2012 Lexus IS250 automatic transmission

When driving2
129
IS350/250_U
2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle.................. 130
Engine (ignition) switch .......... 141
Automatic transmission ........ 146
Manual transmission .............. 152
Turn signal lever ....................... 154
Parking brake ........................... 155
Horn ............................................ 157
2-2. Instrument cluster Gauges and meters ................ 158
Indicators and warning lights ......................................... 164
Multi-information display ..... 167
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
Headlight switch...................... 172
Fog light switch ......................... 176
Windshield wipers and washer ..................................... 178
Headlight cleaner switch...... 185 2-4. Using other driving
systems
Cruise control.......................... 186
Intuitive parking assist ........... 190
Driving assist systems ............ 196
2-5. Driving information Cargo and luggage ............... 202
Vehicle load limits .................. 205
Winter driving tips ................. 206
Trailer towing ........................... 210
Dinghy towing (vehicles with an
automatic transmission)...... 211
Dinghy towing (vehicles with a
manual transmission) .......... 212

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IS350/250_U
2-1. Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving.
■Starting the engine ( →P. 141)
■ Driving
Automatic transmission
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. (→P. 1 4 6 )
Release the parking brake. ( →P. 155)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
Manual transmission
While depressing the clutch pedal, shift the shift lever into 1. (→P. 1 5 2 )
Release the parking brake. (→ P. 155)
Gradually release the clutch pedal. At the same time, gently
depress the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■ Stopping
Automatic transmission
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift the
shift lever to P or N. (
→P. 1 4 6 )
Manual transmission
While depressing the clutch pedal, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift the
shift lever into N. (
→P. 1 5 2 )
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP1
STEP2

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
IS350/250_U
Starting on a steep uphillAutomatic transmission Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
Manual transmission
With the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever into 1.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as gradu-
ally releasing the clutch pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Parking the vehicle
Automatic transmission
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. (→ P. 155)
Shift the shift lever to P. ( →P. 1 4 6 )
Press the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on
your person.
Manual transmission
While depressing the clutch pedal, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. (→ P. 155)
Shift the shift lever into N. ( →P. 1 5 2 )
Press the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on
your person.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

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2-1. Driving procedures
IS350/250_U
■Starting off on a hill (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Hill-start assist control will operate. (→P. 1 9 6 )
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because 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 water between the tires and the road surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine spee d may become high while driving. This is
due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to meet driv-
ing conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
●When the accelerator pedal is released
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended to
observe:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the 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 sys-
tem needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer perform the bed-
ding down.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
IS350/250_U
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. (→P. 5 2 3 )
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
With automatic transmission vehicles, 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 accelerator
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 that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty 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, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals prop-
erly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, resulting in an acci-
dent.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
●With automatic transmission vehicles, do not let the vehicle roll backwards 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 perfor-
mance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the trunk is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause driver
drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a serious health hazard. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.

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2-1. Driving procedures
IS350/250_U
CAUTION
●With automatic transmission vehicles, 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 (vehicles with an automatic transmission) or 1
(vehicles with a manual transmission) 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.
●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. 5 1 8
●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 effec-
tiveness. (→ P. 1 4 7 )
●When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing an accident.
●Do not adjust the position 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 that may
result in death or serious injury.

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2-1. Driving procedures
IS350/250_U
CAUTION
■When shifting the shift lever
With automatic transmission vehicles, 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.
■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.
Front brake only: 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 (vehicles with an automatic transmission
only) 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.
●With automatic transmission vehicles, 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.

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2-1. Driving procedures
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When driving
IS350/250_U
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving.
If the brake pedal is depressed while driving with the accelerator pedal
depressed, driving torque may be restrained.With automatic transmission vehicles
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals
together to hold the vehicle on a hill.With manual transmission vehicles
●Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving.
Doing so may cause clutch trouble.
●Do not use any gear other than the first gear when starting off and moving for-
ward.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
●Do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle when stopping on an uphill grade.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
■When parking the vehicle
With automatic transmission vehicles, 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 accel-
erator 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.