191
Driving4
4-1. Before drivingDriving the vehicle ...................... 192
Cargo and luggage .................... 201
Vehicle load limits ......................204
Trailer towing .............................. 205
Dinghy towing ............................ 206
4-2. Driving procedures Engine (ignition) switch ...........207
Automatic transmission............ 213
Turn signal lever..........................220
Parking brake ............................... 221
ASC (Active Sound Control)
(RC350/RC300/
RC200t) .................................... 222
ASC (Active Sound Control) (RC F)...........................................223
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch ......................... 224
Automatic High Beam ............. 227
Fog light switch ...........................232
Windshield wipers and washer..........................................233
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap....... 241 4-5. Using the driving support
systems
Cruise control ............................. 245
Dynamic radar cruise control ......................................... 249
LDA (Lane Departure Alert) ........ 263
Intuitive parking assist .............. 269
Lexus parking assist monitor ........................................ 279
Driving mode select switch ........................................... 294
Driving assist systems ..............298
PCS (Pre-Collision System) .........306
BSM (Blind Spot Moni tor)............... 313
• BSM function ...........................317
• RCTA function....................... 321
Active rear wing ......................... 326
TVD (Torque Vectoring Differential) ................................ 329
4-6. Driving tips Winter driving tips ...................... 331
1954-1. Before driving
4
Driving
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 engine running. 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 a difficulty in oper-
ating 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 th e brake and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay re sponse in an emergency, resulting in an accident.
●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.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off while driving
will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems
will be lost. This will make it more difficult to steer and brake, so you should pull over
and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way: →P. 555
●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. 213)
●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, heads or other parts of their body are not
outside 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.
1964-1. Before driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce your
ability to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine speed
could cause the vehicle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle , lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that the
brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on only on e side are wet and not functioning properly,
steering control may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll
forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering perfor-
mance, resulting in an accide nt or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the engine from
the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed. Shifting the
shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of
the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators) (RC350/
RC300/RC200t)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Front brakes on F SPORT models (RC350/R C200t only): Moderate levels of brake
pad and disc wear allow enhanced front braking power. As a result, the discs may wear
more quickly than conventional brake discs. Therefore, when replacing the brake pads,
Lexus recommends that you also have the thickness of th e discs measured.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or those
of the brake discs are exceeded.
1984-1. Before driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehicle
when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cau se the plastic lenses and plastic mate-
rial of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circui t in the vehicle’s electrical components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a place such as
the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when luggage is loaded or the
seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the windsh ield or windows. Do not place containers
such as air fresheners on th e instrument panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs or con-
tainers may act as lenses, ca using a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if th e curved glass is coated with a metallized
film such as a silver-colored one. Reflecte d sunlight may cause the glass to act as a
lens, causing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine and lock the
vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattend ed while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift leve r in P but the parking brake is not set, the
vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately after turn-
ing the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to engine over-
heating. Additionally, if the ve hicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases
may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.
2124-2. Driving procedures
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.
●RC350/RC300/RC200t: If “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION ON” is displayed on
the meters while the engine is not running, the engine switch is not off. Exit the vehicle
after turning the engine switch off.
●RC F: If the analog speedometer is illu minated and the engine is not running, the
engine switch is not off. Exit the vehicle after turning the engine switch off.
However, if the welcome illumination is operating, the analog speedometer will be
illuminated even though the engine sw itch is off. (Welcome illumination: →P. 107)
●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 differen tly than usual, such as the
switch sticking slightly, ther e may be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
2204-2. Driving procedures
The lever will return to its original position immediately after operation.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
■If the turn signals do not stop flashing af ter turning left or right, or if you want
to stop them flashing
Operate the lever in the opposite direct ion to either position or . If you
move the lever to either position or , the selected turn signals will flash.
■Turn signals can be operated when
The engine switch is in IGNITION 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
The number of times the turn signals flas h during a lane change can be changed.
(Customizable feature →P. 673)
Turn signal lever
Operating instructions
1
2
3
4
23
14
2244-3. 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, tail, license
plate and instrument panel
lights turn on.
The headlights and all lights
listed above turn on.
The headlights, daytime run-
ning lights (→ P. 225) and all
the lights listed above turn on
and off automatically.
(When the engine switch is in
IGNITION ON mode.)
Off
The daytime running lights
turn on. ( →P. 225)1
2
3
4
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
2254-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
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.
■Daytime running light system
●To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers during daytime driving, the daytime
running lights turn on automatically whenever the engine is started and the parking
brake is released with the he adlight switch off (for Canada ) or in the “AUTO” position.
(Illuminate brighter than the parking lights.) Daytime runnin g lights are not designed for
use at night.
●Compared to turning on the headlights, the daytime running light system offers greater
durability and consumes less electricity, so it can help improve fuel economy.
●Vehicles with LED front turn signal lights: If a turn signal light is in use, the daytime run-
ning light, on the same side, is turned off. For emergency flashers, both are turned off.
■Headlight control sensor
■Automatic light off system
When the light switch is in , or : The headlights and tail lights turn off 30
seconds after the engine switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off and a
door is opened and all of the doors and trun k are closed. (The lights turn off immediately
if on the key is pr essed twice after both side doors are closed.)
To turn the lights on again, turn the engine switch to IGNITION ON mode, or turn the
light switch off once and then back to or .
If any of the doors or trunk lid is left open , the lights automatically turn off after 20 min-
utes.
Turning on the high beam headlights
1
2
The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything that
blocks the sensor is affixed to the windshield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detecting
the level of ambient light and may cause the
automatic headlight system to malfunction.