Page 120 of 543

120
2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■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 engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly
and unexpectedly, and may cause an accident.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running 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.
●Always keep a foot on the brake pedal while the engine is running to prevent an
accident caused by the vehicle moving.
●To prevent the vehicle from moving and causing an accident, apply the brake
pedal or parking brake when stopping the vehicle on a hill.
■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.
Doing 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 engine and lock
the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes or rear bumper exhaust diffusers while the engine
is running or immediately after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
Page 121 of 543

121
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it is
snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is running,
exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead to death or a seri-
ous 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 engine. 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.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, which could cause an accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated 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 power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid downhills 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.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted brakes.
Page 122 of 543

122
2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●The brake system consists of 2 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.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving,
as this may restrain the engine output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the 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.
Rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Moderate levels of brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced front braking power.
As a result, the discs may wear more quickly than conventional brake discs. There-
fore, 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
those of the brake discs are exceeded.
Page 123 of 543

123
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
■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 press the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Replace a flat tire with a new one. (P. 4 6 7 )
■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 oil and fluid used for the engine, transmission,
differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspension joints (where
possible) and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.
Page 124 of 543
124
2-1. Driving procedures
Engine (ignition) switch
Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic key on
your person starts the engine or changes “ENGINE START STOP” switch
modes.
■Starting the engine
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 “ENGINE START STOP” switch indicator turns green.
Press the “ENGINE START
STOP” switch.
The engine can be started from
any mode.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
Page 127 of 543

127
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not press the accelera-
tor while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle, push and
hold the “ENGINE START STOP” switch for more than 3 seconds.
However, do not touch the "ENGINE START STOP" switch while driving except in
an emergency. Turning the engine 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 difficult 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 battery discharge
Do not leave the “ENGINE START STOP” switch in ACCESSORY or IGNITION
ON mode for long periods without the engine running.
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have the engine
checked immediately.
Page 134 of 543

134
2-1. Driving procedures
■Downshift restrictions warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting operation may some-
times be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting may not be possible even
when the shift lever or paddle shift switch is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■When driving with the cruise control or dynamic radar cruise control
Engine braking will not occur during shift range selection in the D position, even
when downshifting to range 7, 6, 5 or 4. (P. 158, 161)
■Automatic deactivation of snow mode and “Sport” mode
If the “ENGINE START STOP” switch is turned OFF after driving in either snow
mode or “Sport” mode, the mode is automatically deactivated.
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
P. 4 7 5
■If is not displayed after shifting the shift lever to M
●Within a few seconds of turning the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to IGNI-
TION ON mode, the transmission will not go into M mode if the shift lever is
moved to the M position. This is because a system check is being performed. In
this case, wait a moment and then try moving the shift lever to the M position
again.
●If the display does not change to on an occasion other than that
described above, it may indicate a malfunction in the automatic transmission
system. Have your vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
■Automatic gear selection when the vehicle is stopped
●When the vehicle comes to a stop, the transmission will automatically downshift
to allow you to start off in 1st gear.
●When the vehicle is idling at high rpm in order to warm up, and the vehicle is on
a slippery road, the transmission will automatically shift to 2nd gear for stopping
and starting off.
Page 136 of 543
136
2-1. Driving procedures
Turn signal lever
■Turn signals can be operated when
The “ENGINE START STOP” switch is in IGNITION ON mode.
■If the indicators flash faster than usual
Check that a light bulb in the front or rear turn signal lights has not burned out.
Right turn
Left turn
Move and hold the lever part-
way to signal a lane change
The right hand signal will flash
until you release the lever.
Move and hold the lever part-
way to signal a lane change
The left hand signal will flash
until you release the lever.