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When driving
GS_HV_U (OM30C81U)
October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-shifting
or down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from
functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in an accident.
■When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the hybrid system.
If the vehicle is in any positions other than “P” or “N” the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly and unexpectedly, and may cause an accident.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the hybrid system on for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and
check that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.
●In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the “READY” indicator is on. Apply the parking
brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely
apply the parking brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine. Running the engine at high speed while the
vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust system to overheat, which could result
in a fire if combustible material is nearby.
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GS_HV_U (OM30C81U)
October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
CAUTION
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehi-
cle when it is in the sun.
Failure to do so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic
material of eye glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of
the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle’s electrical com-
ponents.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to “P”, stop the hybrid system
and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the hybrid system is operating.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the hybrid system is operating or immedi-
ately after turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
●Do not leave the hybrid system operating in an area with snow build-up, or where
it is snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the hybrid system is
operating, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead to
death or a serious health hazard.
■Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO) that is colorless and odor-
less. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area, stop the hybrid system. In a closed
area, such as a garage, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may
lead to death or a serious health hazard.
●The exhaust should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or crack caused by
corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be sure to have the vehi-
cle inspected and repaired by your Lexus dealer. Failure to do so may allow
exhaust gases to enter the vehicle, resulting in death or a serious health hazard.
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When driving
GS_HV_U (OM30C81U)
October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, which could cause an accident or fire due to
hybrid system overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly venti-
lated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to death or a
serious health hazard.
■When braking the vehicle
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and may cause one side of
the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also the parking brake may
not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the brake actuator does not operate, do not follow other vehicles closely and
avoid downhill or sharp turns that require making.
In this case, braking is still possible, but it will require more force on the pedal than
usual. Braking distance may also increase.
●The brake system consists of 3 individual hydraulic systems: If one of the systems
fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual and braking distance becomes longer.
Do not drive your vehicle with only a single brake system. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck or bogged
Do not spin the wheels recklessly when any of the tires is up in the air, or stuck in
sand or mud, etc. This may damage the drive system components or propel the
vehicle forward (or in another direction) and cause an accident.
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GS_HV_U (OM30C81U)
October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
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 noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have your Lexus dealer check and replace 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.
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GS_HV_U (OM30C81U)
October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic key on
your person starts the hybrid system or changes “POWER” switch modes.
■Starting the hybrid system
Check that the parking brake is set.
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.
The hybrid system can be
started from any mode.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
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October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
Transmission
Select a shift position appropriate for the driving conditions.
■Shifting the shift lever
While the “POWER” switch is in ON mode, depress the brake
pedal and move the shift lever.
■Shift position uses
*1: To improve fuel consumption and reduce noises, set the shift lever in the
“D” position for normal driving.
*2: By selecting shift ranges using “S” mode, you can control engine braking
forces.
Shift positionFunction
PParking the vehicle or starting the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
S“S” mode driving*2 (P. 1 5 6 )
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When driving
GS_HV_U (OM30C81U)
October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
Parking brake
■Usage in winter time
See “Winter driving tips” for parking brake usage in winter time. (P. 2 3 3 )
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.
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2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
GS_HV_U (OM30C81U)
January 28, 2010 10:42 am
AFS (Adaptive Front lighting System)
AFS improves 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 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 auto-
matically (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.
●Compared to turning on the headlights, the daytime running light system offers
greater durability and consumes less electricity, so it can help improve fuel
economy.
