2008 Lexus GS450h ESP

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1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
GS_HV_U
June 15, 2008 11:25 am
CAUTION
■Seat belt damage and wear
●Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate or buckle to be jammed
in the door.
●Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fraying, and loose parts.
Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Damaged seat belts cannot
protect an occupant from injury.
●Ensure that the belt and tab are locked and the belt is not twisted. If the seat belt
does not function correctly, immediately contact your Lexus dealer.
●Replace the seat assembly, including the belt s, if your vehicle has been involved in
a serious accident, even if there is no obvious damage.
●Do not attempt to install, remove, modify , disassemble or dispose of a seat belt.
Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Lexus dealer. Inappropriate han-
dling of the pretensioner may cause it to activate or operate improperly and may
cause death or serious injury.
■Using a seat belt extender
●Do not wear the seat belt extender, if you can fasten the seat belt without the
extender.
●Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system, because
the belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, increasing the risk of
death or injury in the event of a collision.
●The personalized extender may not be safe on another vehicle, when used by
another person, or at a different seating position other than the one originally
intended.
■Precaution for pre-collision seat belts
Do not rely solely on the pre-collision system to avoid accidents. Always pay atten-
tion to the surrounding conditions , and drive safely and responsibly.

89
1-7. Theft deterrent system
1
Before driving
GS_HV_U
December 12, 2007 3:30 pm
For vehicles sold in Canada
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause
interference, and (2) this device must a ccept any interference, including interfer-
ence that may cause undesired operation of the device.
CAUTION
■Certifications for the immobilizer system
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
NOTICE
■For proper system operation
Do not modify, remove or disable the immobilizer system. If any unauthorized
changes or modifications are made, the prop er operation of the system cannot be
guaranteed.

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1-8. Safety information
GS_HV_U
December 12, 2007 3:50 pm
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags. Failure to do so may
cause death or serious injury.
●The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts.
●The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and can cause death or
serious injury especially if the driver is very close to the airbag. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is th e first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm) of inflation,
placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag provides you with a
clear margin of safety. This distance is measured from the center of the steering
wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less than 10 in. (250 mm) away now, you can
change your driving position in several ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat. Al though vehicle designs vary, many driv-
ers can achieve the 10 in. (250 mm) distan ce, even with the driver seat all the
way forward, simply by reclining the back of the seat somewhat. If reclining
the back of your seat makes it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a
firm, non-slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle has that feature.
• If your steering wheel is adjustable, ti lt it downward. This points the airbag
toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while still main-
taining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the instrument
panel controls.

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1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
GS_HV_U
December 12, 2007 3:50 pm
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable force, and can
cause death or serious injury especially if the front passenger is very close to the
airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the airbag as possible with
the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits upright.
●Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or seri-
ously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small to use a
seat belt should be properly secured using a child restraint system. Lexus strongly
recommends that all infants and children be placed in the rear seats of the vehicle
and properly restrained. The rear seats are the safest for infants and children.
(  P. 113)
●If the seat belt extender has been con-
nected to the driver’s seat belt buckle but
the seat belt extender has not also been
fastened to the latch plate of the driver’s
seat belt, the SRS driver’s airbag system will
judge that the driver is wearing the seat belt
even though the seat belt has not been
connected. In this case, the driver’s airbag
may not activate correctly in a collision,
resulting in death or serious injury in the
event of collision. Be sure to wear the seat
belt with the seat belt extender.

129
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
GS_HV_U
May 13, 2008 3:11 pm
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, be cause the road surface will be especially
slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of wate r between the tires and the road surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended to
observe:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km): 
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low range in the “S” position.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P. 5 4 6 )

131
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
GS_HV_U
May 13, 2008 3:11 pm
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the hybrid system
running. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator
pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in
operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals prop-
erly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, resulting in an acci-
dent.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials. 
The exhaust system and exhaust gases ca n be extremely hot. This may cause a
fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●Do not let the vehicle roll backwards while the shift lever is in a driving position, or
roll forward while the shift lever is in “R”. 
Doing so may cause the hybrid system not to operate or lead to poor brake and
steering performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the trunk is closed. 
Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause driver drowsiness and an acci-
dent, resulting in death or a serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer immediately.
●Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to “P”, “R” or “N” while the
vehicle is moving. 
Doing so can cause significant damage to the transmission and may result in a
loss of vehicle control.

157
2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
GS_HV_U
December 12, 2007 3:50 pm
■System check display
The “LEXUS HYBRID DRIVE” message is displayed 3 seconds after the
“POWER” switch is set to the ON mode. At this time a systems check is conducted,
and the normal display is shown upon successful completion of this check.
NOTICE
■The multi-information display at low temperatures
Allow the interior of the vehicle to warm up before using the liquid crystal informa-
tion display. At extremely low temperatures, the information display monitor may
respond slowly, and display changes may be delayed.

175
2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
GS_HV_U
January 4, 2008 10:02 am
■Vehicle-to-vehicle distance settings
Select a distance from the table below. Note that the distances shown correspond
to a vehicle speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). Vehicle-to-vehicle distance increases/
decreases in accordance with vehicle speed.
■Radar sensor and grille cover
Always keep the sensor and grille cover clean to ensure that the vehicle-to-vehicle
distance control operates properly. (Some obstructions, such as snow, ice or plastic
objects, cannot be detected by the obstruction sensor.)
Dynamic radar cruise control is canceled if an obstruction is detected.
Distance optionsVehicle-to-vehicle distance
LongApproximately 210 ft. (65 m)
MediumApproximately 150 f t. (45 m)
ShortApproximately 100 f t. (30 m)
Grille cover
Radar sensor