2018 Lexus GS350 sport mode

184
GS350_300_GS F_OM_OM30G34U_(U)4-1. Before driving
■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 cor-
rect fuel. ( →P. 521)
■Brake pads and discs
●F SPORT models of GS350/GS300, and GS F: The brake pads and discs are
designed for use under high load conditions . Therefore, brake noise may be generated
depending on the vehicle speed, braking force and vehicle environment (temperature,
humidity, etc.).
●GS F: In order to achieve steady braking performance even during high-load sporty
driving, brake pads that include a large amount of iron are used. As a result, rust may
form if the vehicle is parked for a long time with wet brake pads or disc rotors, causing
them to stick. When parts are stuck, abnormal noise or vibration may occur during
driving, so lightly depress the accelerator pedal and drive slowly. (Before parking the
vehicle after it is washed, drive slowly an d apply the brakes several times to dry the
parts.)
■Idling time before engine stop (GS300)
To prevent damage to the turbocharger, allow the engine to idle immediately after high-
load driving.
Driving conditionIdling time
Normal city driving or high-speed driving (at the high-
way speed limit or recommended speed)Not necessary
Steep hill driving or continuo us driving (race track driv-
ing etc.)Approximately 1 minute

186
GS350_300_GS F_OM_OM30G34U_(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.
●Moving 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) (GS350/
GS300)
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.
Front brakes of F SPORT models: Moderate levels of brake pad and disc wear allow
enhanced front braking power. As a result, the discs may wear more quickly than con-
ventional brake discs. Therefore, when replacing the brake pads, Lexus recommends
that you also have the thic kness 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.

GS350_300_GS F_OM_OM30G34U_(U)
2034-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■Sport mode/Eco drive mode
→P. 273
■Snow mode
Snow mode can be selected to suit th e conditions when driving on slippery
road surfaces, such as on snow.
Press the switch.
Press the switch again to return to
normal mode.
*1: Except F SPORT models of GS350/ GS300, and GS F
*2: F SPORT models of GS350/GS300
Selecting the driving mode
*1
*2

GS350_300_GS F_OM_OM30G34U_(U)
2074-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■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 fo r more than a certain period of time
●When the shift lever is shifted to other than D
■To protect automatic transmission
When the temperature of the transmission fluid becomes high, protection control is per-
formed temporarily. When “Transmission Fl uid Temp High See Owner’s Manual” is dis-
played on the multi-information display, have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
■Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifti ng 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 the engine switch is turn ed off after driving in
snow mode.
■When driving with cruise control or dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range
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
with full-speed range will not be canceled.
●6-speed models: While driving in the D position, downshifting to 5 or 4.
(→ P. 258, 270)
8-speed models: While driving in the D posi tion, downshifting to 7, 6, 5 or 4.
( → P. 258, 270)
●When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D position. ( →P. 273)
■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 M) with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears on
the multi-information display. ( →P. 441)
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed t oo much 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 when the engine switch is in IGNITION ON
mode and the brake pedal is being depressed.

208
GS350_300_GS F_OM_OM30G34U_(U)4-2. Driving procedures
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
First, check whether the brak
e 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 system. Have the vehi cle inspected by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
The following steps may be used as an emergency measure to ensure that the shift lever
can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
Press the parking brake switch to chec k that the parking brake is set. (→P. 211)
Parking brake indicator will come on.
Turn the engine switch to off.
Depress the brake pedal.
■AI-SHIFT
●The AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitab le gear according to driver performance
and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when th e shift lever is in D. (Shifting the shift
lever to the M position cancels the function.)
●8-speed models: G AI-SHIFT automatically selects a suitable gear for sporty driving
according to driver’s input and driving co nditions. G AI-SHIFT operates automatically
when the shift lever is in D and sport mode is selected for the driving mode. (Selecting
normal mode with the driving mode select switch or shifting the shift lever to the M
position cancels this function.) Pry the cover up with a flathead screwdriver
or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the tip
of the screwdriver with a rag.
Press the shift lock override button.
The shift lever can be shifted while the button
is pressed.
1
2
3
4
5

215
GS350_300_GS F_OM_OM30G34U_(U)4-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
ASC (Active Sound Control) (GS F)
The ASC system can be operated
when the driving mode select switch is
in the following modes. (→
P. 276)
●SPORT S mode/customized mode
(powertrain control is set to
“POWER”): Sounds are output from
the rear.
●SPORT S+ mode: When the engine
speed is in the low-to-medium
speed range, sounds are output
from the rear. At high engine speeds,
sounds are mainly output from the
front.
Press the ASC switch.
The indicator on switch will turn off.
Press the switch again to turn the system
back on.
Even if the indicator is illuminated, when
the driving mode select switch is in Nor-
mal, Eco drive or customized mode
(powertrain control is not set to
“POWER”), ASC does not operate.
■Automatic reactivation of ASC system
Even after the ASC system has been turned off, turning the engine off and then on again
will automatically reacti vate the ASC system.
The ASC system directs certain sounds from the front and rear of the cabin to
the vehicle interior, and harmonizes thes e sounds with the actual sound of the
engine and exhaust in order to allow th e driver to feel acceleration and the
state of the engine more strongly.
Disabling the ASC system

273
GS350_300_GS F_OM_OM30G34U_(U)4-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
Driving mode select switch
GS350/GS300 (vehicles without Adaptive Variable Suspension system)
Normal mode
For normal driving.
Press the switch to change the driving mode
to normal mode when selected to Eco
drive mode or sport mode.
Eco drive mode
Use Eco drive mode to help achieve low fuel consumption during trips that
involve frequent accelerating.
When not in Eco drive mode and the driving mode select switch is turned to the left,
the “ECO” indicator comes on in the multi-information display.
Sport mode
Assists acceleration response by cont rolling the transmission, engine and
steering. Suitable for when precise ha ndling is desirable, for example when
driving on mountain roads.
When not in sport mode and the driving mode select switch is turned to the right, the
“SPORT” indicator comes on in the multi-information display.
The driving modes can be selected to suit driving condition.
1
2
3

274
GS350_300_GS F_OM_OM30G34U_(U)4-5. Using the driving support systems
GS350/GS300 (vehicles with Adapti
ve Variable Suspension system)
Normal mode/Customized mode
Normal mode and customized mode ar e selected by pressing the driving
mode select switch. Each time the switch is pressed, the driving mode
changes between normal mode and customized mode. When customized
mode is selected, the “Customize” or “CUSTOMIZE” indicator will be illumi-
nated.
Press the switch to change the driving mode to normal mode when selected to Eco
drive mode or sport mode.
• Normal mode
For normal driving.
• Customized mode
Allows you to drive with the power train, chassis and air conditioning sys-
tem functions set to your preferred settings.
Customized mode settings can only be changed on the drive mode cus-
tomization display of the Remote Touch screen. ( →P. 555)
Eco drive mode
Use Eco drive mode to help achieve low fuel consumption during trips that
involve frequent accelerating.
When not in Eco drive mode and the driving mode select switch is turned to the left,
the “ECO” or “ECO MODE” indicator come s on in the multi-information display.
Except
F SPORT models
F SPORT models
1
2