2012 Lexus LFA lexus LFA 2012 Owner's Manual / LEXUS 2012 LFA OWNERS MANUAL (OM77006U)

When driving2
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2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle................... 88
Ignition switch ........................... 98
ASG (Automated Sequential Gearbox) .......... 102
Turn signal lever ........................ 112
Parking brake ............................ 113
Horn ............................................. 115
2-2. Instrument cluster Gauges and meters ................. 116
Indicators and warning lights .......................................... 121
Using the menu........................ 124
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
Headlight switch...................... 158
Windshield wipers and washer ..................................... 160 2-4. Using other driving
systems
Rear view monitor system .... 163
Driving assist systems ............ 166
Active rear wing ........................ 171
Launch control.......................... 174
2-5. Driving information Cargo and luggage ................. 176
Vehicle load limits .................... 179
Winter driving tips .................. 180
Trailer towing ........................... 182
Dinghy towing .......................... 183

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2-1.Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:
■Starting the engine
 P. 9 8
■ Driving
With the brake pedal depressed, select 1st gear. ( P. 1 0 2 )
Check that “D1” or “1” is displayed on the gear indicator.
Release the parking brake. ( P. 113)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accel-
erator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■ Stopping
Depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, select
Neutral. ( P. 1 0 3 )
■Parking the vehicle
Depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 113)
Select 1st gear or Reverse. ( P. 1 0 2 )
Check that “D1”, “1” or “R” is displayed on the gear indicator.
Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK” position to stop the
engine.
Check that “D1” or “R” is no long er displayed on the gear indicator.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your person.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting on a steep uphillThe hill-start assist control ( P. 166) operates to help reduce the dis-
tance that the vehicle rolls backward when starting on an incline. How-
ever, under certain conditions hill-start assist control may not work. In that
case, follow the procedure below.
Make sure that the parking brake is set and select 1st gear.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Shifting gears
P. 1 0 2
■Breaking in your new LFA
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-
mended:
●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 low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Engine speed restrictions
The following restrictions exist for engine protection:
●The engine speed is limited to 7400 rpm if the total mileage shown on the
odometer is less than 310 miles (500 km).
●The engine speed is limited when the engine is not sufficiently warmed-up, such
as immediately after the engine is started or during the engine warm-up period.
The variable red zone shows the maximum engine speed currently available.
(  P. 1 1 9 )
●The engine speed is limited to 4400 rpm for approximately 8 minutes when the
engine is started with the coolant temperature at 5 F (-15 C) or lower.
●The engine speed may be limited when either the coolant temperature gauge
or oil temperature gauge is flashing.
■Idling with five cylinders
To improve fuel consumption, the engine may idle at a reduced speed using five cyl-
inders on one side of the engine whil e stopped or immediately before stopping
when 1st gear is selected in AUTO driving mode. During this time, “5 cylinders
idling” will be displayed on the meter an d vibration or a change in engine sound
may occur. This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.
■ASG (Automated Sequential Gearbox) operating sounds
 P. 1 1 0
■Braking sound
●As the LFA uses CCM (Carbon Ceramic Material) brake discs with high-fric-
tion pads, it may be possible to hear the sound of the brakes operating (such as
a rubbing or squealing sound). This is normal and does not indicate a malfunc-
tion.
●The sound of a motor operating may be heard after the engine is stopped. This
does not indicate a malfunction.
■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 driving at high speeds on wet surfaces such as on an expressway in
the rain, as the LFA is fitted with wide-t read tires that may increase the risk of
hydroplaning.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■When parking the vehicle
P. 1 1 0
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P. 3 6 0 )
CAUTION
■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 accelerato r pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may le ad to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your bo dy 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. This allows you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the rear hatch 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.
●Do not select Neutral while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause insufficient engine braking, resulting in an accident.
●Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The power steering system will not operate properly if the engine is not running.
●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.

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2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●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 that can cause accidents, resulting
in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all occupants’ arms, heads and other body parts are not out-
side the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steer ing may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehi cle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-shifting
and down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a pudd le, 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 on ly one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be af fected, resulting in an accident.
■When operating the paddle shift switches/reverse selector switch
Do not operate the paddle shift switches or reverse selector switch with the accel-
erator pedal depressed and Neutral selected.
Doing so may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause
an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■If a brake pad wear warning message is displayed
Have your Lexus dealer check and replac e the brake pads as soon as possible.
The disc damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Moderate levels of the brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced 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 thick-
ness 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.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
• If the vehicle is in any gear other than Neutral the vehicle may accelerate sud-denly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
• 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 flammable material is
nearby.
• Racing the engine may emit loud noise, and possibly cause a nuisance, espe- cially after just starting the engine. This is because the structure of the exhaust
pipes cause the sound emitted from the exhaust to be louder than usual for
approximately 1 minute after the engine is started.
●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 no t enter the vehicle interior.
●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.
■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 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 wind shield or windows. Do not place contain-
ers such as air fresheners on the instru ment panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs
or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.

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2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●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 1st gear or Reverse, stop the engine and
lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattend ed while the engine is running.
●Do not stop the engine without first chec king the gear indicator to confirm that
either 1st gear or Reverse is selected.
●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 vehi cle. This may lead to death or a seri-
ous health hazard.
●Do not touch the hood grilles, bezels in the
radiator grilles, or exhaust pipes and sur-
rounding area while the engine is running
or immediately after tu rning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.