2015 Lexus IS300h Driving mode select

1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D56E)
■When starting off on an uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. (→P. 2 9 6 )
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, becaus e visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, beca use the road surface will be especially slip-
pery.
●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 down-shi fting implementation to meet driving condi-
tions. 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
■Restraining the hybrid system output (Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake pedals are depressed at the same time, the hybrid sys-
tem output may be restrained.
●A warning message is displayed on the mult i-information display while the system is
operating. If a warning message is shown on the multi-information display, read the
message and follow the instructions.
■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 parkin g 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. 5 8 0 )

1984-1. Before driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D56E)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce your
ability to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine speed
could cause the vehicle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle, depress the brake pedal to make sure that the brakes
are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from functioning
properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet and not functioning properly, steering
control may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll
forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may result in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Shifting the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the hybrid sys-
tem. Engine braking is not available when N is selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed. Shifting the
shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of
the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by any authorized Lexus dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualified and equi pped professional as soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Moderate levels of brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced braking power. As a
result, the discs may wear more quickly than conventional 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.

2204-2. Driving procedures
IS300h_EE(OM53D56E)
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise, shift the shift lever to D for normal driv-ing.
*2: By selecting shift ranges using S mode, you can control accelerating force and enginebraking force.
■Sport mode/Eco drive mode
→ P. 2 9 3
■Snow mode
Snow mode can be selected to suit the conditions when driving on slippery
road surfaces, such as 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 hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
(Condition in which the power is not transmitted)
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2 ( → P. 222)
Selecting the driving mode

2224-2. Driving procedures
IS300h_EE(OM53D56E)
To enter S mode, shift the shift lever to S. Shift ranges can be selected by operat-
ing the shift lever or paddle shift switches, allowing you to drive in the shift range
of your choice. The shift range can be selected by operating the shift lever or the
“-” and “+” paddle shift switches. 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 S2, S3, S4 or S5
according to the vehicle speed.
■Shift ranges and their functions
●You can choose from 6 levels of accelerating force and engine braking
force.
●A lower shift range will provide greater accelerating force and engine
braking force than a higher shift range, and the engine revolutions will also
increase.
●If you accelerate while in ranges 1 to 4, the shift range may automatically
increase in accordance with the vehicle speed.
Selecting shift ranges in the S position
1
2

2234-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D56E)
■When the “-” paddle shift switch is operated with the shift lever in the D position
The shift range is downshifted to a range that enables engine braking force that is suit-
able to driving conditions.
■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 accelerator pedal is depressed for more than a certain period of time
●When the shift lever is shifted to a position other than D
■Downshifting restriction warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performa nce, downshifting operation may sometimes
be restricted. In some circumstances, downsh ifting 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 power switch is turned off after driving in
snow mode.
■When driving with cruise control or dynamic radar cruise control activated
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of enabling engine braking,
engine braking will not activate because cruise control or dynamic radar cruise control
will not be canceled.
●While driving in D or S mode, downshifting to 5 or 4. ( →P. 250, 254)
●When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D position. ( →P. 2 9 3 )
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
→P. 5 6 2

2284-2. Driving procedures
IS300h_EE(OM53D56E)
Louder
Lower
When the dial is turned to the lowest
volume, driving sound will be turned off
and the indicator will go off.
■ASC is enabled when
The vehicle is being driven in normal mode or sport mode. (→P. 2 9 3 )
■Situations that may disable the ASC system
The ASC system may be disabled depending on the driving conditions, such as when the
tires slip due to sudden acceleration.
ASC (Active Sound Control)∗
∗
: If equipped
The ASC system is an electronic soun d system that generates driving sound,
conveying the kinetic situations of the vehicle’s acceleration and deceleration
to the driver through the speakers behind the instrument panel. The vehicle’s
response to the driver’s acceleration behavior and shift operations are also
conveyed in sound. When sport mode is selected, the sound conveyed to the
driver will be louder.
Controlling volume
1
2

2394-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D56E)
Wiper intervals can be adjusted when intermittent operation is selected.Increases the intermittent windshield
wiper frequency
Decreases the intermittent wind-
shield wiper frequency
The intermittent windshield wiper oper-
ates more frequently as vehicle speed
becomes higher.
Washer/wiper dual operation
The wipers will automatically operate a
couple of times after the washer squirts.
When the power switch is in ON mode
and the headlights are on, if the lever is
pulled, the headlight cleaners will oper-
ate once. After this, the headlight clean-
ers will operate every 5th time the lever
is pulled.
5
6
7

2414-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D56E)
When AUTO mode is selected, the sensor sensitivity can be adjusted by turning
the switch ring.Increases the sensitivity
Decreases the sensitivity
Washer/wiper dual operation
The wipers will automatically operate a
couple of times after the washer squirts.
When the power switch is in ON mode
and the headlights are on, if the lever is
pulled, the headlight cleaners will oper-
ate once. After this, the headlight clean-
ers will operate every 5th time the lever
is pulled.
The wipers can be used as intermittent windshield wipers, which operate regard-
less of vehicle speed or amount of raindrops. The intermittent windshield wiper
operation can be switched when the vehicl e is stopped and the wiper is off. The
wiper operation cannot be switched duri ng AUTO mode or while the intermit-
tent windshield wipers are operating.
Press and hold until the AUTO
mode indicator stops flashing.
If is pressed and held until the
AUTO mode indicator stops flashing
again, it will return to its previous state.
The wiper can be switched when the
vehicle is stopped and the wipers are off.
6
7
8
Switching between the in termittent windshield wipers and rain-sensing
windshield wipers (vehicles with rain-sensing windshield wipers)