2009 Lexus GS350 ESP

69
1-3. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
GS_G_U (OM30B43U)
April 27, 2009 10:48 am
CAUTION
■Child restraint lock function belt precaution
Do not allow children to play with the child restraint lock function belt. If the belt
becomes twisted around a child’s neck, it will not be possible to pull the belt out
leading to choking or other serious in juries that could result in death.
If this occurs and the buckle cannot be un fastened, scissors should be used to cut
the belt.
■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 serious injury in the event of an accident.
●The personalized extender may not be safe on another vehicle, when used by
another person, or at a different seatin g 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.
GS_U_G.book Page 69 Monday, April 27, 2009 10:50 AM

85
1-6. Theft deterrent system
1
Before driving
GS_G_U (OM30B43U)
April 20, 2009 4:34 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 accept 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 pr oper operation of the system cannot be
guaranteed.
GS_U_G.book Page 85 Monday, April 27, 2009 10:50 AM

94
1-7. Safety information
GS_G_U (OM30B43U)
May 1, 2009 1:33 pm
■SRS airbag deployment conditions (SRS front airbags)
●The SRS front airbags will deploy in the event of an impact that exceeds the set
threshold level (the level of force corresponding to a 12 - 18 mph [20 - 30 km/h]
frontal collision with a fixed wall that does not move or deform).
However, this threshold velocity will be considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign pole, which can move or deform on
impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an underride collision (e.g. a collision in
which the front of the vehicle “underrides”, or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.).
●It is possible that in some collisions where the forward deceleration of the vehi-
cle is very close to the designed threshold level, the SRS front airbags and the
seat belt pretensioners may not activate together.
●The SRS front passenger airbag will not activate, if there is not passenger sitting
in the front passenger seat. However, the front passenger airbag may deploy, if
luggage is put in the seat, or the seat belt is fastened, even if the seat is unoccu-
pied. (→P. 1 0 3 )
■SRS airbag deployment conditions (SRS side airbags and SRS curtain shield air-
bags)
●The SRS side airbags and SRS curtain shield airbags will deploy in the event of
an impact that exceeds the set threshold level (the level of force corresponding
to the impact force produced by a 3300 lb. [1500 kg] vehicle colliding with the
vehicle cabin from a direction perpendicular to the vehicle orientation at a
speed of 12 - 18 mph [20 - 30 km/h]).
●The SRS front side airbag on the passenger seat will not activate if there is no
passenger sitting in the front passenger seat. However, the front side airbag on
the passenger seat may deploy if luggage is put in the seat, or the seat belt is fas-
tened, even if the seat is unoccupied. ( →P. 1 0 3 )
sec_01-07.fm Page 94 Friday, May 1, 2009 1:34 PM

98
1-7. Safety information
GS_G_U (OM30B43U)
April 27, 2009 10:48 am
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) distance, 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.
GS_U_G.book Page 98 Monday, April 27, 2009 10:50 AM

99
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
GS_G_U (OM30B43U)
April 27, 2009 10:48 am
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. 1 0 9 )
●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.
GS_U_G.book Page 99 Monday, April 27, 2009 10:50 AM

125
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
GS_G_U (OM30B43U)
April 27, 2009 10:48 am
■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 water between th e 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 6 1 )
■When starting on an incline
The hill-start assist control may operate. ( →P. 200)
GS_U_G.book Page 125 Monday, April 27, 2009 10:50 AM

126
2-1. Driving procedures
GS_G_U (OM30B43U)
April 27, 2009 10:48 am
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine 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 le ad 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 engine not to oper ate 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 deal er 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 automatic transmission and may
result in a loss of vehicle control.
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154
2-2. Instrument cluster
GS_G_U (OM30B43U)
April 27, 2009 10:48 am
■System check display
After switching the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to IGNITION ON mode,
“CHECK” is displayed while system operation is checked. When the system check
is complete, “COMPLETED” is displayed before returning to the normal screen.
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.
GS_U_G.book Page 154 Monday, April 27, 2009 10:50 AM