1764-1. Before driving
NX200t_OM_USA_OM78081U
WA R N I N G
■Things that must not be carri ed in the luggage compartment
The following things may cause a fire if loaded in the luggage compartment:
●Receptacles containing gasoline
●Aerosol cans
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the pedals from being depressed properly, may block the
driver’s vision, or may result in items hittin g the driver or passengers, possibly causing
an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment whenever possible.
●Do not stack cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment higher than the seat-
backs.
●When you fold down the rear seats, long items should not be placed directly behind
the front seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in the luggage compartment. It is not designed for pas-
sengers. They should ride in their seats with their seat belts properly fastened.
●Do not place cargo or luggage in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or re ar seats (when stacking items)
•On the luggage cover
• On the instrument panel
•On the dashboard
●Secure all items in th e occupant compartment.
■Capacity and distribution
●Do not exceed the maximum axle weight ra ting or the total vehicle weight rating.
●Even if the total load of occupant’s weight and the cargo load is less than the total load
capacity, do not apply the load unevenly. Improper loading may cause deterioration
of steering or braking control which may cause death or serious injury.
■When using a roof luggage carrier (vehicles with roof rails)
Observe the following precautions:
●Place the cargo so that its weight is distributed evenly between the front and rear
axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo, never exce ed the vehicle overall length or width.
( P. 5 9 0 )
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is securely fastened on the roof luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier will make the center of gravity of the vehi-
cle higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns, sudden braking or abrupt
maneuvers, otherwise it may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover due to failure
to operate this vehicle correctly and result in death or serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on rough roads, or at high speeds, stop the vehicle now
and then during the trip to make sure the cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 176.3 lb. (80 kg) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
1844-1. Before driving
NX200t_OM_USA_OM78081U
Weight carrying ball position:
42.1 in. (1069.9 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole position:
33.7 in. (855.6 mm)
Please consult your dealer when installin g trailer lights, as incorrect installation
may cause damage to the vehicle’s lights. Please take care to comply with your
state’s laws when installing trailer lights.
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an acci-
dent, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when towing:
●Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not exceed the
posted towing speed limit.
●Lexus recommends that the vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph (104 km/h)
on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this limit, the posted towing speed
limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner’s man-
ual, whichever is lowest. Instability of the towing vehicle-trailer combination
(trailer sway) increases as speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause
loss of control.
●Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer con-
nections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
●Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in an area
away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel of the vehicle-
trailer combination.
Positions for towing hitch receiver and hitch ball
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2
Connecting trailer lights
Trailer towing tips
1854-1. Before driving
4
Driving
NX200t_OM_USA_OM78081U
●Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires practice. Grip the
bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to move the
trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to move the trailer to right. (This
is generally opposite to reversing without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or
prolonged turning. Have someone guid e you when reversing to reduce the
risk of an accident.
●As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of speed, allow at least
one vehicle and trailer length.
●Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, re sulting in the trailer jackknifing and a
loss of vehicle 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 turn.
●Note that when making a turn, the traile r wheels will be closer than the vehicle
wheels to the inside of the turn. Comp ensate by making a wider than normal
turning radius.
●Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery surfaces,
etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
●Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires considerable dis-
tance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of your trailer, and be
sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
●To maintain engine braking efficiency and charging system performance
when using engine braking, do not put th e transmission in D. If in the M mode,
the transmission shift range position must be in 4 or lower. ( P. 1 9 8 )
●Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or long downhill
grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do not make sudden
downshifts while descending steep or long downhill grades.
●Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the brakes too fre-
quently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and result in reduced braking
efficiency.
●Due to the added load of the trailer, yo ur vehicle’s engine may overheat on hot
days (at temperatures over 85 F [30 C]) when driving up a long or steep
grade. If the engine coolant temperat ure gauge indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air cond itioning (if in use), pull your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. ( P. 5 8 4 )
1864-1. Before driving
NX200t_OM_USA_OM78081U
●Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trailer’s wheels
when parking. Put the transmission in P and apply the parking brake. Avoid
parking on a slope, but if unavoidable, do so only after performing the follow-
ing: Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and trailer’s
wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in place, release the brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
Shift into P and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the engine.
●When restarting after parking on a slope:With the transmission in P, start the engine. Be sure to keep the brake pedal
depressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
If the parking brake is in manual mode, release the parking brake.
( P. 2 0 5 )
Release the brake pedal, and slowly pull or back away from the wheel
blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
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1884-1. Before driving
NX200t_OM_USA_OM78081U
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components (such as an
engine, transmission, differential or wheel bearing), Lexus recommends that you do not
tow a trailer until the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can start towing.
However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the vehicle at a speed of less than
50 mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance due to the addi-
tional load. (See “Warranty and Services Guide”, “Owner’s Manual Supplement” or
“Scheduled Maintenance”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ba ll and bracket after approximately 600 miles
(1000 km) of trailer towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can adversely
affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer sway ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal i mmediately but very gradually to reduce
speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the steering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer
should stabilize.
●After the trailer sw aying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer. Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the speed at which trailer swaying occurred is beyond
the limit of your particular vehicle-trailer combination. Drive at a lower speed to pre-
vent instability. Remember that swaying of the towing vehicle-trailer increases as
speed increases.
1934-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
NX200t_OM_USA_OM78081U
Engine (ignition) switch
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the engine cannot
be started.
Press the engine switch.
The engine will crank until it starts or for
up to 30 seconds, whichever is less.
Continue depressing the brake pedal
until the engine is completely started.
The engine can be started from any
engine switch mode.
Stop the vehicle completely.
Shift the shift lever to P. ( P. 1 9 8 )
Set the parking brake. ( P. 2 0 5 )
If the parking brake is in automatic mode, the parking brake is set automatically when
shifting the shift lever to P. (
P. 2 0 4)
Press the engine switch.
Release the brake pedal and check that th e display on the instrument cluster is
off.
Performing the following op erations when carrying the electronic key on your
person starts the engine or changes engine switch modes.
Starting the engine
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Stopping the engine
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1964-2. Driving procedures
NX200t_OM_USA_OM78081U
■Operation of the engine switch
●When operating the engine switch, one short, firm press is enough. If the switch is
pressed improperly, the engine may not start or the engine switch mode may not
change. It is not necessary to press and hold the switch.
●If attempting to restart the engine immediat ely after turning the engine switch off, the
engine may not start in some cases. After tu rning the engine switch off, please wait a
few seconds before re starting the engine.
■If the smart access system with push-butto n start has been deactivated by a customized
setting
P. 5 7 8
WA R N I N G
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resu lting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the doors until
the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. The steering lock function will activate
and this may lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle, press and hold
the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly 3 times or more in succes-
sion. ( P. 5 4 1 )
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emergency. Turning
the engine off while driving will not cause lo ss of steering or braking control, however,
power assist to the steering will be lost. This will make it more difficult to steer smoothly,
so you should pull over and stop the vehi cle as soon as it is safe to do so.
1974-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
NX200t_OM_USA_OM78081U
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
●Do not leave the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON mode for long
periods of time without the engine running.
●If “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION ON” is displayed on the multi-information display
while the engine is not running, the engine sw itch is not off. Exit the vehicle after turn-
ing the engine switch off.
●Do not stop the engine when the shift lever is in a position other than P. If the engine is
stopped in another shift lever position, the engine switch will not be turned off but
instead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY
mode, battery discharge may occur.
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have your vehicle checked
by your Lexus dealer immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfun ction with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operating somewhat differently than usual, such as the
switch sticking slightly, there may be a malf unction. Contact your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.