automatic transmission NISSAN SENTRA 2021 User Guide

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 forextended periods of time in lower than
the 6th 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 succes-
sion.
• The transmission will automatically downshif t the gears. (For example, if you
select the 3rd range, the transmission will
shif t down between the 3rd and 1st
gears.)
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.
• When this situation occurs, the Con-
tinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
position indicator light will blink and
the chime will sound.
• 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.
• CVT operation is limited to automatic drive mode when CVT fluid temperature
is extremely low even if manual shif t
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 shif t range may upshif t in lower rpm
than usual. This is not a malfunction.
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.
It is recommended that you contact a
NISSAN dealer or a professional towing ser-
vice.
LSD3739

OFF position:
For normal driving and fuel economy, use
the OFF position.
ON position:
For driving up or down long slopes where
engine braking is necessary, or for powerful
acceleration, use the ON position. The
transmission will automatically select a dif-
ferent gear ratio, allowing the engine to
provide high output.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for
extended periods of time with the drive
sport mode in the ON position. This re-
duces fuel economy.
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.
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 and repaired, if
necessary. It is recommended that you
visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.
WARNING
When the high fluid temperature pro-
tection mode or fail-safe operation oc-
curs, vehicle speed may be gradually
reduced. The reduced speed may be
lower than other traffic, which could in-
crease the chance of a collision. Be es-
pecially careful when driving. If neces-
sary, pull to the side of the road at a safe
place and allow the transmission to re-
turn to normal operation, or have it re-
paired if necessary.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION (if so
equipped)
CAUTION
• Do not rest your foot on the clutch
pedal while driving. This may cause
clutch damage.
• Fully depress the clutch pedal before
shif ting to help prevent transmission
damage.
• Stop your vehicle completely before
shif ting into R (Reverse).
Starting and driving5-21

The ECO mode helps to enhance the fuel
economy by controlling the throttle sensi-
tivity and transmission points.
To turn on the ECO mode, push the ECO
mode switch. The ECO mode indicator light
(on the meter or vehicle information dis-
play) will remain lit while the mode is active.
To turn off the ECO mode, push the ECO
mode switch again. The ECO mode indica-
tor light (on the meter or vehicle informa-
tion display) will turn off.The ECO mode cannot be turned off while
the accelerator pedal is depressed, even if
the ECO mode switch is pushed off. Release
the accelerator pedal to turn off the ECO
mode.
The ECO mode will turn off automatically if
a malfunction occurs in the system.
Turn off the ECO mode or depress the ac-
celerator pedal fully when:
• Driving with a heavy load of passengers
or cargo in the vehicle
• Driving on a steep uphill slope
• ECO mode may affect air conditioner per- formanceNOTE:
Selecting this drive mode will not neces-
sarily improve fuel economy as many
driving factors influence its
effectiveness.
SHIFT LEVER INDICATOR (MRA8DE
engine Manual Transmission
models only)
The shif t lever indicator is used to support
the suitable timing of gear change. It oper-
ates only when the ECO mode is on.
The shif t indicator icon and recommended
gear position are displayed.
The shif t indicator icon indicates when to
upshif t or downshif t for fuel economy.
LSD3737LSD2143
ECO MODE SWITCH
Starting and driving5-25

The cruise control is automatically can-
celed if:
• You depress the brake or clutch pedal (forManual Transmission models) while
pushing the RES+ or SET- switch. The pre-
set speed is deleted from memory.
• The vehicle slows down more than 8 mph (13 km/h) below the set speed.
• You depress the clutch pedal (for Manual Transmission models), or move the shif t
lever to N (Neutral) (for Continuously Vari-
able Transmission models).
To reset at a faster cruising speed, use
one of the following three methods:
• Depress the accelerator pedal. When the vehicle attains the desired speed, push
and release the SET— switch.
• Push and hold the RES+ switch. When the vehicle attains the speed you desire, re-
lease the switch.
• Push and release the RES+ switch. Each time you do this, the set speed increases
by about 1 mph (1.6 km/h). To reset at a slower cruising speed,
use
one of the following three methods:
• Lightly tap the brake pedal. When the ve- hicle attains the desired speed, push the
SET— switch and release it.
• Push and hold the SET— switch. Release the switch when the vehicle slows to the
desired speed.
• Push and release the SET— switch. Each time you do this, the set speed decreases
by about 1 mph (1.6 km/h).
To resume the preset speed, push and
release the RES+ switch. The vehicle re-
turns to the last set cruising speed when
the vehicle speed is over 25 mph (40 km/h).

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 forwardor reverse gear.
• The vehicle is stopped completely on a hill by applying the brake. The maximum
holding time is 2 seconds. Af ter 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 shif t lever is placed in the N (Neu-
tral) or P (Park) position or on a flat and level
road. The RSS 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
touch-screen display. An additional view of
the sonar status will appear in the vehicle
information display for reference.

CAUTION
• NISSAN recommends using Genuine
NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3 (or equiva-
lent) ONLY in NISSAN CVTs. Do not mix
with other fluids.
• Do not use Automatic Transmission
Fluid (ATF) or manual transmission
fluid in a NISSAN CVT, as it may dam-
age the CVT. Damage caused by the
use of fluids other than as recom-
mended is not covered under
NISSAN's New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
• Using fluids that are not equivalent
to Genuine NISSAN CVT Fluid NS-3
may also damage the CVT. Damage
caused by the use of fluids other than
as recommended is not covered un-
der NISSAN's New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
When checking or replacement of CVT fluid
is required, it is recommended that you visit
a NISSAN dealer for servicing. For additional brake and clutch fluid speci-
fication information, refer to “Recom-
mended fluids/lubricants and capacities”
in the “Technical and consumer informa-
tion” section of this manual.
CAUTION
Do not spill the fluid on any painted sur-
faces. This will damage the paint. If fluid
is spilled, immediately wash the sur-
face with water.
BRAKE FLUID
Check the fluid level in the reservoir. If the
level is below the MIN line
O1, or the brake
warning light comes on, add Genuine
NISSAN Brake Fluid or equivalent DOT 3
fluid up to the MAX line
O2. If fluid must be
added frequently, the system should be
checked. It is recommended that you visit a
NISSAN dealer for this service.
LDI3490
CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION (CVT) FLUID (if so
equipped) BRAKE AND CLUTCH (if so equipped)
FLUID

Precautions on supplemental restraint
system....................1-44Supplemental restraint system
(Supplemental air bag system).......1-44Switch
Autolight switch..............2-56Automatic power window switch. . . .2-72Fog light switch...............2-61Hazard warning flasher switch......6-2Headlight and turn signal switch. . . .2-55Headlight control switch.........2-55Instrument brightness control.....2-60Power door lock switch..........3-6Rear window and outside mirror defroster
switch................... .2-55Turn signal switch.............2-60
T
Tachometer...................2-5Temperature gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge. . .2-6Thef t (NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System),
engine start...............2-53, 5-14Three-way catalyst...............5-4TiltTelescopic steering............3-28TireFlat tire................. .6-3, 6-4Spare tire...............6-5, 8-39Tire and Loading Information label. .10-14Tire chains.................8-35Tire pressure................8-28
Tire rotation.................8-36Types of tires................8-34Uniform tire quality grading.......10-19Wheel/tire size...............10-10Wheels and tires..............8-28Tire pressure
Low tire pressure warning light.....2-11Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)...................... .5-5Towing
2-wheel drive models...........6-134-wheel drive models...........6-13Flat towing................ .10-18Trailer towing...............10-18Towing a trailer................10-18Towing your vehicle..............6-12Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)........5-26Transceiver
HomeLink® Universal
Transceiver
. . .2-76, 2-77, 2-78, 2-79, 2-80TransmissionContinuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
fluid
......................8-10Driving with Continuously Variable
Transmission (CVT)............5-16Driving with manual transmission. . .5-21Travel (See registering a vehicle in another
country)................... .10-12Trip odometer..................2-5Trunk access through the rear seat. . . .3-25Trunk lid.....................3-24Trunk lid lock opener lever.........3-24Trunk light....................2-76Turn signal switch...............2-60
U
Uniform tire quality grading........10-19USB interface.................4-54USB/iPod® Charging Ports.........4-64
V
Vanity mirror..................3-29Variable voltage control system......8-14Vehicle dimensions and weights.....10-11Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
system.....................5-116Vehicle identification.............10-12Vehicle identification number (VIN). . . .10-12Vehicle identification number (VIN)
(Chassis number)...............10-12Vehicle identification number (VIN)
plate...................... .10-12Vehicle immobilizer system.....2-53, 5-14Vehicle information display.........2-17Vehicle loading information........10-15Vehicle recovery................6-14Vehicle security system...........2-52Vehicle security system
(NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System), engine
start
....................2-53, 5-14Vents..................... .4-32Visors......................3-28Voice Prompt Interrupt............4-70
Index11-7