LEXUS IS250C 2013 Owners Manual

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●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.
●Do not shift the shift lever to D 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 5 0
●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 5 2 )
●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 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.

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2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehi cle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-shifting
or down-shifting, may cause the vehicl e 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 on ly one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be af fected, resulting in an accident.
■When shifting the shift lever
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.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping no ise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have your Lexus dealer check and replac e the brake pads as soon as possible.
The rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Front brake only: Moderate levels of the brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced
front braking power. As a result, the disc s may wear more quickly than conventional
brake discs. Therefore, when replacing the brake pads, Lexus recommends that you
also have the thickness of the discs measured.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
those of the brake discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P 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 no t enter the vehicle interior.
●In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the en gine is running, and apply the parking
brake as necessary.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●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.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarett e lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehi-
cle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following.
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic material of eye glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of
the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle's electrical com-
ponents.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine and lock
the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattend ed while the engine is running.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the engine is running or immediately after
turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
●Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it is
snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is running,
exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehi cle. This may lead to death or a seri-
ous health hazard.

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2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO) that is colorless and odor-
less. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated ar ea, stop the engine. In a closed area, such
as a garage, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead to
death or a serious health hazard.
●The exhaust should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or crack caused by
corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be sure to have the vehi-
cle inspected and repaired by your Lexus dealer. Failure to do so may allow
exhaust gases to enter the vehicle, result ing in death or a serious health hazard.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, which could cause an accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust
gases may collect and enter th e vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking the vehicle
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and may cause one side of
the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also the parking brake may
not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid downhills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but it will require more force on the pedal than
usual. Braking distance may also increase.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems: if one of the systems
fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual and braking distance becomes longer.
Do not drive your vehicle with only a single brake system. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving,
as this may restrain driving torque.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals
together to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
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 an
extended period of 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.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually press the brak e pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( P. 515)

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2-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle.
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to
have your Lexus dealer check the following.
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil an d fluid used for the engine, transmission,
differential, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspension joints (where
possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
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
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

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Changing “ENGINE START STOP” switch mode
Modes can be changed by pressing the “ENGINE START STOP”
switch with the brake pedal releas ed. (The mode changes each time
the switch is pressed.)
OFF*
Emergency flashers can be
used.
ACCESSORY mode
Some electrical components
such as the audio system can be
used.
The “ENGINE START STOP”
switch indicator turns amber.
IGNITION ON mode
All electrical components can
be used.
The “ENGINE START STOP”
switch indicator turns amber.
*: If the shift lever is in a positionother than P when turning off
the engine, the “ENGINE
START STOP” switch will be
turned to ACCESSORY mode,
not to OFF.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■If the engine does not start
The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. (P. 9 8 )
■When the steering lock cannot be released
■When the “ENGINE START STOP” switch indicator flashes in amber
The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus
dealer immediately.
■Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode for more than 20 minutes with the shift
lever in P, the “ENGINE START STOP” switch will automatically turn OFF.
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P. 3 8
■When the electronic key battery is fully discharged
P. 4 4 9
■Conditions affecting operation
P. 3 6
■Note for the entry function
P. 3 9
The “ENGINE START STOP” switch indica-
tor will flash in green and a message will be
shown on the multi-information display. Press
the “ENGINE START STOP” switch again
while turning the steering wheel left and right.

150
2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not press the accelera-
tor while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an em ergency while driving the vehicle, press and
hold the “ENGINE START STOP” switch fo r more than 2 seconds, or press it
briefly 3 times or more in succession. ( P. 5 5 0 )
However, do not touch the “ENGINE START STOP” switch while driving except in
an emergency. Turning the engine off while driving will not cause loss of steering or
braking control, but the power assist to thes e 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.
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the “ENGINE START STOP” switch in ACCESSORY or IGNITION
ON mode for long periods without the engine running.
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have the engine
checked immediately.