2012 Lexus HS250h parking brake

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2-1. Driving procedures
HS250h_U_75050U
CAUTION
■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 plasticmaterial 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 vehicle's electrical com-
ponents.
●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 contain-
ers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs
or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a metal-
lized 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, select shift position P, stop the hybrid system,
and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the hybrid system is operating.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the hybrid system is operating or immedi-
ately after turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
●Do not leave the hybrid system operating in an area with snow build-up, or where
it is snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the hybrid system is
operating, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead to
death or a serious health hazard.

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When driving
HS250h_U_75050U
CAUTION
■Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area, stop the hybrid system. 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 system 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 vehicle 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 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 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. 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.

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HS250h_U_75050U
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 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.
■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 brake 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 3 2 )

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When driving
HS250h_U_75050U
NOTICE
■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 involved 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 battery is discharged. Check the 12-volt battery
in this situation.

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Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic key on
your person starts the hybrid syst em 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 starting the hybrid system. ( →P. 161)
Press the “POWER” switch.
After a while, the “READY” indi-
cator comes on with a beep
sound.
The vehicle can move when the
“READY” 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
started from any
“POWER”
switch
mode.
Check that the “READY” indicator is on.
The vehicle will not move when the “READY” indicator is off.

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When driving
HS250h_U_75050U
■Stopping the hybrid system
Stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( →P. 1 6 7 )
Press the P position switch to shift into P. ( →P. 161)
Check that the shift position indicator on the instrument cluster
shows P. ( →P. 1 6 0 )
Press the “POWER” switch.
Slowly release the brake pedal and check that the indicator on
the “POWER” switch is off.
■ Changing “POWER” switch modes
Modes can be changed by pressing the “POWER” 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 amber.
ON mode
All electrical components can
be used.
The “POWER” switch indicator
turns amber.

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When driving
HS250h_U_75050U
■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.
■Automatic P position selection function
●When the shift position is in a position other than P, pressing the “POWER”
switch with the vehicle stopped 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 positionindicator will continue to be displayed for several seconds.
●If the P position control system malfunctions, 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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When driving
HS250h_U_75050U
■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 through use of the P position
switch.
Fully stop the vehicle and keep
depressing 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