brakes lexus LFA 2012 Technical Information / LEXUS 2012 LFA OWNERS MANUAL (OM77006U)

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2-1. Driving procedures
■Engine speed restrictions
The following restrictions exist for engine protection:
●The engine speed is limited to 7400 rpm if the total mileage shown on the
odometer is less than 310 miles (500 km).
●The engine speed is limited when the engine is not sufficiently warmed-up, such
as immediately after the engine is started or during the engine warm-up period.
The variable red zone shows the maximum engine speed currently available.
(  P. 1 1 9 )
●The engine speed is limited to 4400 rpm for approximately 8 minutes when the
engine is started with the coolant temperature at 5 F (-15 C) or lower.
●The engine speed may be limited when either the coolant temperature gauge
or oil temperature gauge is flashing.
■Idling with five cylinders
To improve fuel consumption, the engine may idle at a reduced speed using five cyl-
inders on one side of the engine whil e stopped or immediately before stopping
when 1st gear is selected in AUTO driving mode. During this time, “5 cylinders
idling” will be displayed on the meter an d vibration or a change in engine sound
may occur. This is normal and does not indicate a malfunction.
■ASG (Automated Sequential Gearbox) operating sounds
 P. 1 1 0
■Braking sound
●As the LFA uses CCM (Carbon Ceramic Material) brake discs with high-fric-
tion pads, it may be possible to hear the sound of the brakes operating (such as
a rubbing or squealing sound). This is normal and does not indicate a malfunc-
tion.
●The sound of a motor operating may be heard after the engine is stopped. This
does not indicate a malfunction.
■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 driving at high speeds on wet surfaces such as on an expressway in
the rain, as the LFA is fitted with wide-t read tires that may increase the risk of
hydroplaning.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■When parking the vehicle
P. 1 1 0
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P. 3 6 0 )
CAUTION
■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 accelerato r pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may le ad to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your bo dy 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. This allows you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the rear hatch 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.
●Do not select Neutral while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause insufficient engine braking, resulting in an accident.
●Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The power steering system will not operate properly if the engine is not running.
●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.

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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.

166
2-4. Using other driving systems
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following systems oper-
ate automatically in response to various driving situations. Be aware, however,
that these systems are supplementary and should not be relied upon too
heavily when operating the vehicle.
■ ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the br akes are applied suddenly, or if the
brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface.
■ Brake assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed when the system de tects a panic stop situation.
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces.
■ TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the drive wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads.
■Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the vehicle’s rolling backward distance when starting on an
incline or slippery slope.
■EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn the
steering wheel.
■VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management)
Provides integrated control of the ABS, brake assist, VSC, TRAC, and hill-
start assist control systems.
Helps to maintain vehicle stability when swerving on slippery road surfaces
by controlling the brakes and engine output.
When switched to SPORT driving mode, the control characteristics of the
VDIM system are altered.
■ Active rear wing
 P. 1 7 1

169
2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
CAUTION
■The ABS does not operate effectively when
●Tires with inadequate gripping ability are used.
●The vehicle hydroplanes while driving at high speed on wet or slick roads.
■Stopping distance when the ABS is operating will exceed that of normal condi-
tions
The ABS is not designed to shorten the vehicle’s stopping distance. Always main-
tain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you in the following situations:
●When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
●When driving over bumps in the road
●When driving over roads with potholes or roads with uneven surfaces
■TRAC may not operate effectively in some conditions
Directional control and power may not be ac hievable while driving on slippery road
surfaces, even if the TRAC system is operating.
Do not drive the vehicle in conditions where stability and power may be lost.
■Hill-start assist control does not operate effectively in some conditions
Do not overly rely on the hill-start assist co ntrol. The hill-start assist control may not
operate effectively depending on the grad e of incline and on roads covered with
ice.
■If the slip indicator flashes while driving
The slip indicator flashes to indicate that ABS, VSC, TRAC or hill-start assist con-
trol is operating. Always drive carefully. Reckless driving may cause an accident.
Exercise particular care when the indicator light flashes.
■When the VSC/TRAC systems are turned off
Be especially careful and drive at a speed appropriate to the road conditions. As
these are the systems to help ensure vehicl e stability and driving force by automati-
cally controlling the brakes and engine ou tput, do not turn the VSC/TRAC systems
off unless necessary.

180
2-5. Driving information
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before driving the
vehicle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropriate to the pre-
vailing weather conditions.
■ Pre-winter preparations
●Use fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside tempera-
tures.
• Engine coolant
• Washer fluid
● Have the vehicle fitted with four snow tires.
Ensure that all tires are the specified size and the same brand.
■Before driving the vehicle
Perform the following according to the driving conditions.
● Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is frozen.
Pour warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice. Wipe away
the water immediately to prevent it from freezing.
● To ensure proper operation of the climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents in front
of the windshield.
● Remove any ice that has accumu lated on the vehicle chassis.
● Periodically check for and remove any excess ice or snow that may
have accumulated in the wheel well or on the brakes.
■ When driving the vehicle
Accelerate the vehicle slowly and driv e at a reduced speed suitable to
road conditions.

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4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal • The accelerator pedal should move
smoothly (without uneven pedal
effort or catching).
Brake pedal • Does the brake pedal move
smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appro- priate clearance from the floor?
( P. 3 6 4 )
• Does the brake pedal have the cor- rect amount of free play?
( P. 3 6 4 )
Brakes • The vehicle should not pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel
spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too close to the floor when the brakes
are applied.
Indicators/buzzers • Do the indicators and buzzers
function properly?
Lights • Do all the lights come on?
Pa r k i n g b r a ke • When parked on a slope and the
parking brake is on, is the vehicle
securely stopped?
Seat belts • Do the seat belts operate
smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be dam- aged.

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to parts of the drive train, as well as dangerous
handling characteristics, which may lead to an accident resulting in death or serious
injury.
●Do not mix tires of different makes, models or tread patterns.
Also, do not mix tires of remarkably different treadwear.
●Do not use tire sizes other th an those recommended by Lexus.
●Do not mix summer, all season and snow tires.
●Do not use tires that have been used on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not know how they were used previously.
■To avoid burns
Do not touch the wheels or the area around the brakes immediately after the vehi-
cle has been driven, as they will be extremely hot.
■When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not operate the tire pressure warning re set switch without first adjusting the tire
inflation pressure to the specified level. Otherwise, the tire pressure warning light
may not come on even if the tire inflation pressure is low, or it may come on when
the tire inflation pressure is actually normal.

5
When trouble arises
303
5-1. Essential information
If your vehicle needs to be towed
If towing is necessary, we recommend having your vehicle towed and loaded/
unloaded by your Lexus dealer or a commercial towing service, using a flat-
bed truck.
Use a safety chain system for all towing, and abide by all state/provincial and
local laws.
Before towing
The following may indicate a problem with your transmission. Contact
your Lexus dealer before towing.
● The engine is running but the vehicle will not move.
● The vehicle makes an abnormal sound.
Emergency towing
If a flatbed truck is not available, in
an emergency your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or
chain secured to the emergency
towing eyelet. This should only be
attempted on hard, surfaced roads
for short distances at low speeds.
A driver must be in the vehicle to
steer and operate the brakes. The
vehicle’s wheels, drive train, axles,
steering and brakes must be in
good condition.