2015 Lexus GS350 parking brake

GS350_OM_OM30E15U_(U)
1614-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control is available. (P. 2 5 7 )
■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 high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because there
may be a layer of water between the tires and the road surface, preventing the
steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving. This is
due to automatic up-shifting control or do wn-shifting implementation to meet driv-
ing conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
●When the accelerator pedal is released
●When the brake pedal is depressed while sport mode is selected (P. 244)
Starting off on a steep uphill
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GS350_OM_OM30E15U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
■Breaking in your new Lexus
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.
■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 peri odically or whenever the parking brake
shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer 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
correct fuel. ( P. 5 3 8 )

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GS350_OM_OM30E15U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
CAUTION
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as possi-
ble.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Front brakes only: Moderate levels of brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced
front braking power. As a result, the discs may wear more quickly than conven-
tional brake discs. Therefore, when replacing the brake pads, Lexus recommends
that you also have the thickness 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.
■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 necessary.
●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.

GS350_OM_OM30E15U_(U)
1674-1. Before driving
4
Driving
CAUTION
■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 windshield 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.
●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, shift the sh ift 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
turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

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GS350_OM_OM30E15U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
CAUTION
■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
overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked 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 sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
●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 di stance will increase. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehi-
cle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel
the vehicle forward or backward, causing an accident.

GS350_OM_OM30E15U_(U)
1694-1. Before driving
4
Driving
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving,
as this may restrain driving torque.
●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 th e power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damag-
ing the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■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 0 4 )

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GS350_OM_OM30E15U_(U)4-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Engine (ignition) switch
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
will be displayed on the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the engine cannot be started.
Press the engine switch.
The engine will crank until 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
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178
GS350_OM_OM30E15U_(U)
4-2. Driving procedures
Stop the vehicle.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Set the parking brake. (P. 1 9 2 )
Press the engine switch.
Release the brake pedal and check that “POWER ON” on the multi-
information 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.
The multi-information display will not
be displayed.
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
ACCESSORY mode, not to off.
Stopping the engine
Changing engine switch modes
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