2014 Lexus IS250 steering

2064-5. Using the driving support systems
IS350/250_U (OM53758U)
CAUTION
■Situations unsuitable for dynamic radar cruise control
Do not use dynamic radar cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in inappropriate speed control and could cause an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
●In heavy traffic
●On roads with sharp bends
●On winding roads
●On slippery roads, such as thos e covered with rain, ice or snow
●On steep downhills, or where there are sudden changes between sharp up and down
gradients
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a steep hill.
●At entrances to expressways
●When weather conditions are bad enough that they may prevent the sensors from
functioning correctly (fog, snow , sandstorm, heavy rain, etc.)
●When an approach warning buzzer is heard often
●During emergency towing
■When the sensor may not be correctly detecting the vehicle ahead
Apply the brakes as necessary when any of the following types of vehicles are in front of
you.
As the sensor may not be able to correctly detect these types of vehicles, the approach
warning (P. 201) will not be activated, and a fatal or serious accident may result.
●Vehicles that cut in suddenly
●Vehicles traveling at low speeds
●Vehicles that are not moving
●Vehicles with small rear ends (trailers with no load on board etc.)
●Motorcycles traveling in the same lane
■Conditions under which the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control may not function cor-
rectly
Apply the brakes as necessary in the following conditions as the radar sensor may not
be able to correctly detect vehicles ahead, and a fatal or serious accident may result:
●When water or snow thrown up by the surrounding vehicles hinders the functioning
of the sensor
●When your vehicle is pointing upwards (caused by a heavy load in the trunk etc.)
●When the road curves or when the lanes are narrow
●When steering wheel operation or your position in the lane is unstable
●When the vehicle ahead of you decelerates suddenly

2124-5. Using the driving support systems
IS350/250_U (OM53758U)
●When driving on roads that are branching or merging
●When driving on a road surface that is wet du e to rain, previous rainfall, standing water,
etc.
●When the vehicle experiences strong up-and -down motion such as when driving on an
extremely rough road or on a seam in the pavement
●When headlight brightness at nighttime is reduced due to dirt on the lenses, or when
the headlights are misaligned
●When driving on winding roads or roads that are uneven
●When driving on rough or unpaved roads
■When changing the tires
Depending on the tires used, sufficient performance may not be maintainable.
■Warning messages for the LDA system
Warning messages are used to indicate a syst em malfunction or to inform the driver of
the need for caution while driving. ( P. 4 6 5 )
CAUTION
■Before using the LDA system
Do not rely solely on the LDA system. The LDA system does not drive the vehicle auto-
matically, nor does it reduce the amount of care you need to take. As such, the driver
must always assume full responsibility for understanding his/her surroundings, for
operating the steering wheel to correct the driving line, and for driving safely.
Inappropriate or negligent drivin g could lead to an accident.
■To avoid operating the LDA by mistake
Switch the LDA system off using the LDA switch when not in use.
■Situations unsuitable for LDA system
Do not use the LDA system in any of the following situations.
Otherwise, the system may not function correctly and could result in an accident.
●When driving with tire chains, a spare tire, or similar equipment
●When there are objects or structures along the roadside that might be misinterpreted
as lane markers (such as guardrails, a curb, reflector posts, etc.)
●When driving on snowy roads
●When pavement lane markers are difficult to see due to rain, snow, fog, sand dust, etc.
●When there are visible lines on the pavement from road repairs, or if the remains of
old lane markers are still visible on the road
●When driving on a road with lane closures due to maintenance, or when driving in a
temporary lane

2294-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
IS350/250_U (OM53758U)
CAUTION
■When using the rear view monitor system
The rear view monitor system is a supplemental device intended to assist the driver
when backing up. When backing up, be sure to check visually behind and all around
the vehicle before proceeding.
Observe the following precautions to avoid an accident that could result in death or
serious injuries.
●Never depend on the rear view monitor system entirely when backing up. The image
and the position of the guide lines displaye d on the screen may differ from the actual
state.
Use caution, just as you would when backing up any vehicle.
●Be sure to back up slowly, depressing the brake pedal to control vehicle speed.
●The instructions given are only guidelines.
When and how much to turn the steering wheel will vary according to traffic condi-
tions, road surface conditions, vehicle condit ion, etc. when parking. It is necessary to
be fully aware of this before using the rear view monitor system.
●When parking, be sure to check that the par king space will accommodate your vehi-
cle before maneuvering into it.
●Do not use the rear view monitor system in the following cases:
• On icy or slick road surfaces, or in snow
• When using tire chains or the compact spare tire
• When the trunk lid is not closed completely
• On roads that are not flat or straight, such as curves or slopes.
●In low temperatures, the screen may darken or the image may become faint. The
image could distort when the vehicle is moving, or you may become unable to see the
image on the screen. Be sure to check dire ct visually and with the mirrors all around
the vehicle before proceeding.
●If the tire sizes are changed, the position of the fixed guide lines displayed on the
screen may change.
●The camera uses a special lens. The distances between objects and pedestrians that
appear in the image displayed on the screen will differ from the actual distances.
(  P. 2 2 4 )

2314-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
IS350/250_U (OM53758U)
Vehicles without Adaptive Variable Suspension SystemNormal mode
For normal driving.
Press the switch to change the driving mode to normal mode when selected to Eco
drive mode or sport mode.
Eco drive mode
Use Eco drive mode to help achieve low fuel consumption during trips that
involve frequent accelerating.
When not in Eco drive mode and the drivin g mode select switch is turned to the
left, the Eco drive mode indicator comes on.
Sport mode
Assists acceleration response by controlling the transmission and steering.
Suitable for when precise handling is desirable, for example when driving
on mountain roads.
When not in sport mode and the driving mode select switch is turned to the right,
the “SPORT” indicator comes on.
Driving mode select switch
The driving modes can be selected to suit driving condition.
Except
F SPORT models F SPORT
models
1
2
3

2324-5. Using the driving support systems
IS350/250_U (OM53758U)
Vehicles with Adaptive Variable Suspension System Normal mode
For normal driving.
Press the switch to change the driving mode to normal mode when selected to Eco
drive mode or sport mode.
Eco drive mode
Use Eco drive mode to help achieve low fuel consumption during trips that
involve frequent accelerating.
When not in Eco drive mode and the drivin g mode select switch is turned to the
left, the Eco drive mode indicator comes on.
Sport mode
•SPORT S mode
Assists acceleration response by controlling the transmission and the
engine. Suitable for when powerful acceleration is desirable.
When not in SPORT S mode and the driving mode select switch is turned to the
right, the “SPORT S” indicator comes on.
•SPORT S+ modeHelps to ensure steering performanc e and driving stability by simulta-
neously controlling the steering and su spension in addition to the trans-
mission. Suitable for sporty driving.
When in SPORT S mode and the driving mode select switch is turned to the
right, the “SPORT S+” indicator comes on.
Except
F SPORT models F SPORT
models
1
2
3

2344-5. Using the driving support systems
IS350/250_U (OM53758U)
◆ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if the
brakes are applied while drivin g on a slippery road surface
◆Brake assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed when the system detects a panic stop situation
◆VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces
◆Enhanced VSC (Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of the ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS.
Helps to maintain directional stability when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling steering performance.
◆TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the drive wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads
◆Hill-start assist control
Prevents the vehicle from rolling backward when starting on an incline or slip-
pery slope
◆VGRS (Variable Gear Ratio Steering) (if equipped)
Adjusts the front wheel turning angle in accordance with the vehicle speed
and steering wheel movement
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following systems oper-
ate automatically in response to various driving situations. Be aware, however,
that these systems are supplementary and should not be relied upon too
heavily when operating the vehicle.

2354-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
IS350/250_U (OM53758U)
◆EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn the
steering wheel
◆Adaptive Variable Suspension system (if equipped)
By independently controlling the dampin g force of the shock absorbers for
each of the 4 wheels according to the road and driving conditions, this system
combines riding comfort with superior steering stability, and helps good vehi-
cle posture. ( P. 232)
◆VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management)
Provides integrated control of the ABS, brake assist, TRAC, VSC, hill-start
assist control, EPS and VGRS (if equipped) systems
Helps to maintain vehicle stability when swerving on slippery road surfaces by
controlling the brakes, engine output, steering assist, and if equipped with
VGRS, steering ratio
◆PCS (Pre-Collision System) (if equipped)
 P. 2 4 0
◆BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) (if equipped)
P. 2 4 6
The slip indicator light will flash while
the TRAC/VSC systems are operating.
When the TRAC/VSC systems are operating

2374-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
IS350/250_U (OM53758U)
■VGRS is disabled when
VGRS may stop operating in the following situations.
In this event, the steering wheel may move from its straight forward position, but it will
return when the system restarts.
●When the steering wheel is operated for an extended period of time while the vehicle is
stopped or is moving very slowly
●When the steering wheel has been held fully to the left or right
The center position of the steering wheel may change when VGRS is disabled. However,
the position will return to normal after VGRS is reactivated.
■When the battery is disconnected
The steering wheel may move fr om its straight forward position, but this will be corrected
automatically when driving.
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, brake assist, VSC, TRAC, hill-start assist
control and VGRS systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the brake pedal is
depressed repeatedly, when the engine is started or just after the vehicle begins to
move. This sound does not indicate that a malfunction has occurred in any of these sys-
tems.
●Any of the following condit ions may occur when the above systems are operating.
None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slig htly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down s lightly after the ABS is activated.
■EPS and VGRS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a motor sound may be heard. This does not indi-
cate a malfunction.
■Reactivation of the TRAC/VSC systems
Even after the TRAC/VSC systems have been turned off, turning the engine off and then
on again will automatically reactivate the TRAC/VSC systems.
■Reactivation of the TRAC system linked to vehicle speed
When only the TRAC system is turned off, the TRAC system will turn on when vehicle
speed increases. However, when both TRAC /VSC systems are turned off, the systems
will not turn on even when vehicle speed increases.