warning lexus LFA 2012 Technical Information / LEXUS 2012 LFA (OM77006U) User Guide

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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■Passenger occupant classification system precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the passenger occupant classification
system.
Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury.
●Wear the seat belt properly.
●Make sure the passenger’s seat belt tab has not been left inserted into the buckle
before someone sits in the passenger seat.
●Do not apply a heavy load to the passenger seat or equipment.
●Do not put objects under the passenger seat.
●Keep the passenger seatback as upright as possible when the vehicle is moving.
Reclining the seatback excessively may le ssen the effectiveness of the seat belt
system.
●If an adult sits in the passenger seat, the “AIR BAG ON” indicator light should illu-
minated. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator is illuminated, ask the passenger to sit
up straight, well back in the seat, feet on the floor, and with the seat belt worn cor-
rectly. If the “AIR BAG OFF” indicator still remains illuminated, ask the passenger
to move the passenger seat fully rearward.
●If a child restraint system needs to be installed, install a forward facing child
restraint system on the passenge r seat in the proper manner. (P. 8 0 )
●Do not modify or remove the seats.
●Do not kick the passenger seat or subject it to severe impact. Otherwise, the SRS
warning light may come on to indicate a malfunction of the detection system. In
this case, contact your Lexus dealer immediately.
●Do not use a seat accessory, such as a cushion or seat cover, that covers the seat
cushion surface.
●Do not modify or replace the upholstery of the seat.

When driving2
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2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle................... 88
Ignition switch ........................... 98
ASG (Automated Sequential Gearbox) .......... 102
Turn signal lever ........................ 112
Parking brake ............................ 113
Horn ............................................. 115
2-2. Instrument cluster Gauges and meters ................. 116
Indicators and warning lights .......................................... 121
Using the menu........................ 124
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
Headlight switch...................... 158
Windshield wipers and washer ..................................... 160 2-4. Using other driving
systems
Rear view monitor system .... 163
Driving assist systems ............ 166
Active rear wing ........................ 171
Launch control.......................... 174
2-5. Driving information Cargo and luggage ................. 176
Vehicle load limits .................... 179
Winter driving tips .................. 180
Trailer towing ........................... 182
Dinghy towing .......................... 183

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2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not adjust the positions 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, resulting
in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all occupants’ arms, heads and other body parts are not out-
side the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steer ing 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
and down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a pudd le, 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 operating the paddle shift switches/reverse selector switch
Do not operate the paddle shift switches or reverse selector switch with the accel-
erator pedal depressed and Neutral selected.
Doing so may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause
an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■If a brake pad wear warning message is displayed
Have your Lexus dealer check and replac e the brake pads as soon as possible.
The disc damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Moderate levels of the brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced braking power. As
a result, the discs may wear more quickly than conventional brake discs. Therefore,
when replacing the brake pads, Lexus recommends that you also have the thick-
ness 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.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. 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 system 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 vehicle inspected and repaired by your Lexus dealer. Failure to do so
may allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicl e, resulting in death or a serious health
hazard.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. If you take a nap with the engine on, you may acciden-
tally depress the accelerator and an accident or fire may occur due to engine over-
heating. In addition, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases
may enter the vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking the vehicle
●Be especially careful if the brakes are wet, such as when driving on wet or snowy
roads or immediately after washing the vehicle. When the brakes are wet, their
efficiency may be reduced and the vehicle may brake unevenly to the left or right.
The efficiency of the parking brake may also be reduced.
●The brake system consists of 3 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the systems
fails, the others will still operate. In th is case, the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual and the braking distance will increase. If this happens, do
not continue to drive the vehicle. If the brake system warning light (red indicator)
comes on together with the buzzer sound while driving, immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and contact your Lexus dealer.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■When the gear indicator flashes
This indicates that gear shifting did not complete properly after the paddle shift
switches were operated.
Operate the paddle shift switches again. If the indicator does not return to normal
after a while, contact your Lexus dealer.
■Buzzer that sounds when the paddle shift switches are operated
In certain situations where gear shifting with the paddle shift switches is rejected, a
buzzer may sound twice.
■Reverse warning buzzer
A warning buzzer sounds to notify the driver when Reverse is selected.
■Reverse selector switch operation
Always make sure that the vehicle is completely stopped before selecting Reverse.
If the vehicle is in motion, Reverse may not be selected even if the reverse selector
switch is operated.
■Notes on switching driving modes
●When pressing the AUTO driving mode button, always release the accelerator
pedal. It may not be possible to select AUTO driving mode if the accelerator
pedal is depressed.
●When the driving mode is changed to AUTO driving mode, a gear shift may be
automatically performed according to driving conditions.
■Automatic cancelation of driving modes
When the engine is stopped, the currentl y selected driving mode will be canceled
and AUTO driving mode will be selected automatically.

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Shift speed
●When the driving mode is changed, the shift speed levels will be set as follows:
●Shift shock increases as the shift speed becomes faster.
■When parking the vehicle
There is no P (Park) setting for the ASG. When parking the vehicle, set the parking
brake, select 1st gear or Reverse, and ch eck that the gear indicator shows “D1”, “1”
or “R” before stopping the engine.
●Approximately one second after the engine is stopped, the vehicle will enter a
parked gear state.
If the vehicle fails to enter a parked gear state, a buzzer sounds and the gear
indicator flashes. Select Neutral and then follow the same procedure again.
●Make sure to stop the engine. Opening the driver’s door without first stopping
the engine will cause a warning to sound and Neutral to be automatically
selected after 5 seconds. Even if the driver’s door is not opened, a warning will
sound and Neutral will be automatically selected after 90 seconds.
■ASG operating sounds
●Even when the engine is stopped, operating sounds of the electric oil pump may
be heard. This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.
●As the drive train of the LFA is designed to be especially responsive to acceler-
ator pedal operation, a sound may be heard from the transaxle when driving at
low engine speeds. This does not indicate a malfunction.
■Customization that can be configured at your Lexus dealer
The sound pattern of the reverse warning buzzer can be changed.
(Customizable features P. 383)
Driving modeDefault levelAdjustable range
AUTO 2 
SPORT 5 1  7
NORMAL 3
WET 1

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2-1. Driving procedures
■When there is a malfunction in the system
Warning lights and/or warning messages will turn on or flash. (P. 325, 327)
Depending on the condition, the parking brake indicator light may flash.
NOTICE
■When parking the vehicle
Before you leave the vehicle, set the parking brake, select 1st gear or Reverse, and
stop the engine. 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. 3 4 5 )
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake components over-
heating, which may affect braking performance and increase brake wear.

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2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
Speedometer
Tachometer
Gear indicator (P. 1 0 4 )
Driving mode indicator ( P. 1 0 4 )
Trip information display
Displays trip meter, fuel economy and other driving information ( P. 118)
Odometer
Engine oil temperature gauge
Displays the engine oil temperature. If the engine oil temperature becomes
284 F (140 C) or higher, a buzzer will sound and this display will flash.
( P. 313)
Clock ( P. 1 4 8 )
Engine oil pressure gauge
Displays the pressure of the engine oil in the engine. If the oil pressure drops,
a buzzer will sound and a warning message will be displayed. ( P. 3 2 4 )
Fuel gauge
Displays remaining fuel quantity an d reminds the driver to refuel. (P. 3 1 5 )
Outside temperature display
Engine coolant temperature gauge
Displays engine coolant temperature. If the engine coolant temperature
exceeds 244 F (118 C), a buzzer will sound and this display will flash.
( P. 313)
Menu
Allows driver to set various functions and check vehicle status. ( P. 1 2 4 )
Displays warning messages in case of a malfunction. ( P. 3 2 2 )

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2-2. Instrument cluster
■Outside temperature display
●The temperature display shows temperatures within the range of -40F (-40C)
and 122 F (50C).
●In the following situations, the correct outside temperature may not be dis-
played, or the display may take longer than normal to change:
• When the vehicle is stopped, or moving at low speeds (less than 15 mph [25
km/h])
• When the outside temperature has chan ged suddenly (at the entrance/exit of
a garage, tunnel, etc.)
●When “--” or “E” is displayed, the system may be malfunctioning. Take your vehi-
cle to your Lexus dealer.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the engine and its components
●Do not let the indicator needle of the tachometer enter the red zone.
●The following may indicate that the engine is overheating. Immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place.
• The display on the engine coolant temperature gauge flashes. (
P. 3 5 1 )
• The display on the engine oil temperature gauge flashes. (
P. 313)
●In the following situations, the engine may be malfunctioning. Immediately stop
the vehicle in a safe place and contact your Lexus dealer.
• The oil pressure gauge display does not show an increase even if the acceler-
ator pedal is depressed.
• The “Engine oil pressure low” warning message is displayed.

121
2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
Indicators and warning lights
The indicators and warning lights on the instrument cluster and center panel
inform the driver of the status of the vehicle’s various systems.
Instrument cluster
The units used on the gauges and meters may differ depending on the destina-
tion.
Center panel