2005 Lexus IS300 Basic Functions / LEXUS 2005 IS300 OWNER'S MANUAL (OM53489U)

STARTING AND DRIVING
248
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going faster than the maxi-mum allowable speed for the next lower gear.
Good driving practice
 If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put the transmission in
neutral, release the clutch pedal momentarily, and then try again.
 When towing a trailer, in order to maintain engine braking
efficiency, do not use fifth gear.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface.
Abrupt shifting could cause the vehicle to skid or spin.
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped before
shifting into reverse.
ELECTRONIC CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION
(Vehicle with automatic transmission only)
SV31039

1Power position 2Normal position
The electronic controlled system has 2 modes: Normal
and Power modes.
Normal mode: For ordinary driving, Lexus recommends that
you use the normal mode to improve fuel economy.
Power mode: For more powerful acceleration and sporty
driving.
In the power mode, the ªECT 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 normal
mode.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
249
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 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. 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 the system on
SV31029
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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STARTING AND DRIVING
250
Setting operation
SV31030

Each function is described below.
1Setting at a desired speed.
Automatic transmission: The transmission must be in the
ªDº position or the gear position must be ª4º or ª5º in M mode
before you set the cruise control speed.
Bring the vehicle to the desired speed, press the control lever
downward in the ªSET/COASTº 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.
2Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by either of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever in the ªCANCELº direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
c. Depressing the clutch pedal (manual transmission)
If the vehicle speed falls below about 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.
3Resetting to a faster speed
Press the control lever upward in the ªRES/ACCº 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 ªRES/ACCº 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
ªSET/COASTº direction.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
251
4Resetting to a slower speed
Press the control lever downward in the ªSET/COASTº
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 ªSET/COASTº 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
ªSET/COASTº direction.
Automatic transmission: Even if you downshift the
transmission from the ªDº position to ªMº with the cruise control
on, engine braking will not be applied because the cruise
control is not cancelled. To decrease the vehicle speed, reset
to a slower speed with the cruise control lever or depress the
brake pedal. If you use the brake pedal, cruise control is
cancelled.
5Resuming the preset speed
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling the control lever or
by depressing the brake pedal, pushing the lever up in the
ªRES/ACCº direction will restore the speed set prior to
cancellation. However, once the vehicle speed falls below
about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset speed will not be resumed.
Cruise control failure warning
If the ªCRUISEº 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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STARTING AND DRIVING
252
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
(With vehicle stability control system)
The traction control system automatically helps prevent
the spinning of rear wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition key is turned to ªONº, the system
automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road conditions, full traction of
the vehicle and power against rear wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction control system is
in operation. Do not drive the vehicle under any speed
or maneuvering conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. In situations where the
road surface is covered with ice or snow, your vehicle
should be fitted with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious speed for the
present road conditions.
Normal driving mode
SV31037

Slip indicator light
Leave the system on during the ordinary driving so that it
can operate when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds just after the vehicle begins to move. This means that
the traction control system is in the self±check mode, but does
not indicate a malfunction.
When the traction control system is operating, the following
conditions occur:
 The system controls the spinning of the rear wheels. At this
time, the slip indicator light blinks.
 You may feel vibration or noise in your vehicle, caused by
operation of the brakes. This indicates the system is functioning properly.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
253
The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition key is turned to ªONº. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.
Traction control off mode
SV31033
If your wheels get stuck in a ditch when you are driving on
a severe off road and sand, turn off the traction control
system. This system that controls engine performance
interferes with the process of freeing your wheels.
To turn off: Push ªTRAC OFFº switch.
The ªTRAC OFFº indicator/warning light will come on.
The vehicle stability control system is always activated, even
if the traction control system is turned off.
To turn on: Push ªTRAC OFFº switch once again.
The ªTRAC OFFº indicator/warning light will go off.
ªTRAC OFFº indicator/warning light comes on for a few
seconds when the ign
ition key is turned to ªONº. It will come on
again when you push the ªTRAC OFFº switch to turn off the
system.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
254In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:

The light does not come on when the ignition key is turned
to ªONº.
 The light remains on after the ignition is turned on.
 The light comes on with the normal driving mode while
driving.
ªVSCº warning light
SV31042
This light warns that there is a problem somewhere in the
vehicle stability control system or traction control system.
The light will come on when the ignition key is turned to ªONº
and will go off after a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, the vehicle stability control
system and traction control system do not work. However, as
conventional braking operates when the brake is applied, there
is no problem to continue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:
 The light does not come on after the ignition key is turned
to ªONº.
 The light remains on after the ignition key is turned to ªONº.
 The light comes on while driving.
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255
The ªTRAC OFFº indicator/warning light will come on when the
ªVSCº warning light comes on even if the ªTRAC OFFº switch
is not pushed.
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
(Without vehicle stability control system)
The traction control system automatically helps prevent
the spinning of rear wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition key is turned to ªONº, the system
automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road conditions, full traction of
the vehicle and power against rear wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction control system is
in operation. Do not drive the vehicle under any speed
or maneuvering conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. In situations where the
road surface is covered with ice or snow, your vehicle
should be fitted with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious speed for the
present road conditions.
04 06.30