2013 Lexus GS350 Owner's Manual

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4-2. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accel-
erator pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the doors
until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the steering lock in
this circumstance may lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle, press and
hold the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly 3 times or more
in succession. (→P. 677)
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emergency.
Turning the engine off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking con-
trol, 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.

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4
Driving
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
●Do not leave the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON mode for
long periods of time without the engine running.
●If “POWER ON” is displayed on the multi-information display, the engine switch
is not off. Exit the vehicle after turning the engine switch off.
●Do not stop the engine when the shift lever is in a position other than P. If the
engine is stopped in another shift lever position, the engine switch will not be
turned off but instead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. If the vehicle is left in
ACCESSORY mode, battery discharge may occur.
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have your vehicle
checked by your Lexus dealer immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operating somewhat differently than usual, such as
the switch sticking slightly, there may be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus dealer
immediately.

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4-2. Driving procedures
Automatic transmission
While the engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode, move the shift
lever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the vehicle is
completely stopped.
Shifting the shift lever

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Driving
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noises, set the shift lever in D for normaldriving.
*2: Any gear range can be fixed when driving in M mode.
■Sport mode/Eco drive mode
→ P. 2 6 3
■Snow mode
Snow mode can be selected to suit the conditions when driving on slip-
pery road surfaces, such as on snow.
Press the switch.
Press the switch again to return to
normal mode.
Shift position purpose
Shift positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
MM mode driving*2 (→ P. 181)
Selecting the driving mode

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4-2. Driving procedures
To drive using temporary shift range selection, operate the “-” paddle shift
switch. The shift range can then be selected by operating the “-” and “+”
paddle shift switches. Changing the shift range allows restriction of the
highest gear, preventing unnecessary upshifting and enabling the level of
engine braking force to be selected.Upshifting
Downshifting
The selected shift range, from D1 to
D5, will be displayed in the meter.
To return to normal D position driving,
the “+” paddle shift switch must be
held down for a period of time.
■Shift ranges and their functions
A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking forces than a higher shift
range.
Selecting shift ranges in the D position
1
2
Meter displayFunction
D2 - D5
A gear in the range between 1 and the selected gear is
automatically chosen depending on vehicle speed and driving conditions
D1Setting the gear at 1

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Driving
To enter M mode, shift the shift lever to M. Gears can then be selected by
operating the shift lever or paddle shift switches, allowing you to drive in
the gear of your choosing.Upshifting
Downshifting
The gear changes once every time the
shift lever or paddle shift switch is
operated.
The selected gear, from M1 to M6, will
be fixed and displayed in the meter.
When in the M position, the gear will not change unless the shift lever
or paddle shift switches are operated.
However, even when in the M position, the gears will be automatically
changed in the following situation:
●When vehicle speed drops (downshift only).
●When the automatic transmission fluid or engine coolant tempera-
ture is low.
●When automatic transmission fluid temperature is high.
●When the needle of the tachometer is in the red zone (the range
which exceeds the allowable revs of the engine).
Selecting gears in the M position
1
2

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4-2. Driving procedures
In the following situations, the gear will not shift even if the shift lever or
paddle shift switches are operated.
●“1st Gear not available due to slippery road surface” is displayed on
the multi information display.
●The vehicle speed is low (upshift only).
■When the “-” paddle shift 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 deactivation 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
●If the “+” paddle shift switch is operated when the shift range is in 5
●If the accelerator pedal is depressed for more than a certain period of time
●When the shift lever is shifted to other than D
■To protect automatic transmission
“Transmission Fluid High Temperature” is displayed on the multi-information display
and a function is adopted that automatically selects a higher shift range when the
fluid temperature is high. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
■Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting operation may some-
times be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting may not be possible even
when the shift lever or paddle shift switch is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■Snow mode automatic deactivation
Snow mode is automatically deactivated if the engine switch is turned off after driv-
ing in snow mode.
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
→P. 7 3 7

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1834-2. Driving procedures
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Driving
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitable gear according to driver perfor-
mance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the shift lever is in D. (Shifting the shift
lever to the M position cancels the function.)
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Be careful of downshifting and sudden acceleration, as this could result in the vehi-
cle skidding to the side or spinning.