transmission NISSAN ALTIMA 2018 Owner´s Manual

R (Reverse)
CAUTION
To prevent transmission damage, use
the P (Park) or R (Reverse) position only
when the vehicle is completely
stopped.
Use the R (Reverse) position to back up.
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before selecting the R (Reverse)
position. The brake pedal must be de-
pressed to move the shif t lever from P
(Park), N (Neutral) or any drive position to
R (Reverse).
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged. The engine can be started in this
position. You may shif t to N (Neutral) and
restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is
moving.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving. Ds (Drive Sport)
When the shif t lever is moved from the D
(Drive) to Ds (Drive Sport) position, the
transmission enters the DS (Drive Sport)
mode. Moving the shif t lever to the Ds
(Drive Sport) position allows you to enjoy
“sporty” driving shif t operation on a wind-
ing road and feel smooth acceleration or
deceleration on a hilly road by moving in a
lower gear automatically. When canceling
the DS mode, return the shif t lever to the D
(Drive) position. The transmission returns
to the normal driving mode.
Manual shif t mode (if so
equipped)
When the shif t lever is in the Ds (Drive Sport)
position, the transmission is ready for the
manual shif t mode. Shif t ranges can be
selected manually by pulling the right-side
or lef t-side paddle shif ter.
When shif ting up, pull the right side paddle
shif ter (+)
C. The transmission shif ts to the
higher range.
When shif ting down, pull the lef t side
paddle shif ter ()
B. The transmission
shif ts to the lower range.
LSD2086
Starting and driving5-17

When canceling the manual shif t mode, re-
turn the shif t lever to the D (Drive) position.
The transmission returns to the normal
driving mode. When you pull the paddle
shif ter while in the D (Drive) position, the
transmission will shif t to the upper or lower
range temporarily. The transmission will
automatically return to the D (Drive) posi-
tion af ter a short period of time. If you want
to return to the D (Drive) position manually,
pull and hold the paddle shif ter for about
1.5 seconds.
In the manual shif t mode, the shif t range is
displayed on the position indicator in the
meter.
Shif t ranges up or down one by one as
follows:
1⇔2⇔ 3⇔ 4⇔ 5⇔ 6⇔ 7
M7 (7th)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving at highway speeds.
M6 (6th) and M5 (5th)
Use this position when driving up long
slopes, or for engine braking when driving
down long slopes. M4 (4th), M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd)
Use for hill climbing or engine braking on
downhill grades.
M1 (1st)
Use this position when climbing steep hills
slowly or driving slowly through deep snow,
sand or mud, or for maximum engine brak-
ing on steep downhill grades.
∙ Remember not to drive at high speeds for extended periods of time in lower
than 7 range. This reduces fuel
economy.
When shif ting up
Move the shif t lever to the + (up) side. (Shif ts
to higher range.)
When shif ting down
Move the shif t lever to the (down) side.
(Shif ts to lower range.)
∙ Moving the shif t lever rapidly to the same side twice will shif t the ranges in
succession.
When canceling the manual shif t mode
Return the shif t lever to the D (Drive) posi-
tion to return the transmission to the nor-
mal driving mode. ∙
In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may not shif t to the selected
gear. This helps maintain driving per-
formance and reduces the chance of
vehicle damage or loss of control.
∙ In the manual shif t mode, the trans-
mission may shif t up automatically to
a higher range than selected if the
engine speed is too high. When the
vehicle speed decreases, the trans-
mission automatically shif ts down
and shif ts to 1st gear before the ve-
hicle comes to a stop.
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) operation is limited to automatic
drive mode when CVT fluid tempera-
ture is extremely low even if manual
shif t mode is selected. This is not a mal-
function. When CVT fluid warms up,
manual mode can be selected.
∙ When the CVT fluid temperature is high, the shif t range may upshif t in lower
rpm than usual. This is not a malfunc-
tion.
5-18Starting and driving

Shif t lock release
If the battery charge is low or discharged,
the shif t lever may not be moved from the
P (Park) position even with the brake pedal
depressed and the shif t lever button
pressed.
It will be necessary to jump start or have
your battery charged. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Jump starting” in the “In
case of emergency” section of this manual.
Contact a NISSAN dealer or a professional
towing service.To move the shif t lever, complete the fol-
lowing procedure:
1. Push the ignition switch to the LOCK position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Using a protective cloth on the tip of a 3 mm screwdriver, remove the shif t
lock release cover.
∙ If available, a plastic trim tool can also be used.
4. Insert the small screwdriver in the shif t lock release slot and push down.
5. Move the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position while holding down the shif t
lock release.
If the shif t lever cannot be moved out of P
(Park), have the transmission checked as
soon as possible. It is recommended that
you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
WARNING
If the shif t lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position while the engine is
running and the brake pedal is de-
pressed, the stop lights may not work.
Malfunctioning stop lights could cause
an accident injuring yourself and
others.
LSD2087
Starting and driving5-19

Overdrive (O/D) OFF mode switch
(if so equipped)
When the O/D OFF mode switch is pushed
with the shif t lever in the D (Drive) position,
the
light in the instrument panel illu-
minates. For additional information, refer
to “Overdrive OFF indicator light” in the “In-
struments and controls” section of this
manual.
Use the overdrive OFF mode when you
need improved engine braking. To turn off the overdrive OFF mode, push
the O/D OFF mode switch again. The
indicator light will turn off.
Each time the engine is started, or when
the shif t lever is shif ted to any position
other than D (Drive) and Ds (Drive Sport), the
overdrive OFF mode will automatically turn
off.
Accelerator downshif t
— in D (Drive) position —
For passing or hill climbing, depress the
accelerator pedal to the floor. This shif ts
the transmission down into a lower gear,
depending on the vehicle speed.
High fluid temperature protection
mode
This transmission has a high fluid tem-
perature protection mode. If the fluid tem-
perature becomes too high (for example,
when climbing steep grades in high tem-
peratures with heavy loads, such as when
towing a trailer), engine power and, under
some conditions, vehicle speed will be de-
creased automatically to reduce the
chance of transmission damage. Vehicle
speed can be controlled with the accelera-
tor pedal, but the engine and vehicle speed
may be limited.
Fail-safe
If the vehicle is driven under extreme
conditions, such as excessive wheel
spinning and subsequent hard braking,
the fail-safe system may be activated.
The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may come on to indicate the fail-safe
mode is activated. For additional infor-
mation, refer to “Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL)” in the “Instruments and con-
trols” section of this manual. This will oc-
cur even if all electrical circuits are func-
tioning properly. In this case, place the
ignition switch in the OFF position and
wait for 10 seconds. Then push the
switch back to the ON position. The ve-
hicle should return to its normal operat-
ing condition. If it does not return to its
normal operating condition, have the
transmission checked. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
Overdrive OFF mode
LSD2090
5-20Starting and driving

WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually re-
duced. The reduced speed may be lower
than other traffic, which could increase
the chance of a collision. Be especially
careful when driving. If necessary, pull
to the side of the road at a safe place
and allow the transmission to return to
normal operation, or have it repaired if
necessary.1. To engage, firmly depress the footbrake.
2. To release: ∙ Move the shif t lever to the P (Park)position.
∙ Firmly depress the parking brake pedal and it will release.
∙ Before driving, be sure the brake warning light goes out.
WARNING
∙ Be sure the parking brake is fully re- leased before driving. Failure to do so
can cause brake failure and lead to an
accident.
∙ Do not release the parking brake from outside the vehicle.
∙ Do not use the shif t lever in place of the parking brake. When parking, be
sure the parking brake is fully
engaged.
∙ To help avoid risk of injury or death through unintended operation of the
vehicle and/or its systems, do not
leave children, people who require the
assistance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle. Additionally,
the temperature inside a closed ve-
hicle on a warm day can quickly be-
come high enough to cause a signifi-
cant risk of injury or death to people
and pets.
LSD2177
PARKING BRAKE
Starting and driving5-21

WARNING
∙ Do not stop or park the vehicle overflammable materials such as dry
grass, waste paper or rags. They may
ignite and cause a fire. ∙ Safe parking procedures require that
both the parking brake be set and the
transmission placed into P (Park). Fail-
ure to do so could cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly or roll away and
result in an accident. Make sure the
shif t lever has been pushed as far for-
ward as it can go and cannot be
moved without depressing the foot
brake pedal.
∙ Never leave the engine running while the vehicle is unattended. ∙ To help avoid risk of injury or death
through unintended operation of the
vehicle and/or its systems, do not
leave children, people who require the
assistance of others or pets unat-
tended in your vehicle. Additionally,
the temperature inside a closed ve-
hicle on a warm day can quickly be-
come high enough to cause a signifi-
cant risk of injury or death to people
and pets.
1. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Move the shif t lever to the P (Park) po- sition.
3. To help prevent the vehicle from rolling into traffic when parked on an incline, it
is a good practice to turn the wheels as
illustrated.
∙ HEADED DOWNHILL WITH CURB
A:
Turn the wheels into the curb and
move the vehicle forward until the curb
side wheel gently touches the curb.
∙ HEADED UPHILL WITH CURB
B:
Turn the wheels away from the curb
and move the vehicle back until the
curb side wheel gently touches the
curb.
WSD0050
PARKING/PARKING ON HILLS
Starting and driving5-79

WARNING
∙ Never rely solely on the hill start assistsystem to prevent the vehicle from
moving backward on a hill. Always
drive carefully and attentively. De-
press the brake pedal when the ve-
hicle is stopped on a steep hill. Be es-
pecially careful when stopped on a hill
on frozen or muddy roads. Failure to
prevent the vehicle from rolling back-
wards 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 stand-
still on a hill. Depress the brake pedal
when the vehicle is stopped on a
steep hill. Failure 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 prevent the vehicle from rolling back-
wards on a hill under all load or road
conditions. Always be prepared to de-
press the brake pedal to prevent the
vehicle from rolling backwards. Fail-
ure 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 ve-
hicle 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 au-
tomatically under the following conditions:
∙ The transmission is shif ted to a forward or reverse gear.
∙ The vehicle is stopped completely on a hill by applying the brake. The maxi-
mum holding time is 2 seconds. Af ter
2 seconds the vehicle will begin to roll
back and the hill start assist system will
stop operating completely.
The hill start assist system will not operate
when the shif t lever is placed in the N (Neu-
tral) or P (Park) position or on a flat and level
road. The sonar (parking sensor) system sounds
a tone to inform the driver of obstacles
near the bumper.
When the “DISPLAY” key is on, the sonar
view will automatically appear in the meter.
WARNING
∙ The sonar (parking sensor) system is
a convenience but it is not a substitute
for proper parking.
LSD2135
HILL START ASSIST SYSTEM FRONT AND REAR SONAR SYSTEM (if
so equipped)
5-86Starting and driving

∙ When replacing a wheel without theTPMS such as the spare tire, TPMS will
not function and the low tire pressure
warning light will flash for approxi-
mately one minute. Have your tires re-
placed and/or TPMS system reset as
soon as possible. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for
these services.
∙ Replacing tires with those not origi- nally specified by NISSAN 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 pres-
sure sensors.
CHANGING A FLAT TIRE
If you have a flat tire, follow the instructions
below:
Stopping the vehicle
1. Safely move the vehicle off the road and
away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flashers.
3. Park on a level surface and apply the parking brake. Move the shif t lever to P
(Park). 4. Turn off the engine.
5. Raise the hood to warn other traffic
and to signal professional road assis-
tance personnel that you need assis-
tance.
6. Have all passengers get out of the ve- hicle and stand in a safe place, away
from traffic and clear of the vehicle.
WARNING
∙ Make sure the parking brake is se-curely applied and the Continuously
Variable Transmission (CVT) is shif ted
into P (Park).
∙ Never change tires when the vehicle is on a slope, ice or slippery areas. This is
hazardous.
∙ Never change tires if oncoming traffic is close to your vehicle. Wait for pro-
fessional road assistance.
A. Blocks
B. Flat tire
Blocking wheels
Place suitable blocks at both the front and
back of the wheel diagonally opposite the
flat tire to prevent the vehicle from moving
when it is jacked up.
WARNING
Be sure to block the wheel as the vehicle
may move and result in personal injury.
LCE2142
6-4In case of emergency

CAUTION
∙ Do not push start this vehicle. Thethree-way catalyst may be damaged.
∙ Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) models cannot be push-started
or tow-started. Attempting to do so
may cause transmission damage. If your vehicle is overheating (indicated by
an extremely high temperature gauge
reading), or if you feel a lack of engine
power, detect abnormal noise, etc. take the
following steps.
WARNING
∙ Do not continue to drive if your vehicle
overheats. Doing so could cause en-
gine damage or a vehicle fire.
∙ To avoid the danger of being scalded, never remove the radiator cap while
the engine is still hot. When the radia-
tor cap is removed, pressurized hot
water will spurt out, possibly causing
serious injury.
∙ Do not open the hood if steam is com- ing out.
1. Move the vehicle safely off the road, ap- ply the parking brake and move the
shif t lever to P (Park).
Do not stop the engine.
2. Turn off the air conditioner. Open all the windows, move the heater or air condi-
tioner temperature control to maxi-
mum hot and fan control to high
speed. 3. Get out of the vehicle. Look and listen
for steam or coolant escaping from the
radiator before opening the hood. (If
steam or coolant is escaping, turn off
the engine.) Do not open the hood fur-
ther until no steam or coolant can be
seen.
4. Open the engine hood.
WARNING
If steam or water is coming from the
engine, stand clear to prevent getting
burned.
5. Visually check drive belts for damage or looseness. Also check if the cooling
fan is running. The radiator hoses and
radiator should not leak water. If cool-
ant is leaking, the water pump belt is
missing or loose, or the cooling fan
does not run, stop the engine.
WARNING
Be careful not to allow your hands, hair,
jewelry or clothing to come into contact
with, or get caught in, engine belts or
the engine cooling fan. The engine cool-
ing fan can start at any time.
PUSH STARTING IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
6-12In case of emergency

6. Af ter the engine cools down, check thecoolant level in the engine coolant res-
ervoir tank with the engine running.
Add coolant to the engine coolant res-
ervoir tank if necessary. It is recom-
mended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service. When towing your vehicle, all State (Provin-
cial in Canada) and local regulations for
towing must be followed. Incorrect towing
equipment could damage your vehicle.
Towing instructions are available from a
NISSAN dealer. Local service operators are
generally familiar with the applicable laws
and procedures for towing. To assure
proper towing and to prevent accidental
damage to your vehicle, NISSAN recom-
mends having a service operator tow your
vehicle. It is advisable to have the service
operator carefully read the following pre-
cautions:
WARNING
∙ Never ride in a vehicle that is being
towed.
∙ Never get under your vehicle af ter it has been lif ted by a tow truck.
CAUTION
∙ When towing, make sure that thetransmission, axles, steering system
and powertrain are in working condi-
tion. If any of these conditions apply,
dollies or a flatbed tow truck must be
used.
∙ Always attach safety chains before towing.
For additional information, refer to “Flat
towing” in the “Technical and consumer in-
formation” section of this manual.
TOWING RECOMMENDED BY
NISSAN
NISSAN recommends towing your vehicle
based upon the type of drivetrain. For addi-
tional information, refer to the diagrams in
this section to ensure that your vehicle is
properly towed.
TOWING YOUR VEHICLE
In case of emergency6-13