2000 Lexus SC 400 Owners Manual - Page 169

STARTING AND DRIVING (b) Using engine braking 3 Shift into the "L" position. The transmission will downshift to the first gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower than 56 km/h (35 mph) and maximum engine braking will be applied. CAUTION Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface. The abrupt change in engine speed could cause the vehicle to spin or skid. (c) Using the "2" and "L" positions To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the transmission in the way described below: 1 Shift into the "3" position. The transmission will downshift to the third gear and engine braking will be obtained. When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift from "D" to "3", engine braking will not be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. If you need to decrease the vehicle speed, see page 157. 2 Shift into the "2" position. The transmission will downshift to the second gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower than 119 km/h (74 mph) and more powerful engine braking will be obtained. The "2" and "L" positions are used for strong engine braking as described previously. With the selector lever in "2" or "L", you can start the vehicle in motion as with the lever in "D". With the selector lever in "2", the vehicle will start in the first gear and automatically shift to the second gear. With the selector lever in "L", the transmission is engaged in the first gear. 151