2016 LEXUS RX450H power

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4-1. Before drivingDriving the vehicle..................... 204
Cargo and luggage.....................212
Vehicle load limits........................216
Trailer towing (vehicles with towing package)........................ 217
Trailer towing (vehicles without towing
package).....................................230
Dinghy towing .............................. 231
4-2. Driving procedures Power (ignition) switch ............ 232
EV drive mode ............................ 237
Hybrid transmi ssion .................. 239
Turn signal lever ......................... 244
Parking brake .............................. 245
Brake Hold ................................... 249
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch.......................... 251
Automatic High Beam ............. 255
Fog light switch ........................... 259
Windshield wipers and washer ......................................... 260
Rear window wiper and washer ......................................... 265
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap................................................. 267
4Driving

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RX450h_U_OM0E013U4-1. Before driving

P. 232
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( P. 239)
Release the parking brake. ( P. 246)
If the parking brake is in automatic mode, the parking brake is released automatically
when shifting the shift lever to any position other than P. ( P. 245)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal
to accelerate the vehicle.
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake. ( P. 246)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift lever to P.
( P. 239)
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Shift the shift lever to P. ( P. 239)
Set the parking brake. ( P. 246)
If the parking brake is in automatic mode, the parking brake is set automatically when
shifting the shift lever to P. ( P. 245)
Press the power switch to stop the hybrid system.
Lock the door, making sure that you ha ve the electronic key on your person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:
Starting the hybrid system
Driving
Stopping
Parking the vehicle
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RX450h_U_OM0E013U
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observin g the following precautions is recommended:
●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 low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel. ( P. 591)
■Eco-friendly driving
 P. 121
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the “READY” indicator is
illuminated. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator ped-
als to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to difficulty in operat-
ing the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving po sture even when moving the vehicle only
slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals properly.
• 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 accident.
●The driver should pay extra attention to pedestrians when the vehicle is powered only
by the electric motor (traction motor). As 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.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.

2074-1. Before driving
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Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
●During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid system off
while driving will not cause loss 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 vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the vehicle in
the normal way:  P. 529
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep
hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause th e brakes to overheat and lose effective-
ness. ( P. 239)
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside rear
view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, he ads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle.
●AWD models: Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not an AWD vehicle designed for of f-road driving. Proceed with all due cau-
tion if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.
●Do not drive across a river or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic componen ts to short circuit, damage the hybrid
system or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do not
drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h ) may result in tire failure, loss of control and possible
injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or no t before driving at such speeds.

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Driving
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NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving, as
this may restrain driving torque.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always shift the shift lever to P, set the pa rking brake. Failure to do so may cause the
vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damaging
the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations . Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( P. 549)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain, etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to have
your Lexus dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, hybrid transmis-
sion, rear differential (AWD models), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings and su spension joints (where possible), and the
function of all joints, bearings, etc.

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Driving
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Use the wire harness stored in the rear
end under body.
■Auto current cut-off function
In case of over current, the auto cut-off function stops the power flowing to the trailer
lights to prevent damage to the vehicle’s electrical system.
This function is activated when the rated current of any of the following trailer light circuit
components is exceeded:
●Tail lights: maximum 7.8 A
●Stop/turn signal light (right): maximum 4.5 A
●Stop/turn signal light (left): maximum 4.5 A
■When the auto current cu t function is activated
If a trailer light does not come on due to th e activation of the auto current cut function,
the light system will need to be reset.
Follow the reset procedure shown below.
●If a tail light does not come on, turn off the headlight switch.
●If the right-side stop/turn signal light does not come on, put the turn signal in the off
position or remove foot from the brake pedal.
●If the left-side stop/turn signal light does not come on, put the turn signal in the off posi-
tion or remove foot from the brake pedal.
If the emergency flashers do not operate, press the emergency flasher switch to turn
them off.
After the light system is reset, operate the lig ht switches again to see if the lights operate
normally.
If the lights do not operate normally, have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Connecting trailer lights

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Driving
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■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components (such as an
engine, hybrid transmission, rear differential (AWD models) or wheel bearing), Lexus
recommends that you do not tow a trailer unt il 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 ve hicles, rough roads, etc.) can adversely
affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wh eel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer sway ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal im mediately but very gradually to reduce
speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the st eering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer
should stabilize. (if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can also he lp to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.)
●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 ov erloaded 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 prevent instability. Remember that swaying of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer increases as speed increases.

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RX450h_U_OM0E013U4-2. Driving procedures
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 hybrid system cannot be started.
Press the power switch.
If the “READY” indicator turns on, the
hybrid system will operate normally.
Continue depressing the brake pedal
until the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated.
The hybrid system can be started from
any power switch mode.
Check that the “READY” indicator is illuminated.
The vehicle will not move when the “READY” indicator is off.
Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following operations wh en carrying the electronic key on your
person starts the hybrid system or changes power switch modes.
Starting the hybrid system
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