)” (P.6-4) of
this Owner’s Manual.
DRINKING ALCOHOL/DRUGS AND
DRIVING
WARNING
Never drive under the influence of
alcohol or drugs. Alcohol in the blood-
stream reduces coordination, delays
reaction time and impairs judgement.
Driving after drinking alcohol increases
the likelihood of being involved in an
accident injuring yourself and others.
Additionally, if you are injured in an accident, alcohol can increase the se-
verity of the injury.
NISSAN is committed to safe driving. However,
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 differently 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.
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 3
consecutive times 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.
Before operating the push-button ignition
switch, be sure to move the shift lever to the P
(Park) position (for automatic transmission
model) or the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position (for manual transmission model) .
Starting and driving5-7
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH

5-8Starting and driving
SSD0825
OPERATING RANGE FOR ENGINE
START FUNCTION
The Intelligent Key can only be used for starting
the engine when the Intelligent Key is within the
specified operating range
*1.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost
discharged or strong radio waves are present
near the operating location, the Intelligent Key
system’s operating range becomes narrower
and may not function properly.
If the Intelligent Key is within the operating
range, it is possible for anyone, even someone
who does not carry the Intelligent Key, to push
the ignition switch to start the engine. .
The cargo/trunk room area is not included in
the operating range but the Intelligent Key
may function.
. If the Intelligent Key is placed on the
instrument panel, rear parcel shelf, inside
the glove box or door pocket, the Intelligent
Key may not function.
. If the Intelligent Key is placed near the door
or window outside the vehicle, the Intelligent
Key may function.
SSD1021
PUSH-BUTTON IGNITION SWITCH
OPERATION
When the ignition switch is pushed without
depressing the brake pedal (automatic transmis-
sion model) or the clutch pedal (manual
transmission model) , the ignition switch position
will change as follows:
.Push center once to change to ACC.
. Push center two times to change to ON.
. Push center three times to change to OFF.
(No position illuminates.)
. Push center four times to return to ACC.
. Open or close any door to return to LOCK
during the OFF position.

1. Apply the parking brake.
2.Automatic Transmission (AT) model:
Move the shift lever to the P (Park) or N
(Neutral) position. (P is recommended.)
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the shift lever is in either of the above
positions.
Manual Transmission (MT) model:
Move the shift lever to the N (Neutral)
position. Depress the clutch pedal fully to
the floor.
The starter is designed not to operate unless
the clutch pedal is fully depressed.
The Intelligent Key must be carried
when operating the ignition switch.
3. Push the ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal (AT model) or the
clutch pedal (MT model) and push the
ignition switch to start the engine.
To start the engine immediately, push and
release the ignition switch while depressing
the brake pedal or the clutch pedal with the
ignition switch in any position.
.If the engine is very hard to start inextremely cold weather or when restart-
ing, depress the accelerator pedal a little
(approximately 1/3 to the floor) and while
holding, crank the engine. Release the accelerator pedal when the engine starts.
.If the engine is very hard to start because
it is flooded, depress the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor and hold it.
Push the ignition switch to the ON
position to start cranking the engine.
After 5 or 6 seconds, stop cranking by
pushing the ignition switch to OFF. After
cranking the engine, release the accel-
erator pedal. Crank the engine with your
foot off the accelerator pedal by
depressing the brake pedal and pushing
the push-button ignition switch to start
the engine. If the engine starts, but fails
to run, repeat the above procedure.
CAUTION
Do not operate the starter for more
than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine
does not start, push the ignition switch
to OFF and wait 10 seconds before
cranking again, otherwise the starter
could be damaged.
4. Warm-up
Allow the engine to idle for at least 30
seconds after starting. Do not race the
engine while warming it up. Drive at moderate speed for a short distance first,
especially in cold weather. In cold weather,
keep the engine running for a minimum of 2 -
3 minutes before shutting it off. Starting and
stopping the engine over a short period of
time may make the vehicle more difficult to
start.
When racing the engine up to 4,500 rpm or
more under no load condition, the engine
will enter the fuel cut mode.
5. To stop the engine, shift the shift lever to the P (Park) position (AT model) or move the
shift lever to the N (Neutral) position (MT
model) , and push the ignition switch to the
OFF position.
NOTE:
Care should be taken to avoid situations
that can lead to potential battery discharge
and potential no-start conditions such as:
1. Installation or extended use of electro-
nic accessories that consume 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 battery may need to be
charged to maintain battery health.
Starting and driving5-11
STARTING THE ENGINE

5-12Starting and driving
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
7 speed automatic transmission
The automatic transmission in your vehicle is
electronically controlled by a transmission con-
trol module to produce maximum efficiency and
smooth operation.
Shown on the following pages are the recom-
mended operating procedures for this transmis-
sion. Follow these procedures for maximum
vehicle performance and driving enjoyment.
Starting the vehicle
After starting the engine, fully depress the foot
brake pedal and push the shift lever button
before shifting the shift 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 shift lever.
This automatic transmission model is de-
signed 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 shift 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 position.1. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed and
push the shift lever button to shift into a
driving gear.
2. Release the parking brake and foot brake, then gradually start the vehicle in motion.
WARNING
.Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while shifting from P (Park)
or N (Neutral) to R (Reverse) D
(Drive) , or manual shift mode. Al-
ways depress the brake pedal until
shifting is completed. Failure to do
so could cause you to lose control
and have an accident.
. Cold engine idle speed is high, so
use caution when shifting into a
forward or reverse gear before the
engine has warmed up.
. Never shift to P (Park) or R (Re-
verse) while vehicle is moving for-
ward. Never shift to P (Park) or D
(Drive) while vehicle is moving rear-
ward. Failure to do so could cause
you to lose control and have an
accident.
CAUTION
.Except in an emergency, do not shift
to the N (Neutral) position while
driving. Coasting with the transmis-
sion in the N (Neutral) position may
cause serious damage to the trans-
mission.
. When stopping the vehicle on an
uphill grade, do not hold the vehicle
by depressing the accelerator pedal.
The foot brake should be used for
this purpose.
. Do not downshift abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE

SSD0827Shift lever
To move the shift lever,
: Push the button while depressing thebrake pedal.
: Push the button.
: Just move the shift lever.
Shifting
After starting the engine, fully depress the brake
pedal and shift the shift lever from P (Park) to R
(Reverse) , N (Neutral) , D (Drive) or Manual shift
mode position.
Push the button to shift into P (Park) or R
(Reverse) . All other positions can be selected
without pushing the button.
WARNING
Apply the parking brake if the shift lever
is in any position while the engine is
not running. Failure to do so could
cause the vehicle to move unexpectedly
or roll away and result in serious
personal injury or property damage.
CAUTION
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped and the transmission is in the
P (Park) position.
P (Park) position:
Use this position when the vehicle is parked or
when starting the engine. Make sure the vehicle
is completely stopped. The brake pedal must
be depressed and the shift lever button
pushed in to move the shift lever from the
N (Neutral) position or any drive position to
the P (Park) position. Apply the parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake
first, then move the shift lever to the P (Park)
position.
CAUTION
Use this position only when the vehicle
is completely stopped.
R (Reverse):
Use this position to back up. Always be sure the
vehicle is completely stopped before selecting
the R (Reverse) position. The brake pedal
must be depressed and the shift lever
button pushed in to move the shift lever
from the P (Park) position, the N (Neutral)
position or any drive position to the R
(Reverse) position.
N (Neutral):
Neither forward nor reverse gear is engaged.
The engine can be started in this position. You
may shift to the N (Neutral) position and restart a
stalled engine while the vehicle is moving.
D (Drive):
Use this position for all normal forward driving.
Starting and driving5-13

5-14Starting and driving
SSD0828Paddle shifter (if so equipped)
Manual shift mode
When the shift lever is in the manual shift gate,
the transmission is ready for the manual shift
mode. Shift ranges can be selected manually by
moving the shift lever up or down, or pulling the
right-side or left-side paddle shifter (if so
equipped) .
When shifting up, move the shift lever to the +
(up) side or pull the right-side paddle shifter (if
so equipped) (+)
*A. The transmission shifts to
the higher range.
When shifting down, move the shift lever to the
í (down) side or pull the left-side paddle shifter
(if so equipped) (í)
*B. The transmission shifts to the lower range.
When canceling the manual shift mode, return
the shift lever to the D (Drive) position. The
transmission returns to the normal driving mode.
When you pull the paddle shifter (if so
equipped) while in the D (Drive) position, the
transmission will shift to the upper or lower
range temporarily. The transmission will auto-
matically return to the D (Drive) position after a
short period of time. If you want to return to the
D (Drive) position manually, pull and hold the
paddle shifter (if so equipped) for about 1.5
seconds.
In the manual shift mode, the shift range is
displayed on the transmission position indicator
in the meter.
Shift ranges up or down one by one as follows:
1M?
/
2M?
/3M?
/ 4M?
/5M?
/6M?
/ 7M
7M(7th):
Use this position for all normal forward driving at
highway speeds.
6
M(6th) and 5M(5th):
Use these positions when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving down
long slopes. 4
M(4th) , 3M(3rd) and 2M(2nd):
Use these positions for hill climbing or engine
braking on downhill grades.
1
M(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 economy.
. Moving the shift lever rapidly to the same
side twice will shift the ranges in succes-
sion.
. 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 instrument panel) will
blink and the buzzer 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

5-16Starting and driving
SSD0829
Shift lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged, the
shift lever may not be moved from the P (Park)
position even with the brake pedal depressed
and the shift lever button pushed.
To move the shift lever, perform the following
procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the OFF or LOCKposition.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lock cover
*Ausing a
suitable tool. 4. Push down the shift lock
*Busing a
suitable tool as illustrated.
5. Push the shift lever button
*Cand move the
shift lever to the N (Neutral) position
*Dwhile holding down the shift lock.
Now the vehicle may be moved to the desired
location.
If the lever cannot be moved out of P (Park) ,
have a NISSAN dealer check the automatic
transmission system as soon as possible.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
WARNING
. Do not downshift abruptly on slip-
pery roads. This may cause a loss of
control.
. Do not over-rev the engine when
shifting to a lower gear. This may
cause a loss of control or engine
damage.
CAUTION
.Do not rest your foot on the clutch
pedal while driving. This may da-
mage the clutch. .
Fully depress the clutch pedal be-
fore shifting to help prevent trans-
mission damage.
. Stop your vehicle completely before
shifting into R (Reverse) .
. When the vehicle is stopped with
the engine running (for example, at
a stop light) , shift to N (Neutral) and
release the clutch pedal with the
foot brake applied.

SSD0536
Shifting
To change gears, or when upshifting or down-
shifting, fully depress the clutch pedal, shift into
an appropriate gear, and then slowly and
smoothly release the clutch pedal.
This vehicle is equipped with a short throw
shifter manual transmission. To ensure smooth
gear changes, be sure to fully depress the clutch
pedal before operating the shift lever. If the
clutch pedal is not fully depressed before the
transmission is shifted, a gear noise may be
heard. Transmission damage could occur.
Start the vehicle in 1st gear and upshift to 2nd,
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear in sequence accord-ing to the vehicle speed.
To back up, depress the shift knob and then
move the shift lever to the R (Reverse) position
after stopping the vehicle completely.
The shift knob returns to its original position
when the shift lever is moved to the N (Neutral)
position.
If it is difficult to move the shift lever into R
(Reverse) or 1st (Low gear) , shift to N (Neutral) ,
then release the clutch pedal. Fully depress the
clutch pedal again and shift into R or 1st.
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) (if
so equipped for Manual Transmission
models)
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) auto-
matically adjusts the engine speed to match the
selecting gear ratio while changing gears.
Precautions:
.
Shift lever and clutch pedal operations are
not different than a conventional manual
transmission.
. Fully depress the clutch pedal. Insufficient
pedal depression may cause slow response
of this system.
. When the clutch pedal is depressed with
the gear still engaged, the engine speed is
kept at the proper level for the engaged gear. Thus, the engine speed may be kept
high depending on the gear position and
vehicle speed.
. When the clutch pedal is depressed with
the transmission in neutral, the system
operates for approximately 2 seconds, and
then the engine speed will decrease to the
idle speed.
. When the engine coolant temperature is low
right after starting the engine, engine speed
synchronization will be delayed or may be
insufficient.
. The system controls the engine speed up to
the rev limit. Note that S-MODE is not a
function that prevents over-revving resulting
from shifting mistakes.
. The system does not operate while the
vehicle is backing up.
. If the engine speed is limited lower than
usual when the engine oil temperature is
extremely high, the system will control up to
the limited engine speed.
. If the malfunction indicator light illuminates,
the system may not operate and the S-
MODE indicator turns off.
Starting and driving5-17

5-18Starting and driving
SSD0830
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) warn-
ing:
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) warn-
ing will appear on the vehicle information display
and the S-MODE indicator will turn off if a
system malfunction occurs.
If the warning appears, the S-MODE function
will not operate, but manual transmission will
operate normally and driving can be continued.
Have the system checked by a NISSAN dealer.
SSD0831
Activating the system:
To activate the S-MODE, push the S-MODE
switch
*A. The S-MODE indicator*Bon the
tachometer will show “S”. To deactivate, push
and hold the S-MODE switch for more than 1
second. The S-MODE indicator will turn off.
While the S-MODE is off, you can drive the vehicle as a conventional manual transmission
model.
Note that the status of the S-MODE (on or off) is
memorized even after the ignition switch is
turned off; however, it will be initialized (off)
when the battery is disconnected.
The transmission position indicator
*Cshows
the selected gear: N (Neutral) , 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, R
(Reverse) .
SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) op-
eration:
The SynchroRev Match mode (S-MODE) auto-
matically adjusts the engine speed by controlling
the engine throttle. The accelerator pedal does
not have to be depressed.
The system detects the clutch pedal and shift
lever operations, and then calculates the target
engine speed using the shifting gear position
and the vehicle speed information.
The system provides accurate engine speed
control that helps achieve quick gear shifting
and reduces shift shock on clutch engagement.
. When downshifting:
The engine speed is automatically increased
to the target engine speed before the clutch
is engaged.
. When upshifting:
The engine speed is automatically kept after