
201
4Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
4-1. Before driving
Driving the vehicle .....................202
Cargo and luggage ...................209
Trailer towing (vehicles
without a towing
package) ...................................... 210
Trailer towing (vehicles with
a towing package) ..................... 211
4-2. Driving procedures
Power (ignition) switch ............. 219
EV drive mode ............................ 224
Hybrid transmission .................. 226
Turn signal lever .........................233
Parking brake ..............................235
ASC
(Active Sound Control)........ 236
4-3. Operating the lights
and wipers
Headlight switch ......................... 237
Automatic High Beam .............240
Fog light switch ........................... 244
Windshield wipers and
washer .........................................245
4-4. Refueling
Opening the fuel tank cap......253
4-5. Using the driving support
systems
Lexus Safety System+ .............. 257
PCS (Pre-Collision
System) ....................................... 265
LDA (Lane Departure Alert
with steering control) ............ 279
RSA (Road Sign Assist) ..........288
Dynamic radar cruise
control ......................................... 293
Cruise control .............................305
Lexus parking
assist-sensor..............................309
Lexus parking assist
monitor ......................................... 318
BSM
(Blind Spot Moni tor) ............. 334
• BSM function.........................340
• RCTA function...................... 343
Driving mode select
switch ...........................................348
Driving assist systems .............. 352
4-6. Driving tips
Hybrid vehicle
driving tips..................................358
Winter driving tips ...................... 361

2034-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
■When starting off on an uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. ( P. 352)
■For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles are simila r to conventional vehicles, and it is necessary
to refrain from activities su ch as sudden acceleration. (P. 358)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged-up, and th e road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because 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.
■Restraining the hybrid system ou tput (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 displaye d on the multi-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.
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)
●When the following unusual operation is performed, the engine 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 acce lerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears on the multi-information display. ( P. 595)
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed t oo much while the vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start Control is being activated, your vehicle may have trouble escaping
from the mud or fresh snow. In such case, deactivate TRC ( P. 354) to cancel Drive-
Start Control so that the vehicle may become able to escape from the mud or fresh snow.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observin g 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.

2244-2. Driving procedures
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
Turns EV drive mode on/off
When EV drive mode is turned on, “EV
MODE” will be displayed on the multi- information display. Pressing the switch
when in EV drive mode will return the
vehicle to normal driving (using the gas- oline engine and electric motor [traction
motor]).
Type A: Except F SPORT models
Type B: F SPORT models
■Situations in which EV drive mode cannot be turned on
It may not be possible to turn EV drive mode on in the following situations. If it cannot be
turned on, a buzzer will sound and a message will be shown on the multi-information dis- play.
●The temperature of the hybrid system is high.
The vehicle has been left in the sun, driven on a hill, driven at high speeds, etc.
●The temperature of the hybrid system is low.
The vehicle has been left in temperatures lower than about 0 C (32F) for a long
period of time etc.
●The gasoline engine is warming up.
●The hybrid battery (tra ction battery) is 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.
●The windshield defogger is in use.
EV drive mode
In EV drive mode, electric power is supplied by the hybrid battery (traction
battery), and only the electr ic motor (traction motor) is used to drive the vehi-
cle.
This mode allows you to drive in reside ntial areas early in the morning and late
at night, or in indoor parking lots etc. without concern for noises and gas emis-
sions.
Type A Type B

2424-3. Operating the lights and wipers
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
■Conditions to turn the high beams on/off automatically
●When all of the following conditions are met, the high beams will be turned on automat-
ically (after approximately 1 second):
• The vehicle speed is approximat ely 40 km/h (25 mph) or more.
• The area ahead of the vehicle is dark.
• There are no vehicles ahead with headlights or tail lights turned on. • There are few streetlights on the road ahead.
●If any of the following conditions is met, the high beams will turn off automatically:
• The vehicle speed is below approximately 30 km/h (19 mph).
• The area ahead of the vehicle is not dark.
• Vehicles ahead have their headli ghts or tail lights turned on. • There are many streetlights on the road ahead.
■Camera sensor dete ction information
●The high beams may not be automatically turned off in the following situations:
• When a vehicle suddenly appears from around a curve
• When the vehicle is cut in front of by another vehicle
• When vehicles ahead cannot be detected due to repeated curves, road dividers or roadside trees
• When vehicles ahead appear in a faraway lane on a wide road
• When the lights of vehicles ahead are not on
●The high beams may be turned off if a vehicle ahead that is using fog lights without its
headlights turned on is detected.
●House lights, street lights, traffic signals, and illuminated billboards or signs and other
reflective objects may cause the high beams to change to the low beams, or the low
beams to remain on.
●The following factors may affect the amount of time taken for the high beams to turn on
or off:
• The brightness of the head lights, fog lights, and tail lights of vehicles ahead • The movement and direction of vehicles ahead
• When a vehicle ahead only has operational lights on one side
• When a vehicle ahead is a two-wheeled vehicle • The condition of the road (gradient, cu rve, condition of the road surface, etc.)
• The number of passengers and am ount of luggage in the vehicle
●The high beams may turn on or off unexpectedly.

2434-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
●Bicycles or similar vehicles may not be detected.
●In the following situations the system may not be able to correctly detect the surround- ing brightness level. This may cause the lo w beams to remain on or the high beams to
flash or dazzle pedestrians or vehicles ahead. In such a case, it is necessary to manually
switch between the high and low beams.
• When driving in inclement weather (hea vy rain, snow, fog, sandstorms, etc.)
• When the windshield is obscured by fog, mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• When the windshield is cracked or damaged • When the camera sensor is deformed or dirty
• When the temperature of the camera sensor is extremely high
• When the surrounding brightness level is equal to that of headlights, tail lights or fog lights
• When headlights or tail lights of vehicles ahead are turned off, dirty, changing color,
or not aimed properly • When the vehicle is hit by water, snow , dust, etc. from a preceding vehicle
• When driving through an area of interm ittently changing brightness and darkness
• When frequently and repeatedly driving as cending/descending roads, or roads with rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces (such as stone-paved roads, gravel roads, etc.)
• When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a winding road
• When there is a highly reflective object ahea d of the vehicle, such as a sign or mirror • When the back of a preceding vehicle is highly reflective, such as a container on a
truck
• When the vehicle's headlights are damage d or dirty, or are not aimed properly • When the vehicle is listing or titling due to a flat tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
• When the headlights are changed between the high beams and low beams repeat-
edly in an abnormal manner • When the driver believes that the high beams may be flashing or dazzling pedestri-
ans or other drivers
• When the vehicle is used in an area in which vehicles travel on the opposite side of
the road of the country for which the vehicle was designed, for example using a vehi- cle designed for right-hand traffic in a left-hand traffic area, or vice versa

2444-3. Operating the lights and wipers
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
Turns the rear fog light on
Releasing the switch ring returns it to
.
Operating the switch ring again turns
the rear fog light off.
■Fog light can be used when
The headlights or the front po sition lights are turned on.
Fog light switch
The fog light secure excellent visibility in difficult driving conditions, such as in
rain and fog.

2604-5. Using the driving support systems
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
WARNING
■To avoid malfunction of the camera sensor
Observe the following precautions.
Otherwise, the camera sensor may not operate properly, possibly leading to an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury.
●Keep the windshield clean at all times.
• If the windshield is dirty or covered with an oily film, water droplets, snow, etc.,
clear the windshield. • If a glass coating agent is applied to the wi ndshield, it will still be necessary to use
the windshield wipers to remove water droplets, etc. from the area of the wind-
shield in front of the camera sensor. • If the inner side of the windshield where th e camera sensor is installed is dirty, con-
tact your authorized Lexus retailer or Le xus authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.
●If the part of the windshield in front of the camera sensor is fogged up or covered with
condensation or ice, use the windshield de fogger to remove the fog, condensation or ice. ( P. 474)
●If water droplets cannot be properly removed from the area of the windshield in front
of the camera sensor by th e windshield wipers, replace the wiper insert or wiper blade.
If the wiper inserts or wiper blades need to be replaced, contact your authorized
Lexus retailer or Lexus authorized re pairer, or any reliable repairer.
●Do not install an antenna or attach stickers
(including transparent st ickers) or other items
to the area of the windshield in front of the camera sensor (shaded area in the illustra-
tion).

2764-5. Using the driving support systems
IS300h_EE(OM53D89E)
■Situations in which the system may not operate properly
●In some situations such as the following, a vehicle may not be detected by the radar sensor and camera sensor, preventing the system from operating properly:
• If an oncoming vehicle is approaching your vehicle
• If a vehicle ahead is a motorcycle or bicycle • When approaching the side or front of a vehicle
• If a preceding vehicle has a small rear end, such as an unloaded truck
• If a vehicle ahead is carrying a load which protrudes past its rear bumper
• If a vehicle ahead is i rregularly shaped, such as a tractor or side car
• If the sun or other light is shin ing directly on a vehicle ahead
• If a vehicle cuts in front of your vehicle or emerges from beside a vehicle
• If a vehicle ahead makes an abrupt maneuv er (such as sudden swerving, accelera- tion or deceleration)
• When suddenly cutting behind a preceding vehicle
• When driving in inclement weather such as heavy rain, fog, snow or a sandstorm • When the vehicle is hit by water, sn ow, dust, etc. from a vehicle ahead
• When driving through steam or smoke
• When driving in a place where the surrounding brightness changes suddenly, such as at the entrance or exit of a tunnel
• When a very bright light, such as the sun or the headlights of oncoming traffic, shines
directly into the camera sensor • When the surrounding area is dim, such as at dawn or dusk, or while at night or in a
tunnel
• If a preceding vehicle has a low rear end,
such as a low bed trailer
• If a vehicle ahead has extremely high
ground clearance
• When a vehicle ahead is not directly in front
of your vehicle