2018 Lexus ES300h Owner's Manual (OM33D45U)

153
ES300h_OM_OM33D45U_(U)
4Driving
4-1. Before drivingDriving the vehicle ...................... 154
Cargo and luggage .................... 162
Vehicle load limits ....................... 165
Trailer towing ................................ 166
Dinghy towing .............................. 167
4-2. Driving procedures Power (ignition) switch ............. 168
EV drive mode ............................. 173
Hybrid transmission ................... 175
Turn signal lever...........................180
Parking brake ................................ 181
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch .......................... 182
Automatic High Beam ..............185
Fog light switch ............................ 189
Windshield wipers and washer.................................. 190
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap....... 194 4-5. Using the driving support
systems
Lexus Safety System+ ............... 198
PCS (Pre-Collision System) .........205
LDA (Lane Departure Alert with steering control) ..............216
Dynamic radar cruise control............................ 225
Intuitive parking assist .............. 237
Lexus parking assist monitor ........................................ 246
Driving mode select switch ........................................... 262
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) ..... 264 • Blind Spot Monitor
function .................................... 267
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
function .................................... 269
Driving assist systems .............. 272
4-6. Driving tips Hybrid vehicle driving tips ..... 278
Winter driving tips .....................280

154
ES300h_OM_OM33D45U_(U)4-1. Before driving
Driving the vehicle
→
P. 168
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( →P. 175)
Release the parking brake. ( →P. 181)
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.
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift lever to P.
( → P. 175)
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake ( →P. 181), and shift the shift lever to P ( →P. 175)
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.
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:
Starting the hybrid system
Driving
Stopping
Parking the vehicle
Starting off on a steep uphill
1
2
3
1
2
1
2
3
4
1
2
3

ES300h_OM_OM33D45U_(U)
1554-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. (→P. 272)
■For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles are simila r to conventional vehicles, and it is necessary
to refrain from activities su ch as sudden acceleration. ( →P. 278)
■Driving in the rain or adverse weather conditions
●Drive carefully, because visibility may be reduced, the windows may become fogged-
up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it gets wet or icy, because the road surface w ill be especially slip-
pery.
●Slow down when water is present on the roadway, because there may be a layer of
water between the tires and the road surface, preventing the steering and brakes from
operating properly.
■Restraining the hybrid system output (Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake pedals are depressed at the same time, the hybrid sys-
tem output may be restrained.
●A warning message is displayed on the mult i-information display while the system is
operating. If a warning message is shown on the multi-in formation display, read the
message and follow the instructions.
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)
●When the following unusual operation is pe rformed, the hybrid system output may be
restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D
includes S) with the acce lerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears on
the multi-information display. If a warning message is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display, read the message and follo w the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed t oo much while the vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start Control is being activated, your vehicle may have trouble escaping
from the mud or fresh snow. In such case, deactivate TRAC ( →P. 273) to cancel Drive-
Start Control so that the vehicle may beco me able to escape from the mud or fresh
snow.

156
ES300h_OM_OM33D45U_(U)4-1. Before driving
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observin
g the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 621 miles (1000 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.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake system
needs bedding-down of the brake shoes peri odically or whenever the parking brake
shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer perform the bedding down
operation.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel. ( →P. 547)
■Eco-friendly driving
→ P. 88

ES300h_OM_OM33D45U_(U)
1574-1. 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 “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 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.
●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. Even with the vehicle proximity notification
system active, people may no t realize the vehicle is approaching when the surround-
ing area is noisy and so forth. Therefore, take extra care while driving.
●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 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. 497
●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. 176)
●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.

158
ES300h_OM_OM33D45U_(U)4-1. 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, resulting in an accident.
●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 result in an acci dent 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.
●Shifting the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the hybrid sys-
tem. Engine braking is not av ailable 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)
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.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or those
of the brake discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
If the shift lever is in any position other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate sud-
denly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to the ve hicle rolling away, always keep depressing
the brake pedal while stopped with the “REA DY” indicator is illuminated, and apply
the parking brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, alwa ys depress the brake pedal and securely
apply the parking brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible material is nearby.

ES300h_OM_OM33D45U_(U)
1594-1. Before driving
4
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 shif t lever to P, stop the hybrid system and
lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended whil e the “READY” indicator is illuminated.
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 “R EADY” indicator is illuminated or imme-
diately after turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to hybrid system
overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust
gases may collect and enter the vehicle, lead ing to death or a serious health hazard.

160
ES300h_OM_OM33D45U_(U)4-1. Before driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause one side of
the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the parking brake may not
securely hold the vehicle.
●If the electronically controlled brake system does not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid hills or
sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, bu t the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the braking distan ce will increase. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
●The brake system consists of 2 or more indi vidual hydraulic systems; if one of the sys-
tems fails, the other(s) will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual and the braking distance will increase. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.