2007 Lexus GS450h parking brake

102
2-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■While driving the vehicle
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress accelerator and brake pedals together
to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
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 accelerator 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 no ise (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 discs 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. 464)

103
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting the hybrid system
Modes can be switched by pressing the power switch when carrying the
electronic key on your person. (The hybrid system can be started in any
mode by operating the switch at the same time as depressing the brake
pedal.)
■Changing power switch mode
“OFF” mode*
Emergency flashers can be
used.
“A C C ” m o d e
Some electrical components
such as the audio system can be
used.
“IG-ON” mode
All electrical components can
be used.
*: The power cannot be switched to “OFF” unless the shift lever is in
“P”.
■ Starting the hybrid system
Check that the parking brake is set.
Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
Check that the shift lever is set in “P”.
Sit in the driver’s seat and firmly depress the brake pedal.
The power switch indicator turns green.
Press the power switch.
After a few seconds, the
“READY” light will flash and
come on with a beep sound.
The vehicle can move when the
“READY” light is on, even if the
engine is stopped.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

111
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Parking brake
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake components over-
heating, which may affect braking performance and increase brake wear.
Sets the parking brake* 
(Depressing the pedal again
releases the parking brake.)
*: Fully depress the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot while depressing the
brake pedal with your right
foot.
CanadaU.S.A.

123
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
2
When driving
AFS (Adaptive Front lighting System)
AFS improves visibility at intersectio ns and on curves by automatically
adjusting the level of the headlights according to vehicle speed and the
degree of the tire angle that are controlled by steering input.
Operates at speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
■ Deactivating AFS
Press the switch to turn it OFF.
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 hybrid system is started and the parking
brake is released. Daytime running lights are not designed for use at night.
■Headlight control sensor
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.

156
2-4. Using other driving systems
■The intuitive parking assist can be operated when
The power switch is in the “IG-ON” mode.
■When the system malfunctions
●If a malfunction occurs and no obstacles have been detected, a warning is dis-
played, and a malfunction beep sounds for 7 seconds.
If an obstacle has been detected, or another malfunction occurs in a different
sensor, the malfunction beeps will not sound.
●In the following circumstances the displayed warning will disappear:
• If you switch the screen to a different mode.
• If you turn OFF the intuitive parking assist main switch.
• If the vehicle speed exceeds 6 mph (10 km/h). Once the vehicle speed drops
below 6 mph (10 km/h), the warning will be displayed again.
●If the malfunction screen is displayed, the detection range of the dual sensors is
shortened. In this case, the necessity fo r obstacle evasion (whether the obstacle
will come within 0.8 ft. [25 cm] of the vehicle or not) will not be calculated.
■When using intuitive parking assist
●The sensors' detection areas and reaction times are limited. When moving for-
ward or reversing, check the areas surrounding the vehicle (especially the sides
of the vehicle) for safety, and drive slowly, using the brake to control the vehicle’s
speed.
• The sensors' detection areas are limited to the areas around the vehicle’s front
and rear bumpers.
• Depending on the shape of the obstacle and other factors, the detection dis-
tance may shorten, or dete ction may be impossible.
• There will be a short delay between ob stacle detection and display. Even at
slow speeds, there is a possibility that the obstacle will come within 0.8 ft. (25
cm) of the vehicle before the display is shown and the warning beep sounds.
• Braking distance may differ according to the road conditions (rain, gravel etc.).
• It might be difficult to hear beeps due to the volume of audio system or air flow noise of air conditioning system.
• For long obstacles such as walls, the obstacle warning may change as the
obstacle gets closer.

177
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
Regulations on the use of snow chains● Regulations regarding the use of tire chains vary according to location
and type of road. Always check lo cal regulations before installing
chains.
● Use SAE Class “S” type radial tire chains, with the exception of radial
cable chains or V-bar type chains.
• Install the chains on the rear tires.
• Refer to the explanation that comes with the tire chains for installa-
tion instructions.
● Retighten the chains after driving 1 /4 - 1 /2 mile (0.5 - 1.0 km).
■When driving the vehicle
Accelerate the vehicle slowly and dr ive at a reduced speed suitable
to road conditions.
■ When parking the vehicle
Park the vehicle and move the shift lever to “P” without setting the
parking brake. The parking brake ma y freeze up, preventing it from
being released.

235
3-3. Using the audio system
3
Interior features
Playing DVD video/audio
For safety reasons, you can enjoy the visual contents of discs only when the
vehicle is completely stopped with the power switch in “ACC” or “IG-ON”
mode and the parking brake applied. While you are driving, only audio con-
tents may be played.
■Video control screen
Press while the disc is playing, the following screen appears.
Return to video screen
Change screen mode ( P. 2 5 8 )

247
3-3. Using the audio system
3
Interior features
Playing video CD
For safety reasons, you can enjoy the visual contents of discs only when the
vehicle is completely stopped with the power switch in “ACC” or “IG-ON”
mode and the parking brake applied. While you are driving, only audio con-
tents may be played.
■Video control screen
Press while the disc is playing, the following screen appears.
Return to video screen
Change screen mode ( P. 2 5 8 )