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202
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
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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2234-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
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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2244-1. Before driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
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-traile r speed limit is 65 mph (104 km/h)
on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exce ed 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 acc ustomed to the feel of the vehicle-
trailer combination.
●Reversing with a trailer attached is di fficult 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 with out 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, resulting in the trailer jackknifing and a
loss of vehicle control. This is especi ally true on wet or slippery surfaces.
●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
●Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, an d slow down before making a turn.
●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 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 fo rget the length of your trailer, and be
sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
Trailer towing tips
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2264-1. Before driving
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■Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
■Before towing
Check that the followin g conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 589)
●Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacturer’s recommendation.
●All trailer lights work as required by law.
●All lights work each time you connect them.
●The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
●The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for improper to ngue weight, overload-
ing, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
●The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
●The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or local regula-
tions. If they do not, install rear view mirrors appropriate for towing purposes.
■AVS (adaptive variable suspension system) (if equipped)
The suspension can be switched fo r improvement in driveability. (P. 382)
No matter which class of tow hitch
applies, for a more safe trailer hookup,
the trailer ball setup
must be the proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
1
2
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2294-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
WARNING
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities established by the hitch manu-
facturer. Even though the vehicle may be physically capable of towing a higher weight,
the operator must determine the maximum weight rating of the particular hitch assem-
bly and never exceed the maximum weight rating specified for the trailer-hitch.
Exceeding the maximum weight rating set by the trailer-hitch manufacturer can cause
an accident resulting in death or serious personal injuries.
■When towing a trailer
Lexus recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any applicable federal and
state/provincial regulations.
●If the gross trailer weight exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer brakes are required. Lexus
recommends trailers with brakes that conform to all applicable federal and state/pro-
vincial regulations.
●Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as this will lower the vehicle’s braking
effectiveness.
●Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both the trailer
and the vehicle. If damage occurs to the co upling unit or hitch ball, there is danger of
the trailer wandering into another lane.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recommended by your Lexus dealer. Do not install the trailer
hitch on the bumper; this may cause body damage.
■Do not directly splice trailer lights
Do not directly splice trailer lights. Directly splicing trailer lights may damage your
vehicle’s electrical system and cause a malfunction.
Page 244 of 660
2444-2. Driving procedures
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
Right turn
Lane change to the right (move the
lever partway and release it)
The right hand signals will flash 3 times.
Lane change to the left (move the
lever partway and release it)
The left hand signals will flash 3 times.
Left turn
■Turn signals can be operated when
The power switch is in ON mode.
■If the indicator flashes faster than usual
Check that a light bulb in the front or rear turn signal lights has not burned out.
■If the turn signals stop flashing befo re a lane change has been performed
Operate the lever again.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized. ( P. 607)
Turn signal lever
Operating instructions
1
2
3
4
Page 251 of 660
251
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Turning the end of the lever turns on the lights as follows:
Headlight switch
The headlights can be operated
manually or automatically.
Operating instructions
U.S.A. Canada
The side marker, parking, tail,
license plate and instrument
panel lights turn on.
(The parking lights serve as
the daytime running lights:
P. 253)
The headlights and all the
lights listed above turn on.
When the power switch is in
ON mode, the headlights and
all the lights listed above turn
on and off automatically.
(While in day mode, the park-
ing lights serve as the daytime
running lights: P. 253)
Off
The daytime running lights
turn on. ( P. 253)1
2
3
4
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
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2524-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RX450h_U_OM0E013U
With the headlights on, push the
lever away from you to turn on the
high beams.
Pull the lever toward you to the center
position to turn the high beams off.
Pull the lever toward you and release
it to flash the high beams once.
You can flash the high beams with the
headlights on or off.
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) secures excellent visibility at intersections
and on curves by automatically adjusting the direction of the light axis of the
headlights according to vehicle speed and the degree of the tire’s angle as con-
trolled by steering input.
AFS operates at speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
●When the steering wheel or turn signal lever is operated while the headlights
are on (low beam), a cornering light w ill turn on and light up the direction of
movement of the vehicle. The cornerin g lights are designed to ensure excel-
lent visibility when making a turn at an intersection.
However, when vehicle speed is approximately 22 mph (35 km/h) or higher, the cor-
nering lights will not turn on.
●When the shift lever is in R while the headlights are on (low beam), both cor-
nering lights will turn on. This is desi gned to enhance visibility when parking.
Turning on the high beam headlights
1
2
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) (if equipped)
Cornering lights (if equipped)