2012 Lexus GS350 Owner's Manual

1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is rec-
ommended:
For the first 300 km (186 miles):
Avoid sudden stops.
For the first 800 km (500 miles):
Do not tow a trailer.
For the first 1000 km (621 miles):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• 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 when-
ever the parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have any authorized
Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional
perform the bedding down operation.
Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availabil-
ity of the correct fuel. (P. 838)

1904-1. Before driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
When driving the vehicle
Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal
will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi-
culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the
vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and acceler-
ator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materi-
als.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot
parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
When driving the vehicle
During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. 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.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 7 3 9
Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. (P. 214)
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.
Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle.
When driving on slippery road surfaces
Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shift changing, or changes in
engine speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
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.

1924-1. Before driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
When shifting the shift lever
Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving
position, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
Do not shift the shift lever 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 lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is
selected.
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in
death or serious injury.

1934-1. Before driving
4
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
CAUTION
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by any authorized Lexus dealer
or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional as soon as
possible.
Rotor damage may 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. 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 those of the brake discs are exceeded.
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, causing an accident.
In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the engine is running, and 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.

1944-1. Before driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
CAUTION
When the vehicle is parked
Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in
the vehicle 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 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 vehi-
cle’s electrical components.
Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a
place such as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehi-
cle.
Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.
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 while the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
CAUTION
When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this 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
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 hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will
increase.
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 the braking distance will
increase.
If this happens, do not continue to drive the vehicle. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or
the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline com-
ponents or propel the vehicle forward or backward, causing an accident.

1964-1. Before driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
NOTICE
When driving the vehicle
Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during
driving, as this may restrain driving torque.
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake ped-
als at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
When parking the vehicle
Always shift the shift lever 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.
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
damaging 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 brake pedal to slow down the vehi-
cle.
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. 782, 797)