2006 LEXUS RX330 brake

STARTING AND DRIVING
395
Vehicles with rear view monitor system —
When the selector lever is shifted into “R” position with the
ignition switch in the “ON” position, rear view monitor system
will
activate. For instructions, see “Rear view monitor system”
on page 408.
(e) Parking
1Brake pedal
2Parking brake pedal
3“P” (Park) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Depress the parking brake fully to securely apply the
parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “P” position.

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396
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector lever into “P” under
any circumstances while the vehicle is moving. Serious
mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control may
result.
(f) Good driving practice
 If the transmission repeatedly shifts up and down between
fourth and overdrive gears when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “4” 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.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped
with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or parking brake to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold the
vehicle using the accelerator pedal, as this can cause
the transmission to overheat.

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397
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever
If you cannot shift the selector lever 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 524.
(h) Driving in snow mode
Use this mode when starting your vehicle in ice or snow.
To set the snow mode, push the switch. In the “ECT SNOW”
indicator on the instrument cluster is on. To cancel the snow
mode, push the switch again. The “ECT SNOW” indicator light
will go off when the snow mode is cancelled.
If the engine is turned off with the snow mode is on, the snow
mode is cancelled when the engine is restarted.

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398
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION(multimode type)
Your automatic transmission has a shift lock system to
minimize the possibility of incorrect operation. This
means you can only shift out of “P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed with the ignition switch in “ON”
position. ( )
31RY303
The shift position or shift range position is displayed
on the instrument cluster.
P: Parking, engine starting and key removal position
R: Reverse position
N: Neutral position
D: Normal driving position (shifting into overdrive possible)
S: “S” mode driving
+: Upshifting
: Downshifting

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400
1Brake pedal 2 “D” (Drive) position
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to “D” position.
Always use the “D” position to improve fuel economy and quiet
driving. 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 “(c) Using engine braking” and\
“(f)
Good driving practice” for exceptions.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress
the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in 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.
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 “(c) Using engine braking”.

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405
(d) Backing up
1Brake pedal2 “R” (Reverse) position
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.
Vehicles with driving position memory system —
When the shift lever is shifted into “R” position, the outside rear
view mirrors automatically down to help backing up. For
details, see page 231. Vehicles with rear view monitor system —
When the selector lever is shifted into “R” position with the
ignition switch in the “ON” position, rear view monitor system
will
activate. For instructions, see “Rear view monitor system”
on page 408.

STARTING AND DRIVING
406
(e) Parking
1Brake pedal2 Parking brake pedal
3“P” (Park) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Depress the parking brake fully to securely apply the
parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “P” position.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector lever into “P” under
any circumstances while the vehicle is moving. Serious
mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control may
result.

STARTING AND DRIVING
407
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up and down between
fourth and overdrive gears when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever into the “S” 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 (fifth) gear.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped
with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the parking brake to hold
the vehicle on an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold the
vehicle using the accelerator pedal, as this can cause
the transmission to overheat.
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever
If you cannot shift the selector lever 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 524.