2014 Lexus ES300h engine

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ES300h_QG_OM33A73U_(U)
Hybrid System
■Hybrid System Indicator
Po w e r a r e a
Shows that an Eco-friendly driving
range is being exceeded (during full
power driving etc.)
Eco area
Shows that the vehicle is being driven
in an Eco-friendly manner.
Hybrid Eco area
Shows that gasoline engine power is
not being used very often.
The gasoline engine will automatically
stop and restart under various condi-
tions.
Charge area
Shows regenerative charging.
●Hybrid System Indicator is displayed when the driving mode is other than the sport
mode.
●By keeping the indicator needle within Eco area, more Eco-friendly driving can be
achieved.
●Charge area indicates regeneration
* status. Regenerated energy will be used to charge
the battery.
*: When used in this manual, “regeneration” refers to the conversion of energy created by
the movement of the vehicle into electrical energy.
Your vehicle is a hybrid vehicle. It has characteristics different from conventional vehicles.
Be sure you are closely familiar with the characteristics of your vehicle, and operate with
care.
The hybrid system combines the use of a gasoline engine and an electric motor (traction
motor) according to driving conditions, improving fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust
emissions.
For details, refer to the “Owner’s Manual”.
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2
3
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ES300h_QG_OM33A73U_(U)
■Charging the hybrid battery (traction battery)
If the shift lever is in N, the hybrid battery (traction battery) will not be charged. Always put
the shift lever in P when the vehicle is stopped. When driving in heavy traffic, operate the
vehicle with the shift lever in D or S to avoid discharging the battery.
■Regenerative braking
In the following situations, kinetic energy is converted to electric energy and deceleration
force can be obtained in conjunction with the recharging of the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery).
●The accelerator pedal is released while driving with the shift position in D or S.
●The brake pedal is depressed while driving with the shift position in D or S.
■Sounds and vibrations specific to a hybrid vehicle
There may be no engine sounds or vibration even though the vehicle is able to move. For
safety, apply the parking brake and make sure to shift the shift position to P when parked.
The following sounds or vibrations may occur when the hybrid system is operating and are
not a malfunction:
●Motor sounds may be heard from the engine compartment.
●Sounds may be heard from the hybrid battery (traction battery) behind the rear seats
when the hybrid system starts or stops.
●Sounds from the hybrid system may be heard when the trunk lid is open.
●Sounds may be heard from the hybrid transmission when the hybrid system starts or
stops.
●Engine sounds may be heard when accelerating sharply.
●Sounds may be heard due to regenerative braking when the brake pedal is depressed.
●Vibration may be felt when the gasoline engine starts or stops.
●Cooling fan sounds may be heard from the air intake vent on rear left seat.
■Running out of fuel
When the vehicle has run out of fuel and the hybrid system cannot be started, refuel the
vehicle with at least enough gasoline to make the low fuel level warning light go off. If there is
only a small amount of fuel, the hybrid system may not be able to start. (The minimum
amount of fuel to add to make the low fuel level warning light go out is about 3.0 gal. [11.3 L,
2.5 Imp.gal.], when the vehicle is on a level surface. This value may vary when the vehicle is
on a slope.)

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ES300h_QG_OM33A73U_(U)
EV Drive Mode
Tu r n s E V d r i v e m o d e o n /o f f
When EV drive mode is turned on, “EV
MODE” will be displayed on the multi-
information display. Pressing the switch
when in EV drive mode will return the
vehicle to normal driving (using the gas-
oline engine and electric motor [traction
motor]).
In EV drive mode the electric motor (traction motor), powered by the hybrid battery
(traction battery), is used to drive the vehicle.

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ES300h_QG_OM33A73U_(U)
Hybrid Transmission
■Shifting the shift lever
While the “POWER” switch is in 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 com-
pletely stopped.
■Shift position purpose
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noises, set the shift lever in D for normal driving.
*2: By selecting shift ranges using S mode, you can control engine braking forces.
Shift positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2

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ES300h_QG_OM33A73U_(U)
■Selecting shift ranges in the S position
To enter S mode, shift the shift lever to S. Shift ranges can be selected by operating the shift
lever, allowing you to drive in the shift range of your choosing.
Upshifting
Downshifting
The selected shift range, from S1 to S6,
will be displayed in the meter.
The initial shift range in S mode is auto-
matically set to S4 or S5 according to
vehicle speed.
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2
■Shift ranges and their functions
You can choose from 6 levels of engine braking force.
A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking force than a higher shift range,
and the engine revolutions will also increase.
If you accelerate while in ranges S1 to S4, the shift range may automatically range up in
accordance with the vehicle’s speed.