1594-1. Before driving
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving WARNING●
Vehicles with Lexus Safety System + A:
If the electronically controlled brake
system 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, but
the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.●
Vehicles without Lexus Safety System
+ A: 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.●
Vehicles without Lexus Safety System
+ A: The brake system consists of 2
individual hydraulic 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
immediately.●
Vehicles with Lexus Safety System + A:
The brake system consists of 2 or more
individual hydraulic systems; if one of
the systems fails, the other(s) 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
immediately.
■
If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when
a driven wheel is up in the air, or the vehi-
cle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may
damage the driveline components or
propel the vehicle forward or backward,
causing an accident. NOTICE■
When driving the vehicle ●
Do not depress the accelerator and
brake pedals at the same time during
driving, as this may restrain the engine
output. ●
Do not use the accelerator pedal or
depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the
vehicle on a hill. ■
When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift
the shift position to P. Failure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the
accelerator pedal is accidentally
depressed. ■
Avoiding damage to vehicle parts ●
Do not turn the steering wheel fully in
either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power
steering motor. ●
When driving over bumps in the road,
drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the
vehicle, etc.
●
Make sure to idle the engine immedi-
ately after high-load driving. Stop the
engine only after the turbocharger has
cooled down.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
the turbocharger.
■
If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the fol-
lowing situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the
brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●
It may be difficult to control your vehi-
cle.
●
The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●
The vehicle will lean abnormally.
1634-1. Before driving
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving Trailer towing Lexus does not recommend towing
a trailer with your vehicle. Lexus
also does not recommend the
installation of a tow hitch or the use
of a tow hitch carrier for a wheel-
chair, scooter, bicycle, etc. Your
vehicle is not desi gned for trailer
towing or for the use of tow hitch
mounted carriers. Dinghy towing Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with 4 wheels on the
ground) behind a motor home.
NOTICE■
To avoid serious damage to your vehi-
cle
Do not tow your vehicle with the four
wheels on the ground.
164 4-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4-2.Driving procedures
1 Press the parking brake switch to
check that the parking brake is set.
( P.174)The parking brake indicator will come on.
2 Firmly depress the brake pedal. and a message will be displayed on
the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the engine cannot be
started.
3 Press the engine switch shortly and
firmly.When operating the engine switch, one
short, firm press is enough. It is not neces-
sary to press and hold the switch.
The engine will crank until it starts or for up
to 30 seconds, whichever is less.
Continue depressing the brake pedal until
the engine is completely started.
The engine can be started from any engine
switch mode. ■
Engine switch illumination
According to the situation, the engine
switch illumination operates as follows. ●
When a door is opened, or the engine
switch mode is changed from ACCES-
SORY or IGNITION ON mode to off,
the engine switch illumination slowly
blinks. ●
When depressing the brake pedal with
carrying the electronic key on your per-
son, the engine switch illumination rapidly
blinks. ●
When the engine sw itch is in ACCES-
SORY or IGNITION ON mode, the
engine switch illumination illuminates. ■
If the engine does not start ●
The engine immobilizer system may not
have been deactivated. ( P.63)
Contact your Lexus dealer. ●
If a message related to start-up is shown
on the multi-information display, read the
message and follow the instructions. ■
If the battery is discharged
The engine cannot be started using the
smart access system with push-button start.
Refer to P.435 to restart the engine. ■
Electronic key battery depletion
P.96 ■
Conditions affecting operation
P.113 ■
Notes for the entry function
P.113
■
Steering lock function
●
After turning the engine switch off and
opening and closing the doors, the steer-
ing wheel will be lock ed due to the steer-
ing lock function. Operating the engine
switch again automatically cancels the
steering lock.
●
When the steering lock cannot be
released, “Push Engine Switch While
Turning Steering Whee l in Either Direc-
tion” will be displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
Press the engine switch shortly and firmly Engine (ignition) switch Performing the following opera-
tions when carryin g the electronic
key on your person starts the
engine or changes engine switch
modes.
Starting the engine
1654-2. Driving procedures
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving while turning the steering wheel left and
right.
●
To prevent the steering lock motor from
overheating, operation of the motor may
be suspended if the engine is turned on
and off repeatedly in a short period of
time. In this case, refrain from operating
the engine switch. After about 10 sec-
onds, the steering lock motor will resume
functioning.■
Electronic key battery
P.399■
Operation of the engine switch●
If the switch is not pressed shortly and
firmly, the engine switch mode may not
change or the engine may not start.●
If attempting to restart the engine imme-
diately after turning the engine switch off,
the engine may not start in some cases.
After turning the engine switch off, please
wait a few seconds before restarting the
engine.■
Customization
If the smart access sy stem with push-button
start has been deactivated in a customized
setting, refer to P.433. 1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
( P.174)
3 Shift the shift position to P.
( P.170) Check that the shift position indicator
shows P and the parking brake indicator is
illuminated.
4 Press the engine switch. The engine will stop, and the meter display
will be extinguished (the shift position indi-
cator will be extinguished a few seconds
after the meter display).
5 Release the brake pedal and check
that “ACCESSORY” or “IGNI-WARNING
■
When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in
the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the
engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury. ■
Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle
is moving, do not lock or open the doors
until the vehicle reaches a safe and com-
plete stop. Activation of the steering lock
in this circumstance may lead to an acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE■
When starting the engine ●
Do not race a cold engine. ●
If the engine becomes difficult to start
or stalls frequently, have your vehicle
checked by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately. ■
Symptoms indicating a malfunction
with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operat-
ing somewhat differently than usual, such
as the switch sticking slightly, there may
be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer immediately.
Stopping the engine
1814-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving lever away from you to turn on the
high beams.Pull the lever toward you to the center
position to turn the high beams off.
2 Pull the lever toward you and
release it to flash the high beams
once.You can flash the high beams with the
headlights on or off.
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System)
secures excellent visibility at intersec-
tions and on curves by automatically
adjusting the direction of the light axis
of the headlights according to vehicle
speed and the degree of the tire’s angle
as controlled by steering input. AFS operates at speed s of approximately
6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
■
Customization
Some functions can be customized.
( P.466)
When the steering wheel or turn
signal lever is operated while the
headlights are on (low beam), a cor-
nering light will turn on and light up
the direction of movement of the
vehicle. The cornering lights are
designed to ensure excellent visibil-
ity when making a turn at an inter-
section. However, when vehicle speed is more than
approximately 22 mph (35 km/h), the cor-
nering lights will not turn on. When the shift position is in R while
the headlights are on (low beam),
both cornering lights will turn on.
This is designed to enhance visibility
when parking. ■
Cornering lights
When the cornering lights are on for more
than 30 minutes, they will turn off automati-
cally.
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting
System) (if equipped)
Cornering lights
1834-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving vehicle ahead that is using fog lights with-
out its headlights turned on is detected.●
House lights, street lig hts, 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 headlights, fog
lights, and tail lights of vehicles ahead
• The movement and direction of vehicles
ahead
• When a vehicle ahead only has opera-
tional lights on one side
• When a vehicle ahead is a two-wheeled
vehicle
• The condition of the road (gradient,
curve, condition of th e road surface, etc.)
• The number of passengers and amount of
luggage in the vehicle●
The high beams may turn on or off unex-
pectedly.●
Bicycles or similar vehicles may not be
detected.●
In the following situations the system may
not be able to correctly detect the sur-
rounding brightness le vel. This may cause
the low beams to remain on or the high
beams to flash or dazzle pedestrians or
vehicles ahead. In such a case, it is neces-
sary to manually switch between the high
and low beams.
• When driving in inclement weather
(heavy rain, snow, fog, sandstorms, etc.)
• When the windshield is obscured by fog,
mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• When the windshield is cracked or dam-
aged
• 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 head lights, 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 inter-
mittently changing brightness and dark-
ness
• When frequently and repeatedly driving
ascending/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
ahead 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 dam-
aged 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
repeatedly in an abnormal manner
• When the driver believes that the high
beams may be flashing or dazzling
pedestrians or other drivers ■
Temporarily lowering sensor sensitivity
The sensitivity of the sensor can be tempo-
rarily lowered.
1 Turn the engine switch off while the fol-
lowing conditions are met.
●
The headlight switch is in or . ●
The headlight switch lever is in high beam
position. ●
Automatic High Beam switch is on.
2 Turn the engine switch to IGNITION
ON mode.
3 Within 30 seconds after step 2 , repeat
pulling the headlight switch lever to the
original position then pushing it to the
high beam position quickly 10 times,
then leave the lever in high beam posi-
tion.
4 If the sensitivity is changed, the AHB
indicator is turn on and off 3 times.
Automatic High Beam (headlights) may
turn on even when the vehicle is stopped.
2054-5. Using the driving support systems
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving bility of a collision with an object, such
as a guardrail, or pedestrian is high,
even though the brakes are applied,
and that the collision may be avoidable
through steering control, the system
will steer the vehicle automatically to
help avoid the collision or help reduce
the impact of the collision. ■
Pre-collision seat belts (front seat
only)
If the system determines that the possi-
bility of a frontal collision is high, the
system will retract the seat belts. Addi-
tionally, the system may retract the seat
belts if the brakes are applied suddenly
or control of the vehicle is lost. ■
Pre-collision seatbacks (front pas-
senger’s seat / power rear seat [if
equipped])
If the system determines that the possi-
bility of a frontal collision is high, it may
move the seatbacks of the front pas-
senger’s seat and power rear seats to
the upright position automatically, if
reclined. If a seat is being ad justed, it may not be
moved by the pre-collision seat function.
■
Suspension control
When the system determines that the
possibility of a frontal collision is high,
the Adaptive Variable Suspension Sys-
tem ( P.295) will control the damp-
ing force of the shock absorbers to
help maintain an appropriate vehicle
posture. ■
Steering control
When the system determines that the
possibility of a frontal collision is high and the driver is op erating the steering
wheel, the LDH system ( P.295) will
control the turning angle of the front
and rear wheels and effort necessary
to turn the steering wheel to help
enhance steering responsiveness. WARNING■
Limitations of the pre-collision system ●
The driver is solely responsible for safe
driving. Always drive safely, taking
care to observe your surroundings.
Do not use the pre-collision system
instead of normal braking operations
under any circumstances. This system
will not prevent collisions or lessen col-
lision damage or injury in every situa-
tion. Do not overly rely on this system.
Failure to do so may lead to an acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious
injury. ●
Although this system is designed to
help avoid a collision or help reduce
the impact of the collision, its effective-
ness may change according to various
conditions, therefore the system may
not always be able to achieve the same
level of performance.
Read the following conditions care-
fully. Do not overly rely on this system
and always drive carefully.
• Conditions under which the system
may operate even if there is no possi-
bility of a collision: P.210
• Conditions under which the system
may not operate properly: P.212
●
Do not attempt to test the operation of
the pre-collision system yourself.
Depending on the objects used for
testing (dummies, cardboard objects
imitating detectable objects, etc.), the
system may not operate properly, pos-
sibly leading to an accident.
206 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 WARNING■
Pre-collision braking●
When the pre-collision braking func-
tion is operating, a large amount of
braking force will be applied.●
If the vehicle is stopped by the opera-
tion of the pre-collision braking func-
tion, the pre-collision braking function
operation will be canceled after
approximately 2 seco nds. Depress the
brake pedal as necessary.●
The pre-collision braking function may
not operate if certain operations are
performed by the driver. If the acceler-
ator pedal is being depressed strongly
or the steering wheel is being turned,
the system may determine that the
driver is taking evasive action and pos-
sibly prevent the pre-collision braking
function from operating.●
In some situations, while the pre-colli-
sion braking function is operating,
operation of the function may be can-
celed if the accelerator pedal is
depressed strongly or the steering
wheel is turned and the system deter-
mines that the driver is taking evasive
action.
●
If the brake pedal is being depressed,
the system may determine that the
driver is taking evasive action and pos-
sibly delay the operation timing of the
pre-collision braking function.
■
Active steering assist●
The steering wheel may turn automati-
cally when active steering assist is
operating.
●
As active steering assist operation will
be canceled when the system deter-
mines that a collision has been
avoided, operate the steering wheel as
necessary. ●
In the following situations, the system
may determine that th e driver is taking
evasive action. In this case, the active
steering assist may not operate or may
be canceled.
• If the accelerator pedal is being
depressed strongly or the steering
wheel is being operat ed. In this case
the system may determine that the
driver is taking evasive action and the
pre-collision braking may not operate.
• In some situations, while the active
steering assist is operating, operation
of the function may be canceled if the
accelerator pedal is depressed
strongly or the steering wheel is turned
and the system determines that the
driver is taking evasive action.
• When the active steering assist is
operating, if the stee ring wheel is held
firmly or is operated in the opposite
direction to that which the system is
generating torque, the function may be
canceled.
• If the brake pedal is depressed, the sys-
tem may determine that the driver is
taking evasive action and the active
steering assist operation may be
delayed.
■
Pre-collision seat belts with comfort
function
If the pre-collision se at belts have oper-
ated and the seat belts are locked in a
retracted position, immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place, release and
retract the seat belts to unlock them and
then fasten them again.
Also, if a seat belt ca n be loosened, it can
be unlocked by slightly retracting it with-
out releasing it.
■
When to disable the pre-collision sys-
tem
In the following situations, disable the
system, as it may not operate properly,
possibly leading to an accident resulting
in death or serious injury:
●
When the vehicle is being towed