1994 Lexus LS400 lexus LS400 1994 Gauges, Meters and Service Reminder Indicators / 1994 LS400: STARTING AND DRIVING

STARTING AND DRIVING
125
Overdrive switch
Indicator light
On
Off
4. Set the overdrive switch to the ON position.
Always set the overdrive switch to the ON position to improve
fuel economy and quiet driving. (See “(b) Using engine
braking” and “(f) Good driving practice” for exceptions.)
Brake pedal
“D” (Drive)
position
5. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to “D”.
CAUTION:
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
6. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the
accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
The vehicle will start in the first gear and automatically shift to
the most suitable gear for the running conditions, such as the
vehicle speed, hill climbing, hard towing, etc. However, while
the engine coolant temperature is low and the vehicle is
traveling at low speed, the transmission will not shift into the
overdrive gear even with the overdrive switch on.
In “D” position, the automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for the running conditions such as hill
climbing, hard towing, etc.

STARTING AND DRIVING
126If you need to accelerate rapidly while driving, depress the
accelerator pedal to the full throttle position. This provides
more acceleration by automatically downshifting the
transmission to the next lower gear or beyond, depending on
the vehicle speed.
If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill,
see “(b) Using engine braking”.
7. If you need to accelerate still more, exert more force to
depress the accelerator pedal beyond the full throttle
position to turn on the “kick-down” switch.
The transmission will then downshift to the next lower gear for
still more acceleration, depending on the vehicle speed.
(b) Using engine braking
Overdrive switch
: Shifting
“D” (Drive) position
“2” (Second) position
“L” (Low) position
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the
transmission in the way described below:
Turn off the overdrive switch. (This is effective only when
you are driving in the “D” position.) The “O / D OFF” indicator
light in the instrument cluster will come on and the
transmission will downshift to the third gear.

Shift into the “2” position. The transmission will downshift to
the second gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes
lower than 121 km / h (75 mph) and more powerful engine
braking will be obtained.

Shift into the “L” position. The transmission will downshift to
the first gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower
than 67 km / h (42 mph) and maximum engine braking will be
applied.
CAUTION:
Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface. The
abrupt change in engine speed could cause the vehicle to
spin or skid.
(c) Using the “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for strong engine braking as
described previously.
With the selector lever in “2” or “L”, you can start the vehicle in
motion as with the lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “2”, the vehicle will start in the first
gear and automatically shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the transmission is engaged in
the first gear.

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127
NOTICE:

Be careful not to overrev the engine. Watch the
tachometer to keep engine rpm from going into the
red zone. The approximate maximum allowable
speed for each position is given below for your
reference:
“2” ... 121 km / h (75 mph)
“L” ... 67 km / h (42 mph)

Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long
time in the “2” or “L” position. This may cause severe
automatic transmission damage from overheating. To
prevent such damage, “D” position should be used in
hill climbing or hard towing.
(d) Backing up
Brake pedal
“R” (Reverse)
position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “R” position.
NOTICE:
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is in motion.
(e) Parking
Parking brake pedal
Brake pedal“P” (Park)
position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Depress the parking brake pedal fully.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “P” position.
CAUTION:
While the vehicle is in motion, never attempt to move the
selector lever into “P” under any circumstances. Serious
mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control may
result.

STARTING AND DRIVING
128
(f) Good driving practice

If the transmission repeatedly upshifts and downshifts
between the third and overdrive gears when climbing a
gentle slope, it is suggested that the overdrive switch be
turned off. Be sure to turn the switch on immediately
afterward.

When towing a trailer, in order to maintain efficient engine
braking and electrical charging performance, do not use
overdrive.
CAUTION:
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped
with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
NOTICE:
Do not hold the vehicle on an upgrade with the
accelerator pedal. This can cause the transmission to
overheat. Always use the brake pedal or parking brake.
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever out
of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from “P” position even
though the brake pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If you cannot shift
automatic transmission selector lever” on page 163.
(h) If the “O / D OFF” indicator light flashes
If the “O / D OFF” indicator light flashes, contact your Lexus
dealer as soon as possible. There may be trouble in the
transmission system.
CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control allows you to cruise the vehicle at a
desired speed over 40 km / h (25 mph) with your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or down a gradient, within
the limits of engine performance. On steeper hills, a greater
speed change will occur so it is better to drive without the cruise
control.
When the cruise control is on, the driving pattern of the
automatic transmission is fixed in the normal position,
regardless of the position of the selector switch.
CAUTION:

To help maintain maximum control of your vehicle, do
not use the cruise control when driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery (rainy, icy or
snow-covered) or winding roads.

Avoid vehicle speed increases when driving downhill.
Use engine braking by downshifting the transmission.

STARTING AND DRIVING
129
Turning on the system
To operate the cruise control, push the main switch. This turns
the system on. The indicator light in the instrument cluster
shows that you can now set your desired cruising speed.
Another push on the switch will turn the system completely off.
When the ignition key is turned off, the main switch is also
automatically turned off. To use the cruise control again, push
the main switch again to turn it on.
CAUTION:
To avoid accidental cruise control engagement, keep the
main switch off when not using the cruise control.
Setting at a desired speed
Bring the vehicle to the desired speed, press the control lever
downward in the “SET / COAST” direction and release it. This
sets the vehicle at that speed. Now you may take your foot off
the accelerator pedal. If you need acceleration − for example,
when passing − depress the accelerator pedal enough for the
vehicle to exceed the set speed. When you release the
accelerator, the vehicle will return to the speed set prior to the
acceleration.
Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by either of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever in the “CANCEL” direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.

STARTING AND DRIVING
130If the vehicle speed falls below 40 km / h (25 mph), the preset
speed will automatically cancel out.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km / h (10 mph) below the preset
speed, the preset speed will also automatically cancel out.
If the preset speed automatically cancels out for other than
these reasons, have your vehicle checked by your Lexus
dealer at the earliest opportunity.
Resetting to a faster speed
Press the control lever upward in the “RES / ACC” direction and
hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained.
While the lever is held upward, the vehicle will gradually gain
speed.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km / h (3 mph), the set speed can be
increased 1.6 km / h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever upward in the “RES / ACC” direction quickly within 0.6
seconds.
However, a quicker way to reset is to accelerate the vehicle
and then press the control lever downward in the
“SET / COAST” direction.
Resetting to a slower speed
Press the control lever downward in the “SET / COAST”
direction and hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed
is attained. While the lever is held downward, the vehicle
speed will gradually decrease.When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km / h (3 mph), the set speed can be
lowered 1.6 km / h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever downward in the “SET / COAST” direction quickly within
0.6 seconds.
However, a quicker way to reset is to depress the brake pedal
and then press the control lever downward in the
“SET / COAST” direction.
Resuming the preset speed
Press the control lever upward in the “RES / ACC” direction.
The vehicle will resume the speed set prior to cancellation
unless it is caused by the vehicle slowing down to less than 40
km / h (25 mph) or to a speed 16 km / h (10 mph) below the
preset speed.
Cruise control failure warning
If the “CRUISE” indicator light in the instrument cluster flashes
five times and then goes out when using the cruise control, it
means that there is trouble in the cruise control system.
Contact your Lexus dealer.

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131
LEXUS RIDE CONTROL SYSTEM
(U. S. A. ONLY)
The Lexus ride control system adjusts the damping effect
on the shock absorbers. This adjustment is automatically
made in response to the driving conditions to provide
good riding comfort and stability in all driving conditions.
Push the selector switch to select one of the following modes:
“NORMAL” mode − For normal driving such as in city traffic
“SPORT” mode − For sporty type driving such as on winding
mountain roads, or high-speed driving
To change the mode, push the selector switch.“NORMAL” mode
One of the following three damping effects is automatically
selected according to the driving conditions:
Damping effect
Driving condition
SoftLow and medium speed driving
MediumHigh-speed driving
FirmDriving in a curve
Braking in high-speed driving
Sudden acceleration in low-
speed driving
“SPORT” mode
The damping effect remains at firm at all driving conditions.

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The indicator light shows the selector switch is in
“SPORT” position. When the indicator light is not on, this
means the selector switch is in “NORMAL” position.
When you turn the ignition key to the “ON” position, the
indicator lights will come on for two seconds.
HEIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM
(U. S. A. ONLY)
The height control system adjusts the vehicle height. This
adjustment is automatically made in response to the
driving conditions to provide good riding comfort and
stability in all driving conditions.
(a) Vehicle height adjustment
Push the selector switch to select one of the following modes:
“NORMAL” mode − For driving on roads with a normal
surface.
“HIGH” mode − For driving on rough roads which are
unsurfaced or continually bumpy.
To change the mode, push the selector switch.
“NORMAL” mode
The vehicle height remains at normal height at all driving
speeds.