automatic transmission Lexus IS250 2007 Basic Functions / LEXUS 2007 IS350/250 (OM53578U) User Guide

When driving2
89
2-1. Driving procedures ................. 90
Driving the vehicle ....................... 90
Starting the engine ...................... 98
Automatic Transmission ........... 101
Manual Transmission ................ 105
Turn signal lever .......................... 107
Parking brake ............................... 108
2-2. Instrument cluster................... 109
Gauges and meters .................. 109
Indicators and warning
lights................................................ 115
Multi-information display ......... 118
2-3. Operating the lights and
windshield wipers ................. 122
Headlight switch ......................... 122
Fog light switch............................ 125
Windshield wipers and
washer.......................................... 126
Headlight cleaner switch ........ 1292-4. Using other driving
systems .................................... 130
Cruise control ............................. 130
Dynamic radar cruise
control ......................................... 133
Lexus parking
assist-sensor............................... 142
Driving assist systems............... 148
PCS (Pre-Collision
System)........................................ 154
2-5. Driving information................ 157
Cargo and luggage.................... 157
Vehicle load limits ...................... 160
Winter driving tips ....................... 161
Trailer towing................................ 165
Dinghy towing
(vehicles with an
automatic transmission) ....... 166
Dinghy towing
(vehicles with a manual
transmission) .............................. 167

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2-1. Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving.
■Starting the engine (P. 9 8 )
■Driving
Automatic transmission
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D.
(P. 1 0 1 )
Release the parking brake. (P. 1 0 8 )
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently push the accel-
erator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
Manual transmission
With the clutch pedal fully depressed, shift the shift lever into 1.
(P. 105)
Release the parking brake. (P. 1 0 8 )
Gradually release the clutch pedal. At the same time, gently
depress the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■Stopping
Automatic transmission
With the shift lever in D, push the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift the
shift lever to P or N. (
P. 1 0 1 )
Manual transmission
With the clutch pedal fully depressed, push the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift the
shift lever into N. (
P. 1 0 5 )
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP1
STEP2

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting on a steep uphill
Automatic transmission
Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
Manual transmission
With the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever into 1.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as gradu-
ally releasing the clutch pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Parking the vehicle
Automatic transmission
With the shift lever in D, push the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. (P. 1 0 8 )
Shift the shift lever to P. (P. 1 0 1 )
Press the engine switch and stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on
your person.
Manual transmission
With the clutch pedal fully depressed, push the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. (P. 1 0 8 )
Shift the shift lever into N. (P. 105)
Press the engine switch to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on
your person.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended to
observe:
●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 the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. (P. 383)
■Normal characteristics after turning off the engine
Approximately five hours after the engine is turned off, you may hear sound coming
from under the vehicle for several minutes. This is because fuel evaporation leakage
check is performed. It does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
With automatic transmission vehicles, always keep your foot on the brake pedal
while stopped with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator
pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
●With automatic transmission vehicles, do not let the vehicle roll backwards while
the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering perfor-
mance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the trunk is closed.
Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause driver drowsiness and eventu-
ally, death. Have the cause of the problem inspected immediately.
●Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to P, R or N (automatic trans-
mission vehicles) or R (manual transmission vehicles) while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can cause significant damage to the transmission system and may result
in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause the engine brake to not operate properly and lead to an
accident.
●Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The brake booster system will not operate properly if the engine is not running.
●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 effec-
tiveness. (P. 1 0 2 )
●When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing an accident.
●Be careful when driving on slippery surfaces, as the vehicle may spin or skid when
downshifting, rapidly accelerating, braking or turning.
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside
rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents that may
result in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their bodies are
not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not a AWD vehicle designed for real off-road driving. Proceed with all due
caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.

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2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, damage the
engine or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
■When shifting the shift lever
With automatic transmission vehicles, be careful not to shift the shift lever with the
accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P (vehicles with an automatic transmission
only) or N the vehicle may accelerate suddenly and unexpectedly, and may cause
an accident.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and
check that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.
●With automatic transmission vehicles, always keep a foot on the brake pedal
while the engine is running to prevent an accident caused by the vehicle moving.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehi-
cle 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 plastic
material of eye 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 com-
ponents.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P (vehicles with an auto-
matic transmission only), stop the engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the engine is running or immediately after
turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

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2-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●With manual transmission vehicles, do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal while
driving.
Doing so may cause clutch trouble.
●With manual transmission vehicles, do not use any gears other than the first gear
when starting off and moving forward.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
●With automatic transmission vehicles, do not use the accelerator pedal or
depress accelerator and brake pedals together to hold the vehicle on a hill.
●With manual transmission vehicles, do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle when
stopping on an uphill grade.
■When parking the vehicle
With automatic transmission vehicles, always put the shift lever in P. Failure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accel-
erator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for a long
time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damag-
ing the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.

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2-1. Driving procedures
Starting the engine
Modes can be switched by pressing the engine switch when carrying the
electronic key on your person. (The engine can be started in any mode by
operating the switch at the same time as depressing the brake pedal or
clutch pedal.)
■Changing engine switch mode
OFF mode
ACC mode
Some electrical components
such as the audio system can be
used.
IG-ON mode
All electrical components can
be used.
■Starting the engine
Automatic transmission
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Sit in the driver’s seat and firmly depress the brake pedal.
The engine switch indicator turns green.
Press the engine switch.
Manual transmission
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in N.
Firmly depress the clutch pedal.
The engine switch indicator turns green.
Press the engine switch.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Automatic Transmission (if equipped)
Select a shift position appropriate for the driving conditions.
■Shifting the shift lever
While the engine switch
is in IG-ON mode,
depress the brake pedal
and move the shift lever.

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Gear position display when driving in S mode
The current gear is displayed on the multi-information display. (P. 1 2 1 )
■Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer (in the S mode)
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting operation may some-
times be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting may not be possible even
when the shift lever or shift paddle switch is operated. (The warning buzzer will
sound twice.)
■When driving with the cruise control system or dynamic radar cruise control sys-
tem
The engine brake will not operate in the S mode, even when downshifting to 5 or 4.
(P. 130, 133)
■SNOW mode automatic deactivation
SNOW mode is automatically deactivated if the engine switch is turned off after
driving in SNOW mode.
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
P. 3 6 7
■If the indicator does not come on even after shifting the shift lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in the automatic transmission system. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
(In this situation, the vehicle will operate as if the shift lever is in D.)
■AI-SHIFT
The AI-SHIFT automatically shifts the gear to the optimal position according to the
driver performance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the shift lever is in the D position. (Shift-
ing the shift lever to the S position cancels the function.)