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2-1. Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
Starting on a steep incline
Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to “D”.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving.
■Starting the hybrid system (P. 150)
■Driving
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to “D”.
(P. 1 5 4 )
Release the parking brake. (P. 1 5 9 )
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently push the accel-
erator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■Stopping
With the shift lever in “D”, push the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift the
shift lever to “P”. (
P. 1 5 4 )
■Parking the vehicle
With the shift lever in “D”, push the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. (P. 1 5 9 )
Shift the shift lever to “P”. (P. 1 5 4 )
Stop the hybrid system.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on
your person.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
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When driving
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■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, because 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 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.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system.
This type of brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or
whenever the parking brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Lexus dealer perform the bedding-down.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. (P. 5 9 0 )
■When starting on an incline
The hill-start assist control may operate. (P. 2 1 4 )
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2-1. Driving procedures
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■For efficient use
●Put the shift lever into “D” when driving
In the “N” position, the gasoline engine operates but electricity cannot be gen-
erated. The hybrid battery (traction battery) will be discharged requiring unnec-
essary engine power to recharge.
●Drive your vehicle smoothly
Avoid abrupt acceleration and deceleration. Gradual acceleration and decel-
eration will make more effective use of the traction motor without having to use
gasoline engine power.
●Avoid repeated acceleration
Repeated acceleration consumes hybrid battery (traction battery) power,
resulting in poor acceleration. Battery power can be restored by driving with
the accelerator pedal slightly released.
●Put the shift lever into “P” when parking
In the “N” position, the hybrid battery (traction battery) does not recharge.
Leaving the shift lever in the “N” position for an extended period of the time may
discharge the hybrid battery. The vehicle cannot run if the hybrid battery is dis-
charged.
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the hybrid system
operating. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
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2-1. Driving procedures
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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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When driving
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■Electronic key battery depletion
P. 4 7
■When the electronic key battery is discharged
P. 4 9 4
■Conditions affecting operation
P. 4 5
CAUTION
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hybrid system while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not press the
accelerator pedal while starting the hybrid system under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the hybrid system in an emergency
If you want to stop the hybrid system in an emergency while driving the vehicle,
push and hold the “POWER” switch for more than 3 seconds.
However, do not touch the "POWER" switch while driving except in an emergency.
Turning the hybrid system off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking
control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more diffi-
cult to steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is
safe to do so.
NOTICE
■To prevent 12 volt battery discharge
Do not leave the “POWER” switch in ACCESSORY or ON mode for long periods
without the hybrid system on.
■When starting the hybrid system
●Do not race the hybrid system.
●If the hybrid system becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have the hybrid
system checked immediately.
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2-4. Using other driving systems
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Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following systems
operate automatically in response to various driving situations. Be aware,
however, that these systems are supplementary and should not be relied
upon too heavily when operating the vehicle.
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface.
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed, when the system detects a panic stop situation.
■Enhanced VSC (Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces.
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the rear wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads.
■Hill-start assist control
Helps prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards when starting on an
incline or slippery slope. It operates for approximately 5 seconds at maxi-
mum.
■EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn
the steering wheel.
■Active stabilizer suspension system (if equipped)
Reduces sway when cornering according to steering wheel movement
and the selected suspension damping mode, in order to maintain a stable
vehicle posture.
■PCS (Pre-Collision System) (if equipped)
P. 221
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When driving
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When the Enhanced VSC/TRAC/hill-start assist control systems are
operating
If the vehicle is in danger of slip-
ping, rolling backwards when
starting on an incline, or if the rear
wheels spin, the slip indicator light
flashes to indicate that the
Enhanced VSC/TRAC/hill-start
assist control systems have been
engaged.
A buzzer (intermittent) sounds to
indicate that Enhanced VSC is
operating.
The stop lights and high mounted
stoplight turn on when the hill-start
assist control system is operating.
The slip indicator light flashes as
well when ABS is operating.
■VGRS (Variable Gear Ratio Steering)
Adjusts the wheel turning angle in accordance with the vehicle speed and
steering wheel movement.
■VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management)
Provides integrated control of the ABS, Enhanced VSC, TRAC, hill-start
assist control, VGRS and EPS systems.
Helps to maintain vehicle stability when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling the brakes, hybrid output, and the movement of the
front wheels.
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2-4. Using other driving systems
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■Automatic reactivation of TRAC and Enhanced VSC
Turning the “POWER” switch OFF after turning off the TRAC and Enhanced VSC
systems will automatically re-enable them.
■Automatic TRAC reactivation
If only the TRAC system is turned off, the TRAC system will turn on when the vehi-
cle speed increases.
■Automatic TRAC and Enhanced VSC reactivation
If the TRAC and Enhanced VSC systems are turned off, the systems will not turn on
even when the vehicle speed increases.
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, brake assist, Enhanced VSC, TRAC,
hill-start assist control and VGRS systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the hybrid system is
started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indicate that
a malfunction has occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are operat-
ing. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■Hill-start assist control operating conditions
This system comes into operation under the following conditions after the brake
pedal has been depressed and the vehicle has come to a stop:
●The shift lever is in the “D” or “S”.
●The system has detected that the vehicle is moving backwards.
■EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel operates, a motor sound (whirring sound) may be heard.
This does not indicate a malfunction.