engine Lexus GS300 2006 Starting and Driving

STARTING AND DRIVING
349
How to start the engine
Before starting the engine, be sure to follow the instructions.
CRANKING HOLD FUNCTION
Once you push the engine switch while the brake pedal is
depressed, the cranking hold function continues to crank the
engine in “IG−ON” mode until it starts.
The function stops cranking the engine after about 25 seconds
at maximum if the engine has not started yet. When you crank
the engine again, wait a few seconds and restart it.
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
1. Check the area around the vehicle before entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, seat cushion angle,
seat cushion height, head restraint height and steering wheel
angle.
3. Adjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts.
Remember to check that the service reminder indicators
function when the engine switch is selected in “IG−ON” mode,
and check the fuel gauge to see that you have sufficient fuel.BEFORE CRANKING
1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Put the selector lever in ”P”. If you need to restart the engine
while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in ”N”. A
starter safety device will prevent the starter from operating if
the selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it to the floor until driving
off.
The multiport fuel injection system/sequential multiport fuel
injection system in your engine automatically controls the
proper air−fuel mixture for starting. You can start a cold or hot
engine as follows:

STARTING AND DRIVING
350
Starting the engine
Normal starting procedure
G31035
When depressing the brake pedal while carrying an
electronic key, make sure the green engine switch
indicator light comes on. And then push the engine
switch to start the engine.
If you press the engine switch while the brake pedal is
depressed and the transmission is in “P” or “N”, the engine will
start even if initially in “OFF”, “ACC” or “IG−ON” mode.
If you start the engine in “OFF” mode, the engine immobilizer
is disabled, and the security indicator light goes off.
If you push the engine switch while the brake pedal is
depressed with the transmission not in “P” or “N”, “IG−ON”
mode will be selected with the engine not running.If the engine stalls ...
Simply restart it , using the correct procedure given in normal
starting.
If the engine will not start
See ”If your vehicle will not start” on page 462.
NOTICE
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls
frequently, have the engine checked immediately.

STARTING AND DRIVING
351
Stopping the engine
G31036
If you press the engine switch while the selector lever is
in “P” and the engine is running, regardless of brake pedal
position, the engine will be turned off.
With the transmission not in “P”, the engine switch is selected
in “ACC” mode.
If, in an emergency, you must turn the engine off while the
vehicle is moving, press the engine switch for more than 3
seconds. At this time, “ACC” mode is selected.
Several hours after the engine is turned off, you may hear a
sound coming from underneath the luggage compartment for
several minutes. This is normal operation and does not
indicate a malfunction. (See page v.)
CAUTION
To avoid serious personal injury or an accident, observe
the following precautions.
Turn off the engine, only when the vehicle is
completely stopped.
When you leave the vehicle, the selector lever must
be in “P” and the parking brake must be applied, or
the vehicle may suddenly move.

STARTING AND DRIVING
353
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Your automatic transmission has a shift lock system to
minimize the possibility of incorrect operation. This
means you can only shift out of “P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed with the engine switch in
“IG−ON” mode. ()
G31021

The shift position or shift range position is displayed
on the instrument cluster.
P:Parking and engine starting
R:Reverse position
N:Neutral position
D:Normal driving position (Shifting into overdrive
possible)
S:“S” mode driving
+:Upshifting
–:Downshifting

STARTING AND DRIVING
354Correct use of the automatic transmission is explained in
the following parts.
(a) Normal driving
(b) Driving in “S” mode
(c) Using engine braking
(d) Backing up
(e) Parking
(f) Good driving practice
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever
(a) Normal driving
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1
“P” (Park) position 2
“N” (Neutral) position
1. Start the engine as instructed in “Operating the engine
switch” on page 342.
The transmission must be in “P” or “N” position. The engine will
not start in any drive position even if engine switch is pushed
while the brake pedal is depressed.

STARTING AND DRIVING
355
G31023

1
Power position 2
Normal position
3
Snow position
2. Set the driving pattern selector switch to the normal
position.
Your transmission has a driving pattern selector switch which
allows you to select power, normal or snow mode to suit your
driving condition. For ordinary driving, Lexus recommends
that you use the normal mode to improve fuel economy.
3. For more powerful acceleration and sporty driving, use
the power position.
In the power mode, the “ECT PWR” light in the instrument
cluster is on and the most suitable shift pattern is selected
depending on the driver’s operation of accelerator and brake
pedal and on the vehicle condition. See “Automatic shifting
point change control” on page 356.
For snow mode, see “Electronic Throttle Control System”
on page 364.
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1
Brake pedal 2
“D” (Drive) position
4. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to “D”.
Always use the “D” position to improve fuel economy and quiet
driving. Only in this position, shifting into the overdrive gear is
possible. However, while the engine coolant temperature is
low, the transmission will not shift into the overdrive gear even
in the “D” position. (See “(c) Using engine braking” and “(f)
Good driving practice” for exceptions.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.

STARTING AND DRIVING
3565. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress
the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in first gear and
automatically shift up to the most suitable gear. On inclines,
declines or winding roads, etc., the vehicle shifts up and down
automatically according to the running conditions to obtain the
suitable driving power and engine braking.
If you need to accelerate rapidly while driving, depress the
accelerator pedal to the full throttle position. This provides
more acceleration by automatically downshifting the
transmission to the next lower gear or beyond, depending on
the vehicle speed.
If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill,
see “(c) Using engine braking”.AI (Artificial Intelligence) shifting control
AI shifting control selects the most suitable shift range
automatically according to the driver’s operation and
driving condition.
AI shifting control operates automatically with the
selector lever in the “D” position. When the lever is moved
to the “S” position, this function will be canceled.
Shifting control on the slope: On inclines, you can drive
smoothly with reduced shifting quantity. On declines, the
vehicle will shift down automatically to obtain optimum engine
braking and reduce the driver’s foot braking load.
Automatic shifting point change control: The automatic
shifting point control is controlled in the following way to
respond to the driver’s operation.
When the accelerator is depressed quickly, the vehicle
downshifts rapidly in order to improve acceleration.
When the accelerator is quickly released, the gear position
is maintained in order to improve engine braking and
reacceleration capabilities.
During hard deceleration the vehicle downshifts rapidly in
order to improve engine braking and reacceleration
capabilities.

STARTING AND DRIVING
358“4” (fourth range): The most suitable gear is automatically
selected between first and fourth gears according to vehicle
speed and driving conditions. In the “4” (fourth range)
position, the automatic transmission system will select the
most suitable gear to handle current running conditions
such as hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
“3” (third range): The most suitable gear is automatically
selected between first and third gears according to vehicle
speed and driving conditions. This range is best used when
stronger engine braking is necessary.
“2” (second range): First or second gear will automatically
be selected according to vehicle speed and driving
conditions. This range is to be used when engine braking
stronger than that of the “3” (third range) position is
necessary.
“1” (first range): This gear is fixed in first regardless of
vehicle speed or driving conditions. This range is to be used
when maximum engine braking is necessary.
If you attempt to downshift the transmission when it is not
possible to downshift due to high vehicle speed, a warning tone
sounds twice.Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower traffic, maximum
acceleration may be necessary. Make sure you observe the
following maximum allowable speeds in each range:
range km/h (mph)
GS430:1 57 (35)
2 97 (60)
3 141 (88)
range km/h (mph)
GS300 (2WD):1 54 (33)
2 93 (58)
3 137 (85)
range km/h (mph)
GS300 (4WD):1 52 (32)
2 90 (56)
3 131 (81)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going faster than the
maximum allowable speed for the next lower range.

STARTING AND DRIVING
359 “S” mode indicator light
“S” mode allows you to use the shift range positions.
The “S” mode indicator light comes on when the selector
lever is shifted into the “S” position. When the “S” mode
indicator light does not come on even with the selector lever
moved to the “S” position, there may be a problem
somewhere in the system. Have your vehicle
checked/repaired by your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible. In this case, you can drive in the same condition
as in the “D” position.
(c) Using engine braking
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“S” mode position
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the range in
the “S” mode position as follows:
Shift into the “5” (fifth range) position. The transmission will
downshift to fifth gear and engine braking will be enabled.
If you drive in the “D” position: Shift the selector lever to
the “S” position and “5” (fifth range) will automatically be
selected.
If you drive in the “S” position: Shift the selector lever
down to the “–” position by selecting the “5” (fifth range).

STARTING AND DRIVING
360When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift
from “D” or “6” (sixth range) to “5” (fifth range), engine
braking will not be enabled because the cruise control is not
cancelled. For vehicle speed reduction, see page 394.
Vehicles with the dynamic radar cruise control —
When the cruise control is being used in the conventional
(fixed speed) cruise control mode or in the
vehicle−to−vehicle distance control mode, even if you
downshift from “D” or “6” (sixth range) to “5” (fifth range),
engine braking will not be enabled because the cruise
control is not cancelled. For vehicle speed reduction, see
pages 416 and 404.
Shift into the “4” (fourth range) position. The transmission
will downshift to fourth gear when the vehicle speed is or
becomes lower than the speed listed below and more
powerful engine braking will be enabled.
GS430193 km/h (120 mph)
GS300 (2WD)187 km/h (116 mph)
GS300 (4WD)178 km/h (111 mph)
If you drive in the “D” position: Shift the selector lever to
the “S” position and shift the lever down to the “–” position
once to select “4” (fourth range). However, when you move
the lever to the “S” position while the AI shifting control is
operating, the first shift range will be “5” (fifth range), “4”
(fourth range) or “3” (third range) because the suitable shift
range is selected depending on the driving condition.
If you drive in the “S” position: Shift the selector lever
down to the “–” position to select the “4” (fourth range).When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift
from “D” or “5” (fifth range) to “4” (fourth range), engine
braking will not be enabled because the cruise control is not
cancelled. For vehicle speed reduction, see page 394.
Vehicles with the dynamic radar cruise control —
When the cruise control is being used in the conventional
(fixed speed) cruise control mode or in the
vehicle−to−vehicle distance control mode, even if you
downshift from “D” or “5” (fifth range) to “4” (fourth range),
engine braking will not be enabled because the cruise
control is not cancelled. For vehicle speed reduction, see
pages 416 and 404.
Shift into the “3” (third range) position. The transmission will
downshift to third gear when the vehicle speed is or
becomes lower than the speed listed below and more
powerful engine braking will be enabled.
GS430144 km/h (90 mph)
GS300 (2WD)135 km/h (84 mph)
GS300 (4WD)129 km/h (80 mph)
If you drive in the “D” position: Shift the selector lever to
the “S” position and shift the lever down to the “–” position
twice to select the “3” (third range). However, when you
move the lever to the “S” position while the AI shifting control
is operating, the first shift range will be “5” (fifth range), “4”
(fourth range) or “3” (third range) because the suitable shift
range is selected depending on the driving condition.
If you drive in the “S” position: Shift the selector lever
down to the “–” position to select “3” (third range).