Reset a Frozen Infotainment Screen

Last updated: June 10, 2026

If the centre screen in your Nissan Pulsar (C13, 2014–2018) has frozen, gone black, or stopped answering taps and the surrounding buttons, you can force the NissanConnect unit to restart yourself in about a minute. The Pulsar drives normally while the display is stuck — the lock-up is in the audio/navigation module, not anything that affects the engine or brakes.

The system in this Pulsar

The C13 Pulsar carries the 5.8-inch NissanConnect colour touchscreen on Acenta trim and above, with radio, Bluetooth and (on higher trims) navigation. Entry Visia cars run a simpler radio without the touchscreen. This is the same early NissanConnect family used across the Note and Qashqai of the period, so it predates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — phone integration is by Bluetooth only. The touchscreen unit is the one that freezes, and it reboots from the rotary power knob.

The reboot control is the Power/Volume knob beside the screen: press in to mute, turn for volume, hold to force a restart.

Soft reset (reboot the screen)

Park the Pulsar and leave the ignition on so the unit stays powered.

1. Find the Power/Volume knob on the centre stack.
2. Press and hold it in — a steady press, not a tap.
3. Keep holding for about 10 seconds until the screen goes black and the Nissan logo reappears.
4. Release the knob; the system reloads on its own.
5. Give it up to a minute before the radio, Bluetooth and touch respond again.

Safe — it loses no data

Holding the power knob to reboot does not erase presets, paired phones or saved nav destinations. It only reloads the software. Repeat as needed.

If it stays frozen

• Hold longer. If 10 seconds did nothing, retry and hold the knob for 15–20 seconds.
• Cycle the ignition fully. Switch off, open the driver’s door, lock the car and walk away for a few minutes so the module powers right down; then unlock and restart.
• Disconnect the 12V battery (last resort). Briefly disconnecting the negative terminal for a few minutes forces a hard power-down. This resets the clock and may need your radio code.
• Ask about a software update. Repeat freezes are often firmware-related — a Nissan dealer can flash the latest NissanConnect software for the C13.

Factory reset (erases data)

Only needed when selling the car or chasing a glitch the reboot will not clear. Open Settings → System → Factory Reset and confirm. This wipes paired phones, call history, presets and saved destinations back to factory defaults — not the fix for an everyday freeze.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the reset on the Pulsar’s screen?

There’s no separate button — press and hold the Power/Volume knob beside the screen for about 10 seconds until the Nissan logo appears.

Will rebooting delete my presets and Bluetooth pairings?

No. Only the Factory Reset in Settings clears them. The power-knob restart keeps everything.

Does the Pulsar have Apple CarPlay?

No. The C13’s NissanConnect predates CarPlay and Android Auto — phone connection is by Bluetooth only.

My base Pulsar has no touchscreen — how do I reset the radio?

On the button-stereo cars, hold the radio’s power button for about 10 seconds or cycle the ignition. If it stays blank, briefly disconnecting the 12V battery resets it.

Is it safe to drive with the screen frozen?

Yes. NissanConnect is separate from the engine and brakes — you only lose media, phone and navigation. Reboot when safely parked.

If a warning light or fault message stays on the dash after the reboot, the car may have stored a diagnostic trouble code — you can look it up on autodtcs.com.