2006 Lexus IS250 steering

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to P, R or N (automatic trans-
mission vehicles) or R (manual transmission vehicles) while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can cause significant damage to the transmission system and may result
in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause the engine brake to not operate properly and lead to an
accident.
●Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The brake booster system will not operate properly if the engine is not running.
●With manual transmission vehicles, do not leave the clutch pedal depressed or
use the half-clutch any more than necessary.
These actions will result in increased wear of the clutch, and may cause accidents
as a result of damage to the clutch.
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a
steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effec-
tiveness. ( P. 9 3 )
●When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing an accident.
●Be careful when driving on slippery surfaces, as the vehicle may spin or skid when
downshifting, rapidly accelerating, braking or turning.
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside
rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents that may
result in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their bodies are
not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not a AWD vehicle designed for real off-road driving. Proceed with all due
caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.
●Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic comp onents to short circuit, damage the
engine or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.

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2-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■While driving the vehicle
With automatic transmission vehicles, do not use the accelerator pedal or depress
accelerator and brake pedals together to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
With automatic transmission vehicles, always put the shift lever in P. Failure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accel-
erator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for a long
time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damag-
ing the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have your Lexus dealer check and replac e the brake pads as soon as possible.
The rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Front brake only: Moderate levels of the brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced
front braking power. As a result, the disc s may wear more quickly than conventional
brake discs. Therefore, when replacing the brake pads, Lexus recommends that you
also have the thickness of the discs measured.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
that of the brake discs are exceeded.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually press the brak e pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Replace a flat tire with a new one. ( P. 3 5 0 )

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2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
AFS (vehicles with discharge headlights)AFS (Adaptive Front Lighting System) im proves visibility at intersections
and on curves by automatically adjusting the level of the headlights
according to vehicle speed and the degree of the tire angle that are con-
trolled by steering input.
Operates at speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
■ Deactivating AFS
How to switch: P. 214
The indicator turns on when the AFS is deactivated.
■Daytime running light system
To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers, the headlights turn on automati-
cally (at a reduced intensity) whenever the engine is started and the parking brake
is released. Daytime running lights are not designed for use at night.
■Headlight control sensor
■Automatic light off system
The headlights and tail lights turn off 30 seconds after a door is opened or closed if
the engine switch has been switched to ACC or turned OFF while the headlights
are turned on. (The light turns off i mmediately if the button on the key is
pressed after all doors are locked.)
To turn the lights on again, switch to IG-ON mode, or turn the light switch OFF
once and then back to the or position.
The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything
that blocks the sensor is affixed to the wind-
shield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detecting
the level of ambient light and may cause the
automatic headlight system to malfunction.

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2-4. Using other driving systems
CAUTION
■Conditions under which the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control may not function
correctly
Apply the brakes as necessary in the following conditions as the radar sensor may
not be able to correctly detect vehicles ahead, and an accident may result.
●When water or snow thrown up by the surrounding vehicles hinders the function-
ing of the sensor
●When your vehicle is pointing upwards (caused by a heavy load in the trunk, etc.)
●When the road curves or when the lanes are narrow
●When steering wheel operation or your position in the lane is unstable
■To ensure the radar sensor functions correctly
Do not do the following to the sensor or grille cover as doing so may cause the sen-
sor not to function correctly and could result in an accident.
●Stick or attach anything to them
●Leave them dirty
●Disassemble, subject them to strong shocks
●Modify or paint them
●Replace them with non-genuine parts

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2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following systems
operate automatically in response to various driving situations. Be aware,
however, that these systems are supplementary and should not be relied
upon too heavily when operating the vehicle.
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Restrains the vehicle from slipping when driving on slick road surfaces or
in the event of sudden braking.
■BA (Brake Assist)
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed, when the system detects a panic stop situation.
■LSD (Limited Slip Differen tial) (if equipped)
Transfers drive power to the rear tires when the front tires spin, and vice
versa, in order to improve traction.
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces.
■ TRAC (Traction Control)
Maintains drive power and prevents the rear wheels from spinning when
starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads.
■Hill-start assist control (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Prevents the vehicle from rolling backwa rds when starting on an incline or
slippery slope.
■ EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn
the steering wheel.

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2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
To disable TRAC (2WD vehicles only) If the vehicle gets stuck in fresh sn ow or mud, TRAC may reduce power
from the engine to the wheels. You may need to turn the system off to
enable you to rock the vehicle in order to free the vehicle.
Push the button to turn off
TRAC.
The slip indicator light should come
on.
Push the button again to turn the
system back on.
■Automatic TRAC reactivation (IS 350)
The TRAC system is reactivated when vehicle speed exceeds 30 mph (50 km/h)
even if TRAC OFF has been turned off.
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, BA, VSC, TRAC and hill-start assist
control systems
●A sound may be heard from the engi ne compartment when the engine is
started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indicate that
a malfunction has occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are operat-
ing. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down s lightly after the ABS is activated.
■Hill-start assist control is operational when
●The shift lever is in the D or S position.
●The brake pedal is not depressed.

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2-4. Using other driving systems
■Reduced effectiveness of EPS
The effectiveness of EPS is reduced to prevent the system from overheating when
there is frequent steering input over an extended period of time. The steering wheel
may feel heavy as a result. Should this occur, refrain from excessive steering input or
stop the vehicle and turn the engine OFF. The system should return to normal within
10 minutes.
CAUTION
Any of the following conditions may result in an accident which could cause death or
serious injury:
■The ABS does not operate effectively when
●The limits of tire gripping performance have been exceeded.
●The vehicle hydroplanes while driving at high speed on the wet or slick road.
■Stopping distance when the ABS is operating will exceed that of normal condi-
tions
The ABS is not designed to shorten the vehicle’s stopping dist ance. Always main-
tain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you in the following situations.
●When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
●When driving with tire chains
●When driving over bumps in the road
●When driving over roads with potholes or roads with uneven roads
■TRAC may not operate effectively when
Directional control and power may not be ac hievable while driving on slippery road
surfaces, even if the TRAC system is operating.
Do not drive the vehicle in conditions where stability and power may be lost.
■If hill-start assist control does not operate effectively
(vehicles with an automatic transmission)
The hill-start assist control may not operate effectively on steep inclines and roads
covered in ice.

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2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
CAUTION
■Storage precautions
●Do not place anything on the package tray behind the rear seatback.
Such items may be thrown about and possib ly injure people in the vehicle during
sudden braking or in an accident.
●Do not drive with objects on top of the instrument panel.
They may interfere with the driver’s field of view or move during sharp accelera-
tion or turning, thus impairing the driver ’s control of the vehicle. In an accident
they may injure the vehicle occupants.
●Secure all items in the occupant compartment, as they may shift and injure some-
one during an accident or sudden braking.
■Capacity and distribution
●Do not exceed the maximum axle weight ra ting or the total vehicle weight rating.
●Even if the total load of occupant's weight and the cargo load is less than the total
load capacity, do not apply the load unevenly. Improper loading may cause dete-
rioration of steering or braking control which may cause death or serious injury.