Get Starting and driving -> Driving the vehicle Guide for Nissan Qashqai SUV 2020

DRIVING THE VEHICLE

2. Vehicle is not driven regularly and/

position.

CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANS-

MISSION (CVT)

The Continuously Variable Transmission

(CVT) in your vehicle is electronically

controlled to produce maximum power

and smooth operation.

The recommended operating procedures

for this transmission are shown on the

following pages. Follow these procedures

for maximum vehicle performance and

driving enjoyment.

Engine power may be automatically

reduced to protect the CVT if the engine

speed increases quickly when driving

on slippery roads or while being tested

on some dynamometers.

or only driven short distances.

2. Keep the foot brake pedal depressed

and move the shift lever to a driving

position.

3. Release the parking brake and foot

brake pedal, and then gradually start

the vehicle in motion.

In these cases, the battery may need to

be charged to maintain battery health.

REMOTE ENGINE START (if so

equipped)

Vehicles started with the remote engine

start function require the ignition switch

to be placed in the ON position before the

shift lever can be moved from the P (Park)

position. To place the ignition switch in

the ON position, perform the following

steps:

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 either the P (Park)

or R (Reverse) position while ve-

hicle is moving forward and P

(Park) or D (Drive) while the vehi-

cle is reversing. This could cause

an accident or damage the trans-

mission.

1. Make sure that the Intelligent Key is

carried with you.

2. Depress the brake pedal.

Starting the vehicle

3. Push the ignition switch once to the

ON position.

1. After starting the engine, fully depress

the foot brake pedal before moving

the shift lever out of the P (Park)

position.

.

For additional information about the

remote engine start function, see “Re-

mote engine start” (P.3-23).

This CVT is designed so that the foot

brake pedal must be depressed

before shifting from P (Park) to any

driving position while the ignition

switch is in the ON position.

The shift lever cannot be moved out

of the P (Park) position and into any

of the other positions if the ignition

switch is placed in the LOCK or OFF

5-20 Starting and driving

.

Do not downshift abruptly on

slippery roads. This may cause a

loss of control.

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

.

To avoid possible damage to your

vehicle; when stopping the vehi-

cle on an uphill grade, do not hold

the vehicle by depressing the

accelerator pedal. The foot brake

should be used for this purpose.

Except in an emergency, do not

shift to the N (Neutral) position

while driving. Coasting with the

transmission in the N (Neutral)

position may cause serious da-

mage to the transmission.

CAUTION

JVS1025X

Use the P (Park) or R (Reverse) posi-

tion only when the vehicle is com-

pletely stopped.

To move the shift lever,

Push the button

while depressing

:

the brake pedal.

Push the button

Just move the shift lever.

.

:

If the ignition switch is placed in the OFF

or ACC position for any reason while the

shift lever is in any positions other than

the P (Park), the ignition switch cannot be

placed in the LOCK position.

If the ignition switch cannot be placed in

the LOCK position, perform the following

steps:

Shifting

After starting the engine, fully depress the

brake pedal, push the shift lever button

and move the shift lever from the P (Park)

position to any of the desired shift posi-

tions.

1. Apply the parking brake when the

vehicle is stopped.

2. Place the ignition switch in the ON

position while depressing the foot

Starting and driving 5-21

brake pedal.

shift lever from P (Park), N (Neutral) or

any driving position to R (Reverse).

Shift ranges up or down one by one as

follows:

3. Move the shift lever to the P (Park)

?

/

?

/

?

/

?

/

?

/

?

/

?

/

position.

N (Neutral):

M8

M1

M2

M3

M4

M5

M6

M7

4. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK

position.

Neither forward nor reverse gear is en-

gaged. The engine can be started in this

position. You may shift to N (Neutral) and

restart a stalled engine while the vehicle

is moving.

.

When shifting up, move the shift lever

to the + (up) side. The transmission

shifts to a higher range.

CAUTION

.

When shifting down, move the shift

lever to the − (down) side. The trans-

mission shifts to a lower range.

Moving the shift lever to the same side

twice will shift the ranges in succes-

sion. However, if this motion is rapidly

done, the second shifting may not be

completed properly.

When canceling the manual shift

mode, return the shift lever to the D

(Drive) position. The transmission re-

turns to the normal driving mode.

D (Drive):

To prevent transmission damage,

move the shift lever to the P (Park)

or R (Reverse) position only when the

vehicle is completely stopped.

Use this position for all normal forward

driving.

Manual shift mode

When the shift lever is shifted from the D

(Drive) position to the manual shift gate,

the transmission enters the manual shift

mode. Shift ranges can be selected

manually by moving the shift lever up or

down.

P (Park):

.

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 N (Neutral) or any

drive position to P (Park). Apply the

parking brake. When parking on a hill,

apply the parking brake first, then move

the shift lever to the P (Park) position.

M8 (8th):

In the manual shift mode, the shift range

is displayed on the position indicator in

the meter.

Use this position for all normal forward

driving.

However, you need to shift down the

gears manually when accelerating or

passing another vehicle.

R (Reverse):

M7 (7th), M6 (6th) and M5 (5th):

Use this position to back up. Make 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

Use these positions when driving up long

slopes, or for engine braking when driving

down long slopes.

5-22 Starting and driving

manual shift mode.

M4 (4th), M3 (3rd) and M2 (2nd) :

Fail-safe

.

When the CVT fluid temperature is

high, the shift range may upshift at a

lower engine speed than usual. This is

not a malfunction.

Use these positions for hill climbing or

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 MIL may illuminate to indicate the

fail-safe mode is activated. (See “Mal-

function Indicator Light (MIL)” (P.2-17).)

This will occur even if all electrical

circuits are functioning properly. In this

case, place the ignition switch in the

OFF position and wait for 10 seconds.

Then turn 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 con-

dition, have the transmission checked

and repaired, if necessary. It is recom-

mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for

this service.

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 braking on steep downhill grades.

Accelerator downshift — In D posi-

tion —

For passing or hill climbing, fully depress

the accelerator pedal to the floor. This

shifts the transmission down into a lower

gear, depending on the vehicle speed.

.

Remember not to drive at high speeds

for extended periods of time in lower

than M7 range. This reduces fuel

economy.

In the manual shift mode, the trans-

mission may not shift to the se-

lected range. This helps maintain

driving performance and reduces

the chance of vehicle damage or

loss of control.

High fluid temperature protection

mode

.

This transmission has a high fluid tem-

perature protection mode. If the fluid

temperature becomes too high (for ex-

ample, when climbing steep grades in

high temperature with heavy loads), en-

gine power and, under some conditions,

vehicle speed will be decreased automa-

tically to reduce the chance of transmis-

sion damage. Vehicle speed can be

controlled with the accelerator pedal,

but the engine and vehicle speed may

be limited.

.

In the manual shift mode, the trans-

mission automatically shifts down

to 1st gear before the vehicle comes

to a stop. When accelerating again, it

is necessary to shift up to the

desired range.

When the CVT fluid temperature is

extremely low, the manual shift mode

may not work and automatically shift

as a drive mode. This is not a mal-

function. In this case, return the shift

lever to the D (Drive) position and drive

for a while and then shift to the

WARNING

When the high fluid temperature

protection mode or fail-safe opera-

tion occurs, vehicle speed may be

gradually reduced. 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

Starting and driving 5-23

NOTE:

place and allow the transmission to

return to normal operation, or have it

repaired if necessary.

.

Adaptive Shift Control may not op-

erate when the transmission oil

temperature is low immediately

after the start of driving or when it

is very hot.

Adaptive Shift Control (ASC)

.

During some driving situations, hard

braking for example, the Adaptive

Shift Control may automatically op-

erate. The transmission may auto-

matically shift to a lower gear for

engine braking. This increases en-

gine speed but not vehicle speed.

Vehicle speed is controlled by the

accelerator pedal when the vehicle

is in the Adaptive Shift Control

mode.

The Adaptive Shift Control automatically

operates when the transmission is in the

“D” (Drive) position and selects an appro-

priate gear depending on the road con-

ditions such as uphill or downhill.

Control on uphill and curving roads:

A low gear is maintained that suits the

degree of the slope to allow smooth

driving with a small number of shifts.

JVS0392X

Shift lock release

Control on downhill roads:

.

When the Adaptive Shift Control

operates, the transmission some-

times maintains a lower gear for a

longer period of time than when

Adaptive Shift Control is not operat-

ing. Engine speed will be higher for a

specific vehicle speed while Adap-

tive Shift Control is operating than

when Adaptive Shift Control is not

operating.

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 but-

ton pushed.

The Adaptive Shift Control shifts to a low

gear that suits the degree of the slope

when the accelerator pedal is depressed,

and uses the engine braking to help

driving in the downhill.

To move the shift lever, perform the

Control on winding roads:

following procedure:

A low gear is maintained on continuous

curves that involve repeated acceleration

and deceleration, so that smooth accel-

eration is available instantly when the

accelerator pedal is depressed.

1. Place the ignition switch in the OFF or

LOCK position.

2. Apply the parking brake.

3. Remove the shift lock release cover

(shown in the illustration above) using

a suitable tool.

5-24 Starting and driving

4. Insert the mechanical key and push

down the shift lock release.

MANUAL TRANSMISSION (MT)

may damage the clutch.

.

Fully depress the clutch pedal

before shifting to help prevent

transmission damage.

5. Push the shift lever button and move

WARNING

the shift lever to the

N (Neutral)

position while holding down the shift

.

Stop your vehicle completely be-

.

Do not downshift abruptly on

slippery 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.

lock release.

fore shifting into R (Reverse).

Place the ignition switch in the ON posi-

tion. The vehicle may be moved to the

desired location.

When the vehicle is stopped for a

period of time, for example at a

stop light, shift to N (Neutral) and

release the clutch pedal with the

foot brake applied.

Replace the removed shift lock release

cover after the operation.

If the shift lever cannot be moved out of

the P (Park) position, have the CVT system

checked as soon as possible. It is recom-

mended you visit a NISSAN dealer for this

service.

.

When the high fluid temperature

protection mode or fail-safe op-

eration occurs, vehicle speed may

be gradually reduced. The re-

duced speed may be lower than

other traffic, which could increase

the chance of

a collision. Be

WARNING

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.

If the shift lever cannot be moved

from the P (Park) position while the

engine is running and the brake

pedal is depressed, the stop lights

may not work. Malfunctioning stop

lights could cause an accident injur-

ing yourself and others.

CAUTION

.

Do not rest your foot on the

clutch pedal while driving. This

Starting and driving 5-25

To back up, pull the shift lever ring

upward and then move it to the

Suggested maximum speed in

each gear

R

(Reverse) gear after stopping the vehicle

Downshift to a lower gear if the engine is

not running smoothly, or if you need to

accelerate.

completely.

The shift lever ring 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

the R (Reverse) or 1st gear, shift to the N

(Neutral) position, and then release the

clutch pedal once. Fully depress the

clutch pedal again and shift into the R

(Reverse) or 1st gear.

Do not exceed the maximum suggested

speed (shown below) in any gear. For level

road driving, use the highest gear sug-

gested for that speed. Always observe

posted speed limits, and drive according

to the road conditions, which will ensure

safe operation. Do not over-rev the en-

gine when shifting to a lower gear as it

may cause engine damage or loss of

vehicle control.

SSD0552

MPH (km/h)

Gear

Shifting

28 (46)

50 (81)

70 (112)

90 (145)

—

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

To change gears, or when upshifting or

downshifting, fully depress the clutch

pedal, shift into the appropriate gear,

then slowly and smoothly release the

clutch pedal.

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 shift to

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gear in

sequence according to vehicle speed.

5-26 Starting and driving

Starting and driving -> Driving the vehicle for Your Nissan Qashqai SUV 2020

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