Page 205 of 640

205
4Driving
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
4-1. Before driving 
Driving the vehicle.....................206
Cargo and luggage .................... 213
Trailer towing ................................ 214 
4-2. Driving procedures 
Power (ignition) switch ............. 215
EV drive mode ............................220
Hybrid transmission .................. 222
Turn signal lever ......................... 229
Parking brake ..............................230 
ASC  
(Active Sound Control)......... 231 
4-3.  Operating the lights and  
wipers 
Headlight switch ......................... 232 
Automatic High Beam .............235
Fog light switch ...........................239
Windshield wipers and  
washer .......................................... 241 
4-4. Refueling 
Opening the fuel tank cap...... 249 
4-5.  Using the driving support  
systems 
Cruise control ............................. 253
Dynamic radar cruise  
control ......................................... 257 
LDA  
(Lane Departure Alert) ........ 273 
Lexus parking  
assist-sensor.............................. 279 
Lexus parking  
assist monitor............................286 
Driving mode select  
switch ............................................ 301 
Driving assist systems ..............304
PCS (Pre-Crash Safety  
system) ........................................... 311 
BSM  
(Blind Spot Monitor) .............. 319 
• BSM function ......................... 325 
• RCTA function...................... 329 
4-6. Driving tips 
Hybrid vehicle  
driving tips.................................. 334 
Winter driving tips ..................... 337 
         
        
        
     
        
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232
RC300h_EE(OM24740E) 
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Turning the end of the lever turns on the lights as follows: 
The front position, 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. 233) and all 
the lights listed above turn on 
and off automatically. 
(When the power switch is in 
ON mode.) 
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.
Headlight switch
The headlights can be operated manually or automatically. 
Operating instructions
1
2
3
Turning on the high beam headlights
1
2 
         
        
        
     
        
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2334-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
This system allows the headlights and front position lights to be turned on for 30 
seconds when the power switch is off. 
Pull the lever toward you and release it 
with the light switch is in   after turn- 
ing the power switch off.
Pull the lever toward you and release it again to turn off the lights.
■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 hybrid system is started and the park- ing brake is released with the headlight switch in the “AUTO” position. (Illuminatebrighter than the front position lights.) Daytime running lights are not designed for use 
at night.
●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 turn off automatically if the 
power switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off.
●When the light switch is in  : The headlights and all lights turn off automatically if the 
power switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off. 
To turn the lights on again, turn the power switch to ON mode, or turn the light switch off 
once and then back to   or  .
Follow me home system 
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.  
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 234 of 640
2344-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
■Light reminder buzzer 
A buzzer sounds when the power switch is turned off or turned to ACCESSORY mode and the driver’s door is opened  while the lights are turned on.
■Automatic headlight leveling system 
The level of the headlights is automatically ad justed according to the number of passen- gers and the loading condition of the vehicle to ensure that the headlights do not inter- 
fere with other road users. 
■Customization 
Settings (e.g. light sensor se nsitivity) can be changed.  
(Customizable features:  P. 607)
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery discharge 
Do not leave the lights on longer than necessary when the hybrid system is not operat- ing. 
         
        
        
     
        
        Page 235 of 640
2354-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
Push the lever away from you with 
the headlight switch in the   or 
 position. 
Press the Automatic High Beam 
switch.
The Automatic High Beam indicator will 
come on when the headlights are turned on automatically to indicate that the sys-tem is active.
Automatic High Beam 
: If equipped
The Automatic High Beam uses an in-vehicle camera sensor to assess the 
brightness of streetlights, the lights of oncoming and preceding vehicles, etc., 
and automatically turns the high  beam on or off as necessary.
Activating the Automatic High Beam system
1
2 
         
        
        
     
        
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2364-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
When all of the following conditions are met, the high beam will be automatically 
turned on (after approximately 1 second):
●Vehicle speed is above approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).
●The area ahead of the vehicle is dark.
●There are no oncoming or preceding vehicles with headlights or tail lights
turned on.
●There are few streetlights on the road ahead. 
If any of the following conditions are met, the high beam will be automatically 
turned off:
●Vehicle speed drops below approximately 30 km/h (19 mph).
●The area ahead of the vehicle is not dark.
●Oncoming or preceding vehicles have headlights or tail lights turned on.
●There are many streetlights on the road ahead.
■Switching to low beam 
Pull the lever to the original position.
The Automatic High Beam indicator will turn off. 
Push the lever away from you to acti- vate the Automatic High Beam sys-tem again.
■Switching to high beam 
Press the Automatic High Beam 
switch.
The Automatic High Beam indicator will turn off and the high beam indi- 
cator will turn on. 
Press the switch to activate the Auto- matic High Beam system again.
High beam automatic turning on or off conditions
Turning the high beam on/off manually 
         
        
        
     
        
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2374-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
■The Automatic High Beam can be operated when 
The power switch is in ON mode.
■Camera sensor detection information
●High beam may not be automatically turned off in the following situations:
• When oncoming vehicles suddenly appear from a curve • When the vehicle is cut in front of by another vehicle• When oncoming or preceding vehicles are hidden from sight due to repeated 
curves, road dividers or roadside trees
●High beam may be turned off if an oncoming vehicle that is using fog lights without
using the headlights is detected.
●House lights, street lights, red traffic sign als, and illuminated billboards or signs may cause the high beam to turn off.
●The following factors may affect the amount of time taken to turn high beam on or off: 
• The brightness of headlights, fog lights,  and tail lights of oncoming and preceding vehicles 
• The movement and direction of oncoming and preceding vehicles • When an oncoming or preceding vehicle  only has operational lights on one side • When an oncoming or preceding  vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle 
• The condition of the road (gradient, curve, condition of the road surface etc.) • The number of passengers and amount of luggage
●High beam may be turned on or off when unexpected by the driver.
●Small vehicles, such as bicycles, may not be detected.
●In the situations below, the system may not be able to correctly detect the surrounding 
brightness levels, and may flash or expose nearby pedestrians to the high beam. There- fore, you should consider turning the high be ams on or off manually rather than relying on the Automatic High Beam system. 
• In bad weather (rain, snow, fog, sandstorms etc.) • The windshield is obscured by fog, mist, ice, dirt etc.• The windshield is cracked or damaged. 
• The camera sensor is deformed or dirty. • Surrounding brightness levels are equal to  those of headlights, tail lights or fog lights. • Vehicles ahead have headlights  or tail lights that are either switched off, dirty, chang- 
ing color, or have improperly adjusted aim. • When driving through an area of interm ittently changing brightness and darkness. • When frequently and repeatedly driving ascending/descending roads, or roads with 
rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces (such as stone-paved roads, gravel tracks etc.). • When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a winding road.• There is a highly reflective object ahead of the vehicle, such as a sign or a mirror. 
• The vehicle’s headlights are damaged or dirty. • The vehicle is listing or titling, due to a flat tire, a trailer being towed etc. 
• The driver believes that the high beam may be causing problems or distress to other drivers or pedestrians nearby.• The vehicle is used in a territory in which vehicles travel on the opposite side of the 
road of the country for which the vehicle is approved, for example using a vehicle designed for right-hand traffic in a left-hand traffic territory, or vice versa. 
         
        
        
     
        
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2384-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
WARNING
■Limitations of the Automatic High Beam 
Do not rely on the Automatic High Beam. Al ways drive safely, taking care to observe your surroundings and turning high beam  on or off manually if necessary.
NOTICE
■Notes when using the Automatic High Beam system 
Observe the following to ensure that the Automatic High Beam functions correctly.
●Do not place items on the da shboard. There is a possibility that the camera sensor will mistake items reflected in the windshield fo r streetlights, the headlights of other vehi- cles, etc.
●Do not install a parking tag or any other accessories near or around the camera sen-sor.
●Do not overload the vehicle.
●Do not modify the vehicle.
●If the windshield needs to be replaced, contact any authorized Lexus dealer orrepairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
●Do not touch the camera sensor.
●Do not subject the camera sensor to a strongimpact.
●Do not disassemble the camera sensor.
●Do not spill liquid onto the camera sensor.
●Do not apply window tinting or stickers to the 
camera sensor or the area of windshield near the camera sensor.