2010 Lexus HS250h parking brake

143
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this 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
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously. 
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this 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 power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid downhill or sharp turns that require braking. 
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 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the systems
fails, the others will still operate. In th is case, the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual and the braking distance will increase. If this happens, do
not continue to drive the vehicle. If the brake system warning light (red indicator)
comes on while driving, immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact
your Lexus dealer.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals at
the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Be sure to firmly apply the parking brake and set the shift position to P. Failure to do
so may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the
accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.

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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.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
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.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
The “POWER” switch indicator will turn green. If the indicator does
not turn green, the hybrid system cannot be started.
When shift position N is selected, the hybrid system cannot start.
Select the P position when star
ting the hybrid system.
Press the “POWER” switch.
After a while, the “READY” indi -
cator comes on with a beep
sound.
The vehicle can move when the
“READ
Y” indicator is on even if
the engine is stopped.
Continue depressing the brake
pedal
until the hybrid system is
completely started.
The hybrid system can be
star
ted from any mode.

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Stopping the hybrid system
Stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 1 6 0)
Press the P position switch to shift into P. ( P. 1 5 4 )
Check that the shift position indicator on the instrument cluster
shows P. ( P. 1 5 3 )
Press the “POWER” switch.
Slowly release the brake pedal and check that the indicator on
the “POWER” switch is off.
■ Changing “P
OWER” switch modes
Modes can be changed by pressing the “P
OWER” switch with the
brake pedal released. (The mode changes each time the switch is
pressed.)
Off
The emergency flashers can be
used.
ACCESSORY mode
Some electrical components
such as the audio system can be
used.
The “POWER” switch indicator
turns a
mber.
ON mode
All electrical components can
be used.
The “POWER” switch indicator
turns a
mber.

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Operation of the “POWER” switch
●When operating the “POWER” switch, one short, firm press is enough. If the
switch is pressed improperly, the hybrid system may not start or the “POWER”
switch mode may not change. It is not necessary to press and hold the switch.
●If attempting to restart the hybrid system immediately after turning the
“POWER” switch off, the hybrid system may not start in some cases. After turn-
ing the “POWER” switch off, please wait a few seconds before restarting the
hybrid system.
■Automatically changing to P position
●When the shift position is in a positi on other than P, pressing the “POWER”
switch with the vehicle st opped completely will cause the shift position to
change to P automatically, and then the “POWER” switch will turn off.
●When turning the “POWER” switch off from a position other than P, firmly
depress the brake pedal and confirm that the shift position* has changed to P
before slowly releasing the brake pedal.
*: Even after the instrument panel display has been turned off, the shift position
indicator will continue to be displayed for several seconds.
●If the P position control system malfun ctions, the “POWER” switch will not be
able to be turned off. In such a case, the switch can be turned off by applying the
parking brake. 
When the system malfunctions, immediately have your vehicle serviced by your
Lexus dealer.

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Shift position purpose
*: For good fuel economy and noise redu ction, the D position should usually
be used.
■ P position switch
The shift position can be changed to P thr
ough use of the P position
switch.
Fully stop the vehicle and keep
depr
essing the brake pedal, and
then press the P position switch.
When the shift position is
changed to P, the switch indica -
tor comes on.
Check that the P position indi -
cator is illuminated on the shift
position indicator
.
●Changing the shift position from P to other positions:
• While depressing the brake pedal firmly, operate the shift lever. If the
shift lever is operated without depressing the brake pedal, the buzzer
will sound and the shifting operation will be disabled.
• The shift position cannot be changed from P to B directly.
Shift positionFunction
PParking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*
BApplying moderate engine braking when driving down
hills or on steep slopes

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■Power mode automatic deactivation
Power mode is automatically deactivated if the “POWER” switch is turned off after
driving in power mode.
■Customization
Settings (e.g. Reverse warning buzzer) can be changed. 
(Customizable features  P. 5 7 2 )
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears suddenly. 
Sudden changes in engine braking may cause the vehicle to spin or skid, resulting in
an accident.
■For the shift lever
Do not hang anything on the shift lever. 
Doing so could prevent the shift lever fr om returning to position, causing unex-
pected accidents to occur when the vehicle is in motion.
NOTICE
■Situations where P position control system malfunctions are possible
If any of the following situations occurs, P position control system malfunctions are
possible. 
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place on level ground, apply the parking
brake, and then contact your Lexus dealer.
●When the “P Lock Malfunction” warnin g message appears on the multi-informa-
tion display. ( P. 5 0 2 )
●When the P position switch indicator flashes.
●When the shift position symb ols (such as P and R) are flashing on the shift posi-
tion indicator.
●When the shift position indicator remains off.
■When in heavy traffic
If shift position N is sele cted, the hybrid battery (traction battery) will not be
charged. To help prevent the battery from discharging, avoid leaving the N position
selected for an extended period of time.

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2-1. Driving procedures
Parking brake
■Parking brake engaged warning buzzer
The buzzer sounds to indicate that parking b
rake is still engaged (with the vehicle
having reached a speed of 3 mph [5 km/h]). ( P. 5 0 6 )
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.
To set the parking brake, fully
depress the parking brake pedal
with your left foot while
depressing the brake pedal with
your right foot.

(Depressing the pedal again
r

eleases the parking brake.)
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