2244-1. Before driving
GS350_200t_GS F_OM_OM30E87E_(EE)
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 300 km (186 miles):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 800 km (500 miles):
Do not tow a trailer.
●For the first 1000 km (621 miles):
• 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.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake system
needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the parking brake
shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional perform the bedding down operation.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel. ( →P. 6 1 1 )
■Brake pads and discs (Front and rear* brakes)
The brake pads and discs are designed for use under high load conditions. Therefore,
brake noise may be generated depending on the vehicle speed, braking force and vehi-
cle environment (temperature, humidity, etc.).
*: GS200t for Switzerland, Czech, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and GS F only
■Idling time before engine stop (GS200t)
To prevent damage to the turbocharger, allow the engine to idle immediately after high-
speed driving or hill climbing.
Driving conditionIdling time
Normal city drivingNot necessary
High-speed driving (Constant speed of approx.
100 km/h [62 mph])Approximately 1 minute
Steep hill driving or contin uous driving at 100 km/h
(62 mph) or more (race track driving etc.)Approximately 2 minutes
2274-1. Before driving
4
Driving
GS350_200t_GS F_OM_OM30E87E_(EE)
WA R N I N G
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly
and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing
the brake pedal while the engine is running, and apply the parking brake as neces-
sary.
●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.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine.
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 combustible material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spra y cans, or soft drink cans in the vehicle
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 mate-
rial 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 components.
●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 windshield or windows. Do not place containers
such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs or con-
tainers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a metallized
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, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine and lock the
vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately after turn-
ing the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
2284-1. Before driving
GS350_200t_GS F_OM_OM30E87E_(EE)
WA R N I N G
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to engine over-
heating. Additionally, if the vehicle is park ed in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases
may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause one side of
the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the parking brake may not
securely hold the vehicle.
●If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid hills or shar p turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, th e braking distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the systems fails,
the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual and the braking distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed imme-
diately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel the vehi-
cle forward or backward, causing an accident.
2294-1. Before driving
4
Driving
GS350_200t_GS F_OM_OM30E87E_(EE)
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving, as
this may restrain the engine output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damaging
the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
●GS200t: Make sure to idle the engine immediately after high speed driving or hill
climbing. Stop the engine only after the turbocharger has cooled down. ( →P. 2 2 4 )
Failure to do so may cause damage to the turbocharger.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( →P. 5 5 1 , 5 6 7 )
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to have
any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped pro-
fessional check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, transmission,
transfer (AWD models), differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspension joints (where
possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.
2374-1. Before driving
4
Driving
GS350_200t_GS F_OM_OM30E87E_(EE)
■Passing other vehicles
Consider the total combined length of your vehicle and trailer and ensure that
the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is sufficient before executing lane changes.
■Transmission information
To maintain engine braking efficiency, when using engine braking, when driv-
ing on a long steep downgrad e, do not use the transmission in D. If in the M
mode, the transmission shift range position must be in 4 or lower. ( →P. 2 4 8 )
■If the engine overheats
Towing a loaded trailer up a long, steep incline in temperatures exceeding
30 °C (85 °F) may result in the engine overheating. If the engine coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is overheating, turn the air condition-
ing off immediately, leave the road and stop the vehicle in a safe place.
( → P. 5 9 6 )
■When parking the vehicle
Always place wheel chocks under the whee ls of both the vehicle and trailer.
Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to P.
WA R N I N G
Follow all the instructions described in this section. Failure to do so could cause an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury.
■Trailer towing precautions
When towing, make sure that none of the weight limits are exceeded. ( →P. 233)
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not tow a trailer when the compact spare tire is installed on your vehicle.
●Do not tow a trailer when the tire installed is repaired with the emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit.
●Do not use cruise control (if equipped), dynamic radar cruise control (if equipped) or
dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range (if equipped) when trailer towing.
■Vehicle speed in towing
Observe the legal maximum speeds for trailer towing.
■Before descending hills or long declines
Reduce speed and downshift. However, never downshift suddenly while descending
steep or long downhill grades.
■Operation of the brake pedal
Do not hold the brake pedal depressed often or for long periods of time.
Doing so may result in the brake overheating or reduce braking effects.
239
4
4-2. Driving procedures
Driving
GS350_200t_GS F_OM_OM30E87E_(EE)
Engine (ignition) switch
Press the parking brake switch to check that the parking brake is set.
(
→ P. 2 5 4 )
Parking brake indicator will come on.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message (GS F only) will be displa yed on the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the engine cannot be started.
Press the engine switch.
The engine will crank un til it starts or for
up to 30 seconds, whichever is less.
Continue depressing the brake pedal
until the engine is completely started.
The engine can be started from any
engine switch mode.
Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic key on your
person starts the engine or changes engine switch modes.
Starting the engine
1
2
3
4
2404-2. Driving procedures
GS350_200t_GS F_OM_OM30E87E_(EE)
Stop the vehicle.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Set the parking brake. (→P. 2 5 4 )
Press the engine switch.
Release the brake pedal and check that “POWER ON” on the multi-informa-
tion display is off.
Modes can be changed by pressing the engine switch with brake pedal released.
(The mode changes each time the switch is pressed.)
Off
*
The emergency flashers can be used.
“POWER ON” will not be displayed on
the multi-information display.
ACCESSORY mode
Some electrical components such as the
audio system can be used.
“POWER ON” will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
IGNITION ON mode
All electrical components can be used.
“POWER ON” will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
*: If the shift lever is in a position other than P when turning off the engine, the
engine switch will be turned to ACCES-
SORY mode, not to off.
Stopping the engine
Changing engine switch modes
1
2
3
4
5
2414-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
GS350_200t_GS F_OM_OM30E87E_(EE)
If the engine is stopped with the shift lever in a position other than P, the engine
switch will not be turned off but instead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. Per-
form the following procedure to turn the switch off:
Check that the parking brake is set.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Check that “Turn Off Vehicle” is displayed on the multi-information display
and then press the engine switch once.
Check that “Turn Off Vehicle” on the multi-information display is off.
■Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode for more than 20 minutes or IGNITION ON
mode (the engine is not running) for more than an hour with the shift lever in P, the engine
switch will automatically turn off. However, this function cannot entirely prevent battery
discharge. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNI-
TION ON mode for long periods of time when the engine is not running.
■Electronic key battery depletion
→P. 1 5 6
■Conditions affecting operation
→P. 1 7 5
■Notes for the push-start function
→P. 1 7 7
■If the engine does not start
●The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. ( →P. 8 6 )
Contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and
equipped professional.
●Check that the shift lever is securely set in P. The engine may not start if the shift lever is
displaced out of P. “Shift to P position to Start” will be displayed on the multi-information
display.
■Steering lock
After turning the engine switch off and opening and closing the doors, the steering wheel
will be locked due to the steering lock functi on. Operating the engine switch again auto-
matically cancels the steering lock.
When stopping the engine with the shift lever in a position other than P
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