1999 LEXUS SC300 Owners Manual

STARTING AND DRIVING
231
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ºHow to start the
engineº on page 216.
The transmission must be in ºPº or ºNº. The engine will not
start in any drive position even if the ignition key is turned to
ºSTARTº.

STARTING AND DRIVING
232
2. Set the driving pattern selector switch to the ºNormalº
position.
Your transmission has a driving pattern selector switch which
allows you to select ºPowerº, ºNormalº or ºSnowº mode to
suit your driving condition. For ordinary driving, Lexus
recommends that you use the ºNormalº position to improve
fuel economy.
3. For more powerful acceleration and sporty driving,
use the ºPowerº position.
In the ºPowerº position, the ºECT PWRº light in the
instrument cluster is on and the transmission is shifted up at
higher vehicle speeds and shifted down more responsively
than in the ºNormalº position.
For ºSnowº mode, see ºElectronic Throttle Control
Systemº on page 241.

STARTING AND DRIVING
233
4. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to ºDº.
Always use the ºDº 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 ºDº position. (See º(b) Using
engine brakingº and º(f) Good driving practiceº for
exceptions.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while shifting.

STARTING AND DRIVING
2345. 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 up to the most suitable gear. On inclines,
declines or winding roads, etc., the vehicle shifts up and down
automatically according to the running conditions to obtain
the suitable driving power and engine braking.
In º3º 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 º(b) Using engine brakingº.
(b) Using engine braking

STARTING AND DRIVING
235
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the
transmission in the way described below:
1
Shift into the º3º position. The transmission will
downshift to the third gear and engine braking will be
obtained.
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from ºDº to º3º, engine braking will not be
applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. If
you need to decrease the vehicle speed, see page 245.
2Shift into the º2º position. The transmission will
downshift to the second gear when the vehicle speed is
or becomes lower than 119 km/h (74 mph) and more
powerful engine braking will be obtained.
3Shift into the ºLº position. The transmission will
downshift to the first gear when the vehicle speed is or
becomes lower than 56 km/h (35 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.

STARTING AND DRIVING
236
(c) Using the º2º and ºLº positions
The º2º and ºLº positions are used for strong engine braking
as described previously.
With the selector lever in º2º or ºLº, you can start the vehicle\
in motion as with the lever in ºDº.
With the selector lever in º2º, the vehicle will start in the first
gear and automatically shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ºLº, the transmission is engaged in
the first gear.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:
º2º 107 km/h (67 mph) . . . .
ºLº 56 km/h (35 mph) . . . .
 Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long
time in the º2º or ºLº position. This may cause severe
automatic transmission damage from overheating. To
prevent such damage, º3º position should be used in
hill climbing or hard towing.

STARTING AND DRIVING
237
(d) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the ºRº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.

STARTING AND DRIVING
238
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the
parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the ºPº position.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never attempt to move the
selector lever into ºPº under any circumstances. Serious
mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control may result.