brake Lexus GS350 2012 Owner's Guide

2084-1. Before driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
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 temperature gauge indicates that the engine is
overheating, turn the air conditioning off immediately, leave the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. (P. 829)
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.
CAUTION
To avoid accident or injury
Do not tow a trailer when the compact spare tire is installed on your vehi-
cle.
Do not tow the vehicle when the tire installed is repaired with the emer-
gency 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.

207
4 4-2. Driving procedures
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
Engine (ignition) switch
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
will be displayed on the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the engine cannot be started.
Press the engine switch.
The engine will crank until it starts
or for up to 30 seconds, whichever
is less.
Continue depressing the brake
pedal until the engine is com-
pletely started.
The engine can be started from any
engine switch mode.
Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic
key on your person starts the engine or changes engine switch
modes.
Starting the engine
1
2
3
4

2084-2. Driving procedures
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)Stop the vehicle.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Set the parking brake. (P. 225)
Press the engine switch.
Release the brake pedal and check that “POWER ON” on the
multi-information display is off.
Modes can be changed by pressing the engine switch with brake
pedal released. (The mode changes each time the switch is
pressed.)
Off*
The emergency flashers can be
used.
The multi-information display will
not be displayed.
ACCESSORY mode
Some electrical components such
as the audio system can be used.
“POWER ON” will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
IGNITION ON mode
All electrical components can be
used.
“POWER ON” will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
*: If the shift lever is in a position
other than P when turning off the
engine, the engine switch will be
Stopping the engine
Changing engine switch modes
1
2
3
4
5

2104-2. Driving procedures
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)If the engine is stopped with the shift lever in a position other than
P, the engine switch will not be turned off but instead be turned to
ACCESSORY mode. Perform the following procedure to turn the
switch off:
Check that the parking brake is set.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Check that “POWER ON” and “Turn Power OFF” are displayed
alternately on the multi-information display and then press the
engine switch once.
Check that “POWER ON” and “Turn Power OFF” on the multi-
information display are off.
When stopping the engine with the shift lever in a position
other than P
1
2
3
4

2134-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
CAUTION
When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the
doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the
steering lock in this circumstance may lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle,
press and hold the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly
3 times or more in succession. (P. 739)
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. Turning the engine off while driving will not cause loss of steering
or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost. This
will make it more difficult to steer and brake, so you should pull over and
stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.

2154-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
Automatic transmission
While the engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode, move the
shift lever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the vehi-
cle is completely stopped.
Shifting the shift lever

2254-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
Parking brake
Sets the parking brake
The parking brake indicator light
will come on. (P. 226)
Press and hold the parking brake
switch if an emergency occurs and
it is necessary to operate the park-
ing brake while driving.
Releases the parking brake
Operate the parking brake switch
while depressing the brake pedal.
Make sure that the parking brake
indicator light goes off.
A selections can be made as desired from the following modes.
Manual mode
1
2

2264-2. Driving procedures
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)The parking brake is set or released automatically according to shift
lever operation.
Turns automatic mode on/off
When the shift lever is moved
out of P, the parking brake will
be released.
When the shift lever is moved
into P, the parking brake will
be set.
Operate the shift lever with the
brake pedal depressed.
Parking brake operation
When the engine switch is not in IGNITION ON mode, the parking brake
cannot be released using the parking brake switch.
When the engine switch is not in IGNITION ON mode, automatic mode
(automatic brake setting and releasing) is not available.
If the parking brake is operated repeatedly over a short period of time, the
system may restrict operation to prevent overheating. If this happens,
refrain from operating the parking brake. Normal operation will return after
about 1 minute.
Parking brake operation sound
When the parking brake operates, a motor sound (whirring sound) may be
heard. This does not indicate a malfunction.
Parking brake indicator light
Depending on the engine switch mode, the parking brake indicator light
will come on and stay on as described below:
IGNITION ON mode: Comes on until the parking brake is released.
Not in IGNITION ON mode: Stays on for approximately 15 seconds.
When the engine switch is turned off with the parking brake set, the parking
brake indicator light will stay on for about 15 seconds. This does not indi-
cate a malfunction.
Automatic mode

227
4 4-2. Driving procedures
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
When there is a malfunction in the system
Warning lights and/or warning message will turn on or flash. (P. 749, 757)
Depending on the condition, the parking brake indicator light may flash.
Usage in winter time
P. 3 5 9
NOTICE
When parking the vehicle
Before you leave the vehicle, set the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P
and make sure that the vehicle does not move.
When the system malfunctions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and check the warning messages.
When the parking brake cannot be released due to a malfunction
Use the parking brake release tool to manually release the parking brake.
(P. 818)
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake compo-
nents overheating, which may affect braking performance and increase
brake wear.

2314-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
GS350/250_EE (OM30C36E)
Daytime running light system
To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers, the front position lights
turn on automatically whenever the engine is started and the parking brake is
released. Daytime running lights are not designed for use at night.
Headlight control sensor
Automatic light off system
When the light switch is in : The headlights turn off automatically if the
engine switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off.
When the light switch is in : The headlights and all lights turn off auto-
matically if the engine switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned
off.
To turn the lights on again, turn the engine switch to IGNITION ON mode,
or turn the light switch off once and then back to or .
If any of the doors or trunk lid is kept open, the lights automatically turn off
after 20 minutes.
Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer sounds when the engine switch is turned off or turned to ACCES-
SORY mode and the driver’s door is opened while the lights are turned on.
Automatic headlight leveling system
The level of the headlights is automatically adjusted according to the number
of passengers and the loading condition of the vehicle to ensure that the
headlights do not interfere with other road users. The sensor may not function properly if
an object is placed on the sensor, or any-
thing that blocks the sensor is affixed to
the windshield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor
detecting the level of ambient light and
may cause the automatic headlight system
to malfunction.