towing Lexus IS250 2014 User Guide

1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. In order to avoid acci-
dent, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when towing:
■Checking connections between trailer and lights
Stop the vehicle and check the operation of the connection between the
trailer and lights after driving for a brief period as well as before starting off.
■Practicing driving with a coupled trailer
●Get the feel for turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer coupled by
practicing in an area with no or light traffic.
●When reversing with a coupled trailer, hold the section of the steering
wheel nearest to you and rotate clockwise to turn the trailer left or counter-
clockwise to turn it right. Always rotate a little at a time to prevent steering
error. Have someone guide you when reversing to lessen the risk of an
accident.
■Increasing vehicle-to-vehicle distance
At a speed of 10 km/h (6 mph), the distance to the vehicle running ahead of
you should be equivalent to or greater than the combined length of your vehi-
cle and trailer. Avoid sudden braking that may cause skidding. Otherwise, the
vehicle may spin out of control. This is especially true when driving on wet or
slippery road surfaces.
■Sudden acceleration/steering input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing may result in the trailer colliding with your
vehicle. Decelerate well in advance when approaching turns and take them
slowly and carefully to avoid sudden braking.
■Important points regarding turning
The wheels of the trailer will travel closer to the inside of the curve than the
wheels of the vehicle. To make allowance for this, take the turns wider than you
would normally do.
Guidance

1904-1. Before driving
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
■Important points regarding stability
Vehicle movement resulting from uneven road surfaces and strong cross-
winds will affect handling. The vehicle may also be rocked by passing buses or
large trucks. Frequently check behind when moving alongside such vehicles.
As soon as such vehicle movement occurs, immediately start to decelerate
smoothly by slowly applying the brakes. Always steer the vehicle straight
ahead while braking.
■Passing other vehicles
Consider the total combined length of your vehicle and trailer and ensure that
the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is sufficient before executing lane changes.
■Transmission information
To maintain engine braking efficiency, when using engine braking when driv-
ing on a long steep downward grade, do not use the transmission in D. The
vehicle must be driven in gear shift position “4” in M mode. (→P. 2 0 0 )
■If the engine overheats
Towing a loaded trailer up a long, steep incline in temperatures exceeding
30°C (85°F) may result in the engine overheating. If the engine coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is overheating, turn the air condition-
ing off immediately, leave the road and stop the vehicle in a safe place.
(→P. 5 3 1 )
■When parking the vehicle
Always place wheel chocks under the wheels of both the vehicle and trailer.
Firmly set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to P.

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
CAUTION
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not tow a trailer when the compact spare tire is installed on your vehicle.
●Do not tow the vehicle when the tire installed is repaired with the emergency tire
puncture repair kit.
■Vehicle speed in towing
Observe the legal maximum speeds for trailer towing.
■Before descending hills or long declines
Reduce speed and downshift. However, never downshift suddenly while descending
steep or long downhill grades.
■Operation of the brake pedal
Do not hold the brake pedal depressed often or for long periods of time.
Doing so may result in the brake overheating or reduce braking effects.
NOTICE
■For vehicles with an emergency tire puncture repair kit (if equipped)
Do not tow anything if a tire that has been repaired using the emergency tire puncture
repair kit is installed. The load on the tire may cause unexpected damage to the tire.

2284-5. Using the driving support systems
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
CAUTION
■To avoid operating the cruise control by mistake
Switch the cruise control off using the “ON/OFF” button when not in use.
■Situations unsuitable for cruise control
Do not use cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in loss of control and could cause an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.
●In heavy traffic
●On roads with sharp bends
●On winding roads
●On slippery roads, such as those covered with rain, ice or snow
●On steep hills
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a steep hill.
●When your vehicle is towing a trailer or during emergency towing

2394-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
CAUTION
■Before using dynamic radar cruise control
Do not overly rely on vehicle-to-vehicle distance control.
Be aware of the set speed. If automatic deceleration/acceleration is not appropriate,
adjust the vehicle speed, as well as the distance between your vehicle and vehicles
ahead by applying the brakes etc.
■Cautions regarding the driving assist systems
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
●Assisting the driver to measure following distance
The dynamic radar cruise control is only intended to help the driver in determining
the following distance between the driver’s own vehicle and a designated vehicle
traveling ahead. It is not a mechanism that allows careless or inattentive driving, and it
is not a system that can assist the driver in low-visibility conditions. It is still necessary
for driver to pay close attention to the vehicle’s surroundings.
●Assisting the driver to judge proper following distance
The dynamic radar cruise control determines whether the following distance
between the driver’s own vehicle and a designated vehicle traveling ahead is appro-
priate or not. It is not capable of making any other type of judgement. Therefore, it is
absolutely necessary for the driver to remain vigilant and to determine whether or not
there is a possibility of danger in any given situation.
●Assisting the driver to operate the vehicle
The dynamic radar cruise control has no capability to prevent or avoid a collision with
a vehicle traveling ahead. Therefore, if there is ever any danger, the driver must take
immediate and direct control of the vehicle and act appropriately in order to ensure
the safety of all involved.
■To avoid inadvertent cruise control activation
Switch the cruise control off using the “ON/OFF” button when not in use.
■Situations unsuitable for dynamic radar cruise control
Do not use dynamic radar cruise control in any of the following situations.
Doing so may result in inappropriate speed control and could cause an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
●In heavy traffic
●On roads with sharp bends
●On winding roads
●On slippery roads, such as those covered with rain, ice or snow
●On steep downhills, or where there are sudden changes between sharp up and down
gradients
Vehicle speed may exceed the set speed when driving down a steep hill.
●At entrances to expressways
●When weather conditions are bad enough that they may prevent the sensors from
functioning correctly (fog, snow, sandstorm, heavy rain, etc.)
●When an approach warning buzzer is heard often
●When your vehicle is towing a trailer or during emergency towing

2524-5. Using the driving support systems
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
■Sensor detection information
●The sensor’s detection areas are limited to the areas around the vehicle’s front corner
and rear bumpers.
●Certain vehicle conditions and the surrounding environment may affect the ability of
the sensor to correctly detect obstacles. Particular instances where this may occur are
listed below.
• There is dirt, snow or ice on the sensor. (Wiping the sensors will resolve this prob-
lem.)
• The sensor is frozen. (Thawing the area will resolve this problem.)
In especially cold weather, if a sensor is frozen the screen may show an abnormal
display, or obstacles may not be detected.
• The sensor is covered in any way.
• The vehicle is leaning considerably to one side.
• On an extremely bumpy road, on an incline, on gravel, or on grass.
• The vicinity of the vehicle is noisy due to vehicle horns, motorcycle engines, air
brakes of large vehicles, or other loud noises producing ultrasonic waves.
• There is another vehicle equipped with parking assist sensors in the vicinity.
• The sensor is coated with a sheet of spray or heavy rain.
• The vehicle is equipped with a fender pole or wireless antenna.
• Towing eyelets are installed.
• The bumper or sensor receives a strong impact.
• The vehicle is approaching a tall or curved curb.
• In harsh sunlight or intense cold weather.
• The area directly under the bumpers is not detected.
• If obstacles draw too close to the sensor.
• A non-genuine Lexus suspension (lowered suspension etc.) is installed.
• People may not be detected if they are wearing certain types of clothing.
In addition to the examples above, there are instances in which, because of their shape,
signs and other objects may be judged by the sensor to be closer than they are.
●The shape of the obstacle may prevent the sensor from detecting it. Pay particular
attention to the following obstacles:
• Wires, fences, ropes, etc.
• Cotton, snow and other materials that absorb sound waves
• Sharply-angled objects
• Low obstacles
• Tall obstacles with upper sections projecting outwards in the direction of your vehi-
cle
●The following situations may occur during use.
• Depending on the shape of the obstacle and other factors, the detection distance
may shorten, or detection may be impossible.
• Obstacles may not be detected if they are too close to the sensor.
• There will be a short delay between obstacle detection and display. Even at slow
speeds, there is a possibility that the obstacle will come within the sensor’s detection
areas before the display is shown and the warning beep sounds.
• Thin posts or objects lower than the sensor may not be detected when approached,
even if they have been detected once.
• It might be difficult to hear beeps due to the volume of the audio system or air flow
noise of the air conditioning system.
■If a message is displayed on the multi-information display
→P. 4 8 4

2844-5. Using the driving support systems
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
■The Blind Spot Monitor function is operational when
●The BSM main switch is set to on
●Vehicle speed is greater than approximately 16 km/h (10 mph).
■The Blind Spot Monitor function will detect a vehicle when
●A vehicle in an adjacent lane overtakes your vehicle.
●Another vehicle enters the detection area when it changes lanes.
■Conditions under which the Blind Spot Monitor function will not detect a vehicle
The Blind Spot Monitor function is not designed to detect the following types of vehicles
and/or objects:
●Small motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians etc.*
●Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction
●Guardrails, walls, signs, parked vehicles and similar stationary objects*
●Following vehicles that are in the same lane*
●Vehicles driving 2 lanes across from your vehicle*
*
: Depending on conditions, detection of a vehicle and/or object may occur.
■Conditions under which the Blind Spot Monitor function may not function correctly
●The Blind Spot Monitor function may not detect vehicles correctly in the following con-
ditions:
• During bad weather such as heavy rain, fog, snow etc.
• When ice or mud etc. is attached to the rear bumper
• When driving on a road surface that is wet due to rain, standing water etc.
• When there is a significant difference in speed between your vehicle and the vehicle
that enters the detection area
• When a vehicle is in the detection area from a stop and remains in the detection
area as your vehicle accelerates
• When driving up or down consecutive steep inclines, such as hills, a dip in the road
etc.
• When multiple vehicles approach with only a small gap between each vehicle
• When vehicle lanes are wide, and the vehicle in the next lane is too far away from
your vehicle
• When the vehicle that enters the detection area is traveling at about the same speed
as your vehicle
• When there is a significant difference in height between your vehicle and the vehicle
that enters the detection area
• Directly after the BSM main switch is set to on
• When your vehicle is towing a trailer
●Instances of the Blind Spot Monitor function unnecessarily detecting a vehicle and/ or
object may increase under the following conditions:
• When there is only a short distance between your vehicle and a guardrail, wall etc.
• When there is only a short distance between your vehicle and a following vehicle
• When vehicle lanes are narrow and a vehicle driving 2 lanes across from your vehi-
cle enters the detection area
• When items such as a bicycle carrier are installed on the rear of the vehicle

2874-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
■Conditions under which the Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function will not detect a vehi-
cle
The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function is not designed to detect the following types of
vehicles and/or objects.
●Small motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians etc.*
●Vehicles approaching from directly behind
●Guardrails, walls, signs, parked vehicles and similar stationary objects*
●Vehicles moving away from your vehicle
●Vehicles approaching from the parking spaces next to your vehicle*
●Vehicles backing up in the parking space next to your vehicle
*: Depending on conditions, detection of a vehicle and/or object may occur.
■Conditions under which the Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function may not function cor-
rectly
The Rear Crossing Traffic Alert function may not detect vehicles correctly in the follow-
ing conditions:
●During bad weather such as heavy rain, fog, snow etc.
●When ice or mud etc. is attached to the rear bumper
●When multiple vehicles approach continuously
●Shallow angle parking
●When a vehicle is approaching at high speed
●When parking on a steep incline, such as hills, a dip in the road etc.
●Directly after the BSM main switch is set to on
●When your vehicle is towing a trailer
●Directly after the engine is started with the BSM main switch on
●Vehicles that the sensors cannot detect
because of obstacles

3946-3. Using the storage features
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
CAUTION
●Do not place anything other than cups or aluminum cans in the cup holders and bot-
tle in the bottle holders. Other items may be thrown out of the holders in the event of
an accident or sudden braking, causing injury.
●To prevent burns, cover hot drinks when placed in the cup holders.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the rear cup holder, stow the cup holder before stowing the arm-
rest.

4197-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
■Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near the
low level mark, add engine oil of the
same type as that already in the
engine.
Make sure to check the oil type and prepare the items needed before adding
oil.
Remove the oil filler cap by turning it counterclockwise.
Add engine oil slowly, checking the dipstick.
Install the oil filler cap by turning it clockwise.
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will be consumed while driving. In the following situations,
oil consumption may increase, and engine oil may need to be refilled in between oil
maintenance intervals.
●When the engine is new, for example directly after purchasing the vehicle or after
replacing the engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inappropriate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine speeds or with a heavy load, when towing, or when driving
while accelerating or decelerating frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for a long time, or when driving frequently through
heavy traffic
Engine oil selection→P. 5 4 1
Oil quantity (Low → Full) 1.5 L (1.6 qt., 1.3 Imp. qt.)
Items Clean funnel
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2
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