2008 LEXUS RX400H ESP

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2-1. Driving procedures
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When driving
RX400h_U
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be especially
slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended to
observe:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
●For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake sys-
tem needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer perform the bed-
ding down.

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2-1. Driving procedures
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When driving
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CAUTION
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator
pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal willresult in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle
only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals prop-
erly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, resulting in an acci-
dent.
●The driver should pay attention to pedestrians when the vehicle is powered only
by the electric motor (traction motor). Because there is no engine noise, the
pedestrians may misjudge the vehicle’s movement.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
●Do not let the vehicle roll backwards while th e shift lever is in a driving position, or
roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the hybrid system to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the back door is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause
driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a serious health hazard.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
●Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to P, R or N while the vehicle
is moving.
Doing so can cause significant damage to the transmission system and may result
in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause the engine brake to not operate properly and lead to an
accident.

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2-2. Instrument cluster
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When driving
RX400h_U
■Outside temperature display
In the following situations, the correct outside temperature may not be displayed, or
the display may take longer than normal to change.
●When stopped, or driving at low speeds (less than 12 mph [20 km/h])
●When the outside temperature has changed suddenly (at the entrance/exit of a
garage, tunnel, etc.)
NOTICE
■The multi-information display at low temperatures
Allow the interior of the vehicle to warm up before using the liquid crystal informa-
tion display. At extremely low temperatures, the information display monitor may
respond slowly, and display changes may be delayed.

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2-4. Using other driving systems
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■Vehicle-to-vehicle distance settings
Select a distance from the table below. Note that the distances shown correspond
to a vehicle speed of 55 mph (88 km/h). Vehicle-to-vehicle distance increases/
decreases in accordance with vehicle speed.
■Laser radar sensor
■Certification
Distance optionsVehicle-to-vehicle distance
LongApproximately 245 ft. (75 m)
MediumApproximately 165 ft. (50 m)
ShortApproximately 100 ft. (30 m)
Always keep the sensor clean to ensure that
the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control oper-
ates properly. (Some obstructions, such as
snow, ice or plastic objects, cannot be
detected by the obstruction sensor.)
Dynamic laser cruise control is canceled if an
obstruction is detected.
This product is a class I laser product complied with 21 C. F. R part 1040. 10. and
1040. 11.

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2-4. Using other driving systems
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When driving
RX400h_U
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following systems
operate automatically in response to various driving situations. Be aware,
however, that these systems are supplementary and should not be relied
upon too heavily when operating the vehicle.
■ ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface.
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed, when the system detects a panic stop situation.
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces.
■Traction Control
Maintains drive power and prevents the front wheels (2WD models) or all
wheels (AWD models) from spinning wh en starting the vehicle or acceler-
ating on slippery roads.
■ EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn
the steering wheel.
■VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management)
Provides integrated control of the ABS, brake assist, VSC, traction control
and EPS systems.
Maintains vehicle stability when swerving on slippery road surfaces by
controlling the brakes, engine output, and the movement of the front
wheels.

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2-5. Driving information
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When driving
RX400h_U
Off-road drivingYour vehicle is not designed to be driven off-road. However, in the event
that off-road driving cannot be avoided, please observe the following
precautions to help avoid the areas prohibited to vehicles.
● Drive your vehicle only in areas where off-road vehicles are permitted
to travel.
● Respect private property. Get owner’s permission before entering pri-
vate property.
● Do not enter areas that are closed. Honor gates, barriers and signs
that restrict travel.
● Stay on established roads. When conditions are wet, driving tech-
niques should be changed or travel delayed to prevent damage to
roads.
● Avoid driving on very steep, slippery roads and other surfaces, such as
sand, where the tires are liable to lose traction. Your vehicle may not
perform as well as conventional AWD on-road vehicles on these sur-
faces.
■Additional information for off-road driving
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining to driving your vehicle off-road, consult
the following organizations.
●State and Local Parks and Recreation Departments
●State Motor Vehicle Bureau
●Recreational Vehicle Clubs
●U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management

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2-5. Driving information
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CAUTION
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of serious personal
injury or damage to your vehicle:
●Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in
dangerous places.
●Do not grip the steering wheel spokes when driving off-road. A bad bump could
jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands and especially your
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
●Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud, water or snow.
●After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check that there is no
grass, bush, paper, rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or trapped on the underbody.
Clear off any such matter from the underbody. If the vehicle is used with these
materials trapped or adhering to the underbody, a breakdown or fire could occur.
●When driving off-road or in rugged terrain, do not drive at excessive speeds,
jump, make sharp turns, strike objects, etc. This may cause loss of control or vehi-
cle rollover causing death or serious injury. You are also risking expensive dam-
age to your vehicle’s suspension and chassis.
NOTICE
■To prevent the water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the hybrid bat-
tery, hybrid system or other components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine compartment may cause severe damage to the hybrid
system. Water entering the interior may cause the hybrid battery stowed under
the rear seats to short circuit.
●Water entering the hybrid transaxle will cause deterioration in transmission qual-
ity. The malfunction indicator may come on, and the vehicle may not be drivable.
●Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and premature
failure, and may also enter the transaxle case, reducing the gear oil’s lubricating
qualities.

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2-5. Driving information
RX400h_U●
Avoid sudden braking as you may sk id, resulting in jackknifing and loss
of control. This is especially true on wet or slippery surfaces.
● Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before making
turns.
● Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by making a
larger than normal turning radius.
● Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely affect handling of your
vehicle and trailer, causing sway. Periodically check the rear to prepare
for being passed by large trucks or buses, which may cause your vehi-
cle and trailer to sway. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel,
reduce speed immediately but gradually, and steer straight ahead.
Never increase speed. If you make no extreme correction with the
steering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
● Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of your
trailer, and be sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
● Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle's hybrid system may
overheat on hot days (at temperatures over 85°F [30°C]) when driv-
ing up a long or steep grade. If the coolant temperature gauge indi-
cates overheating, immediately turn off the air conditioning (if in use),
pull your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot. ( →P. 4 2 4 )