1554-1. Before driving
4
Driving
●When the brake pedal is depressed
■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
multi-information display while the sys-
tem is operating.
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
●When the following unusual operation is
performed, the engine output may be
restrained.
• When the shift position 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. If a
warning message is shown on the
multi-information disp lay, read the mes-
sage and follow the instruction.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed
too much while the vehicle is in reverse.
*: Depending on the situation, the shift
position may not be changed.
●While Drive-Start Control is being acti-
vated, your vehicle may have trouble
escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In
such case, deactivate TRAC ( P.299)
to cancel Drive-Start Control so that the
vehicle may become able to escape from
the mud or fresh snow.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing
the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type park-
ing brake system. This type of brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes
periodically or whenever the parking brake
shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your
Lexus dealer perform the bedding down
operation.
■Vehicles with high coefficient of friction
brake pads
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, humid-
ity, etc.).
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign
country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registra-
tion laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P.451)
■Idling time before engine stop
To prevent damage to the turbocharger,
allow the engine to idle immediately after
high-speed driving or hill climbing.
Driving conditionIdling time
Normal city drivingNot neces- sary
High-speed driving (Con-stant speed of approx. 62
mph [100km/h])Not neces- sary
Steep hill driving or continu-ous driving at 62 mph (100 km/h) or more (race track driving etc.)Approxi-mately 1 minute
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
1574-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●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 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 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.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking
due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
●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
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward
while a forward driving position 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.
●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.
●Changing the shift position 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 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 brake pad wear limit of a brake
pad is found to have been exceeded
when visually checking the brake pads
for each wheel (for the brake pad wear
limit, refer to P.455)
●If a warning message is displayed on
the multi-information display (only the
right-side pads can be detected)
Rotor damage may result if the pads are
not replaced when needed.
1584-1. Before driving
WARNING
Vehicles with high coefficient of friction
brake pads: Moderate levels of the brake
pad and disc wear allow enhanced brak-
ing 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 mea-
sured.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when
the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
those of the brake discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P
or N, the vehicle may accelerate sud-
denly and unexpectedly, causing an
accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the
engine is running, and apply the park-
ing brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline,
in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or back-
ward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake
as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed
while the vehicle is stopped may cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which
could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters,
spray cans, or soft drink cans in the
vehicle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plas-
tic material of glasses to deform or
crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior
of the vehicle, and may also cause a
short circuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the
vehicle. If a cigare tte lighter is in a
place such as the glove box or on the
floor, it may be lit accidentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is
adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the
windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on
the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act
as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if
the curved glass is coated with a met-
allized film such as a silver-colored
one. Reflected sunlight may cause the
glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.
●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.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while
the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
3846-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
a dangerous loss of braking efficiency. Use
only newly opened brake fluid.
If any washer does not work or the
warning message appears on the
multi-information display, the washer
tank may be empty. Add washer fluid.
WARNING
■When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm your
hands and eyes and damage painted sur-
faces.
If fluid gets on your hands or in your eyes,
flush the affected area with clean water
immediately.
If you still experience discomfort, see a
doctor.
NOTICE
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go
down slightly as the brake pads wear out
or when the fluid level in the accumulator
is high.
If the reservoir need s frequent refilling,
there may be a serious problem.
Adding the washer fluid
WARNING
■When adding washer fluid
Do not add washer fluid when the engine
is hot or running as washer fluid contains
alcohol and may catch fire if spilled on
the engine, etc.
NOTICE
■Do not use any fluid other than
washer fluid
Do not use soapy water or engine anti-
freeze instead of washer fluid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the
vehicle’s painted surfaces, as well as
damaging the pump leading to problems
of the washer fluid not spraying.
■Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as neces-
sary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed
on the label of the washer fluid bottle.
4197-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
■Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)
■Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)
■High coolant temperature warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds
Calmly perform the following actions if any of the warning lights comes on or
flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, bu t then goes off, this does not necessar-
ily indicate a malfunction in the system. However, if this continues to occur,
have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Actions to the warning lights or warning buzzers
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(red)
(Canada)
Indicates that:
The brake fluid level is low; or
The brake system is malfunctioning
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your Lexus
dealer. Continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous.
Indicates that the brake pads are worn out (only the right-side pads can
be detected)
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in:
The electronically controlled brake sy stem (vehicles with Lexus Safety
System + A); or
The parking brake system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine coolant temperature is too high
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Handling method ( P.444)