power switch LEXUS LS430 2005 Owner's Guide

STARTING AND DRIVING
307
(a) Normal driving
31L321a
 1“P” (Park) position 2“N” (Neutral) position
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the
engine” on page 304.
The transmission must be in “P” or “N” position. The engine wi\
ll
not start in any drive position even if the ignition switch is turned
to “START”.
31L322
 1 Power position 2Normal position
3Snow position
2. Set the driving pattern selector switch to the “Normal”
position.
Your transmission has a driving pattern selector switch which
allows you to select “Power”, “Normal” or “Snow” mode to suit\
your driving condition. For ordinary driving, Lexus
recommends that you use the “Normal” position to improve fuel
economy.
3. For more powerful acceleration and sporty driving, use
the “Power” position.
In the “Power” position, the “ECT PWR” light in the instrument
cluster is on and the transmission is shifted up at higher vehicle
speeds and shifted down more responsively than in the
“Normal” position.
For “Snow” mode, see “Electronic Throttle Control
System” on page 315.

STARTING AND DRIVING
313
(d) Backing up
31L324
 1Brake pedal 2“R” (Reverse) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
When the selector lever is shifted into the “R” position, the
outside rear view mirrors automatically down to help backing
up. For details, see “Power rear view mirror control” on page
231.
Vehicles with rear view monitor system: When the selector
lever is shifted into the “R” position with the ignition switch in\
the “ON” position, rear view monitor system will activate. For
instructions, see “Rear view monitor system” on page 323.

STARTING AND DRIVING
316In the power mode, the “ECT PWR” light in the instrument
cluster is on and the transmission is shifted up at higher vehicle
speeds and shifted down more responsively
than in the normal
mode.
To return to the normal mode, push the driving pattern selector
switch lightly on the “SNOW” side.
Snow mode: For slippery road surfaces such as in snow. In
this mode, the spinning of the rear wheels is controlled
appropriately.
When you push the driving pattern selector switch on the
“SNOW” side, the snow mode is turned on and the “ECT
SNOW” light in the instrument cluster comes on.
To return to the normal mode, push the driving pattern selector
switch on the “SNOW” side again.
When you turn the ignition switch off in the snow mode, the
mode automatically changes to the normal mode.
LEXUS PARK ASSIST SYSTEM
31L354b
 Sensors
The Lexus park assist system will help you to easily park
by detecting any obstacle around your vehicle with
ultrasonic sensors and informing you of the approximate
distance from the vehicle to the obstacle with the
indicators on the display and with beeping sounds.*
This system will operate at a vehicle speed of less than about
10 km/h (6 mph) with the selector lever in a position other than
“P”.
NOTE:
* The volume of the beeps can be changed.
Ask your Lexus dealer for details.

STARTING AND DRIVING
332To change to the vehicle
−to−vehicle distance control mode
from the conventional (fixed speed) cruise control mode, push
the lever in the “MODE” dire ction for longer than about 1
second.
CAUTION
In the conventional (fixed speed) cruise control mode,
a warning tone does not sound to warn you if you are too
close to the vehicle ahead, as neither the presence of
the vehicle ahead nor the vehicletovehicle distance is
detected. Pay special attention to the distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. Always confirm the
setting in the multiinformation display.
For the vehicle −to−vehicle distance control mode, see the
following description. For the conventional (fixed speed)
cruise control mode, see page 355.
Vehicletovehicle distance control mode
Dynamic radar cruise control—
The millimeter wave radar sensor in this system primarily
detects the reflected wave from the rear end of the vehicle
ahead of you to determine the presence of the vehicle
ahead as well as measuring the vehicletovehicle
distance. The detection range of the sensor is about 120
m (400 ft.) ahead.
When the dynamic radar cruise control is on, the driving
pattern (power, normal) of the automatic transmission is fixed
in the normal position, regardless of the position of the selector
switch.
CAUTION
The dynamic radar cruise control is not a
collisionavoidance system and will not prevent
accidents. The dynamic radar cruise control is a vehicle
speed control device that is intended for use only on
freeways or roads where the traffic is light or moderate.
To avoid serious injury, you must use caution and be
attentive to road and traffic conditions while using
dynamic radar cruise control.

STARTING AND DRIVING
333
Dynamic laser cruise control—
The laser radar sensor in this system primarily detects the
reflectors of the vehicle ahead of you to determine the
presence of the vehicle ahead as well as measuring the
vehicletovehicle distance. The detection range of the
sensor is about 120 m (400 ft.) ahead.
When
the dynamic laser cruise control is on, the driving pattern
(power, normal) of the automatic transmission is fixed in the
normal position, regardless of the position of the selector
switch.
CAUTION
The dynamic laser cruise control is not a
collisionavoidance system and will not prevent
accidents. The dynamic laser cruise control is a vehicle
speed control device that is intended for use only on
freeways or roads where the traffic is light or moderate.
To avoid serious injury, you must use caution and be
attentive to road and traffic conditions while using
dynamic laser cruise control.
(a) Dynamic radar/laser cruise control operations
31L360b
The dynamic radar/laser cruise control function operates
automatically and depending on whether a vehicle is
detected ahead may change the speed of your vehicle as
follows:

STARTING AND DRIVING
353
w280
If the system cannot easily measure the
vehicletovehicle distance because of the following
conditions while the dynamic radar/laser cruise control is
on, the above message appears.
Dynamic radar cruise control—
 The driving pattern selector switch is set to the “SNOW”
mode.
 It is determined that it is difficult to make a measurement
because of bad weather (such as extremely hot weather)
 The wipers are operated at high speed with the wiper lever
in the “AUTO” position
Dynamic laser cruise control—
 The driving pattern selector switch is set to the “SNOW”
mode.
 It is determined that it is difficult to make a measurement
because of bad weather (such as rainy, foggy, or snowy
weather)
 The wipers are operated at high or low speeds with the
wiper lever in the “AUTO” position.
 Direct sunlight from the front In the following
cases, the dynamic radar/laser cruise
control switches to the “RADAR READY” mode:
Dynamic radar cruise control—
 The driving pattern selector switch is changed to the
“normal” or “power” position.
 The wipers are stopped or are switched to low speed or
intermittent operation. (Including intermittent and stopped
wipers in the “AUTO” position)
In the above conditions, press the control lever upward in the
“+ RES” direction and release it. The dynamic radar cruise
control will be restored, however, even after the weather
clears, if the setting operation cannot be performed or if the
warning message still appears, the system might have
malfunctioned. Although it is no problem to continue driving,
contact your Lexus dealer.

STARTING AND DRIVING
354Dynamic laser cruise control—

The driving pattern selector switch is changed to the
“normal” or “power” position.
 The wipers are stopped or are switched to intermittent
operation. (Including intermittent and stopped wipers in the
“AUTO” position)
 No direct sunlight from the front
In the above conditions, press the control lever upward in the
“+ RES” direction and release it. The dynamic laser cruise
control will be restored, however, even after the weather
clears, if the setting operation cannot be performed or if the
warning message still appears, the system might have
malfunctioned. Although it is no problem to continue driving,
contact your Lexus dealer.
w281
If the system malfunction is detected when dynamic
radar/laser cruise control is in the “RADAR READY” mode
or operating, the above message appears.
If this message appears, stop your vehicle in a safe place, turn
the ignition off, and then restart it to reset the system. 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.
NOTICE
While you are cruising with the dynamic radar/laser
cruise control on, if the master warning light comes on,
the cruise indicator light flashes, “Check Cruise
System” appears on the multiinformation display and
the warning tone sounds, turn the ignition switch off
and then on again. If the function is cancelled again
after setting or if settings cannot be made, the dynamic
radar/laser cruise control system may be
malfunctioning. Although it is no problem to continue
driving, have your vehicle checked by your Lexus
dealer.

STARTING AND DRIVING
362
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
369
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.

STARTING AND DRIVING
374
PRECOLLISION SAFETY SYSTEM
(Vehicles with dynamic radar cruise control)
When the precollision safety system detects what it
perceives to be an unavoidable collision, the front seat
belts are quickly drawn back by the retractors
(precollision seat belts) and more powerful braking is
applied according to the amount of pedal depression to
help reduce injury to the occupants and damage to the
vehicle body. In addition, the electronically modulated air
suspension works to help regulate the vehicle not to pitch
forward so much.
Precollision sensor
The millimeter wave radar sensor detects vehicles or
objects near or on the road your vehicle is traveling and
determines the possibility of a collision based on the
object position, vehicle speeds and the course you are
traveling.
The pre −collision sensor will operate in the following
conditions:
 When the ignition switch is turned on.
 When the vehicle speed is about 5 km/h (3 mph) or over.
(The pre−collision safety system does not work with the
vehicle stopped.)
31L359a
 1
Millimeter wave grille cover
2Millimeter wave radar sensor
The millimeter wave radar sensor is installed in the front grille
of the hood.
The millimeter wave radar sensor cannot detect plastic objects
such as pylons, and may not detect people, animals, bicycles,
motor cycles, trees, snowbanks, etc. as objects with which
your vehicle may collide.