Lexus ES 250 Owner's Manual page 186

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 even
though the brake pedal is depressed and
the shift release button is pushed, there may
be a problem with the shift lock system.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus
dealer immediately.
The following steps may be used as an
emergency measure to ensure that the shift
lever can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1 If the parking brake is in manual mode,
set the parking brake. (P.188)
2
Turn the engine switch off.
3
Depress the brake pedal.
4
Press down and release the cup holder
lid to open.
5
Pry the cover up with a flathead screw-
driver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the
tip of the screwdriver with a rag.
6
Press and hold the shift lock override
button and then push the button on the
shift knob.
The shift lever can be shifted while the but-
ton is pressed.
4-2. Driving procedures
WARNING
To prevent an accident when releas-
■
ing 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
depressed 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, pos-
sibly leading to an accident resulting in
death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving mode
P.265
Selecting shift ranges in the D
position
To drive using temporary shift range
selection, operate the "-" paddle shift
switch. The shift range can then be
selected by operating the "-" and "+"
paddle shift switches.
Changing the shift range allows
restriction of the highest gear, prevent-
ing upshifting and enabling the level of
engine braking force to be selected.
1 Upshifting
2
Downshifting
185
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