ECO mode Lexus HS250h 2012 User Guide

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1-7. Theft deterrent system
HS250h_U_75050U
■System maintenance
The vehicle has a maintenance-free type alarm system.
■Items to check before locking the vehicle
To prevent unexpected triggering of the alarm and vehicle theft, make sure of the
following:
●Nobody is in the vehicle.
●The windows and moon roof are closed before the alarm is set.
●No valuables or other personal items are left in the vehicle.
■Deactivating or stopping the alarm
Do one of the following to de activate or stop the alarms:
● Unlock the doors or trunk.
● Turn the “POWER” switch to ACCESSORY or ON mode, or
start the hybrid system. (The alarm will be deactivated or stopped
after a few seconds.)

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2-1. Driving procedures
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■For efficient use
●Select the D position when driving.
In the N position, the gasoline engine operates but electricity cannot be gener-
ated. The hybrid battery (traction battery) will discharge, requiring unnecessary
engine power to recharge.
●Drive your vehicle smoothly.
Avoid abrupt acceleration and deceleration. Gradual acceleration and decel-
eration will make more effective use of the electric motor (traction motor) with-
out having to use gasoline engine power.
●Avoid repeated acceleration.
Repeated acceleration consumes hybrid battery (traction battery) power,
resulting in poor acceleration. Battery power can be restored by driving with
the accelerator pedal slightly released.
●Select the P position when parking.
In the N position, the hybrid battery (traction battery) does not recharge.
Leaving the N position selected for an extended period of time may discharge
the hybrid battery. The vehicle cannot run if the hybrid battery is discharged.
■Eco-friendly driving
■Customization
Settings for Eco Driving Indicator Light can be changed.
(Customizable features →P. 5 8 4 ) During Eco-friendly acceleration (Eco driv-
ing), Eco Driving Indicator Light will turn on.
When the accelerator pedal is depressed
excessively, and when the vehicle is stopped,
the light turns off.
Eco Driving Indicator Light will not operate in
the following conditions:
●The shift position is anything other than D.
●The driving mode is set to power mode or
EV drive mode. (
→P. 1 5 7 ,
162)
●The vehicle speed is approximately 80
mph (130 km/h) or higher.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
HS250h_U_75050U
■Operation of the “POWER” switch
●When operating the “POWER” switch, one short, firm press is enough. If the
switch is pressed improperly, the hybrid system may not start or the “POWER”
switch mode may not change. It is not necessary to press and hold the switch.
●If attempting to restart the hybrid system immediately after turning the
“POWER” switch off, the hybrid system may not start in some cases. After turn-
ing the “POWER” switch off, please wait a few seconds before restarting the
hybrid system.
■Automatic P position selection function
●When the shift position is in a position other than P, pressing the “POWER”
switch with the vehicle stopped completely will cause the shift position to
change to P automatically, and then the “POWER” switch will turn off.
●When turning the “POWER” switch off from a position other than P, firmly
depress the brake pedal and confirm that the shift position* has changed to P
before slowly releasing the brake pedal.
*: Even after the instrument panel display has been turned off, the shift positionindicator will continue to be displayed for several seconds.
●If the P position control system malfunctions, the “POWER” switch will not be
able to be turned off. In such a case, the switch can be turned off by applying the
parking brake.
When the system malfunctions, immediately have your vehicle serviced by your
Lexus dealer.

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2-1. Driving procedures
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CAUTION
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hybrid system while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the hybrid system under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the hybrid system in an emergency
If you want to stop the hybrid system in an emergency while driving the vehicle,
press and hold the “POWER” switch for more than 3 seconds.
However, do not touch the “POWER” switch while driving except in an emergency.
Turning the hybrid system 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 diffi-
cult to steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is
safe to do so.
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery discharge
●Do not leave the “POWER” switch in ACCESSORY or ON mode for long peri-
ods of time without the hybrid system on.
●If the hybrid system is off, but the indicator on the “POWER” switch is illuminated,
this indicates that the “POWER” switch is still turned on. When exiting the vehi-
cle, always check that the “POWER” switch is off.
■When starting the hybrid system
Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction with the “POWER” switch
If the “POWER” switch seems to be operating somewhat differently than usual,
such as the switch sticking slightly, there may be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer immediately.

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2-1. Driving procedures
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■Situations in which EV drive mode cannot be turned on
It may not be possible to turn EV drive mode on in the following situations. If it can-
not be turned on, a buzzer will sound and a message will be shown on the multi-
information display.
●Vehicle speed is about 19mph (30km/h) or more.
●The hybrid battery (traction battery) is low.
In general, the remaining battery level indicated in the “Energy Monitor” display
is level 3 or lower. (→P. 3 5 )
● The temperature of the hybrid system is high.
The vehicle has been left in the sun, driven on a hill, driven at high speeds, etc.
●The gasoline engine is warming up.
●The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly or the vehicle is on a hill etc.
●The windshield defogger is in use.
■Switching to EV drive mode when the gasoline engine is cold
If the hybrid system is started while the gasoline engine is cold, the gasoline engine
will start automatically after a short period of time in order to warm up. In this case,
you will become unable to switch to EV drive mode.
After the hybrid system has started and the “READY” indicator has illuminated,
press the EV drive mode switch before the gasoline engine starts to switch to EV
drive mode.
■Automatic cancellation of EV drive mode
When driving in EV drive mode, the gasoline engine may automatically restart in
the following situations. When EV drive mode is canceled, a buzzer will sound and
the EV drive mode indicator will flash and go off.
●The hybrid battery (traction battery) becomes low.
In general, the remaining battery level indicated in the “Energy Monitor” display
is level 2 or lower. ( →P. 3 5 )
●Vehicle speed becomes more than about 19 mph (30 km/h).
●The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly or the vehicle is on a hill etc.
■ Possible driving distance wh en driving in EV drive mode
In EV drive mode, it is possible to drive up to about several hundred yards if driving
at a speed of about 19 mph (30 km/h) or less. (The distance that is possible
depends on the hybrid battery [traction battery] level and driving conditions.)

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
HS250h_U_75050U
■Fuel economy
HS250h is designed to achieve the best possible fuel economy during normal driv-
ing (using the gasoline engine and electric motor [traction motor]). Driving in EV
drive mode more than necessary may lower fuel economy.
CAUTION
■Caution while driving
When driving in EV drive mode, pay special attention to the area around the vehi-
cle. Because there is no engine noise, pedestrians, people riding bicycles or other
people and vehicles in the area may not be aware of the vehicle starting off or
approaching them, so take extra care while driving.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
HS250h_U_75050U
■Shift position purpose
*: For good fuel economy and noise redu ction, the D position should usually
be used.
■ P position switch
The shift position can be changed to P through use of the P position
switch.
Fully stop the vehicle and keep
depressing the brake pedal, and
then press the P position switch.
When the shift position is
changed to P, the switch indica-
tor comes on.
Check that the P position indi-
cator is illuminated on the shift
position indicator.
●Changing the shift position from P to other positions:
• While depressing the brake pedal firmly, operate the shift lever. If the
shift lever is operated without depressing the brake pedal, the buzzer
will sound and the shifting operation will be disabled.
• The shift position cannot be changed from P to B directly.
Shift positionFunction
PParking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*
BApplying moderate engine braking when driving down
hills or on steep slopes

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2-1. Driving procedures
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■Selecting a driving mode
The following modes can be sele cted to suit driving conditions:
Eco drive mode
Suitable for improving the fuel
economy, because the torque
corresponding to the accelera-
tor pedal depression amount
can be generated more
smoothly than it is in normal
conditions and the operation of
the air conditioning system
(heating/cooling) will be mini-
mized.
When the “ECO MODE”
switch is pressed, the “ECO
MODE” indicator comes on in
the meter.
Po w e r m o d e
Suitable when the vehicle needs
to drive powerfully or travels in
mountainous areas.
When the “PWR MODE”
switch is pressed, the “PWR
MODE” indicator comes on in
the meter.

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2-1. Driving procedures
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■About engine braking
When shift position B is selected, releasing the accelerator pedal will apply engine
braking.
• When the vehicle is driven at high speeds, compared to ordinary gasoline-fueled vehicles, the engine braking deceleration is felt less than that of other
vehicles.
• The vehicle can be accelerated even when shift position B is selected.
If the vehicle is driven continuously in the B position, fuel efficiency will become low.
Usually, select the D position.
■Using air conditioning in Eco drive mode
The Eco drive mode controls heating/cooling and fan speed operation to improve
fuel consumption. When you want to improve the effectiveness of the air condition-
ing system, adjust the fan speed or cancel the Eco drive mode.
For more information, refer to the “Navigation System Owner’s Manual”.
■Power mode automatic deactivation
Power mode is automatically deactivated if the “POWER” switch is turned off after
driving in power mode.
■Customization
Settings (e.g. Reverse warning buzzer) can be changed.
(Customizable features →P. 5 8 4 )
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Do not accelerate or change the shift position suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may cause the vehicle to spin or skid, resulting in
an accident.
■For the shift lever
Do not hang anything on the shift lever.
Doing so could prevent the shift lever fr om returning to position, causing unex-
pected accidents to occur when the vehicle is in motion.

174
2-2. Instrument cluster
HS250h_U_75050U
■Indicators
The indicators inform the driver of the operating state of the vehi-
cle’s various systems.
Turn signal indicator
(→ P. 166)“ECO MODE” indicator
(→ P. 1 6 2 )
(U.S.A.)
Headlight indicator
(→ P. 191)“PWR MODE” indicator
(→ P. 1 6 2 )
(Canada)
Tail light indicator
(→ P. 1 9 1 )Cruise control indicator
(→ P. 212, 216)
Headlight high beam
indicator ( →P. 1 9 3 )
(if equipped)
Radar cruise control
indicator (→ P. 2 1 6 )
(if equipped)
Automatic High Beam
indicator (→P. 1 9 6 )
(if equipped)
“LKA” indicator
(→ P. 2 3 1 )
Front fog light indicator
(→ P. 202)“SET” indicator
(→ P. 212, 216)
“READY” indicator
(→ P. 1 5 2 )
(if equipped)
Intuitive parking assist
indicator (Refer to
“Navigation System
Owner’s Manual”.)
EV drive mode indicator
(→ P. 1 5 7 )
(if equipped)
“AFS OFF” indicator
(→ P. 1 9 3 )
Eco Driving Indicator
Light ( →P. 1 4 4 )Slip indicator
(→ P. 2 3 9 , 2 4 3 )
*1
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