towing Lexus IS300 2005 Basic Functions / LEXUS 2005 IS300 OWNER'S MANUAL (OM53489U)

OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
11 6
SV16090
CAUTION
Do not use the rear center seat belt with either buckle
released. Fastening only the shoulder belt or lap belt
may cause severe personal injury in case of sudden
braking or a collision.
Stowing the rear center seat belt
SV16105
1To stow the rear center seat belt, line the concave end tab
upon the round end tab.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
241
5. Release
the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the
accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in the 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.
When the lever is in ª3º position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear for the running
conditions such as hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
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 ª(c) Using engine brakingº.
(b) Driving in M mode
If the change lever is shifted to M position, the shift range
position can be switched over between 5 and 2 using the
shift switch on the steering wheel instead of operating the
change lever. The first shift range position is on 5 when
the change lever is shifted to M position.
SV31024

1ªMº position
When the selector lever is put in the ªMº position, the M MODE
indicator is shown on the instrument cluster.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
244
3Shift into the ª2º position. The transmission will downshift
to second gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes
lower than the speed listed below and stronger engine
braking than that of ª3º position will be obtained.
4Shift into the ªLº position. The transmission will downshift
to first gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower
than the speed listed below and maximum engine braking
will be enabled.
ª4º 177 km/h (110 mph)
ª3º 123 km/h (76 mph)
ª2º 81 km/h (51 mph)
ªLº 17 km/h (11 mph)
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface. The
abrupt change in engine speed could cause the vehicle
to skid or spin.
(d) Using the ª3º, ª2º and ªLº positions
The ª3º, ª2º and ªLº positions are used for strong eng\
ine
braking as described previously.
With the selector lever in ª3º, ª2º or ªLº, you can start t\
he vehicle
in motion as with the lever in ªDº.
With the selector lever in ª3º or ª2º, the vehicle will star\
t in the
first gear and automatically shift to third or second gear.
With the selector lever in ªLº, the transmission is engaged in
the first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to over±rev the engine. Watch the tachometer to keep engine rpm from going into thered zone. The approximate maximum allowablespeed for each position is given below for yourreference:
ª3º 124 km/h (78 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ª2º 81 km/h (51 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ªLº 52 km/h (33 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long
time in the ª3º, ª2º or ªLº position. This may causesevere automatic transmission damage from
overheating. To prevent such damage, ª4º positionshould be used in hill climbing or hard towing.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
248
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going faster than the maxi-mum allowable speed for the next lower gear.
Good driving practice
 If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put the transmission in
neutral, release the clutch pedal momentarily, and then try again.
 When towing a trailer, in order to maintain engine braking
efficiency, do not use fifth gear.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface.
Abrupt shifting could cause the vehicle to skid or spin.
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped before
shifting into reverse.
ELECTRONIC CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION
(Vehicle with automatic transmission only)
SV31039

1Power position 2Normal position
The electronic controlled system has 2 modes: Normal
and Power modes.
Normal mode: For ordinary driving, Lexus recommends that
you use the normal mode to improve fuel economy.
Power mode: For more powerful acceleration and sporty
driving.
In the power mode, the ªECT PWRº light in the instrument
cluster is on and the transmission is shifted up at higher vehicle
speeds and shifted down more responsively than in the normal
mode.
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SECTION 3 ± 2
267
STARTING AND DRIVING
Driving tips
Break±in period268
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Operation in foreign countries 268
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Tips for driving in various conditions s 269
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Winter driving tips 270
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Dinghy towing 272
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Trailer towing 272
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How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer 273
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Vehicle load limits 274
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Cargo and luggage 275
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DRIVING TIPS
272
DINGHY TOWING
SV32002a
Your vehicle is not designed to be dinghy towed (with four
wheels on the ground) behind a motorhome.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle with four wheels on the ground.This may cause serious damage to your vehicle.
TRAILER TOWING
SV32001
Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your
vehicle. It is not designed for trailer towing.
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DRIVING TIPS
274
Keep your vehicle tuned±up and in top shape. A dirty air
cleaner, improper valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil and
grease, brakes not adjusted, etc. all lower engine
performance and contribute to poor fuel economy. For
longer life of all parts and lower operating costs, keep all
maintenance work on schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your vehicle receives more
frequent maintenance. (For scheduled maintenance
information, please refer to the ªOwner's Manual Supplement / Scheduled Maintenanceº.)
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast down hills. Your
power steering and brake booster will not function
without the engine running. Also, the emission control
system operates properly only when the engine is
running.
VEHICLE LOAD LIMITS
Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating
capacity, towing capacity and cargo capacity. Follow the
load limits shown below.
Total load capacity: 390 kg (860 lb.)
Total load capacity means combined weight of
occupants, cargo and luggage. Tongue load is included
when trailer towing.
Seating capacity: Total 5 (Front 2, Rear 3)
Seating capacity means the maximum number of
occupants whose estimated average weight is 68 kg
(150 lb.) per person. Depending on the weight of each
person, the seating capacity given may exceed the total
load capacity.
NOTICE
Even if the number of occupants are within the seating capacity, do not exceed the total load
capacity.
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DRIVING TIPS
275
Towing capacity
Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your
vehicle. Your vehicle is not designed for trailer towing.
Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending on
the size (weight) and the number of occupants. For
details, see ªCapacity and distributionº that follows.
CAUTION
Do not apply the load more than each load limit.
That may cause not only damage to the tires, but
also deterioration to the steering ability and
braking ability, which may cause an accident.
CARGO AND LUGGAGE
Stowage precautions
When stowing cargo and luggage in the vehicle,
observe the following:
 Put cargo and luggage in the trunk or luggage
compartment when at all possible. Be sure all items are secured in place.
 Be careful to keep the vehicle level. Placing the weight
as far forward as possible helps maintain vehicle
balance.
 For better fuel economy, do not carry unnecessary
weight.
CAUTION
To prevent cargo and luggage from sliding
forward during braking, do not stack anything
in the trunk or luggage compartment. Keep
cargo and luggage low, as close to the floor as
possible.
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DRIVING TIPS
277
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your
vehicle. Your vehicle is not designed for trailer towing.Example on your vehicle
32SA03
 1Cargo capacity 2Total load capacity
In case that 2 people with the combined weight of 166 kg
(366 lb.) are riding in your vehicle with the total load
capacity of 390 kg (860 lb.), the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity will be as follows:
390 kg ± 166 kg = 224 kg.
(860 lb. ± 366 lb. = 494 lb.)
From this condition, if 3 more passengers with the
combined
weight of 176 kg (388 lb.) get on, the available
cargo and luggage load will be reduced as follows:
224 kg ± 176 kg = 48 kg.
(494 lb. ± 388 lb. = 106 lb.)
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IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
298
IF YOUR VEHICLE BECOMESSTUCK
If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,
then you may attempt to rock the vehicle free by moving
it forward and backward.
Your vehicle is equipped with the traction control system,
turn off the system to become unstuck to allow the tires
to spin enough to remove the vehicle from the
obstruction. (For details, see ªTraction control systemº
on page 252 or 255.)
CAUTION
Do not attempt to rock the vehicle free by moving it
forward and backward if people or objects are anywhere
near the vehicle. During the rocking operation the
vehicle may suddenly move forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury or damage to nearby
people or objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the following precautions to prevent damage to the transmission and
other parts.
Do not depress the accelerator pedal while shifting the selector lever or before the transmission iscompletely shifted to forward or reverse gear.
Do not race the engine and avoid spinning thewheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck after rocking the vehicleseveral times, consider other ways such as towing.
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