Page 218 of 692
2184-1. Before driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
WARNING
■To avoid accident or injury
Do not tow a trailer when a tire installed is repaired with the emergency tire puncture
repair kit.
■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 ov erheating or reduce braking effects.
NOTICE
■For vehicles with an emergency tire puncture repair kit (if equipped)
Do not tow anything if a tire that has been repaired using the emergency tire puncture
repair kit is installed. The load on the ti re may cause unexpected damage to the tire.
Page 223 of 692

2234-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
WARNING
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hybrid system while sittin g in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the hy brid system under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resu lting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If hybrid system failure occu rs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the
doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the steering lock in this circumstance may lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the hybrid system in an emergency
If you want to stop the hybrid system in an emergency while driving the vehicle, press and hold the power switch for more than 2 se conds, or press it briefly 3 times or more
in succession. ( P. 567)
However, do not touch the power switch while driving except in an emergency. Turning the hybrid system off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control,
however, power assist to the stee ring will be lost. This will make it more difficult to steer
smoothly, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery discharge
●Do not leave the power switch in ACCESSORY or ON mode for long periods of time without the hybrid system on.
●If “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION ON” is di splayed on the meters while the hybrid
system is not operating, the power switch is not off. Exit the vehicle after turning the power switch off.
●Do not stop the hybrid system when the shift lever is in a position other than P. If the
hybrid system is stopped in another shift lever position, the power switch will not be turned off but instead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. If the vehicle is left in
ACCESSORY mode, 12-volt ba ttery discharge may occur.
■When starting the hybrid system
If the hybrid system becomes difficult to st art, have your vehicle checked by any autho-
rized Lexus retailer or Lexus authorized repa irer, or any reliable repairer immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction with the power switch
If the power switch seems to be operating somewhat differently than usual, such as the
switch sticking slightly, th ere may be a malfunction. Contact any authorized Lexus
retailer or Lexus authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer immediately.
Page 225 of 692

2254-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
■Switching to EV drive mode when the gasoline engine is cold
If the hybrid system is started while the gasoline engine is cold, the gasoline engine will start automatically after a short period of time in order to warm up. In this case, you will
become unable to switch to EV drive mode.
After the hybrid system has started and the “READY” indicator has illuminated, press the EV drive mode switch before the gasoline en gine starts to switch to EV drive mode.
■Automatic cancelation of EV drive mode
When driving in EV drive mode, the gasoline engine may automatically restart in the fol- lowing situations. When EV dr ive mode is canceled, a buzzer will sound and the EV drive
mode indicator will flash and go off.
●The hybrid battery (traction battery) becomes low. The remaining battery level indicated in the “Energy monitor” display is low.
( P. 128)
●Vehicle speed is high.
●The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly or the vehicle is on a hill, etc.
■Possible driving distance when driving in EV drive mode
EV drive mode’s possible driving distance ranges from a few hundred meters to approxi- mately 2 km (1.2 mile). Howe ver, depending on vehicle conditions, there are situations
when EV drive mode cannot be used.
(The distance that is possible depends on th e hybrid battery [traction battery] level and driving conditions.)
■Fuel economy
The hybrid system is designed to achieve the best possible fuel economy during normal driving (using the gasoline engine and electr ic motor [traction motor]). Driving in EV
drive mode more than necess ary may lower fuel economy.
WARNING
■Caution while driving
When driving in EV drive mode, pay special attention to the area around the vehicle.
Because there is no engine noise, pedestrians, people riding bicycles or other people
and vehicles in the area may not be aware of the vehicle starting off or approaching them, so take extra care while driving.
Page 230 of 692

2304-2. Driving procedures
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
■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 performance, downshifting operation may sometimes
be restricted. In some circum stances, downshifting may not be possible even when the
shift lever or paddle shif t switch is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■Snow mode automatic deactivation
Snow mode is automatically deactivated if th e 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 crui se control or dynamic radar cruise control will not be canceled.
●While driving in D or S mode, downshifting to 5 or 4. ( P. 293, 305)
●When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D position. (P. 348)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)
When the following unusual operation is performed, the hybrid system output may be
restrained.
●When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D includes S)
with the accelerator pedal depressed, a wa rning message appears on the multi-infor-
mation display. If a warning message is shown on the multi-information display, read the message and follow the instructions.
●When the accelerator pedal is depressed too while the vehicle is in reverse.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent ac cidental operation of the shift lever in start-
ing.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only wh en the power switch is in ON mode and the brake pedal is being depressed.
Page 231 of 692

2314-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted with your foot on the brake pedal, there may be a prob-
lem with the shift lock syst em. Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Lexus
retailer or Lexus authoriz ed repairer, or any reliable repairer immediately. The following steps may be used as an emergency measure to ensure that the shift lever
can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
Set the parking brake.
Turn the power switch off.
Depress the brake pedal.
Pry the cover up with a flathead screwdriver
or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the tip
of the screwdri ver with a rag.
Press the shift lock override button.
The shift lever can be shifted while the button
is pressed.
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Be careful of downshifting an d sudden acceleration, as this could result in the vehicle skidding to the side or spinning.
■To prevent an accident wh en releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override button, make sure to set the parking brake and depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed instead of the brake pedal when the
shift lock override button is pressed and the shift lever is shifted out of P, the vehicle may suddenly start, possibly leading to an a ccident resulting in death or serious injury.
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Page 235 of 692
2354-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
To set the parking brake, fully depress
the parking brake pedal with your left
foot while depressing the brake pedal
with your right foot.
(Depressing the pedal again releases
the parking brake.)
■Parking the vehicle
P. 202
■Parking brake engaged warning buzzer
P. 576, 587
■Usage in winter time
P. 361
Parking brake
Operating instructions
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake. Driving the vehicle with the parking brake se t will lead to brake components overheat-
ing, which may affect braking performance and increase brake wear.
Page 240 of 692
2404-3. Operating the lights and wipers
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
Push the lever away from you with
the headlight switch in the or
position.
Press the Automatic High Beam
switch.
The Automatic High Beam indicator will
come on when the system is operating.
Automatic High Beam
: If equipped
The Automatic High Beam uses a came ra sensor located behind the upper
portion of the windshield to assess the brightness of the lights of vehicles
ahead, streetlights, etc., and automatica lly turns the high beams on or off as
necessary.
WARNING
■Limitations of the Automatic High Beam
Do not overly rely on the Automatic High Beam. Always drive safely, taking care to observe your surroundings and turning the hi gh beams on or off manually if necessary.
■To prevent incorrect operation of the Automatic High Beam system
Do not overload the vehicle.
Activating the Automatic High Beam
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Page 252 of 692

2524-3. Operating the lights and wipers
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
WARNING
■Caution regarding the use of windshield wipers in AUTO mode
The windshield wipers may operate unexpectedly if the sensor is touched or the wind-
shield is subject to vibratio n in AUTO mode. Take care that your fingers or anything
else do not become caught in the windshield wipers.
■Caution regarding the use of washer fluid
When it is cold, do not use the washer fluid until the windshield becomes warm. The
fluid may freeze on the windshield and cause lo w visibility. This may lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■When the windshield is dry
Do not use the wipers, as they may damage the windshield.
■When there is no washer fluid spray from the nozzle
Damage to the washer fluid pump may be cau sed if the lever is pulled toward you and held continually.
■When a nozzle becomes blocked
In this case, contact any authorized Lexus re tailer or Lexus authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or other object. The nozzle will be damaged.