Automatic Lexus IS250 2011 Owner's Guide

95
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
IS350/250_UIn certain types of severe frontal or side impacts, the SRS airbag system
triggers the airbag inflators. A chemical reaction in the inflators quickly
fills the airbags with non-toxic gas to help restrain the motion of the occu-
pants.
■SRS warning light
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sensors,
side and curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies, curtain shield airbag sensor
assemblies, driver's seat position sensor, driver's seat belt buckle switch, seat belt
pretensioner assemblies, inflators, interconnecting wiring and power sources.
(
→ P. 4 6 2 )
■If the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
●Bruising and slight abrasions may result from contact with a deploying (inflating)
SRS airbag.
●A loud noise and white powder will be emitted.
●Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel, airbag cover and inflator) as well as
the front seats, and parts of the front pillar, rear pillar and roof side rail, may be
hot for several minutes. The airbag itself may also be hot.
●The windshield may crack.
●For Safety Connect subscribers, if the SRS airbags deploy or in the event of a
severe rear-end collision, the system is designed to send an emergency call to
the response center, notifying them of the vehicle’s location (without needing to
push the “SOS” button) and an agent will attempt to speak with the occupants
to ascertain the level of emergency and assistance required. If the occupants
are unable to communicate, the agent automatically treats the call as an emer-
gency and helps to dispatch the necessary emergency services. ( →P. 360)

When driving2
123
IS350/250_U
2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle.................. 124
Engine (ignition) switch ......... 134
Automatic transmission ........ 139
Manual transmission .............. 145
Turn signal lever ....................... 147
Parking brake ........................... 148
Horn ............................................ 150
2-2. Instrument cluster Gauges and meters ................. 151
Indicators and warning lights ......................................... 157
Multi-information display ..... 160
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
Headlight switch...................... 165
Fog light switch ........................ 168
Windshield wipers and washer ..................................... 169
Headlight cleaner switch....... 174 2-4. Using other driving
systems
Cruise control........................... 175
Intuitive parking assist ............ 179
Driving assist systems ............ 185
2-5. Driving information Cargo and luggage ................. 191
Vehicle load limits ................... 194
Winter driving tips .................. 195
Trailer towing ........................... 199
Dinghy towing (vehicles with an
automatic transmission).... 200
Dinghy towing (vehicles with a
manual transmission) .......... 201

124
IS350/250_U
2-1. Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving.
■Starting the engine ( →P. 134)
■ Driving
Automatic transmission
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. (→P. 1 3 9 )
Release the parking brake. ( →P. 1 4 8 )
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
Manual transmission
While depressing the clutch pedal, shift the shift lever into 1. (→P. 145)
Release the parking brake. ( →P. 1 4 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, depress 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 3 9 )
Manual transmission
While depressing the clutch pedal, depress 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 4 5 )
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP1
STEP2

125
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
IS350/250_U
Starting on a steep uphillAutomatic 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, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. (→ P. 1 4 8 )
Shift the shift lever to P. (→ P. 1 3 9 )
Press the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on
your person.
Manual transmission
While depressing the clutch pedal, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. (→P. 1 4 8 )
Shift the shift lever into N. (→ P. 145)
Press the “ENGINE START STOP” 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

126
2-1. Driving procedures
IS350/250_U
■Starting off on a hill (vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Hill-start assist control will operate. (→P. 1 8 5 )
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be especially
slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■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.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake sys-
tem needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer perform the bed-
ding down.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( →P. 511)

127
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
IS350/250_U
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 willresult in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals prop-
erly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, resulting in an acci-
dent.
●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.
●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 an accident, resulting in death or a serious health hazard. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
●With automatic transmission vehicles, do not shift the shift lever to P while the
vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.

128
2-1. Driving procedures
IS350/250_U
CAUTION
●Do not shift the shift lever to D (vehicles with an automatic transmission) or 1
(vehicles with a manual transmission) while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the engine
from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is selected.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. 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.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop
the vehicle in the normal way: →P. 5 0 6
●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 4 0 )
●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.
●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.
●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.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do
not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability
tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and
possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on
your vehicle are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.

129
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
IS350/250_U
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-shifting
or down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from
functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in an accident.
■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, in order to prevent accidents due to the
vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing the brake pedal while the engine is
running, and apply the parking brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely
apply the parking brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause the
exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible material is
nearby.

132
2-1. Driving procedures
IS350/250_U
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving.
If the brake pedal is depressed while driving with the accelerator pedal
depressed, driving torque may be restrained.With automatic transmission vehicles
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals
together to hold the vehicle on a hill.With manual transmission vehicles
●Do not rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving.
Doing so may cause clutch trouble.
●Do not use any gear other than the first gear when starting off and moving for-
ward.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
●Do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle when stopping on an uphill grade.
Doing so may damage the clutch.
■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.

134
2-1. Driving procedures
IS350/250_U
Engine (ignition) switch
Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic key on
your person starts the engine or changes “ENGINE START STOP” switch
modes.
■ 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 START STOP” switch indicator turns green.
Press the “ENGINE START
STOP” 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 START STOP”
switch mode.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4