2005 LEXUS LS430 Owners Manual

STARTING AND DRIVING
358In the following cases, the preset speed automatically
cancels out:
a. The vehicle speed falls below about 40km/h (25 mph).
b. If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10 mph) below the
preset speed, the preset speed will also automatically be
cancelled.
c. The control lever is presse
d downward in the “– SET”
direction and held at less than about 45 km/h (28 mph). (45
km/h (28 mph) is designated as a lower preset speed limit .)
d. The slip indicator light blinks and a warning tone sounds.
(This occurs when the vehicle is about to skid.)
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph), the
preset speed data is cleared and you must set the speed from
the beginning.
If cancelled by the above cases, the multi −information display
shows nothing and the conventional cruise control enters the
ready mode.
If the preset speed automatically cancels out for other than the
above reasons, do not operate the cruise control. Although it
is no problem to continue driving, have your vehicle checked
by your Lexus dealer at the earliest opportunity.
3 Resetting to a faster speed
Press the control lever upward in the “+ RES” 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” direction quickly within 0.6
seconds.
A quicker way to reset the speed is to accelerate and then
press the control lever downward in the “– SET” direction.

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359
4Resetting to a slower speed
Press the c ontrol lever downward in the “– SET” 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” direction quickly within 0.6
seconds.
A quicker way to reset the preset speed is to depress the brake
pedal and then press the control lever downward in the “– SET”
direction.
Even if you downshift the transmission from the “D” or “6” (\
sixth
range) to “5” (fifth range), or from “D” or “5” (f\
ifth range) to “4”
(fourth range) in the conventional cruise control mode, engine
braking will not be applied because this mode is not cancelled.
To slow down, reset the cruise control to a slower speed with
the cruise control lever or depress the brake pedal. If you use
the brake pedal, cruise control is cancelled. 5 Resuming the preset speed
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling the control lever, by
depressing the brake pedal or vehicle stability control
activation, pushing the lever up in the “+ RES” 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.
(c) Conventional cruise control mode failure warning
w281
If the system malfunction is detected when the
conventional cruise control mode is in the ready mode or
operating, the master warning light comes on, a warning
tone sounds and the above message appears.
If this message appears, push the “ON −OFF” button to turn the
system off and then push it again to turn it on. If the setting still
cannot be made or the same message appears again, the
system might have malfunctioned. Although it is no problem
to continue driving, contact your Lexus dealer.

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360
ELECTRONICALLY MODULATEDAIR SUSPENSION
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
31L343
 1High position 2Normal position
This system maintains a stable vehicle height, regardless
of occupants and luggage weight. Select either of the
following modes using a selector switch. Normal mode:
Suitable for driving on roads with a normal
surface.
High mode: Suitable for driving on rough roads which are
unsurfaced or continually bumpy.
The damping effect is set slightly firmer in the high mode. So
you may feel the vibration of the vehicle compared to in the
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

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361
31L336
The indicator light shows the high mode is selected.
CAUTION
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 an accident.
Malfunction warning
If the system is malfunctioning, “Height Hi” appears on the
multi−information display, the master warning light comes on
and a warning tone sounds. Although it is no problem to
continue driving, have the s ystem checked by your Lexus
dealer at the first opportunity.
(b) Damping mode selection
31L144b
 1 Sports position 2Normal position
The damping effect on the shock absorbers is adjusted.
Select either of the following modes using a selector
switch.
Sports mode: Suitable for sporty type driving, such as on
winding mountain roads and high speed driving.
Normal mode: Suitable for ordinary driving.
To turn on the sports mode, push the selector switch on the
“SPORT” side. The indicator comes on in the instrument
cluster and a stronger damping effect than that in normal mode
is automatically provided.
To change to the normal mode, push the switch to the “NORM”
side.

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362
TRACTION 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 switch is turned to “ON”, 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.
31L138a
 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.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition switch is turned to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.

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363
Traction control off mode
31L344
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 “TRAC OFF” switch.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator 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 “TRAC OFF” switch once again.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will go off. “TRAC
OFF” indicator light comes on for a few seconds when
the ignition switch is turned to “ON”. It will come on again when
you push the “TRAC OFF” switch to turn off the system.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:
 The indicator light does not come on when the ignition
switch is turned to “ON”.
 The indicator light remains on after the ignition is turned on.
 The indicator light comes on in the normal driving mode
while driving.

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“Check VSC” warning message
31L337a
If the vehicle stability control system or the traction
control system malfunctions, the master warning light
and “TRAC OFF” indicator light come on. At this time a
warning tone sounds and the above message appears.
If the message appears, the vehicle stability control system
and traction control system do not work. Although it is no
problem to continue driving, have your vehicle checked by
your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROLSYSTEM
The vehicle stability control system helps provide
comprehensive control of the systems such as antilock
brake system, traction control, engine control, etc. This
system automatically controls the brakes and engine to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding when cornering on
a slippery road surface or operating steering wheel
abruptly.
This system activates when the vehicle speed is about more
than 15 km/h (9 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds just after the vehicle begins to move. This means that
the system is in the self −check mode, but does not indicate a
malfunction.

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CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the vehicle stability
control system. Even if the vehicle stability control
system is operating, you must always drive carefully
and attentively to avoid serious injury. Reckless
driving will result in an accident. If the slip indicator
light blinks, sounding an alarm, special care should
be taken while driving.
 Only use tires of specified size. The size,
manufacturer, brand and tread pattern for all 4 tires
should be the same. If you use the tires other than
specified, or different type or size, the vehicle
stability control system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels, contact your
Lexus dealer.
 In situations where the road surface is covered with
ice or snow, your vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
31L138a
Slip indicator light
If the vehicle is going to skid during driving, the slip indicator
light blinks and an alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition switch is turned to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.