Nissan Versa: Monitor, climate, audio, phone and voice recognition systems - Ignition switch

WARNING

Never attempt to remove the ignition key or place the ignition switch into the LOCK position while your Nissan Versa is in motion. Doing so will immediately engage the steering wheel locking mechanism, causing the driver to lose steering control of the vehicle and potentially resulting in serious vehicle damage, a dangerous collision, or severe personal injury.

Continuously Variable Transmission

Close-up view of the ignition switch in a Nissan Versa equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission

The ignition lock mechanism on your Nissan Versa is meticulously engineered so that the ignition switch cannot be turned back to the LOCK position until the transmission shift lever has been securely moved into the P (Park) position.

When preparing to place the ignition switch in the LOCK position, always double-check to ensure that the shift lever is fully engaged in the P (Park) position.
When removing the key from the ignition switch (if so equipped), verify beforehand that the shift lever is firmly in the P (Park) position.

If you encounter a situation where the ignition switch cannot be turned to the LOCK position, follow these steps to release it:

1. Ensure the shift lever is completely moved into the P (Park) position.

2. Jiggle or move the ignition switch slightly in the direction of the ON position.

3. Turn the ignition switch smoothly to the LOCK position.

4. Pull out and remove the key if it is inserted in the ignition switch.

Conversely, once the ignition switch is placed in the LOCK position, the gear shift lever is securely locked and cannot be moved out of the P (Park) position.

The shift lever can only be shifted out of park if the ignition switch is in the ON position and the foot brake pedal is firmly depressed.

There is a convenient intermediate OFF position 1 located right between the LOCK and ON positions. This OFF position is clearly indicated by the number "1" stamped on the key cylinder face.

Manual transmission

Detailed dashboard view of the manual transmission ignition switch inside a Nissan Versa cabin

The ignition switch assembly on manual transmission models includes a built-in safety device that helps prevent the accidental removal of the ignition key while driving on the road.

The key can only be extracted from the cylinder when the ignition switch is turned completely to the LOCK position.

In order for the steering wheel lock to engage properly, the steering wheel must be turned approximately 1/8 of a full turn clockwise away from the straight-ahead upright position.

To lock the steering wheel securely, place the ignition switch in the LOCK position and remove the key. To unlock the steering wheel before driving your Nissan Versa, insert the key and turn it gently while simultaneously rotating the steering wheel slightly back and forth to the right and left to release tension.

Ignition switch positions

LOCK: Normal parking position (0)

OFF: (1)

This allows the engine to be turned off completely without engaging the steering wheel lock.

ON: Normal operating position (2)

This position activates the vehicle ignition system and powers all electrical accessories.

START: (3)

This position cranks and starts the engine. As soon as the engine fires and starts running, immediately release the key, and it will automatically spring back to the ON position.

NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System

The advanced NISSAN Vehicle Immobilizer System integrated into your Nissan Versa acts as an anti-theft safeguard and will not allow the engine to start without the use of an officially registered and programmed key.

If the engine fails to start when using a valid registered key—which can occasionally happen if wireless interference is caused by another registered key, an electronic automated toll road transponder, or an automatic payment tag attached to the same key ring—you can restart the engine using the following recovery procedure:

1. Leave the ignition switch turned to the ON position for approximately 5 seconds.

2. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF or LOCK position, and wait approximately 10 seconds for the system to reset.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2.

4. Attempt to restart the engine while holding any interfering electronic device completely separate from your registered Nissan Versa key.

If this engine no-start condition happens to re-occur, Nissan strongly recommends placing your registered key on a dedicated, separate key ring to permanently avoid signal interference from other cards or devices.