ignition NISSAN PATHFINDER 2023 Owners Manual

In the event of a malfunction of the vehi-
cle’s electronics, the transmission may lock
in the P (Park) position. Have the vehicle’s
electronics checked immediately. It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer
for this service.
The P (Park) position is automatically en-
gaged if:
• You place the ignition switch in the OFFposition
• You unfasten the driver’s seat belt and open the driver side door when the ve-
hicle is stationary or driving at very low
speed and the transmission is in the D
(Drive) position, the N (Neutral) position,
the R (Reverse) position or M (Manual)
mode with your foot off the brake.
CAUTION
To avoid A/T malfunction, you must
manually place the shif t position in the
P (Park) position under the above
conditions.
R (Reverse)
CAUTION
• To prevent transmission damage,
use the R (Reverse) position only
when the vehicle is completely
stopped and the brake is pressed.
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 and the shif t lever button
pressed to move the shif t lever from the
home position to R (Reverse). If the ve-
hicle is placed in R (Reverse) position
while the vehicle is moving forward, the
chime will sound and the vehicle will
switch into the N (Neutral) position.
NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving over 5 mph (8
km/h ), when shif ting to D (Drive) from R
(Reverse), the N (Neutral) position will au-
tomatically be selected. A buzzer will
sound, noting that D (Drive) was not se-
lected. When selecting D (Drive) while re-
versing below 5 mph (8 km/h), the range
will change normally.
N (Neutral)
Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-
gaged when the vehicle is completely
stopped, and the brake is pressed. The en-
gine can be started in this position. You
may shif t to the N (Neutral) position and
restart a stalled engine while the vehicle is
moving.
You can select this position by holding the
shif t lever at this position for 0.5 seconds.
D (Drive)
Use this position for all normal forward
driving when the vehicle is completely
stopped, and the brake is pressed. The A/T
changes gears automatically. All forward
gears are available. If the vehicle is placed
in the D (Drive) position while the vehicle
is reversing, the chime will sound and the
vehicle will switch into the N (Neutral)
position.
5-22Starting and driving

NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving over 5 mph (8
km/h) when shif ting to D (Drive) from R
(Reverse), the N (Neutral) position will au-
tomatically be selected. A buzzer will
sound, noting that D (Drive) was not se-
lected. When selecting D (Drive) while re-
versing below 5 mph (8 km/h), the range
will change normally.
Neutral hold mode function (if so
equipped)
This function enables you to get out of the
vehicle when it is in the N (Neutral) position,
while the engine is running. While this func-
tion is activated, the vehicle can be moved
by pushing with hand (when car washing).
When using this function, release the elec-
tronic parking brake.
WARNING
• Use this function on a level surface
only. Failure to do so may cause the
vehicle to move accidentally and
could result in a collision or serious
personal injury.
• Do not use this function for a purpose
other than car washing. •
Do not turn the engine off af ter neu-
tral hold mode function is activated,
otherwise the N (Neutral) position
will not be kept and the vehicle will
automatically be placed in the P
(Park) position.
• If this function is not activated re-
gardless of proper operation, trans-
mission may malfunction. It is rec-
ommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer for this service.
To activate the Neutral hold mode, perform
the following operations:
1. Push the ignition switch to start the engine.
2. Release the electronic parking brake.
3. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
4. Push the P (Park) button.
5. Slide the shif t lever to the N (Neutral) position, and hold it for 0.5 second until
“N” appears in the vehicle information
display. 6. Slide the shif t lever to the N (Neutral)
position again, and hold it for 0.5 sec-
onds, until a message “Neutral Hold
Mode has been activated” appears in
the vehicle information display. For addi-
tional information, see “Neutral Hold
Mode activated” (P. 2-41) or (P. 2-68).
7. The ignition switch has to be kept in the ON position. Otherwise Neutral hold
mode is canceled and the P (Park) posi-
tion is engaged automatically.
To exit the Neutral hold mode, place the
shif t lever in any position other than the N
(Neutral) position.
NOTE:
• It is necessary to perform the steps 4
through 6 within approximately 5 sec-
onds to prevent incorrect operation.
• When the shif ter is changed to the N
(Neutral) position, approximately 5
seconds later, a message will appear in
the vehicle information display. For ad-
ditional information, see “Neutral Hold
Mode guidance” (P. 2-41) or (P. 2-68).
Starting and driving5-23

4M (4th), 3M (3rd) and 2M (2nd)
Use these positions for hill climbing or en-
gine braking on downhill grades.
1M (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 forextended periods of time in lower than
the 8th range. This reduces fuel economy.
• Pulling the same paddle shif ter twice will shif t the ranges in succession. However, if
this motion is rapidly done, the second
shif ting may not be completed properly.
• 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 en-
gine speed is too high. When the ve-
hicle speed decreases, the transmis-
sion automatically shif ts down and
shif ts to 1st gear before the vehicle
comes to a stop.
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
When the fail-safe operation occurs, please
note that the transmission will be locked in
any of the forward gears according to the
condition.
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, see “Malfunction Indicator Light
(MIL)” (P. 2-20). This will occur even if all
electrical circuits are functioning prop-
erly. In this case, place the ignition switch
in the OFF position and wait for 10 sec-
onds. Then push the switch back to the
ON position. The vehicle should return to
its normal operating condition. If it does
not return to its normal operating condi-
tion, have the transmission checked and
repaired, if necessary. It is recommended
that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this
service.
Starting and driving5-25

WARNING
• Before leaving the vehicle, move the
shif t position to the P (Park) position
and check that the electronic parking
brake warning light is illuminated to
confirm that the electronic parking
brake is applied. The electronic park-
ing brake warning light will remain
on for a period of time af ter the driv-
er’s door is locked.
CAUTION
When parking in an area where the out-
side temperature is below 32°F (0°C),
the parking brake, if applied, may
freeze in place and may be difficult to
release.
For safe parking, it is recommended
that you place the shif t lever in the P
(Park) position and securely block the
wheels.
NOTE:
• To keep the electronic parking brake released af ter the engine is turned off,
place the ignition switch in the OFF po-
sition, depress the brake pedal and
push down the parking brake switch
before opening the driver’s door.
• If a malfunction occurs in the elec- tronic parking brake system (for ex-
ample, due to battery discharge), it is
recommended that you visit a NISSAN
dealer.
• Under the following conditions the electronic parking brake will automati-
cally be applied and the braking force
of the automatic brake hold will be
released:– The braking force is applied by the automatic brake hold function for 3
minutes or longer.
– The vehicle is in the P (Park) position.
– The electronic parking brake is ap- plied manually.
– The driver’s seat belt is unfastened.
– The driver’s door is opened.
– The ignition switch is placed in the OFF position.
– A malfunction occurs in the auto- matic brake hold function.
Manual operation
To apply: Pull the switch upO1. The indica-
tor light
OAwill illuminate.
To release: With the ignition switch in the
ON position, depress the brake pedal and
push the switch down
O2. The indicator
light
OAwill turn off.
Before driving, check that the electronic
parking brake indicator light (
or PARK)
goes out. For additional information, see
“Warning lights, indicator lights and audible
reminders” (P. 2-12).
NOTE:
• While the electronic parking brake is applied or released, an operating
sound is heard from the lower side of
the rear seat. This is normal and does
not indicate a malfunction.
• When the electronic parking brake is frequently applied and released in a
short period of time, the parking brake
may not operate in order to prevent the
parking brake system from overheat-
ing. If this occurs, operate the elec-
tronic parking brake switch again af ter
waiting approximately 1 minute.
Starting and driving5-27

• If the electronic parking brake must beapplied 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 park-
ing brake is applied and a chime
sounds. The electronic parking brake
indicator light in the meter and in the
parking brake switch illuminates. This
does not indicate a malfunction. The
electronic parking brake indicator light
in the meter and in the parking brake
switch turns off when the parking
brake is released.
• 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. The automatic brake hold function main-
tains 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 de-
presses the accelerator pedal again, the
automatic brake hold function is deacti-
vated and the braking force is released. The
operating status of the automatic brake
hold can be displayed.
To use the automatic brake hold function,
the following conditions need to be met:
• The driver’s seat belt is fastened.
• The electronic parking brake is released.
• The vehicle is not in the P (Park) position.
• The vehicle is not parked on a steep hill.
For additional information, see “Warning
lights, indicator lights and audible remind-
ers” (P. 2-12).
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. •
The automatic brake hold warning
may appear in the vehicle informa-
tion display to request that the driver
retake control by depressing the
brake pedal.
• When the automatic brake hold func-
tion is activated but fails to maintain
the vehicle at a standstill, depress the
brake pedal to stop the vehicle. If the
vehicle unexpectedly moves due to
outside conditions, the chime may
sound and automatic 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.
• Make sure to place the shif t lever in
the P (Park) position and apply the
parking brake when parking your ve-
hicle, entering or exiting the vehicle,
or loading luggage. Failure to do so
could cause the vehicle to move or
roll away unexpectedly and result in
serious personal injury or property
damage.
AUTOMATIC BRAKE HOLD
5-28Starting and driving

•If any of the following conditions oc-
cur, the automatic brake hold func-
tion may not function. Have the sys-
tem checked promptly. It is
recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service. Failure
to operate the vehicle in accordance
with these conditions could cause
the vehicle to move or roll away un-
expectedly and result in serious per-
sonal injury or property damage.
– A warning message appears in the
vehicle information display.
– The indicator light on the auto-
matic brake hold switch does not
illuminate when the switch is
pushed.
• The automatic brake hold function
will not be activated if the Slip indica-
tor light, electronic parking brake
warning light or master warning light
illuminate and the chassis control
system fault message appears in the
vehicle information display. •
Automatic brake hold function is op-
erated by applying sufficient braking
force to hold the vehicle in its place,
so there are cases when this hold
function is maintained even if the ac-
celerator pedal is depressed. In this
situation, it is advised to depress the
brake pedal first, then to turn off au-
tomatic brake hold switch. This will
cancel the hold function.
• To maintain the braking force to keep
the vehicle to a standstill, a noise
may be heard. This is not a
malfunction.
HOW TO ACTIVATE/DEACTIVATE
THE AUTOMATIC BRAKE HOLD
FUNCTION
How to activate the automatic
brake hold function
1. With the ignition switch in the ON posi- tion, push the automatic brake hold
switch
O1. The indicator light on the au-
tomatic brake hold switch
O2
illuminates.
LSD4140
Starting and driving5-29

2. When the automatic brake hold functiongoes into standby, the automatic brake
hold indicator light (white) or automatic
brake hold indicator (white) illuminates.
To use the automatic brake hold function,
the following conditions need to be met:
• The driver’s seat belt is fastened.
• The electronic parking brake is released.
• The vehicle is not in the P (Park) position.
• The vehicle is not parked on a steep hill.
NOTE:
The automatic brake hold function re-
tains the last state until the driver
changes the option even if the ignition
switch is OFF.
How to deactivate the automatic
brake hold function
While the automatic brake hold function is
activated, push the automatic brake hold
switch to turn off the automatic brake hold
indicator light and deactivate the auto-
matic brake hold function. To deactivate
the automatic brake hold function while
the brake force has been maintained by
the automatic brake hold function, depress
the brake pedal and push the automatic
brake hold switch.
WARNING
Make sure to firmly depress and hold
the brake pedal when turning off the
automatic brake hold function while
the brake force is applied. When the au-
tomatic brake hold function is deacti-
vated, the brake force will be released.
This could cause the vehicle to move or
roll away unexpectedly. Failure to pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling may result
in serious personal injury or property
damage.
HOW TO USE THE AUTOMATIC
BRAKE HOLD FUNCTION
For additional information on using the au-
tomatic brake hold function, refer to the
instructions outlined in this section.
To maintain braking force
automatically
With the automatic brake hold function ac-
tivated and the automatic brake hold indi-
cator light (white) or automatic brake hold
indicator (white) illuminated, depress the
braking pedal to stop the vehicle, and the
automatic brake hold indicator light
(green) or automatic brake hold indicator
(green) illuminates. The brake force is auto- matically applied without your foot de-
pressed on the brake pedal. While the brake
force is maintained, the automatic brake
hold indicator light (green) or automatic
brake hold indicator (green) illuminates.
The automatic brake hold indicator (green)
or automatic brake hold indicator light
(green) will not illuminate if the brake pedal
is not depressed with sufficient force to
hold the vehicle or is released too quickly
when the vehicle is stopped.
Confirm the automatic brake hold indica-
tor (green) or automatic brake hold indica-
tor light (green) is illuminated before re-
moving your foot from the brake pedal.
To start the vehicle from a
standstill
With the vehicle not in the P (Park) or the N
(Neutral) position, depress the accelerator
pedal while the brake force is maintained.
The brake force will automatically be re-
leased to restart the vehicle.
The automatic brake hold indicator light
(white) or automatic brake hold indicator
(white) illuminates and the automatic
brake hold returns to standby.
5-30Starting and driving

Parking
When the vehicle is in the P (Park) position
with the brake force maintained by the au-
tomatic brake hold function, the parking
brake will automatically be applied and the
brake force of the automatic brake hold will
be released. The automatic brake hold in-
dicator light turns off. When the parking
brake is applied with the brake force main-
tained by the automatic brake hold func-
tion, the brake force of the automatic brake
hold will be released. The automatic brake
hold indicator light turns off.
NOTE:
• When the vehicle stops, but the brakeforce is not automatically applied, de-
press the brake pedal firmly until the
automatic brake hold indicator light
(green) or automatic brake hold indica-
tor (green) illuminates.
• Under the following conditions the electronic parking brake will automati-
cally be applied and the braking force
of the automatic brake hold will be
released:– The braking force is applied by the automatic brake hold function for 3
minutes or longer.
– The vehicle is in the P (Park) position. – The electronic parking brake is ap-
plied manually.
– The driver’s seat belt is unfastened.
– The driver’s door is opened.
– The ignition switch is placed in the OFF position.
– A malfunction occurs in the auto- matic brake hold function.
Multiple driving modes can be selected by
using the Drive Mode Selector.
2WD:TOW, SPORT, STANDARD, ECO, and
SNOW
To change the mode, push the Drive Mode
Selector up or down.
LSD4814
Drive Mode Selector (2WD models)
DRIVE MODE SELECTOR
Starting and driving5-31

4WD:SAND, MUD/RUT, SNOW, AUTO, ECO,
SPORT, and TOW
To change the mode, turn the Drive Mode
Selector right or lef t.
NOTE:
When the Drive Mode Selector selects a
mode, the mode may not switch imme-
diately. This is not a malfunction.
The current mode is displayed in the ve-
hicle information display. The mode list will
appear in the vehicle information display
and you can select the mode.
NOTE:
The mode list will be turned off in ap-
proximately 5 seconds af ter the mode is
selected.
You can also clear the message by push-
ing the scroll dial on the steering wheel
mounted controls.
If the driving mode cannot be switched us-
ing the Drive Mode Selector when the igni-
tion switch is in the ON position, have the
system checked. It is recommended you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
NOTE:
The STANDARD (2WD models)/AUTO
(4WD models) MODE will be selected first
each time the ignition switch is placed in
the ON position.
WARNING
Do not stare at the Drive Mode Selector
or the display while driving so that full
attention may be given to vehicle
operation.
STANDARD MODE (2WD
models)/AUTO MODE (4WD
models)
This is the standard mode that is most
suitable for normal driving.
SPORT MODE
• Adjusts the engine points for a higher response.
• The setting of the steering system is ad- justed to moderately increase steering
wheel effort for a sporty feel.
NOTE:
In the SPORT mode, fuel economy may
be reduced.
SNOW MODE
This mode makes it easier to start and
drive on snowy roads and frozen roads.
LSD4815
Drive Mode Selector (4WD models)
5-32Starting and driving

The ECO drive indicator will not illuminate
in the following cases:
• When the shif t lever is in the R (Reverse)position.
• When the vehicle speed is below 2 mph (3.2 km/h) or over 90 mph (144 km/h).
• When the Cruise Control (if so equipped) or Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) system
(if so equipped) is operated.
ECO Customize
The “ECO Customize” is a function that can
change the priority from the Cruise Control
(if so equipped) or Intelligent Cruise Control
(ICC) (if so equipped) to fuel efficiency im-
provements. It can be set when the ECO
mode is selected. To activate or deactivate
this function, see “ECO Mode Setting”
(P. 2-29) or (P. 2-55).
• Cruise Control
When the setting is ON, the fuel efficiency
while cruising will be improved by lower-
ing acceleration target from normal
(setting OFF) mode.
NOTE:
When the vehicle speed is reduced (for
example, when the vehicle is driven on
an uphill road from a flat road), it will take
more time to return to the previously set
speed than normal mode.
Tire Pres ECO advice
The “Tire Pres ECO advice” is a function to
show ECO advice information in the vehicle
information display when low tire pressure
is detected. To activate or deactivate this
function, see “ECO Mode Setting” (P. 2-29) or
(P. 2-55).
When the setting is on, the ECO Drive Re-
port display shows “See Tire Pressures”. You
can switch the display to the Tire Pressures
display by selecting it in the vehicle infor-
mation display.
Eco Drive Report (if so equipped)
When the ignition switch is in the OFF posi-
tion, the ECO management display
appears.
1Previous 5 times (History)
2Current fuel economy
3Best fuel economy
The result of ECO evaluation is displayed 30
seconds af ter the ignition switch is placed
in the ON position and the vehicle is driven
at least 1/3 miles (500 meters).
1The average fuel economy for the pre-
vious 5 times will be displayed.
LIC5112
5-34Starting and driving