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Lexus GS350 (2020 year). Manual in english - page 13

208

4-2. Driving procedures

Automatic transmission

While the engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode, move the shift lever
with the brake pedal depressed.

When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the vehicle is com-

pletely stopped.

: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noises, set the shift lever in D for normal driving.

: Any gear range can be fixed when driving in M mode.

Shifting the shift lever

Shift position purpose

Shift position

Objective or function

Parking the vehicle/starting the engine

Reversing

Neutral (Condition in which the power is not transmitted)

Normal driving

M mode driving

(



P. 211)

209

4-2. Driving procedures

iving

■

Sport mode/Eco drive mode



P. 281

■

Snow mode

Snow mode can be selected to suit the conditions when driving on slippery
road surfaces, such as on snow.
Press the switch.

Press the switch again to return to

normal mode.

: Except F SPORT models of GS350,

and GS F

: F SPORT models of GS350

Selecting the driving mode

210

4-2. Driving procedures

To drive using temporary shift range selection, operate the “-” or “+” paddle shift
switch.
When the “-” paddle shift switch is operated, the shift range will be downshifted
to a range that enables engine braking force that is suitable to driving conditions.
When the “+” paddle shift switch is operated, the shift range will be one gear
upper than the gear in use during normal D position driving.
Changing the shift range allows restriction of the highest shift gear, preventing
unnecessary upshifting and enabling the level of engine braking force to be
selected.

Upshifting
Downshifting

6-speed models: The selected shift range, from D1 to D6, will be displayed in the

meter.
8-speed models: The selected shift range, from D1 to D8, will be displayed in the

meter.
To return to normal D position driving, the “+” paddle shift switch must be held down

for a period of time.

■

Shift ranges and their functions

A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking forces than a higher shift

range.

Selecting shift ranges in the D position



GS350



GS F

Meter display

Function

6-speed

models

8-speed

models

D2 - D6

D2 - D8

A gear in the range between 1 and the selected gear is

automatically chosen depending on vehicle speed and

driving conditions

Setting the gear at 1

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4-2. Driving procedures

iving

To enter M mode, shift the shift lever to M. Gears can then be selected by oper-
ating the shift lever or paddle shift switches, allowing you to drive in the gear of
your choosing.

Upshifting
Downshifting

The gear changes once every time the shift lever or paddle shift switch is operated.
6-speed models: The selected gear, from M1 to M6, will be fixed and displayed in the

meter.
8-speed models: The selected gear, from M1 to M8, will be fixed and displayed in the

meter.

Selecting gears in the M position



GS350



GS F

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4-2. Driving procedures

When in the M position, the gear will not change unless the shift lever or paddle
shift switches are operated.
However, even when in the M position, the gears will be automatically changed in
the following situation:

●

When vehicle speed drops (downshift only).

●

When the automatic transmission fluid or engine coolant temperature is low.

●

GS350: When automatic transmission fluid temperature is high.

●

GS350: When the needle of the tachometer is in the red zone (the range
which exceeds the allowable revs of the engine).

In the following situations, the gear will not shift even if the shift lever or paddle
shift switches are operated.

●

“Slippery Road. Cannot Shift to Lower Gear.” is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.

●

The vehicle speed is low (upshift only).

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4-2. Driving procedures

iving

■

Automatic deactivation of shift range selection in the D position

Shift range selection in the D position will be deactivated in the following situations:

●

When the vehicle comes to a stop

●

If the accelerator pedal is depressed for more than a certain period of time

●

When the shift lever is shifted to other than D

■

To protect automatic transmission

When the temperature of the transmission fluid becomes high, protection control is per-

formed temporarily. When “Transmission Fluid Temp High See Owner’s Manual” is dis-

played on the multi-information display, have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.

■

Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer

To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting operation may sometimes

be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting may not be possible even when the

shift lever or paddle shift switch is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)

■

Snow mode automatic deactivation

Snow mode is automatically deactivated if the engine switch is turned off after driving in

snow mode.

■

When driving with cruise control or dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range

activated

Even when performing the following actions with the intent of enabling engine braking,

engine braking will not activate because cruise control or dynamic radar cruise control

with full-speed range will not be canceled.

●

6-speed models: While driving in the D position, downshifting to 5 or 4.

(



P. 266, 278)

8-speed models: While driving in the D position, downshifting to 7, 6, 5 or 4.

(



P. 266, 278)

●

When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D position. (



P. 281)

■

Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)

●

When the following unusual operation is performed, the engine output may be

restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D

includes M) with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears on

the multi-information display. (



P. 442)

• When the accelerator pedal is depressed too much while the vehicle is in reverse.

■

Shift lock system

The shift lock system is a system to prevent accidental operation of the shift lever in start-

ing.

The shift lever can be shifted from P only when the engine switch is in IGNITION ON

mode and the brake pedal is being depressed.

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4-2. Driving procedures

■

If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P

First, check whether the brake pedal is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted with your foot on the brake pedal, there may be a prob-

lem with the shift lock system. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immedi-

ately.

The following steps may be used as an emergency measure to ensure that the shift lever

can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:

Press the parking brake switch to check that the parking brake is set. (



P. 217)

Parking brake indicator will come on.
Turn the engine switch to off.
Depress the brake pedal.

■

AI-SHIFT

●

The AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitable gear according to driver performance

and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the shift lever is in D. (Shifting the shift

lever to the M position cancels the function.)

●

8-speed models: G AI-SHIFT automatically selects a suitable gear for sporty driving

according to driver’s input and driving conditions. G AI-SHIFT operates automatically

when the shift lever is in D and sport mode is selected for the driving mode. (Selecting

normal mode with the driving mode select switch or shifting the shift lever to the M

position cancels this function.)

Pry the cover up with a flathead screwdriver

or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the tip

of the screwdriver with a rag.

Press the shift lock override button.
The shift lever can be shifted while the button

is pressed.

2
3
4

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4-2. Driving procedures

iving

WARNING

■

When driving on slippery road surfaces

Be careful of downshifting and sudden acceleration, as this could result in the vehicle

skidding to the side or spinning.

■

To prevent an accident when releasing the shift lock

Before pressing the shift lock override button, make sure to set the parking brake and

depress the brake pedal.

If the accelerator pedal is accidentally depress instead of the brake pedal when the shift

lock override button is pressed and the shift lever is shifted out of P, the vehicle may

suddenly start, possibly leading to an accident resulting in death or serious injury.

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4-2. Driving procedures

Turn signal lever

The lever will return to its original position immediately after operation.

Right turn
Lane change to the right (move the
lever partway and release it)

The right hand signals will flash 3 times.

Lane change to the left (move the
lever partway and release it)

The left hand signals will flash 3 times.

Left turn

■

If the turn signals do not stop flashing after turning left or right, or if you want
to stop them flashing

Operate the lever in the opposite direction to either position

. If you

move the lever to either position

, the selected turn signals will flash.

■

Turn signals can be operated when

The engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode.

■

If the indicator flashes faster than usual

Check that a light bulb in the front or rear turn signal lights has not burned out.

■

If the turn signals stop flashing before a lane change has been performed

Operate the lever again.

Operating instructions

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4-2. Driving procedures

iving

Parking brake

Sets the parking brake

The parking brake indicator light will

come on. (



P. 218)

Press and hold the parking brake switch

if an emergency occurs and it is neces-

sary to operate the parking brake while

driving.

Releases the parking brake

Operate the parking brake switch while

depressing the brake pedal. Make sure

that the parking brake indicator light

goes off.

The parking brake is set or released automatically according to shift lever opera-
tion.
Turns automatic mode on/off

●

When the shift lever is moved out of
P, the parking brake will be released.

●

When the shift lever is moved into P,
the parking brake will be set.

Operate the shift lever with the brake

pedal depressed.

A selections can be made as desired from the following modes.

Manual mode

U.S.A. Canada

Automatic mode

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4-2. Driving procedures

■

Parking brake operation

●

When the engine switch is not in IGNITION ON mode, the parking brake cannot be

released using the parking brake switch.

●

When the engine switch is not in IGNITION ON mode, automatic mode (automatic

brake setting and releasing) is not available.

●

If the parking brake is operated repeatedly over a short period of time, the system may

restrict operation to prevent overheating. If this happens, refrain from operating the

parking brake. Normal operation will return after about 1 minute.

●

In situations such as when parking on a steep slope

, the maximum amount of braking

force can be used by pressing the parking brake switch with the parking brake already

set.

: Use wheel chocks when parking on a steep slope.

■

Parking brake operation sound

When the parking brake operates, a motor sound (whirring sound) may be heard. This

does not indicate a malfunction.

■

Parking brake indicator light

●

Depending on the engine switch mode, the parking brake indicator light will come on

and stay on as described below:
IGNITION ON mode: Comes on until the parking brake is released.

Not in IGNITION ON mode: Stays on for approximately 15 seconds.

●

When the engine switch is turned off with the parking brake set, the parking brake indi-

cator light will stay on for about 15 seconds. This does not indicate a malfunction.

■

When there is a malfunction in the system

Warning lights and/or warning message will turn on or flash. (



P. 437, 443)

Depending on the condition, the parking brake indicator light may flash.

■

Parking the vehicle



P. 188

■

Parking brake engaged warning buzzer



P. 446

■

Usage in winter time



P. 306

NOTICE

■

When parking the vehicle

Before you leave the vehicle, set the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P and 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. 500)

Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake components overheat-

ing, which may affect braking performance and increase brake wear.

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4-2. Driving procedures

iving

Brake Hold

Turns the brake hold system on

The brake hold standby indicator

(green) comes on. While the system is

holding the brake, the brake hold oper-

ated indicator (yellow) comes on.

■

Brake hold system operating conditions

The brake hold system cannot be turned on in the following conditions:

●

The driver’s door is not closed.

●

The driver is not wearing the seat belt.

●

“EPB Activation Stopped Incompletely” or “Electronic Parking Brake Malfunction Visit

Your Dealer” is displayed on the multi-information display.

If any of the conditions above are detected when the brake hold system is enabled, the

system will turn off and the brake hold standby indicator light will go off. In addition, if any

of the conditions are detected while the system is holding the brake, a warning buzzer

will sound and a message will be shown on the multi-information display. The parking

brake will then be set automatically.

■

Brake hold function

●

If the brake pedal is left released for a period of about 3 minutes after the system has

started holding the brake, the parking brake will be set automatically. In this case, a

warning buzzer sounds and a message is shown on the multi-information display.

●

To turn the system off while the system is holding the brake, firmly depress the brake

pedal and press the button again.

●

The brake hold function may not hold the vehicle when the vehicle is on a steep incline.

In this situation, it may be necessary for the driver to apply the brakes. A warning

buzzer will sound and the multi-information display will inform the driver of this situa-

tion. (



P. 442)

The brake hold system keeps the brake applied when the shift lever is in D, M
or N with the system on and the brake pedal has been depressed to stop the
vehicle. The system releases the brake when the accelerator pedal is
depressed with the shift lever in D or M to allow smooth start off.

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4-2. Driving procedures

■

When the parking brake is set automatically while the system is holding the brakes

The parking brake will not be released automatically. Perform one of the following proce-

dures to release the parking brake and confirm that the parking brake indicator light

turns off. (



P. 217)

●

With the brake pedal depressed, operate the parking brake switch.

●

Fasten your seat belt, check that the shift lever is in either D or R and slowly depress the

accelerator pedal.

■

Warning message and buzzers

Warning messages and buzzers are used to indicate a system malfunction or to inform

the driver of the need for caution. (



P. 442)

WARNING

■

When the vehicle is on a steep incline

When using the brake hold system on a steep incline exercise caution. The brake hold

function may not hold the vehicle in such a situation.

■

When stopped on a slippery road

The system cannot stop the vehicle when the gripping ability of the tires has been

exceeded. Do not use the system when stopped on a slippery road.

NOTICE

■

When parking the vehicle

The brake hold system is not designed for use when parking the vehicle for a long

period of time. Turning the engine switch off while the system is holding the brake may

release the brake, which would cause the vehicle to move. When operating the engine

switch, depress the brake pedal, set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to P.

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4-2. Driving procedures

iving

ASC (Active Sound Control) (GS F)

The ASC system can be operated
when the driving mode select switch is
in the following modes. (



P. 284)

●

SPORT S mode/customized mode
(powertrain control is set to
“POWER”): Sounds are output from
the rear.

●

SPORT S+ mode: When the engine
speed is in the low-to-medium
speed range, sounds are output
from the rear. At high engine speeds,
sounds are mainly output from the
front.

Press the ASC switch.

The indicator on switch will turn off.

Press the switch again to turn the system

back on.
Even if the indicator is illuminated, when

the driving mode select switch is in Nor-

mal, Eco drive or customized mode

(powertrain control is not set to

“POWER”), ASC does not operate.

■

Automatic reactivation of ASC system

Even after the ASC system has been turned off, turning the engine off and then on again

will automatically reactivate the ASC system.

The ASC system directs certain sounds from the front and rear of the cabin to
the vehicle interior, and harmonizes these sounds with the actual sound of the
engine and exhaust in order to allow the driver to feel acceleration and the
state of the engine more strongly.

Disabling the ASC system

222

4-3. Operating the lights and wipers

Headlight switch

Operating the

switch turns on the lights as follows:

With the headlights on, push the
lever away from you to turn on the
high beams.

Pull the lever toward you to the center

position to turn the high beams off.

Pull the lever toward you and release
it to flash the high beams once.

You can flash the high beams with the

headlights on or off.

The headlights can be operated manually or automatically.

Operating instructions

U.S.A. Canada

The side marker, parking, tail,
license plate, instrument panel
lights, and daytime running
lights (



P. 223) turn on.

The headlights and all lights
listed above (except daytime
running lights) turn on.
The headlights, daytime run-
ning lights (



P. 223) and all

the lights listed above turn on
and off automatically.
(When the engine switch is in
IGNITION ON mode.)
Off

The daytime running lights
turn on. (



P. 223)

(U.S.A.)

(Canada)

Turning on the high beam headlights

223

4-3. Operating the lights and wipers

iving

AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) secures excellent visibility at intersections
and on curves by automatically adjusting the direction of the light axis of the
headlights according to vehicle speed and the degree of the tire’s angle as con-
trolled by steering input.

AFS operates at speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.

■

Deactivating AFS

Settings can be changed from

on the multi-information display

(



P. 106).

Press

on the meter control switch and select “AFS”.

Press

on the meter control

switch and select “Off”.

The indicator turns on when the AFS

is deactivated.

■

Daytime running light system

●

The daytime running lights illuminate using the same lights as the parking lights and illu-

minate brighter than the parking lights.

●

To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers during daytime driving, the daytime

running lights turn on automatically when all of the following conditions are met. (The

daytime running lights are not designed for use at night.)
• The engine is running

• The parking brake is released
• The headlight switch is in the

(Canada only),

or “AUTO”

position

: When the surroundings are bright

The daytime running lights remain on after they illuminate, even if the parking brake is set

again.

●

For the U.S.A.: Daytime running lights can be turned off by operating the switch.

●

Compared to turning on the headlights, the daytime running light system offers greater

durability and consumes less electricity, so it can help improve fuel economy.

AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) (if equipped)

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