light Lexus GS300 2006 Starting and Driving

STARTING AND DRIVING
402(c) Setting operation
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Each function is described below.
1
Setting the desired speed
The transmission must be in “D”, “6” (sixth range), “5” (fifth
range) or “4”(fourth range) before you set the cruise control
speed.After bringing the vehicle to the desired speed, press the
control lever downward in the “– SET” direction and release it.
This sets the vehicle at that speed. At this time, the
multi−information display indicates settings such as the preset
vehicle speed, whether a vehicle is present ahead and
selected vehicle−to−vehicle distance. If there is no vehicle
detected ahead, the dynamic radar cruise control screen does
not display the vehicle ahead. At this time, you may take your
foot off the accelerator pedal. If you need to accelerate − for
example, when passing − depress the accelerator pedal
enough for the vehicle to exceed the preset speed. When you
release the accelerator pedal, the vehicle will return to the
control prior to acceleration.
You cannot set a desired speed if the master warning light
comes on, the warning tone sounds and the multi−information
display indicates a warning message such as “CRUISE NOT
AVAILABLE”, “CLEAN RADAR SENSOR” or “CHECK
CRUISE SYSTEM”. If any of the above messages appears on
the display, see “Vehicle−to−vehicle distance control mode
failure warning” on page 410.
If you turn off the “ON−OFF” button while the warning message
is displayed, the warning message turns off and the
multi−information display switches to another screen. If no
warning message appears on the display, when you turn the
“ON−OFF” button on again, the setting can be made.
You can change the dynamic radar cruise control screen to
another screen even while the warning message is displayed.

STARTING AND DRIVING
403
2
Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by doing any of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever, in the ”CANCEL” direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
c. Pushing the “ON−OFF” button.
If cancelled by a. or b., the multi−information display shows
“RADAR READY” and the dynamic radar cruise control enters
the ready mode.
If cancelled by c., the “CRUISE” indicator light goes off in the
instrument cluster and the multi−information display shows
“CRUISE OFF”. In this case, the preset speed data is cleared,
and you must set the speed from the beginning.
In the following case, the preset speed automatically
cancels out. At this time, the multi−information display
shows “RADAR READY” and the dynamic radar cruise
control enters the ready mode.
The vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph). (40
km/h (25 mph) is designated as a cancel speed.)
CAUTION
In this case, the warning tone reminds you that the
dynamic radar cruise control is cancelled and you must
apply the brakes to slow the vehicle.
In the following cases, the warning messages appear and
the preset speed automatically cancels out. When
dynamic radar cruise control is restored, the warning
messages turn off and dynamic radar cruise control
enters “RADAR READY” mode.
a. The slip indicator light blinks and a warning tone sounds.
(This occurs when the vehicle is about to skid.)
b. The driving pattern selector switch is set to snow mode.
c. The anti−lock brake system is activated by automatic
braking. (The warning tone sounds.)
d. The sensor does not operate properly because a foreign
matter sticks to the sensor.
e. The wipers are operated at high speed (including high
speed operation with the wiper lever in the “AUTO” position.)
NOTICE
If the preset speed automatically cancels out for other
than the above reasons, do not operate the dynamic
radar cruise control. Although it is no problem to
continue driving, have your vehicle checked by your
Lexus dealer at the earliest opportunity.

STARTING AND DRIVING
410For vehicles sold in U.S.A.
FCC WARNING
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
FCC RF exposure information
This device complies with the FCC RF exposure
requirements.
For vehicles sold in Canada
Operation is subject to the following two conditions;
(1) this device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
(h) Vehicle−to−vehicle distance control mode failure
warning
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If there is trouble somewhere in the dynamic radar cruise
control while the vehicle−to−vehicle distance control mode is
on, the ”CRUISE” indicator light in the instrument cluster
flashes, the master warning light comes on and the warning
tone sounds, and one or more of the following warning
messages will appear on the multi−information display.
“CLEAN RADAR SENSOR”
“CRUISE NOT AVAILABLE”
“CHECK CRUISE SYSTEM”
If any warning message shown above appears, the preset
speed automatically cancels out.

STARTING AND DRIVING
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If the system malfunction is detected when dynamic radar
cruise control is in the “RADAR READY” mode or
operating, the above message appears.
If this message appears, stop your vehicle in a safe place, turn
the engine switch off, and then restart it to reset the system.
If the setting still cannot be made or the same message
appears again, the system might have malfunctioned.
Although it is no problem to continue driving, contact your
Lexus dealer.
NOTICE
While you are cruising with the dynamic radar cruise
control on, if the master warning light comes on, the
“CRUISE” indicator light flashes, “CHECK CRUISE
SYSTEM” appears on the multi−information display and
the warning tone sounds, turn the engine switch off and
then on again. If the function is cancelled again after
setting or if settings cannot be made, the dynamic radar
cruise control system may be malfunctioning.
Although it is no problem to continue driving, have your
vehicle checked by your Lexus dealer.
Conventional (fixed speed) cruise control
mode
This mode allows you to cruise at a desired speed over
about 45 km/h (28 mph) with your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
Cruising speed can be maintained, although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or down a gradient, within
the limits of engine performance. On steeper hills, the speed
will change more radically so it is better to drive without cruise
control.
When cruise control is on, the driving pattern of the automatic
transmission is fixed in the normal mode, regardless of the
position of the selector switch.

STARTING AND DRIVING
413
CAUTION
In the conventional (fixed speed) cruise control
mode, an approach warning does not activate even if
you are too close to the vehicle ahead, as neither the
presence of the vehicle ahead nor the
vehicle−to−vehicle distance is detected. Pay special
attention to the distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle ahead. Always confirm the setting in the
multi−information display.
The conventional (fixed speed) cruise control mode
of the dynamic radar cruise control should not be
used in the following conditions, which could result
in death or serious injury.
♦To help maintain maximum control of your vehicle,
do not use fixed speed control mode when using
dynamic radar cruise control while driving in
heavy or varying traffic, or on slippery (rainy, icy
or snow−covered) or winding roads.
♦Avoid vehicle speed increasing when driving
downhill. If the vehicle speed is too fast in relation
to the preset speed in the fixed speed control
mode, cancel the fixed control mode and then
downshift the transmission to use engine braking
to slow down.
(a) Turning the system on
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To operate conventional cruise control mode, push the
“ON−OFF” button. This turns the system on. The “CRUISE”
indicator light in the instrument cluster comes on and “RADAR
READY” appears on the multi−information display. Push the
control lever in the “MODE” direction for longer than 1 second
to change to conventional cruise control mode. The indicator
on the multi−information display is as shown. You can now set
your desired cruising speed. Pushing the “ON−OFF” button
again will turn the system completely off and “CRUISE OFF”
will appear on the multi−information display.
However, once the vehicle−to−vehicle distance control mode
activates and is used, it cannot be changed to the conventional
(fixed speed) cruise control mode using the above operation.
To change the mode, push the “ON−OFF” button to turn the
system off and then push it again to turn it on. Next push the
lever in the “MODE” direction for longer than about 1 second.

STARTING AND DRIVING
415 You cannot set a desired speed if the master warning light
comes on, the warning tone sounds and the multi−information
display indicates a warning message such as “CHECK
CRUISE SYSTEM”. If this messages appears on the display,
see “Conventional cruise control mode failure warning” on
page 417.
If you turn off the “ON−OFF” button while the warning message
is displayed, the warning message turns off and the
multi−information display switches to another screen. When
you turn the “ON−OFF” button on again, the warning message
comes back on the display. If no warning message appears on
the display, the setting can be made.
You can change the dynamic radar cruise control screen to
another screen even while the warning message is displayed.
2
Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by doing any of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever in the ”CANCEL” direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
c. Pushing the “ON−OFF” button.
If cancelled by a. or b., the multi−information displays shows
nothing and the conventional cruise control enters the ready
mode.
If cancelled by c., the “CRUISE” indicator light goes off in the
instrument cluster and the multi−information display shows
“CRUISE OFF”. In this case, the preset speed data is cleared,
and you must set the speed from the beginning.In the following cases, the preset speed automatically
cancels out:
a. The vehicle speed falls below about 40km/h (25 mph).
b. If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10 mph) below the
preset speed, the preset speed will also automatically be
cancelled.
c. The control lever is pressed downward in the “– SET”
direction and held at less than about 45 km/h (28 mph). (45
km/h (28 mph) is designated as a lower preset speed limit .)
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph), the
preset speed data is cleared and you must set the speed from
the beginning.
If cancelled by the above cases, the multi−information display
shows nothing and the conventional cruise control enters the
ready mode.
If the preset speed automatically cancels out for other than the
above reasons, do not operate the cruise control. Although it
is no problem to continue driving, have your vehicle checked
by your Lexus dealer at the earliest opportunity.

STARTING AND DRIVING
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5
Resuming the preset speed
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling the control lever, by
depressing the brake pedal or vehicle stability control
activation, pushing the lever up in the “+ RES” direction will
restore the speed set prior to cancellation. However, once the
vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset
speed will not be resumed.
(c) Conventional cruise control mode failure warning
G13075
If the system malfunction is detected when the
conventional cruise control mode is in the ready mode or
operating, the master warning light comes on, a warning
tone sounds and the above message appears.
If this message appears, push the “ON−OFF” button to turn the
system off and then push it again to turn it on. If the setting still
cannot be made or the same message appears again, the
system might have malfunctioned. Although it is no problem
to continue driving, contact your Lexus dealer.
ADAPTIVE VARIABLE SUSPENSION
SYSTEM (GS430 only)
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1
Sport position 2
Normal position
The adaptive variable suspension system controls
suspension and steering, and ensures optimum vehicle
posture and steering capabilities depending on the
driving condition.
Sport mode: Suitable for sporty type driving, such as on
winding mountain roads and high speed driving.
Normal mode: Suitable for ordinary driving.
To turn on the sport mode, push the selector switch on the
“SPORT” side. The indicator comes on in the instrument
cluster.
To change to the normal mode, push the switch to the “NORM”
side.

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TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
The traction control system automatically helps prevent
the spinning of rear wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the engine switch is selected in “IG−ON” mode, the
system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road conditions, full traction of
the vehicle and power against rear wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction control system is
in operation. Do not drive the vehicle under any speed
or maneuvering conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. In situations where the
road surface is covered with ice or snow, your vehicle
should be fitted with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious speed for the
present road conditions.
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Slip indicator light
Leave the system on during the ordinary driving so that it
can operate when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds just after the vehicle begins to move. This means that
the traction control system is in the self−check mode, but does
not indicate a malfunction.
When the traction control system is operating, the following
conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the rear wheels. At this
time, the slip indicator light blinks.
You may feel vibration or noise in your vehicle, caused by
operation of the brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
GS430—The slip indicator light comes on when the engine
switch is selected in “IG−ON” mode. The light goes off when
the engine is started.

STARTING AND DRIVING
419 GS300—The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds
when the engine switch is selected in “IG−ON” mode.
If the indicator light does not come on when the engine switch
is selected in “IG−ON” mode, contact your Lexus dealer.
Traction control off mode
(two−wheel drive models only)
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If your wheels get stuck in a ditch when you are driving on
a severe off road and sand, turn off the traction control
system. This system that controls engine performance
interferes with the process of freeing your wheels.
To turn off: Push “TRAC OFF” switch.
The slip indicator light will come on.
The vehicle stability control system is always activated even if
the traction control system is turned off.GS430 only—When the vehicle speed exceeds about 50 km/h
(30 mph) even if the traction control system is turned off, the
system turns on automatically.
To turn on: Push “TRAC OFF” switch once again.
The slip indicator light will go off.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:
The slip indicator light does not come on when the engine
switch is selected in “IG−ON” mode.
The slip indicator light remains on after the engine is started
(GS430), or remains on after the engine switch is selected
in “IG−ON” mode (GS300).
The slip indicator light comes on in the normal driving mode
while driving.

STARTING AND DRIVING
420
Traction control system failure warning
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1
GS430 2
GS300
If the traction control system malfunctions, the slip
indicator light (two−wheel drive models only) and brake
system warning light (yellow) come on. At this time, the
above message appears. (GS430 only—In some cases,
the multi−information display shows either “CHECK VSC”
or “CHECK ECB” only.)
If the message appears, the traction control system, vehicle
stability control system and hill−start assist control system do
not work. Although it is no problem to continue driving, have
your vehicle checked by your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible.
VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL
SYSTEM
The vehicle stability control system helps provide
comprehensive control of the systems such as anti−lock
brake system, traction control, engine control, etc. This
system automatically controls the brakes and engine to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding when cornering on
a slippery road surface or operating steering wheel
abruptly.
This system activates when the vehicle speed is about more
than 15 km/h (9 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds just after the vehicle begins to move. This means that
the system is in the self−check mode, but does not indicate a
malfunction.