Page 232 of 776

2324-1. Before driving
RX350/RX200t_EE_OM48F32E
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 vehiclewhen 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 circuit 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 windshield or windows. Do not place containerssuch as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs or con- tainers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a metallizedfilm such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause the glass to act as alens, causing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine and lock thevehicle.Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift lever 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.
Page 236 of 776

2364-1. Before driving
RX350/RX200t_EE_OM48F32E
WARNING
■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 exceed the vehicle overall length or width. ( P. 726)
●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 75 kg (165 lb.) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo (vehicles with a moon roof or panoramic moon roof)
Be careful not to scratch the surface of the moon roof or panoramic moon roof.
Page 243 of 776

2434-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350/RX200t_EE_OM48F32E
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. In order to avoid acci-
dent, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when towing:
■Checking connections between trailer and lights
Stop the vehicle and check the operation of the connection between the
trailer and lights after driving for a brief period as well as before starting off.
■Practicing driving with a coupled trailer
●Get the feel for turning, stopping an d reversing with the trailer coupled by
practicing in an area with no or light traffic.
●When reversing with a coupled trailer, hold the section of the steering
wheel nearest to you and rotate clockwise to turn the trailer left or
counterclockwise to turn it right. Always rotate a little at a time to prevent
steering error. Have someone guide you when reversing to lessen the risk
of an accident.
■Increasing vehicle-to-vehicle distance
At a speed of 10 km/h (6 mph), the distance to the vehicle running ahead of
you should be equivalent to or greater than the combined length of your vehi-
cle and trailer. Avoid sudden braking that may cause skidding. Otherwise, the
vehicle may spin out of control. This is especially true when driving on wet or
slippery road surfaces.
■Sudden acceleration/steering input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing may result in the trailer colliding with your
vehicle. Decelerate well in advance when approaching turns and take them
slowly and carefully to avoid sudden braking.
■Important points regarding turning
The wheels of the trailer will travel clos er to the inside of the curve than the
wheels of the vehicle. To make allowance for this, take the turns wider than you
would normally do.
Guidance
Page 244 of 776

2444-1. Before driving
RX350/RX200t_EE_OM48F32E
■Important points regarding stability
Vehicle movement resulting from unev en road surfaces and strong cross-
winds will affect handling. The vehicle may also be rocked by passing buses or
large trucks. Frequently check behind when moving alongside such vehicles.
As soon as such vehicle movement occurs, immediately start to decelerate
smoothly by slowly applying the brakes. Always steer the vehicle straight
ahead while braking.
■Passing other vehicles
Consider the total combined length of your vehicle and trailer and ensure that
the vehicle-to-vehicle distance is sufficient before executing lane changes.
■Transmission information
To maintain engine braking efficiency and charging system performance,
when using engine braking, do not use the transmission in D. If in the M mode,
the transmission shift range position must be in 4 or lower. ( P. 251)
■If the engine overheats
Towing a loaded trailer up a long, steep incline in temperatures exceeding
30 C (85F) may result in the engine overheating. If the engine coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates that the engine is overheating, turn the air condition-
ing off immediately, leave the road and stop the vehicle in a safe place.
( P. 718)
■When parking the vehicle
Always place wheel chocks under the wheels of both the vehicle and trailer.
Set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to P.
Page 246 of 776

246
RX350/RX200t_EE_OM48F32E
4-2. 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 engine cannot be started.
Press the engine switch shortly and
firmly.
When operating the engine switch, one
short, firm press is enough. It is not necessary to press and hold theswitch.
The engine will crank un til 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.
Set the parking brake ( P. 259), and shift the shift lever to P.
Press the engine switch.
Release the brake pedal and check that the display on the meters is off.
Engine (ignition) switch
Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic key on your
person starts the engine or changes engine switch modes.
Starting the engine
1
2
3
4
Stopping the engine
1
2
3
4
Page 249 of 776

2494-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RX350/RX200t_EE_OM48F32E
■If the electronic key battery is depleted
P. 638
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly and firmly, the engine switch mode may not change or the engine may not start.
●If attempting to restart the engine immediately after turning the engine switch off, the
engine may not start in some cases. After turning the engine switch off, please wait a few seconds before restarting the engine.
■If the smart entry & start system has been deactivated by a customized setting
P. 710
WARNING
■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. Activation of the steering lock in this cir- cumstance 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 emer gency 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. 657)
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emergency. 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. Th is 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.
Page 250 of 776

2504-2. Driving procedures
RX350/RX200t_EE_OM48F32E
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 on.
●If “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION ON” is displayed on the meters while the engine isnot running, the engine switch is not off. Exit the vehicle after turning the engineswitch off.
●Do not stop the engine when the shift lever is in a position other than P. If the engine isstopped in another shift lever position, the engine switch will not be turned off butinstead 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 any authorized Lexus dealer or repair er, or another duly qualified and equipped professional immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfun ction with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operating s omewhat differently than usual, such as the switch sticking slightly, th ere may be a malfunction. Contact any authorized Lexus
dealer or repairer, or another duly qualif ied and equipped professional immediately.
Page 251 of 776
2514-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RX350/RX200t_EE_OM48F32E
While the engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode, move the shift lever
with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the vehicle is com- pletely stopped.
*1: Shifting to the D position allows the system to select a gear suitable for the driving
conditions.
Setting the shift lever to the D position is recommended for normal driving.
*2: Selecting gears using M mode fixes the gear step, controls engine braking force, and
prevents unnecessary upshifting.
Automatic transmission
Shifting the shift lever
Shift position purpose
Shift positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
NCondition in which the power is not transmission
DNormal driving*1
MM mode driving*2 ( P. 253)