2010 Lexus HS250h steering

113
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●If a vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbags will deploy, be sure
to remove it.
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side airbags
inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from activating correctly, disable the system or cause the
side airbags to inflate accidentally, resulting in death or serious injury.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS airbag
components. 
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS airbags have
deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbags have deployed, open a door
or window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do so. Wash off
any residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel pad and
front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked, have them replaced by
your Lexus dealer.
●Do not attach anything to or lean anything
against areas such as the dashboard, steer-
ing wheel pad and lower portion of the
instrument panel. 
These items can become projectiles when
the SRS driver, front passenger and knee
airbags deploy.
●Do not attach anything to areas such as a
door, windshield glass, side door glass,
front or rear pillar, roof side rail, and assist
grip.
●Do not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and may
cause death or serious injury, should the
SRS curtain shield airbags deploy.

114
1-8. Safety information
CAUTION
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications with-
out consulting your Lexus dealer. 
The SRS airbags may malfunction or deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing death or
serious injury.
●Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
●Repairs, modifications, removal or replac ement of the steering wheel, instrument
panel, dashboard, seats, se at upholstery or rear seat side garnishes (padding),
front, side and rear pill ars or roof side rails
●Repairs or modifications of the front fender , front bumper, or side of the occupant
compartment
●Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars or kangaroo
bar etc.)
●Modifications to the vehi cle’s suspension system
●Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios and CD players
●Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability

137
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting off on a steep uphill
Make sure that the parking brake is set secu rely, and then select
shift position D. 
Check that the shift position indicator shows D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, becaus e 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, observing the following precautions is recom -
mended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km): 
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 994 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• 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 sys -
tem needs bedding-down of the brake shoes perio
dically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer perform the bed-
ding down operation.

140
2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not shift the shift position to D while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Moving the shift position to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
hybrid system. Engine braking is not avai lable with the hybrid system disengaged.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid sys-
tem off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. Th is will make it more difficult to steer
and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do
so. However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to
stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 4 9 2
●Use engine braking (shift position B) to maintain a safe speed when driving down
a steep hill. 
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effec-
tiveness. ( P. 1 5 3 )
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside
rear view mirrors while driving. 
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents, resulting
in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, he ads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do
not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability
tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and
possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on
your vehicle are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, accelerati on and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehi cle, resulting in an accident.
●Abrupt changes from shift position D to B and rapid changes in the engine speed
could 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 on ly one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be af fected, resulting in an accident.

144
2-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of 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 get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brak e pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire. ( P. 5 2 1 )
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to
have your Lexus dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of engine oil, transaxle fluid for the hybrid system
etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings and suspension joints (where possible), and
the function of all joints, bearings, etc.
As flooding may damage components involv ed in P position control, the parking
lock may jam in the locked position.
■If the vehicle will not shift out of the P position
There is a possibility that the 12-volt batt ery is discharged. Check the 12-volt battery
in this situation.

149
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hybrid system while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the hybrid system under any circumstances. 
Doing so may cause an accident resu lting 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,
press 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 peri-
ods of time without the hybrid system on.
●If the hybrid system is off, but the indica tor on the “POWER” switch is illuminated,
this indicates that the “POWER” switch is still turned on. When exiting the vehi-
cle, always check that the “POWER” switch is off.
■When starting the hybrid system
Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction with the “POWER” switch
If the “POWER” switch seems to be operating somewhat differently than usual,
such as the switch sticking slightly, there may be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer immediately.

161
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Horn
■After adjusting the steering wheel (manually adjustable type)
Make sure that the steering wheel is securely locked. 
The horn may not sound if the steeri ng
wheel is not securely locked. (P. 7 9 )
To sound the horn, press on or
close to the
mark.

177
2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
HUD (Head-up Display) main switch
Pressing the switch turns the head-
up display on/off and changes the
vehicle speed display units as fol-
lows:
Vehicles sold in the U.S.A. 
OFF  ON (mph)  ON (km/h)
 OFF
Except vehicles sold in the U.S.A. 
OFF  ON (km/h)  ON (mph)
 OFF
When the head-up display is on, a
pr
olonged press will turn the touch
tracer display or audio display
ON/OFF. ( P. 1 8 1
)
●Turn-by-turn navigation
Displays a notification of upcoming intersections
during navigation system route guidance

●Touch tracer display
Displays the switch operation status when the
steering switch is operated. 
