brake light LEXUS LS430 2005 Owner's Manual

STARTING AND DRIVING
347
The vehicle
−to− vehicle distance is always set to “Long” when
the ignition switch is turned on.
CAUTION
 Select the vehicletovehicle distance
considering traffic conditions. The approximate
vehicletovehicle distance based on time
interval when driving at 88 km/h (55 mph) is
shown below :
“Long” about 75 m (about 245 ft.) . . . . . . . .
“Middle” about 50 m (about 165 ft.) . . . . . .
“Short” about 30 m (about 100 ft.) . . . . . . .
If the vehicle speed is slower than 88 km/h (55 mph),
the distance will be shorter than the above.
 During long downhill driving, the vehicletovehicle
distance will be shorter than the selected distance.
(e) Braking control
Dynamic radar/laser cruise control is not a collision avoidance
system. If an approach warning is activated, depress the brake
pedal to decelerate to ensure an appropriate
vehicle −to−vehicle distance.
31L177
 1
Under the vehicletovehicle distance control
2Braking activated
Braking control is operating only when the vehicle −to− vehicle
distance control mode is selected and your vehicle speed
exceeds about 40 km/h (25 mph).
If you are getting closer to the vehicle ahead at relatively higher
speed than those of the vehicle ahead or if engine braking
cannot be applied properly, braking control is automatically
activated. The multi− information display changes as shown in
the illustration and the stop/tail lights on your vehicle and on the
vehicle on the display come on.

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357
(b) Setting operation
31L637
Each function is described below.
1
Setting the desired speed
The transmission must be in “D”, “6” (sixth range), “5”\
(fifth
range) or “4” (fourth range) before you set the cruise control
speed in the conventional cruise control mode of the dynamic
radar/laser cruise control.
After bringing the vehicle to the desired speed, press the
control lever downward in the “– SET” direction and release it.
This sets the vehicle at that speed and the multi −information
display shows the preset speed. At this time, you may take
your foot off the accelerator pedal. If you need to accelerate
− for example, when passing − depress the accelerator pedal
enough for the vehicle to exceed the preset speed. When you
release the accelerator pedal, the vehicle will return to the
speed set prior to acceleration. You cannot set a desired speed if the master warning light
comes
on, the warning tone sounds and the multi− information
display indicates a warning message such as “Check Cruise
System”. If this messages appears on the display, see
“Conventional cruise control mode failure warning” on page
359.
If you turn off the “ON−OFF” button while the warning message
is displayed, the warning message turns off and the
multi−information display switches to another screen. When
you turn the “ON −OFF” button on again, the warning message
comes back on the display. If no warning message appears on
the display, the setting can be made.
You can change the dynamic radar/laser cruise control screen
to another screen even while the warning message is
displayed.
2 Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by doing any of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever in the ”CANCEL” direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
c. Pushing the “ON −OFF” button at the end of the cruise
control lever.
If cancelled by a. or b., the multi −information displays shows
nothing and the conventional cruise control enters the ready
mode.
If cancelled by c., the “CRUISE” indicator light goes off in the
instrument panel and the multi −information display shows
“CRUISE OFF”. In this case, the preset speed data is cleared,
and you must set the speed from the beginning.

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359
4Resetting to a slower speed
Press the c ontrol lever downward in the “– SET” direction and
hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained.
While the lever is held downward, the vehicle speed will
gradually decrease.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can be
lowered 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever downward in the “– SET” direction quickly within 0.6
seconds.
A quicker way to reset the preset speed is to depress the brake
pedal and then press the control lever downward in the “– SET”
direction.
Even if you downshift the transmission from the “D” or “6” (\
sixth
range) to “5” (fifth range), or from “D” or “5” (f\
ifth range) to “4”
(fourth range) in the conventional cruise control mode, engine
braking will not be applied because this mode is not cancelled.
To slow down, reset the cruise control to a slower speed with
the cruise control lever or depress the brake pedal. If you use
the brake pedal, cruise control is cancelled. 5 Resuming the preset speed
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling the control lever, by
depressing the brake pedal or vehicle stability control
activation, pushing the lever up in the “+ RES” direction will
restore the speed set prior to cancellation. However, once the
vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset
speed will not be resumed.
(c) Conventional cruise control mode failure warning
w281
If the system malfunction is detected when the
conventional cruise control mode is in the ready mode or
operating, the master warning light comes on, a warning
tone sounds and the above message appears.
If this message appears, push the “ON −OFF” button to turn the
system off and then push it again to turn it on. If the setting still
cannot be made or the same message appears again, the
system might have malfunctioned. Although it is no problem
to continue driving, contact your Lexus dealer.

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TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
The traction control system automatically helps prevent
the spinning of rear wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition switch is turned to “ON”, the system
automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road conditions, full traction of
the vehicle and power against rear wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction control system is
in operation. Do not drive the vehicle under any speed
or maneuvering conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. In situations where the
road surface is covered with ice or snow, your vehicle
should be fitted with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious speed for the
present road conditions.
31L138a
 Slip indicator light
Leave the system on during the ordinary driving so that it
can operate when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds just after the vehicle begins to move. This means that
the traction control system is in the self −check mode, but does
not indicate a malfunction.
When the traction control system is operating, the following
conditions occur:
 The system controls the spinning of the rear wheels. At this
time, the slip indicator light blinks.
 You may feel vibration or noise in your vehicle, caused by
operation of the brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition switch is turned to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.

STARTING AND DRIVING
364
“Check VSC” warning message
31L337a
If the vehicle stability control system or the traction
control system malfunctions, the master warning light
and “TRAC OFF” indicator light come on. At this time a
warning tone sounds and the above message appears.
If the message appears, the vehicle stability control system
and traction control system do not work. Although it is no
problem to continue driving, have your vehicle checked by
your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROLSYSTEM
The vehicle stability control system helps provide
comprehensive control of the systems such as antilock
brake system, traction control, engine control, etc. This
system automatically controls the brakes and engine to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding when cornering on
a slippery road surface or operating steering wheel
abruptly.
This system activates when the vehicle speed is about more
than 15 km/h (9 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds just after the vehicle begins to move. This means that
the system is in the self −check mode, but does not indicate a
malfunction.

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“Check VSC” warning message
31L337a
If the vehicle stability control system or the traction
control system malfunctions, the master warning light
and “TRAC OFF” indicator light come on. At this time a
warning tone sounds and the above message appears.
If the message appears, the vehicle stability control system
and traction control system do not work. Although it is no
problem to continue driving, have your vehicle checked by
your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
BRAKE SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake system is a hydraulic
system with two separate sub −systems. If either sub −system
should fail, the other will still work. However, the pedal will be
harder to press, and your stopping distance will increase. Also,
the brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a single brake
system. Have your brakes fixed immediately.
Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to power −assist the
brakes. If the engine should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal pedal pressure. There
is enough reserved vacuum for one or two stops but no more!
CAUTION
 Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the pedal uses up your reserved
vacuum.
 Even if the power assist is completely lost, the brakes
will still work. But you will have to push the pedal
hard, much harder than normal. And your braking
distance will increase.

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Antilock brake system is not designed to shorten the
stopping distance: Always drive at a moderate speed
and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of
you. Compared with vehicles without an antilock
brake system, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snowcovered roads.
 Driving with tire chains installed.
 Driving over the steps such as the joints on the road.
 Driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or
has other differences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at appropriate
pressure: The antilock brake system detects vehicle
speeds u sing the speed sensors for respective wheels’
turning speeds. The use of tires other than specified
may fail to detect the accurate turning speed resulting
in a longer stopping distance.“ABS” warning light
31L350
 1 U.S.A. 2Canada
The light comes on when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position. If the anti−lock brake system and the brake
assist system work properly, the light turns off after a few
seconds. Thereafter, if either of the systems malfunctions, the
light comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the anti −lock brake system, the brake
assist system, the traction control system and/or the vehicle
stability control system do/does not operate, but the brake
system still operates conventionally.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the anti− lock brake system does not
operate so that the wheels could lock up during a sudden
braking or braking on slippery road surfaces.

STARTING AND DRIVING
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If any of the following conditions occurs, this indicates a
malfunction
somewhere in the components monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your Lexus dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.
 The light does not come on when the ignition switch is
turned to the “ON” position, or remains on.
 The light comes on while you are driving.
A warning light turning on briefly during operation does not
indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the “ABS” warning light remains on together with the
brake system warning light, immediately stop your
vehicle at a safe place and contact your Lexus dealer.
In this case, not only the antilock brake system will fail
but also the vehicle will become extremely unstable
during braking.
Drumindisc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum−in−disc type parking brake system.
This type of brake system needs bedding −down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking brake shoes
and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Lexus dealer perform the bedding −down.
Brake assist system
If you slam the brakes on such as in an emergency or
apply the brakes more firmly than usual such as when
descending the hill with the designated number of
occupants in the vehicle, the brake assist system
provides more powerful braking.
If you slam the brakes on or apply the brakes more firmly, more
powerful braking will be applied. At this time, you may hear a
sound in the engine compartment and feel the vibrations of the
brake pedal. This does not indicate a malfunction.
The brake assist system becomes operative after the vehicle
has accelerated to a speed in excess of approximately 10 km/h
(6 mph). It stops operating when the vehicle decelerates to a
speed below approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
For an explanation of this system’s warning light, see “ABS”
warning light on page 87 or 368.

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Tire pressure system warning message
w265
If there is a problem electrically in the tire pressure
warning system, the master warning light comes on, the
above message appears and a warning tone sounds. At
this time the multiinformation display indicates which
part causes an error.
Although it is no problem to continue driving with the above
message on the display, have your vehicle checked by your
Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
BRAKE PAD WEAR LIMITINDICATORS
13L338
 1Master warning light
2Brake pad wear warning message
When your brake pads are worn enough to require
replacement, the warning tone sounds, the master
warning light flashes and the brake pad wear warning
message in the multiinformation display appears.
If the warning message appears while driving, have the brake
pads checked and replaced by your nearest Lexus dealer
immediately.
Continuous driving without replacing the brake pads will cause
expensive rotor damage and increasing brake pedal effort to
get the same stopping distance.

DRIVING TIPS
382
BREAKIN PERIOD
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
You need not follow a break−in schedule with your new Lexus.
But following a few simple tips for the first 1600 km (1000 miles)
can add to the future economy and long life of your vehicle:
 Avoid full throttle acceleration when starting and driving.
 Avoid racing the engine.
 Try to avoid hard stops during the first 300 km (200 miles).
 Do not drive for a long time at any single speed, either fast
or slow.
 Do not tow a trailer during the first 800 km (500 miles).
OPERATION IN FOREIGN
COUNTRIES
If you plan to drive your Lexus in another country ...
First, comply with the vehicle registration laws.
Second, confirm the availability of the correct fuel (unleaded
and minimum octane rating).
TIPS FOR DRIVING IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds. This will allow you
much better control.
 Drive slowly onto curbs and, if possible, at a right angle.
Avoid driving onto high, sharp −edged objects and other
road hazards. Failure to do so can lead to severe tire
damage such as a tire burst.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps or travelling on a
bumpy road. Otherwise, the impact could cause severe
damage to the tires and/or wheels.
 When parking on a hill, turn the front wheels until they touch
the curb so that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the parking
brake, and place the transmission in “P”. If necessary, block
the wheels.
 Washing your vehicle or driving through deep water may get
the brakes wet. To see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you and then press the pedal lightly.
If you do not feel a normal braking force, the brakes are
probably wet. To dry them, drive the vehicle cautiously while
lightly pressing the brake pedal with the parking brake
applied. If they still do not work safel y, pull to the side of the
road and call a Lexus dealer for assistance.