Most warnng lights/control in a car are intuitive , but from car to car I often find it initailly confusing as to what state is normal, with repect to traction controls during slippery conditions. Sometimes they need to be turned ON, sometimes they need to be OFF. Eg stuck in snow, turn VDC off, but driving in snow turn Snow mode ON ! Sometimes turning a function off means pushing the button on! Also sometimes the indicator light themselves mean a malfunction - other times just normal status.

Below is a quick summary I made for myself - drawn on the manual...not comprehensive but it's a start - I assume I have it right!


VDC - Vehicle Dynamic Control
-function is normally ON for most driving conditions. If the vehicle is STUCK in mud or snow, the VDC system reduces the engine output to reduce wheel spin. The engine speed will be reduced even if the accelerator is depressed to the floor.
-when to manually turn it OFF : If maximum engine power is needed to free a stuck vehicle, turn the VDC system off. To turn off the VDC system, push the VDC OFF switch. The indicator will illuminate. Indicator light indicates that the vehicle dynamic control system and traction control system are not operating.


SLIP
-no rocker switch- an indicator lamp only
-indicator will blink when the VDC system or the traction control system is operating, thus alerting the driver to the fact that the road surface is slippery and the vehicle is nearing its traction limits.


SNOW Mode
-rocker switch between armrests
-normal SNOW MODE is OFF
--when to manually turn it ON: Manually turn ON for driving or starting the vehicle on snowy roads or slippery areas. The indicator light on the switch will illuminate. When the SNOW mode is activated, engine output is controlled to avoid wheel spin.

NOTE - ABNOMRAL: VDC OFF AND SLIP ON: When the vehicle dynamic control off indicator light AND the slip indicator light come on with the vehicle dynamic control system turned ON, this light alerts the driver to the fact that the vehicle dynamic control system's failsafe mode is operating, for example the vehicle dynamic control system may not be functioning properly. Have the system checked by an INFINITI dealer. If an abnormality occurs in the system, the vehicle dynamic control system function will be canceled but the vehicle is still driveable.

 

Hey big props for reading through the manual ThatsMyG. It's amazing how many people don't do that.
I thought I would comment on a couple of things since we both have X's, and I am now on my second one.

First the VDC, with the X there is really no reason to ever turn off the VDC. It is a great safety feature and I don't think you will find yourself stuck with the X and if you do get stuck, turning off the VDC won't help you, cause you will be stuck bad.

Snow mode switch: I never use it because I use dedicated winter tires and with the AWD system, I never find it necessary. It might help you if you are running all seasons and encounter really deep snow. Just remember snow mode only works at speeds up to about 20km/h (12mph) then the ATTESSA system takes over anyways.

The X is a great car for our conditions in the GWN

 

I agree with everything you've said Wayne, except I do use the snow mode occasionally on icy side streets as I find it helps to take off from a slippery intersection. The City of Calgary doesn't think plowing the residential side streets is a worthwhile investment, so they tend to accumulate ice through out the winter thanks to in part to chinooks.