Nissan Altima Quiz
Starting and driving

Starting the engine

In this manual: Starting and driving
Foreword — 1Nissan Customer Assistance Program — 1Illustrated Table of Contents — 8Safety - Seats, Seat Belts and Supplemental Restraint System — 28Controls and instruments — 50Pre-Start Checks and Adjustments — 43Monitor, Climate, Audio, Phone and Voice Recognition Systems — 90Starting and driving — 37In an Emergency — 12Appearance and care — 17Maintenance and owner do-it-yourself — 37Technical data and consumer information — 24Using the multi-function display — 1Start-up Display — 1Settings — 1Multi-function display warnings and indicators — 1Changing the Display — 1How to Park Using the Predicted Course Lines — 1Screen Settings — 1Driving tips — 1Moving Object Detection System (if equipped) — 1Blind Spot Warning System Operation — 1Blind Spot Warning system driving situations — 1Lane Departure Warning system operation — 1Camera Maintenance — 1Headlights — 1Fog Lights (if equipped) — 1Parking Lights and Turn Signal Lights — 1
7steps
~42min
2/5difficulty
Done 0 of 7
  1. Apply the parking brake.
  2. Move the selector lever to the P (Park) or N (Neutral) position. The P (Park) position is recommended.

The starter can only operate when the selector lever is in the Neutral or Park position.

  1. Press the push-button ignition switch to the ON position. Depress the brake pedal and press the push-button ignition switch to start the engine.

To start the engine immediately, briefly press the push-button ignition switch while depressing the brake pedal, regardless of the ignition switch position.

  • When the engine is very difficult to start, for example in very cold weather or when restarting, hold the accelerator pedal down about one-third of its travel and operate the starter. Release the accelerator pedal when the engine starts.
  • If the engine is very difficult to start because it is flooded, fully depress the accelerator pedal and hold it down. Press the push-button ignition switch to the ON position to start the engine. After 5 to 6 seconds, press the push-button ignition switch to the LOCK position to stop the starter.

Release the accelerator pedal.

With the accelerator released and the brake pedal depressed, operate the starter again by pressing the push-button ignition switch. If the engine cranks but does not start, repeat the procedure described above.

WARNING

Do not operate the starter for more than 15 seconds at a time. If the engine does not start, press the push-button ignition switch to the OFF position and wait 10 seconds before the next attempt, otherwise the starter may be damaged.

4. Warm-Up

After starting, let the engine idle for at least 30 seconds.

Do not run the engine at high speed while it is warming up. Drive at moderate speed for a short distance first, especially in cold weather. In cold weather, let the engine run for at least two to three minutes before shutting it off. Starting and stopping the engine repeatedly over a short period may make the vehicle harder to start.

  1. To stop the engine, move the selector lever to the P (Park) position and turn the ignition switch to the OFF position.

NOTE:

Avoid as much as possible situations that may cause the battery to discharge and conditions that may prevent starting, such as:

  1. Installing or using electronic accessories that draw battery power for extended periods while the engine is off (phone chargers, GPS units, DVD players, etc.).
  2. The vehicle is not driven regularly or is only driven short distances. In these cases, the battery may need to be recharged to preserve its service life.

Remote Engine Start System (if equipped)

If the vehicle is started using the Remote Engine Start System, the ignition switch must be placed in the ON position before the selector lever can be moved out of the P (Park) position. To place the ignition switch in the ON position, follow these steps:

  1. Make sure you have the Intelligent Key with you.
  2. Apply the parking brake.
  3. Press the ignition switch once to the ON position.

For more information, refer to the "NISSAN Intelligent KeyMD" section in the "Pre-driving Checks and Adjustments" chapter of this manual.

Test yourself

A quick Nissan Altima quiz: every answer comes with an explanation and a link to the manual page.