2012 Lexus IS250C Instrument cluster / LEXUS 2012 IS250C,IS350C OWNERS MANUAL (OM53A62U)

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Automatic transmission
: If equipped
Select a shift position appropriate for the driving conditions.
■Shifting the shift lever
While the “ENGINE START STOP” switch is in IGNITION
ON mode, depress the brake pedal and move the shift lever.
■ Shift position uses
*1: Shifting to the D position allows the sy stem to select a gear suitable for the
driving conditions. Setting the shift le ver to the D position is recommended
for normal driving.
*2: Selecting shift ranges using S mode re stricts the upper limit of the possible
gear ranges, controls engine brakin g forces, and prevents unnecessary
upshifting.
Shift positionFunction
PParking the vehicle or starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2 (  P. 1 5 7 )

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Selecting a driving mode
The following patterns can be selec ted to suit current driving and
operating conditions.
Power mode
For powerful acceleration
and driving in mountainous
regions.
Normal mode
Snow mode
For accelerating and driving
on slippery road surfaces,
such as on snow.
Press “SNOW”
to return to nor-
mal mode.

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2-1. Driving procedures
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When driving
Selecting shift ranges in the D positionTo drive using temporary shift range se lection, operate the “-” shift paddle
switch. The shift range can then be selected by operating the “-” and “+”
shift paddle switches. Changing the sh ift range allows restriction of the
upper limit of the gears to be used, preventing unnecessary upshifting
and enabling the level of engine braking force to be selected.
Higher shift range
Lower shift range
The selected shift range, from 1 to
6, will be displayed in the meter
cluster.
To return to normal D position
driving, the “+” sh ift paddle switch
must be held down for a period of
time.

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Shift ranges and their functions
A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking forces than a higher shift
range.
Shift rangeFunction
6Automatically selecting gears between 1 and 6
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions.
5Automatically selecting gears between 1 and 5
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions.
4Automatically selecting gears between 1 and 4
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions.
3Automatically selecting gears between 1 and 3
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions.
2Automatically selecting gears between 1 and 2
according to vehicle speed and driving conditions.
1Setting the gear at 1.

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2-1. Driving procedures
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When driving
Changing shift ranges in S modeTo enter S mode, shift the shift lever to the S position. The shift range can
then be selected by operating the “-” and “+” shift paddle switches or the
shift lever. Changing the shift range al lows restriction of the upper limit of
the gears to be used, preventing unnecessary upshifting and enabling the
level of engine braking force to be selected.
Higher shift range
Lower shift range
The selected shift range, from 1 to
6, will be displayed in the meter
cluster.
The initial shift range in S mode is auto matically set to 5 or 4 according to
vehicle speed. However, the initial shift range may be set to 3 or 2 if the
AI-SHIFT has operated while the shift lever was in the D position.
( P. 1 5 9 )
■ Shift ranges and their functions
 P. 1 5 6

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2-1. Driving procedures
■When the “-” shift paddle switch is operated in the D position
When the “-” shift paddle switch is operated in the D position, a shift range will be
automatically selected. The highest gear of the first shift range will be one gear
lower than the gear in use during normal D position driving.
■Automatic deactivated of shift range selection in the D position
Shift range selection in the D position will be deactivated in the following situations:
●When the vehicle comes to a stop
●When range 6 is selected and the accelerator pedal is depressed
●If the accelerator pedal is depressed for more than a certain period of time
■To protect automatic transmission
A function is adopted that automatically se lects a higher shift range when the fluid
temperature is high.
■Gear position disp lay when driving
The current gear is displayed on the multi-information display. ( P. 1 7 9 )
■Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving perfor mance, downshifting operation may some-
times be restricted. In some circumstance s, downshifting may not be possible even
when the shift lever or shift paddle switch is operated. (The warning buzzer will
sound twice.)
■When driving with the cruise control syst em or dynamic radar cruise control sys-
tem
Engine braking will not occur during shif t range selection in the D position or S
mode, even when downshifting to range 5 or 4. ( P. 195, 199)
■Snow mode automatic deactivation
Snow mode is automatically deactivated if the “ENGINE START STOP” switch is
turned off after driving in snow mode.
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
P. 5 3 1

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2-1. Driving procedures
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When driving
■If does not come on even after shifting the shift lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in the automatic transmission system. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
(In this situation, the vehicle will operate as if the shift lever is in D.)
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatically shifts the gear to the suitable position according to the
driver performance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the shift lever is in the D position. How-
ever, operating the “-” shift paddle switch will restrict the function’s operation. (Shift-
ing the shift lever to the S position cancels the function.)
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Be careful of downshifting and sudden accele ration, as this could result in the vehi-
cle skidding to the side or spinning.

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2-1. Driving procedures
Manual transmission
■Shifting the shift lever
Fully depress the clutch pedal
before operating the shift lever,
and then release it slowly.
■ Shifting the shift lever into R
Shift the shift lever into the R
position while lifting up the ring
section.

: If equipped