engine lexus LFA 2012 Technical Information / LEXUS 2012 LFA (OM77006U) Owner's Manual

101
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not press the accelera-
tor pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution when driving
Do not turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK” position while driving. An accident
may result if the engine is stopped while driving.
If you must turn the engine off while the vehicle is moving (due to an emergency),
turn the ignition switch on ly to the “ACC” position. (P. 355)
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the ignition switch in the “A CC” or “ON” position for long periods of
time 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.

108
2-1. Driving procedures
■Starting off control
The ASG does not have the creep function of a conventional automatic transmis-
sion. The vehicle can be driven by selecting 1st gear or Reverse and depressing the
accelerator pedal.
■Maximum speed for each gear
To avoid over-revving the engine, do not exceed the maximum speed for each gear
as shown below.
mph (km/h)
*: Always observe the legal speed limit when driving on public roads.
■Gear shift control
To ensure safety and driving performance, the following restrictions exist:
●Gear shifting with the paddle shift swit ches may not be possible under certain
driving conditions.
●Even while driving with a gear manually selected in SPORT, NORMAL, or
WET driving mode, the gears may change automatically under certain driving
conditions.
●If the paddle shift switches are operated repeatedly in a short space of time, a
temporary restriction of gear shifting may be activated. In this case, “Transmis-
sion pump overheat Shift rejected” will be displayed on the meter. ( P. 3 2 7 )
●Gear shifting with the paddle shift swit ches may not be possible when the trans-
mission fluid temperature is low. In this case, “Transmission temp low Shift
restricted” will be disp layed on the meter. (P. 3 2 7 )
GearMaximum speed*
151 (83)
276 (123)
3103 (167) 4135 (218)
5172 (277)

109
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.

110
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

111
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■Driving on slippery roads
Do not suddenly accelerate or change gears. Sudden changes in engine braking
force may cause the vehicle to skid sideways or spin, resulting in an accident.
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
While the engine is stopped, do not op erate the paddle shift switches, reverse
selector switch, driving mode selector sw itch or shift speed selector repeatedly.

114
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.

117
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 )

119
2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
■Average vehicle speed
■ Driving range
Displays the average vehicle speed since
the engine was started or the function was
reset.
The function can be reset by pressing up or
down on the control pad for longer than
one second when the average vehicle
speed is displayed.
Displays the estimated maximum distance
that can be driven with the quantity of fuel
remaining.
This distance is computed based on your
average fuel consumption. As a result, the
actual distance that can be driven may dif-
fer from that displayed.
When only a small amou nt of fuel is added
to the tank, the display may not be updated.
■Va r i a b l e r e d z o n e
■Engine coolant and engine oil temperature displays
In congested traffic, the engine coolant and engine oil displays may show a higher
than usual temperature. This is not a ma lfunction. If temperatures are abnormal,
these displays will flash.
To help protect the engine, the red zone of
the tachometer starts at different engine
speeds ranging from 4400 rpm to 9000
rpm depending on the engine coolant tem-
perature.

120
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.

122
2-2. Instrument cluster
■Indicators
The indicators inform the driver of th e operating state of the vehicle’s
various systems.
*1: These lights turn on when the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position to indicate that a system check is being performed. They will turn off after the
engine is started, or after a few seconds. There may be a malfunction in a sys-
tem if a light does not come on, or if th e lights do not turn off. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
*2: The light flashes to indicate that the system is operating. Turn signal indicator
(
P. 1 1 2 ) Slip indicator (
P. 1 6 7 )
(U.S.A.)
Headlight indicator
( P. 1 5 8 ) VSC off indicator
(
 P. 1 6 7 )
(Canada)
Tail light indicator
( P. 1 5 8 ) “TRAC OFF” indicator
(
P. 1 6 7 )
Headlight high beam indi-
cator ( P. 1 5 8 )
(U.S.A.)
Parking brake indicator
( P. 1 1 3 )
SRS airbag on/off indica-
tor ( P. 7 2 )
(Canada)
Parking brake indicator
( P. 1 1 3 )
*1, 2
*1
*1