ES350_OM_OM06134U_(U)
1414-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. (→P. 257)
■Driving in the rain or adverse weather conditions
●Drive carefully, because visibility may be reduced, the windows may become fogged-
up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it gets wet or icy, because the road surface w ill be especially slip-
pery.
●Slow down when water is present on the roadway, 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, th e 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 indica te sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
●When the accelerator pedal is released
■Restraining the engine output (Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake pedals are depressed at the same time, the engine
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-in formation 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. If a warning message is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display, read the message and follo w the instructions.
• 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 TRAC (→P. 258) to cancel Drive-
Start Control so that the vehicle may beco me able to escape from the mud or fresh
snow.
ES350_OM_OM06134U_(U)
1434-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine running. This
prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator ped-
als to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in oper-
ating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving po sture even when moving the vehicle only
slightly. This allows you to depress th e brake and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay re sponse in an emergency, resulting in an accident.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off while driving
will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems
will be lost. This will make it more difficult to steer and brake, so you should pull over
and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way: →P. 475
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep
hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause th e brakes to overheat and lose effective-
ness. ( →P. 160)
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside rear
view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do not
drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h ) may result in tire failure, loss of control and possible
injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or no t before driving at such speeds.
144
ES350_OM_OM06134U_(U)4-1. Before driving
WARNING
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, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle , lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that the
brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on only on e 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 cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering perfor-
mance, resulting in an accide nt 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 engine from
the transmission. 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 limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or those
of the brake discs are exceeded.
146
ES350_OM_OM06134U_(U)4-1. Before driving
WARNING
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 ve hicle 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, bu t the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the braking distan ce 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 hy draulic 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.
187
ES350_OM_OM06134U_(U)4-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
PCS (Pre-Collision System)∗
◆Pre-collision warning
When the system determines that
the possibility of a frontal collision is
high, a buzzer will sound and a warn-
ing message will be displayed on the
multi-information display to urge the
driver to take evasive action.
◆Pre-collision brake assist
When the system determines that the po
ssibility of a frontal collision is high,
the system applies greater braking force in relation to how strongly the brake
pedal is depressed.
∗: If equipped
The pre-collision system uses a radar sensor and camera sensor to detect
vehicles and pedestrians in front of yo ur vehicle. When the system determines
that the possibility of a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is high, a
warning operates to urge the driver to take evasive action and the potential
brake pressure is increased to help the driver avoid the collision. If the system
determines that the possibility of a fr ontal collision with a vehicle or pedes-
trian is extremely high, the brakes are automatically applied to help avoid the
collision or help reduce the impact of the collision.
The pre-collision system can be disabled/enabled and the warning timing can
be changed. (→ P. 190)
196
ES350_OM_OM06134U_(U)4-5. Using the driving support systems
• After the engine has started the vehicle has not been driven for a certain amount of time
• While making a left/right turn and for a few seconds after making a left/right turn
• While driving on a curve and for a few seconds after driving on a curve
• If your vehicle is skidding
• If the wheels are misaligned
• If a wiper blade is blocking the camera sensor
• The vehicle is wobbling.
• The vehicle is being driven at extremely high speeds.
• When driving on a hill
• If the radar sensor or ca mera sensor is misaligned
●In some situations such as the following, sufficient braking forc e may not be obtained,
preventing the system from performing properly:
• If the braking functions cannot operate to their full extent, such as when the brake parts are extremely cold, extremely hot, or wet
• If the vehicle is not properly maintained (brakes or tires are excessively worn,
improper tire inflation pressure, etc.)
• When the vehicle is being driven on a gravel road or other slippery surface
●Some pedestrians such as the following may not be detected by the radar sensor and
camera sensor, preventing the system from operating properly:
• Pedestrians shorter than approximately 3.2 ft. (1 m) or taller than approximately
6.5 ft. (2 m)
• Pedestrians wearing oversized clothing (a ra in coat, long skirt, etc.), making their sil-
houette obscure
• Pedestrians who are carrying large baggage, holding an umbrella, etc., hiding part
of their body
• Pedestrians who are bending forward or squatting
• Pedestrians who are pushing a stroller , wheelchair, bicycle or other vehicle
• Groups of pedestrians which are close together
• Pedestrians who are wearing white and look extremely bright
• Pedestrians in the dark, such as at night or while in a tunnel
• Pedestrians whose clothing appears to be nearly the same color or brightness as
their surroundings
• Pedestrians near walls, fences , guardrails, or large objects
• Pedestrians who are on a metal object (manhole cover, steel plate, etc.) on the road
• Pedestrians who are walking fast
• Pedestrians who are changing speed abruptly
• Pedestrians running out from be hind a vehicle or a large object
• Pedestrians who are extremely close to the side of the vehicle (outside rear view mirror, etc.)
• If the front of the vehicle is raised or low-
ered
210
ES350_OM_OM06134U_(U)4-5. Using the driving support systems
This mode employs a radar sensor to detect the presence of vehicles up to
approximately 328 ft. (100 m) ahead, de
termines the current vehicle-to-vehicle
following distance, and operates to main tain a suitable following distance from
the vehicle ahead.
Note that vehicle-to-vehicle distance will close in when traveling on long downhill
slopes.
Example of constant speed cruising
When there are no vehicles ahead
The vehicle travels at the speed set by the driver. The desired vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance can also be set by operating the vehicle-to-vehicle distance switch.
Example of deceleration cruising and follow-up cruising
When a preceding vehicle driving slower than the set speed appears
When a vehicle is detected running ahead of you, the system automatically deceler-
ates your vehicle. When a greater reduction in vehicle speed is necessary, the system
applies the brakes (the stop lights will come on at this time). The system will respond to
changes in the speed of the vehicle ahead in order to maintain the vehicle-to-vehicle
distance set by the driver. Approach warning warns you when the system cannot
decelerate sufficie ntly to prevent your vehicle from closing in on the vehicle ahead.
Example of acceleration
When there are no longer any preceding vehicles driving slower than the set
speed
The system accelerates until the set speed is reached. The system then returns to con-
stant speed cruising.
Driving in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode
1
2
3
220
ES350_OM_OM06134U_(U)4-5. Using the driving support systems
To change the set speed, operate the leve
r until the desired set speed is obtained.
Increases the speed
Decreases the speed
Fine adjustment: Momentarily move the
lever in the desired direction.
Large adjustment: Hold the lever in the
desired direction.
The set speed will be increased or decreased as follows:
Fine adjustment: By 1 mph (1.6 km/h)
*1 or 1 km/h (0.6 mph)*2 each time the lever is
operated.
Large adjustment: The set speed can be increased or decreased continually until the
lever is released.
*1: When the set speed is shown in “MPH”
*2: When the set speed is shown in “km/h”
Pulling the lever toward you cancels
the constant speed control.
The speed setting is also canceled when
the brakes are applied.
Pushing the lever up resumes the
constant speed control.
Resuming is available when the vehicle
speed is more than approximately 25
mph (40 km/h).
■Cruise control can be set when
●The shift lever is in D or range 4 or higher of S has been selected.
●Vehicle speed is above approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
■Accelerating after setting the vehicle speed
●The vehicle can be accelerated normally. After acceleration, the set speed resumes.
●Even without canceling the cruise control, th e set speed can be increased by first accel-
erating the vehicle to the desired speed and then pushing the lever down to set the new
speed.
Adjusting the set speed
1
2
Canceling and resuming the constant speed control
1
2