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1
“D” (Drive) position 2
Brake pedal
4. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to “D”.
Always use the “D” position to improve fuel economy and quiet
driving. Only in this position, shifting into the overdrive gear is
possible. However, while the engine coolant temperature is
low, the transmission will not shift into the overdrive gear even
in the “D” position. (See “(b) Using engine braking” and “(e)
Good driving practice” for exceptions.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
5. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the
accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in the first gear and
automatically shift to the most suitable gear for the running
conditions.
In “3” position, the automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for the running conditions such as hill
climbing, hard towing, etc.
If 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”.
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(b) Using engine braking
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the
transmission in the way described below:
1
Shift into the “3” position. The transmission will downshift
to the third gear.
2
Shift into the “2” position. The transmission will downshift
to the second gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes
lower than 134 km / h (83 mph) and more powerful engine
braking will be obtained.
3
Shift into the “L” position. The transmission will downshift
to the first gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes
lower than 73 km / h (45 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.
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”... 134 km / h (83 mph)
“L”... 73 km / h (45 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, “3” position should be
used in hill climbing or hard towing.
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(c) Backing up
1
“R” (Reverse) position 2
Brake pedal
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 moving.
(d) Parking
1
“P” (Park) position 2
Brake pedal
3
Parking brake pedal
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 moving, never attempt to move the
selector lever into “P” under any circumstances.
Serious mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control
may result.
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(e) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly upshifts and downshifts
between the third and overdrive gears when climbing a
gentle slope, shift the selector lever to the “3” position. Be
sure to shift the selector lever to the “D” position after
climbing the slope.
When towing a trailer, in order to maintain efficient engine
braking and electrical charging performance, do not use
overdrive. The selector lever must be in the “3” position.
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.
(f) If you cannot shift the selector lever
If you cannot shift the selector ever 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 175.
(g) If the “ECT PWR” indicator light flashes
If the “ECI PWR” 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 great
speed change will occur so it is better to drive without the cruise
control.
When the cruse control is on, the driving pattern of the
automatic transmission is fixed in the normal position,
regardless of the position of the selector switch.
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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. If the vehicle speed is too fast in relation to
the cruise control set speed, cancel the cruise
control then downshift the transmission to use
engine braking to slow down.
Turning on the system
CRUISE
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.
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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 pedal, 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.
If the vehicle speed falls below 40 km / h (25 mph), the preset
speed will be automatically cancelled.If the vehicle speed drops 16 km / h (10 mph) below the preset
speed, the preset speed will also automatically be cancelled.
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.
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139 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 the vehicle speed is less than 40 km / h (25 mph) or is
16 km / h (10 mph) below the preset speed.
Cruise control failure warning
If the “CRUISE” indicator light in the instrument cluster flashes
when using the cruise control, push the main switch to turn the
system off and then push it again to turn it on.
If any of the following conditions then occurs, there is some
trouble in the cruise control system.
The indicator light does not come on.
The indicator light flashes again.
The indicator light goes out after it comes on.
If this is the case, contact your Lexus dealer and have your
Lexus inspected.
ELECTRONICALLY MODULATED
AIR SUSPENSION
(U.S.A. ONLY)
This electronically modulated air suspension adjusts the
damping effect on the shock absorbers and 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
This system maintains a stable vehicle height, regardless
of occupants and luggage weight. You can select one of
the following modes using a selector switch.
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140“NORMAL” mode − For driving on roads with a normal
surface.
“HIGH” mode − For driving on rough roads which are
unsurfaced or continually bumpy.
The damping effect is set slightly firmer in “HIGH” mode. So
you may feel the vibration of the vehicle compared to in
“NORMAL” mode. However, this does not mean a malfunction
in the system. We recommend you use a “NORMAL” mode in
normal driving.
To change the mode, push the selector switch.
“NORMAL” mode
The vehicle height remains at normal height at all driving
speeds.
“HIGH” mode
The vehicle height switches between the following two vehicle
heights according to the driving conditions:
Vehicle height
Driving condition
NormalMedium and high speed driving
HighLow speed driving
The indicator light shows “HIGH” mode is selected.
When you turn the ignition key to the “ON” position, the
indicator light will come on for 2 seconds in any mode.
NOTICE
For vehicles equipped with the height control switch, be
sure to turn the ignition switch off before jacking. If this
is not done, the vehicle height adjustment function will
operate, which may cause body damage.
(b) Malfunction warning
If the “HI” indicator light blinks, there is a malfunction in this
system. Have the system checked by your Lexus dealer at the
first opportunity.
