1384-1. Before driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the engine
P.148, 151
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift position to D.
(P.159, 165)
Check that the shift position indicator
shows D.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, release the parking brake.
(P.170)
3 Gradually release the brake pedal
and gently depress the accelerator
pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 With the shift position in D, depress
the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the shift posi-
tion to P. ( P.159, 165)
■Parking the vehicle
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
(P.170)
3 Shift the shift position to P.
(P.160, 166)
Check that the shift position indicator shows P.
4
Press the engine switch
5 Slowly release the brake pedal.
6 Lock the door, making sure that you
have the electronic key on your
person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as
needed.
■Starting off on a steep uphill
1 Make sure that the parking brake is
set with the brake pedal depressed,
and then shift the shift position to D.
The hill-start assist control will be activated.
( P.235)
2 Release the brake pedal and gently
depress the accelerator pedal.
3 Release the parking brake.
■For fuel-efficient driving (LC500h)
Keep in mind that hybr id vehicles are similar
to conventional vehicles, and it is necessary
to refrain from activi ties such as sudden
acceleration. ( P.240)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because
visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road
will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain,
because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on
an expressway in the rain, because there
may be a layer of wa ter between the tires
and the road surface, preventing the
steering and brakes from operating prop-
erly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine
speed may become high while driving. This
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be
observed to ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure
1404-1. Before driving
WARNING
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with
the location of the brake and accelera-
tor pedals to avoid depressing the
wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelera- tor 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
operating the pedals. Make sure to
operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle
only slightly. This allows you to depress
the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal
using your left foot may delay
response in an emergency, resulting in
an accident.
●LC500h: The driver should pay extra
attention to pedestrians when the vehi-
cle is powered only by the electric
motor (traction motor). As there is no
engine noise, the pedestrians may mis-
judge the vehicle’s movement. Even
though the vehicle is equipped with the
vehicle proximity notification system,
drive with care as pedestrians in the
vicinity may still not notice the vehicle if
the surrounding area is noisy.
●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 flamma-
ble material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn off
the engine
the engine
driving will not cause loss of steering
or braking control, however, power
assist to the steering will be lost. This
will make it more difficult to steer
smoothly, so you should pull over and
stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to
do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if
it becomes impossible to stop the vehi-
cle in the normal way: P.330
●Use engine braking (downshift) to
maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may
cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P.157, 163)
●Do not adjust the positions of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the inside
or outside rear view mirrors while driv-
ing.
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 per-
mits 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 re sult in tire fail-
ure, 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 not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehi-
cle.
1414-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●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 prop-
erly. Wet brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning properly. If the
brakes on only one side are wet and
not functioning properly, steering con-
trol may be affected.
■When shifting the shift position
●LC500: Do not let the vehicle roll
backward while a forward driving posi-
tion is selected, or roll forward while
the shift position is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall
or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident
or damage to the vehicle.
LC500h: Do not let the vehicle roll
backward while a forward driving posi-
tion is selected, or roll forward while
the shift position is in R.
Doing so may result in an accident or
damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift position to P while
the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Do not shift the shift position to R while
the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●Do not shift the shift position to a driv-
ing position while the vehicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●LC500: Changing the shift position to
N while the vehicle is moving will dis-
engage the engine from the transmis-
sion. Engine braking is not available
when N is selected.
LC500h: Changing the shift position
to N while the vehicle is moving will
disengage the hybrid system. Engine
braking is not available with the hybrid
system disengaged.
●Be careful not to change the shift posi-
tion with the accelerator pedal
depressed. Changing the shift posi-
tion to any positions other than P or N
may lead to unexpected rapid acceler-
ation of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or serious
injury.
After changing the shift position, make
sure to confirm the current shift posi-
tion displayed on the shift position indi-
cator inside the meter.
■Brake pad wear
If any of the following situations occurs,
have the brake pads visually checked and
replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible.
●If the thickness of the brake pads
exceeds the brake pad wear limit when
visually checking all four brake pads
(for the brake pad wear limit, refer to
P.382)
●If “Brake Pad Wear Visit Your Dealer”
is displayed (only the right-side pads
can be detected)
Rotor damage may result if the pads are
not replaced when needed. Moderate
levels of the brake pad and disc wear
allow enhanced braking power. As a
result, the discs may wear more quickly
than conventional brake discs. Therefore,
when replacing the brake pads, Lexus
recommends that you also have the
thickness of the discs measured. It is dan-
gerous to drive the vehicle when the
wear limits of the brake pads and/or
those of the brake discs are exceeded.
1434-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●LC500: Always apply the parking
brake, shift the shift position to P, stop
the engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift
position in P but the parking brake is
not set, the vehicle may start to move,
possibly leading to an accident.
LC500h: Always apply the parking
brake, shift the shift position to P, stop
the hybrid system and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
while the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift
position in P but the parking brake is
not set, the vehicle may start to move,
possibly leading to an accident.
●LC500: Do not touch the exhaust
pipes while the engine is running or
immediately after turning the engine
off.
Doing so may cause burns.
LC500h: Do not touch the exhaust
pipes while the “READY” indicator is
illuminated or immediately after turn-
ing the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine
off. Otherwise, if yo u accidentally move
the shift lever or de press the accelerator
pedal, this could cause an accident or fire
due to engine
ing. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked
in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases
may collect and enter the vehicle, lead-
ing 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 vehi-
cle.
●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 in crease. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
●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.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and
brake pedals at th e same time while
driving, as this may restrain the engine
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or
depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the
vehicle on a hill.
■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.
■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.
1734-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Press the brake hold switch to turn the
system on
The brake hold standby indicator
comes on. While the system is holding the
brake, the brake hold operated indicator comes on.
■Brake hold system operating conditions
The brake hold system cannot be turned on
in the following conditions:
●The driver’s door is not closed.
●The driver is not wearing the seat belt.
●“EPB Activation Stopped Incompletely”
or “EPB Malfunction Visit Your dealer” is
displayed on the multi-information dis-
play.
If any of the conditions above are detected
when the brake hold system is enabled, the
system will turn off and the brake hold
standby indicator light will go off. In addi-
tion, if any of the conditions are detected
while the system is holding the brake, a
warning buzzer will sound and a message
will be shown on the multi-information dis-
play. The parking brake will then be set
automatically.
■Brake hold function
●If the brake pedal is left released for a
period of about 3 mi nutes after the sys-
tem has started holding the brake, the
parking brake will be set automatically. In
this case, a warning buzzer sounds and a
message is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display.
●To turn the system off while the system is
holding the brake, firmly depress the
brake pedal and press the button again.
●The brake hold function may not hold the
vehicle when the vehicle is on a steep
incline. In this situation, it may be neces-
sary for the driver to apply the brakes. A
warning buzzer will sound and the multi-
information display will inform the driver
of this situation. ( P.348)
■When the parking brake is set automati-
cally while the system is holding the
brakes
The parking brake will not be released auto-
matically. Perform one of the following pro-
cedures to release the parking brake and
confirm that the parking brake indicator
light turns off. ( P.170)
●With the brake pedal depressed, operate
the parking brake switch.
●Fasten your seat belt, check that the shift
position is in either D or R and slowly
depress the accelerator pedal.
Brake Hold
The brake hold system keeps the
brakes applied when the vehicle is
stopped by depressing the brake
pedal. You may wa nt this system
when you are caught in a traffic
congestion or waiting for a traffic
light to change.
This system keeps the brake
applied when the shift position is in
D, M or N with the system on and
the brake pedal has been
depressed to stop the vehicle. The
system releases the brake when the
accelerator pedal is depressed with
the shift position in D or M to allow
smooth start off.
Enabling the system
A
B
1924-5. Using the driving support systems
■Pre-collision warning
When the system determines that the
possibility of a frontal collision is high, a
buzzer will sound and a warning mes-
sage 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
possibility of a frontal collision is high,
the system applies greater braking
force in relation to how strongly the
brake pedal is depressed.
■Pre-collision braking
When the system determines that the
possibility of a frontal collision is high,
the system warns the driver. If the sys-
tem determines that the possibility of a
frontal collision is extremely high, the
brakes are automatically applied to
help avoid the collision or reduce the
collision speed.
■Suspension control
When the system determines that the
possibility of a frontal collision is high,
the Adaptive Variable Suspension Sys-
tem ( P.235) will control the damp-
ing force of the shock absorbers to
help maintain an appropriate vehicle
posture.
■Steering control (if equipped)
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.236) will
control the turning angle of the front
PCS (Pre-Collision System)
The pre-collision system uses a
radar sensor and camera sensor to
detect vehicles and pedestrians in
front of your vehicle. When the sys-
tem 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 possi-
bility of a frontal collision with a
vehicle or pedestrian is extremely
high, the brakes are automatically
applied to help avoid the collision or
help reduce the impact of the colli-
sion.
The pre-collision system can be dis-
abled/enabled and the warning tim-
ing can be changed. ( P.194)
System functions
1984-5. Using the driving support systems
• The vehicle is wobbling.
• The vehicle is being driven at extremely high speeds.
• When driving on a hill
• If the radar sensor or camera sensor is misaligned
●In some situations such as the following,
sufficient braking force 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 sys-
tem from operating properly:
• Pedestrians shorter than approximately 3.2 ft. (1 m) or tall er than approximately
6.5 ft. (2 m)
• Pedestrians wearing oversized clothing (a rain coat, long skirt, etc.), making their
silhouette obscure
• Pedestrians who are carrying large bag- gage, 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 co lor 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 behind a
vehicle or a large object
• Pedestrians who are extremely close to
the side of the vehicle (outside rear view
mirror, etc.)
■If the PCS warning light flashes or illumi-
nates and a warning message is dis-
played on the multi-information display
The pre-collision system may be temporar-
ily unavailable or there may be a malfunc-
tion in the system.
●In the following situations, the warning
light will turn off, the message will disap-
pear and the system will become opera-
tional when normal operating conditions
return:
• When the radar sensor or camera sensor
or the area around either sensor is hot,
such as in the sun
• When the radar sensor or camera sensor
or the area around either sensor is cold,
such as in an extremely cold environment
• When a front sensor is dirty or covered
with snow, etc.
• When the part of the windshield in front of the camera sensor is fogged up or cov-
ered with condensation or ice (Defog-
ging the windshield: P.253)
• If the camera sensor is obstructed, such
as when the hood is open or a sticker is
attached to the windshield near the cam-
era sensor
●If the PCS warning light continues to flash
or remains illuminated or the warning
message does not disappear even
though the vehicle has returned to nor-
mal, the system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus
dealer immediately.
■If VSC is disabled
●If VSC is disabled ( P.236), the pre-col-
lision brake assist and pre-collision brak-
ing functions are also disabled.
●The PCS warning light will turn on and
“VSC Turned Off Pre-Collision Brake
System Unavailable” will be displayed on
the multi-information display.
2094-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
This mode employs a radar sensor to detect the presence of vehicles up to approx-
imately 328 ft. (100 m) ahead, determines the current vehicle-to-vehicle following
distance, and operates to maintain a suit able following distance from the vehicle
ahead.
Note that vehicle-to-vehicle distance will close in when traveling on 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 distance
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 decelerates
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 th e system cannot decelerate sufficiently to
prevent your vehicle from closing in on the vehicle ahead.
When the vehicle ahead of you stops, your vehi cle will also stop (vehicle is stopped by sys-
tem control). After the vehicle ahead starts off, pressing the “+RES” switch or depressing
the accelerator pedal will resume follow-up cruising.
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 re ached. The system then returns to constant
speed cruising.
Driving in vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode
A
B
C