1534-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
●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 running the
engine. After about 10 seconds, the
steering lock motor will resume function-
ing.
■Electronic key battery
P.341
■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.380.1Stop the vehicle completely.
2
Set the parking brake ( P.160),
and shift the shift lever to P
( P.155).
3
Press the engine switch.
4
Release the brake pedal and check
that “ACCESSORY” or “IGNI-
TION ON” is not shown on the
meter.
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. The steering lock function will
activate and this may lead to an accident,
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
1564-2. Driving procedures
Lexus dealer.
■Continuously variable transmission fail-
safe control
The system detects ma lfunctioning parts
targeted (all of the so lenoids that perform
the shifting function) by the On-Board
Diagnostics, and performs fail-safe mecha-
nisms, such as restrict ing the shifting func-
tion or transmission ratio control. In this
event, the malfunction indicator lamp turns
on.
■When driving with dynamic radar cruise
control with full-speed range activated
Even when switching the driving mode to
Sport mode while driving in D position
( P.243) with the intent of enabling engine
braking, engine braking will not activate
because radar cruise control with full-
speed range will not be canceled.
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
P.143
■AI-SHIFT
AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitable
gear step according to driver performance
and driving conditions.
AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the
driving mode is set to Normal mode with
the shift lever in the D position. (Shifting the
shift lever to the M position cancels the
function.)
■G AI-SHIFT
G AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suit-
able gear step according to driver’s input
and driving conditions. G AI-SHIFT oper-
ates automatically when the shift lever is in
the D position and Sport mode is selected
for the driving mode. (Selecting normal
mode or shifting the shift lever to the M
position cancels the function.)
While the engine switch is in
ON and the brake pedal depressed*,
shift the shift lever while pushing the
shift release button on the shift knob.
Shift the shift lever while push-
ing the shift release button on the shift
knob.
Shift the shift lever normally.
When shifting the shift lever between P
and D, make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped and the brake pedal is
depressed.
*: For the vehicle be able to be shifted from P, the brake pedal must be depressed
before the shift releas e button is pushed.
If the shift release button is pushed first,
the shift lock will not be released.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent
accidental operation of the shift lever in
starting.
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
Be careful-of downshifting and sudden
acceleration, as this could result in the
vehicle skidding to the side or spinning.
Shifting the shift lever
1574-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
The shift lever can be shifted from P only
when the engine switch is in ON, the brake
pedal is depressed and the shift release but-
ton is pushed.
■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 even
though the brake pedal is depressed and
the shift release button is pushed, there may
be a problem with the shift lock system.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus
dealer immediately.
The following steps may be used as an
emergency measure to ensure that the shift
lever can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1
Press the parking brake switch to check
that the parking brake is set. ( P.160)
2
Turn the engine switch off.
3
Depress the brake pedal.
4
Pry the cover up with a flathead screw-
driver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the
tip of the screwd river with a rag.
5
Press the shift lock override button.
The shift lever can be shifted while the but-
ton is pressed.
P.243
To drive using temporary gear step
selection, operate the “-” or “+” paddle
shift switch when driving with the shift
lever in D.
Changing the gear step allows restric-
tion of the highest gear, preventing
unnecessary upshifting and enabling
the level of engine braking force to be
selected.
1
Upshifting
2
Downshifting
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when releas-
ing 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 pe dal 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, pos-
sibly leading to an accident which may
result in death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving mode
Selecting gear steps in the D
position (vehicles with paddle
shift switches)
1654-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
4-3.Operating the lights and wipers
Operating the switch turns on
the lights as follows:U.S.A.
Canada
1 The side marker, parking, tail,
license plate, instrument panel
lights, and daytime running lights
( P.165) turn on.
2 The headlights and all the
lights listed above (except daytime
running lights) turn on.
3 The headlights, daytime run-
ning lights ( P.165) and all the lights listed above turn on and off
automatically.
4 (U.S.A.) Off
(Canada) The daytime running
lights turn on.
■AUTO mode can be used when
The engine switch is in ON.
■Daytime running light system
●The daytime running lights illuminate the
parking lights and illuminate brighter than
the parking lights.
●To make your vehicle more visible to
other drivers during daytime driving, the
daytime running lights turn on automati-
cally when all of the following conditions
are met. (The daytime running lights are
not designed for use at night.)
• The engine is running
• The parking brake is released
• The headlight switch is in the (Can-
ada only), or (when the sur-
roundings are bright) position
The daytime running lights remain on after
they illuminate due to the conditions above,
even if the parking brake is set again.
●For the U.S.A.: Daytime running lights
can be turned off by operating the head-
light switch to position.
●Compared to turning on the headlights,
the daytime running light system offers
greater durability and consumes less
electricity, so it can help improve fuel
economy.
■Headlight control sensor
The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything
that blocks the sensor is affixed to the wind-
shield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detect-
ing the level of ambien t light and may cause
the automatic headlight system to malfunc-
tion.
Headlight switch
The headlights can be operated
manually or automatically.
Turning on the headlights
A
B
1664-3. Operating the lights and wipers
■Automatic light off system
●When the headlights come on: The head-
lights and tail lights turn off 30 seconds
after a driver’s door is opened and closed
if the engine switch is turned to ACC or
OFF. (The lights turn off immediately if on the key is pressed after all the
doors are locked.)
●When only the tail lights come on: The tail
lights turn off automatically if the engine
switch is turned to ACC or OFF and the
driver’s door is opened.
To turn the lights on again, turn the engine
switch to ON, or turn the light switch off
once and then back to or .
■Automatic headlight leveling system (if
equipped)
The level of the headlights is automatically
adjusted according to the number of pas-
sengers and the loading condition of the
vehicle to ensure that the headlights do not
interfere with other road users.
■Windshield wiper linked headlight illu-
mination
When driving during daytime with the
headlight switch turned to position, if
the windshield wipers are used, the head-
lights will turn on auto matically after several
seconds to help enha nce the visibility of
your vehicle.
■Battery-saving function
In order to prevent the battery of the vehicle
from discharging, if the headlights and/or
tail lights are on when the engine switch is
turned off the battery saving function will
operate and automatically turn off all the
lights after approximately 20 minutes. When the engine switch is turned to ON,
the battery-saving function will be disabled.
When any of the following are performed,
the battery-saving function is canceled
once and then reactivated. All the lights will
turn off automatically 20 minutes after the
battery-saving function has been reacti-
vated:
●When the headlight switch is operated
●When a door is opened or closed
■Welcome light illumination control
The parking and tail lights automatically
turn on at night when the doors are
unlocked using the entry function or wire-
less remote control if the light switch is in
the position.
■Customization
Settings (e.g. light sensor sensitivity) can be
changed. (Customizable features: P.413,
414)
1With the headlights on, push the
lever away from you to turn on the
high beams.
Pull the lever toward you to the center
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the lights on longer than
necessary when the engine is not run-
ning.
Turning on the high beam head-
lights
1744-3. Operating the lights and wipers
time the lever is pulled.
■The windshield wipers and washer can
be operated when
The engine switch is in ON.
■Effects of vehicle speed on wiper opera-
tion (vehicles with rain-sensing wind-
shield wipers)
Vehicle speed affects the Intermittent wiper
interval.
■Raindrop sensor (vehicles with rain-
sensing windshield wipers)
●The raindrop sensor judges the amount
of raindrops.
An optical sensor is adopted. It may not
operate properly when sunlight from the
rising or setting of the sun intermittently
strikes the windshield, or if bugs, etc. are
present on the windshield.
●If the wiper switch is turned to the AUTO
position while the engine switch is in ON,
the wipers will operate once to show that
AUTO mode is activated.
●If the temperature of the raindrop sensor
is 194°F (90°C) or higher, or 5°F (-15°C)
or lower, automatic operation may not
occur. In this case, operate the wipers in
any mode other than AUTO mode.
■If no windshield washer fluid sprays
Check that the washer nozzles are not
blocked, if there is washer fluid in the
washer fluid tank.
When the windshield wipers are not
being used, they retract to below the
hood. To enable the windshield wipers
to be lifted when parking in cold condi-
tions or when replacing a windshield
wiper insert, change the rest position of
WARNING
■Caution regarding the use of wind-
shield wipers in AUTO mode (vehi-
cles with rain-sensing windshield
wipers)
The windshield wipers may operate
unexpectedly if the sensor is touched or
the windshield is subject to vibration in
AUTO mode. Take care that your fingers,
etc. do not become caught in the wind-
shield 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 low visibility. This may lead to
an accident, resulting in death or serious
injury.
NOTICE
■When the washer fluid tank is empty
Do not operate the switch continually as
the washer fluid pump may overheat.
■When a nozzle becomes blocked
In this case, contact your Lexus dealer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or other
object. The nozzle will be damaged.
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the wipers on longer than
necessary when the engine is off.
Changing the windshield wiper
rest position/Lifting the wind-
shield wipers
1764-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Operating the switch operates
the rear wiper as follows:
1
or Off
2
or Intermittent opera-
tion
3
or Normal operation 4
Washer/wiper dual opera-
tion
Pushing the lever oper ates the wiper and
washer.
The wipers will automatically operate a
couple of times after the washer squirts.
■The rear window wiper and washer can
be operated when
The engine switch is in ON.
■If no windshield washer fluid sprays
Check that the washer nozzles are not
blocked, if there is washer fluid in the
washer fluid tank.
■Reverse-linked rear window wiper func-
tion
When the shift lever is shifted to R when the
front wipers are operating, the rear window
wiper will operate once.
■Back door opening linked rear window
wiper stop function
When the rear window wi per is operating, if
the back door is opened while the vehicle is
stopped, operation of the rear window
wiper will be stopped to prevent anyone
near the vehicle from being sprayed by
water from the wiper. When the back door
is closed, wiper operation will resume.
*
*
: The setting must be customized at your Lexus dealer.
■Customization
Setting of the reverse-linked function can
be changed. (Customizable fea-
tures: P.414)
Rear window wiper and
w
asher
The rear window wiper and washer
can be used by operating the lever.
NOTICE
■When the rear window is dry
Do not use the wiper, as it may damage
the rear window.
Operating the wiper lever
1774-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
NOTICE
■When the washer fluid tank is empty
Do not operate the switch continually as
the washer fluid pump may overheat.
■When a nozzle becomes blocked
In this case, contact your Lexus dealer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or other
object. The nozzle will be damaged.
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the wipers on longer than
necessary when the engine is off.