250 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U ■
ECB (Electronically Controlled
Brake System)
The electronically controlled system
generates braking force correspond-
ing to the brake operation ■
ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the
brakes are applied suddenly, or if the
brakes are applied while driving on a
slippery road surface ■
Brake assist
Generates an increased level of brak-
ing force after the brake pedal is
depressed when the system detects a
panic stop situation ■
VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding
when swerving sudden ly or turning on
slippery road surfaces ■
Enhanced VSC (Enhanced Vehi-
cle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of the
ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS. Helps to maintain directional stability
when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling steering perfor-
mance. ■
Trailer Sway Control
Helps the driver to control trailer sway
by selectively applying brake pressure
for individual wheels and reducing
driving torque when trailer sway is
detected. ■
TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and pre-
vent the drive wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerat-
ing on slippery roads ■
Hill-start assist control
Helps to reduce the backward move-
ment of the vehicle when starting on an
uphill ■
EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce
the amount of effort needed to turn the
steering wheel ■
E-Four
Electronic On-Demand AWD system.
Automatically switches from front-
wheel drive to all-wheel drive (AWD)
according to the driving conditions,
helping to ensure reliable handling and
stability. Examples of conditions where
the system will switch to AWD are
when cornering, going uphill, starting
off or accelerating, and when the road
surface is slippery due to snow, rain,
etc.Driving assist systems To keep driving safety and perfor-
mance, the following systems oper-
ate automatically in response to
various driving situations. Be aware,
however, that these systems are
supplementary and should not be
relied upon too heavily when oper-
ating the vehicle.
Summary of the driving assist
systems
252 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U cate that a malfunction has occurred in
any of these systems.●
Any of the following conditions may
occur when the above systems are oper-
ating.
None of these indicates that a malfunc-
tion has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle
body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard also after
the vehicle comes to a stop.■
ECB operating sound
ECB operating sound may be heard in the
following cases, but it does not indicate that
a malfunction has occurred. ●
Operating sound heard from the engine
compartment when the brake pedal is
operated.●
Motor sound of the brake system heard
from the front part of the vehicle when
the driver’s door is opened.●
Operating sound heard from the engine
compartment when one or two minutes
passed after the stop of the hybrid sys-
tem.■
EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a
motor sound (whirring sound) may be
heard. This does not indicate a malfunction. ■
Reduced effectiveness of the EPS sys-
tem
The effectiveness of the EPS system is
reduced to prevent the system from over-
heating when there is frequent steering
input over an extended period of time. The
steering wheel may feel heavy as a result.
Should this occur, re frain from excessive
steering input or stop the vehicle and turn
the hybrid system off. The EPS system
should return to normal within 10 minutes.
■
Automatic reactivation of TRAC, Trailer
Sway Control and VSC systems
After turning the TARC, Trailer Sway Con-
trol and VSC systems off, the systems will
be automatically re-enabled in the following
situations:
●
When the power switch is turned off
●
If only the TRAC system is turned off, the TRAC will turn on when vehicle speed
increases ●
If only the TRAC system is turned off, the
TRAC will turn on when vehicle speed
increases
If both the TRAC and VSC systems are
turned off, automatic re-enabling will not
occur when vehicle speed increases. ■
Operating conditions of hill-start assist
control
When the following four conditions are met,
the hill-start assist control will operate:●
The shift lever is in a position other than P
or N (when starting off forward/back-
ward on an up ward incline).●
The vehicle is stopped. ●
The accelerator pedal is not depressed. ●
The parking brake is not engaged. ■
Automatic system cancelation of hill-
start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn off in any
of the following situations: ●
The shift lever is shifted to P or N. ●
The accelerator pedal is depressed. ●
The parking brake is engaged. ●
2 seconds at maximum elapsed after the
brake pedal is released
WARNING
■
The ABS does not operate effectively
when ●
The limits of tire gripping performance
have been exceeded (such as exces-
sively worn tires on a snow covered
road).
●
The vehicle hydroplanes while driving
at high speed on wet or slick road.
2574-6. Driving tips
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving Use fluids that are appropriate to
the prevailing outside temperatures. •Engine oil
• Engine/power control unit coolant
•Washer fluid
Have a service technician inspect
the condition of the 12-volt battery.
Have the vehicle fitted with four
snow tires or purchase a set of tire
chains for the front tires *
.Ensure that all tires are the same size and
brand, and that chains match the size of the
tires. *
: Tire chains cannot be mounted on the
225/60R18 tires.
Perform the following according to the
driving conditions:
Do not try to forcibly open a window
or move a wiper that is frozen. Pour
warm water over the frozen area to
melt the ice. Wipe away the water Winter driving tips Carry out the necessary prepara-
tions and inspections before driving
the vehicle in winter. Always drive
the vehicle in a manner appropriate
to the prevailing weather condi-
tions.
Preparation for winter
WARNING
■
Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to
reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of
vehicle control and cause death or seri-
ous injury.
●
Use tires of the specified size.
●
Maintain the recommended level of air
pressure. ●
Do not drive in excess of 75 mph (120
km/h), regardless of the type of snow
tires being used. ●
Use snow tires on all, not just some
wheels. ■
Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions to
reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle
being unable to be driven safely, and may
cause death or serious injury. ●
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit specified for the tire chains being
used, or 30 mph (50 km/h), which-
ever is lower. ●
Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces
or over potholes. ●
Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt
steering, sudden br aking and shifting
operations that cause sudden engine
braking. ●
Slow down sufficiently before entering
a curve to ensure that vehicle control is
maintained.
NOTICE■
Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow
tires from Lexus dealers or legitimate tire
retailers.
This is because the removal and attach-
ment of snow tires affects the operation
of the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters.
Before driving the vehicle
3376-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 6
Maintenance and care tires, be sure to replace all four tires.●
All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be ade-
quate for driving in most winter condi-
tions as well as for use year-round. All
season tires, however, do not have ade-
quate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance com-
pared with summer tires in highway
driving.●
Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy
roads, we recommend using snow tires. If
you need snow tires, select tires of the
same size, construction and load capacity
as the originally insta lled tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equip-
ment, make sure your snow tires also
have radial construction. Do not install
studded tires without first checking local
regulations for possible restrictions.
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels. ( → P.257)■
If the tread on snow tires wears down
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.
Rotate the tires in the order shown. To equalize tire wear and extend tire life,
Lexus recommends that tire rotation is car-
ried out at the same in terval as tire inspec-
tion.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.WARNING■
When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
parts of the drive train as well as danger-
ous handling characteristics, which may
lead to an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.
●
Do not mix tires of different makes,
models or tread patterns.
Also, do not mix tires of remarkably
different treadwear.
●
Do not use tire sizes other than those
recommended by Lexus. ●
Do not mix differently constructed
tires (radial, bias-belted or bias-ply
tires). ●
Do not mix summer, all season and
snow tires. ●
Do not use tires that have been used
on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not know
how they were used previously. ●
Do not tow if your vehicle has a com-
pact spare tire installed.
NOTICE■
Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving on
roads with loose surfaces or potholes.
These conditions may cause losses in tire
inflation pressure, reducing the cushion-
ing ability of the tires. In addition, driving
on rough roads may cause damage to
the tires themselves, as well as the vehi-
cle’s wheels and body. ■
If tire inflation pressure of each tire
becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
Tire rotation
360 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 7-2.Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs to be
towed If towing is ne cessary, we recom-
mend having your vehicle towed by
your Lexus dealer or commercial
towing service, using a wheel-lift
type truck or flatbed truck.
Use a safety chain system for all
towing, and abide by all state/pro-
vincial and local laws.
If towing your vehicle with a wheel-
lift type truck, use a towing dolly.
( → P.361, 360) WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury. ■
When towing the vehicle
Be sure to transport the vehicle with all
four wheels raised off the ground. If the
vehicle is towed with the tires contacting
the ground, the drivetrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehicle may
fly off the truck, or electricity generated
by the operation of the motor may cause
a fire to occur depending on the nature
of the damage or malfunction. ■
While towing ●
When towing using a cables or chains,
avoid sudden starts, etc. which place
excessive stress on the towing eyelets,
cables or chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become dam-
aged, broken debris may hit people,
and cause serious damage. ●
Do not turn the power switch off.
There is a possibility that the steering
wheel is locked and cannot be oper-
ated. ■
Installing towing eyelets to the vehi-
cle
Make sure that towing eyelets are
installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelets
may come loose during towing.
NOTICE■
To prevent damage to the vehicle
when towing using a wheel-lift type
truck ●
Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
when the power switch is off. The
steering lock mechanism is not strong
enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
●
When raising the vehicle, ensure ade-
quate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle.
Without adequate clearance, the vehi-
cle could be damaged while being
towed.
■
To prevent damage to the vehicle
when towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either
from the front or rear.
384 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U WARNING■
When the compact spare tire is
attached
The vehicle speed may not be correctly
detected, and the following systems may
not operate correctly:
• ABS & Brake assist
•VSC
•TRAC
• Dynamic radar cruise control with full-
speed range
• PCS (Pre-Collision System)
•EPS
• LDA (Lane Departure Alert with
steering control)
• Panoramic view monitor (if equipped)
• Lexus parking assist monitor
(if equipped)
• Intuitive parking assist (if equipped)
• Navigation system (if equipped)
• BSM (Blind spot monitor)
(if equipped)
• Automatic high Beam (if equipped)
Also, not only can the following system
not be utilized fully, but it may even nega-
tively affect the drive-train components:
•E-Four
■
Speed limit when using the compact
spare tire
Do not drive at speeds in excess of 50
mph (80 km/h) when a compact spare
tire is installed on the vehicle.
The compact spare tire is not designed
for driving at high speeds. Failure to
observe this precaution may lead to an
accident causing deat h or serious injury.
■
After using the tools and jack
Before driving, make sure all the tools
and jack are securely in place in their
storage location to reduce the possibility
of personal injury during a collision or
sudden braking. NOTICE■
Be careful when driving over bumps
with the compact spare tire installed
on the vehicle
The vehicle becomes lower when driving
with the compact spar e tire compared to
when driving with standard tires. Be
careful when driving over uneven road
surfaces. ■
Driving with tire chains and the com-
pact spare tire
Do not fit tire chains to the compact
spare tire.
Tire chains may damage the vehicle body
and adversely affect driving perfor-
mance. ■
When replacing the tires
When removing or fitting the wheels,
tires or the tire pr essure warning valve
and transmitter, contact your Lexus
dealer as the tire pressure warning valve
and transmitter may be damaged if not
handled correctly.