2018 LEXUS RX450h ECU

1793-3. Adjusting the seats
3
Operation of each component
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UWARNING ■
When a rear seatback is folded
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.●
Do not fold down the rear seatbacks while driving. ●
Stop the vehicle on level grou nd, apply the parking brake and shift the shift lever to P.●
Do not allow anyone to sit on a folded re ar seatback or in th e luggage compartment
while driving. ●
Do not allow children to enter the luggage compartment. ■
When operating the rear seatback
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.●
Make sure that passengers are clear of the rear seatback before operating it.●
To prevent hands and other body parts from being caught, keep them away from the
gaps in the seats and the moving parts of the seats when operating a rear seatback.●
Power seat: Do not let children operate th e rear seatback. Othe r passengers may get
caught in the seat. ●
Power seat: Make sure that a ll passengers are clear of a seat before folding it. Do not
let passengers sit in the seat while it is being folded.■
Seat adjustment ●
Second-row seats: To reduce the risk of s liding under the lap belt during a collision,
do not recline the seat more than necessary.
If the seat is reclined excessively, the la p belt may slide past the hips and apply
restraint forces directly to the abdomen, or your neck may contact the shoulder belt,
increasing the risk of de ath or serious injury in the event of an accident.●
Adjustments should not be made while dr iving as the seat may unexpectedly move
and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. ■
After adjusting the rear seats
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.●
Manual seats: Make sure that the rear se atback is securely locked in position by
lightly pushing it back and forth. ●
Check that the seat belts are not twisted or caught between or behind in the rear
seatback.

2174-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UWARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may 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 r acing 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.■
When the vehicle is parked ●
Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, sp ray 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 dashbo ard. 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.

218 4-1. Before driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UWARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury. ■
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 ve ntilated area, exhaust
gases may collect and enter the vehicle, lead ing to death or a serious health hazard.■
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 function 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. ■
If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessive ly when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel the vehi-
cle forward or backward, causing an accident.

222 4-1. Before driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UWARNING ■
Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the pedals from being depressed properly, may block the
driver’s vision, or may result in items hittin g the driver or passeng ers, possibly causing
an accident. ●
Stow cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment whenever possible.●
Do not stack cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment higher than the seat-
backs. ●
When you fold down the rear seats, long items should not be placed directly behind
the front seats. ●
Never allow anyone to ride in the luggage compartment. It is not designed for pas-
sengers. They should ride in their seats with their se at belts properly fastened.●
Do not place cargo or luggage in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or re ar seats (when stacking items)
•On the luggage cover
• On the instrument panel
•On the dashboard ●
Secure all items in the occupant compartment. ■
Capacity and distribution ●
Do not exceed the maximum axle weight rating or the total vehicle weight rating. ●
Even if the total load of occupant’s weight and the cargo load is less than the total load
capacity, do not apply the load unevenly. Improper loading may cause deterioration
of steering or braking control whic h may cause death or serious injury.■
Roof luggage carrier precautions
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. 710) ●
Before driving, make sure the cargo is secu rely 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 star ts, sharp turns, sudden braking or abrupt
maneuvers, otherwise it may re sult 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 road s, 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 165 lb. (75 kg) 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.

2334-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85U■
Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
■
Before towing
Check that the followin g conditions are met:●
Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( → P. 717)●
Trailer tires are inflated a ccording to the trailer manufacturer’s recommendation.●
All trailer lights work as required by law. ●
All lights work each time you connect them.●
The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer. ●
The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for improper to ngue weight, overload-
ing, worn suspension, or other possible causes. ●
The trailer cargo is securely loaded. ●
The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or local regula-
tions. If they do not, install rear view mirrors appropriate for towing purposes.■
AVS (adaptive variable suspension system) (if equipped)
The suspension can be switched fo r improvement in driveability. ( → P. 383)No matter which class of tow hitch
applies, for a more safe trailer hookup,
the trailer ball setup must be the proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball 1
2

236 4-1. Before driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UWARNING ■
Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities established by the hitch manu-
facturer. Even though the vehicle may be phys ically capable of towing a higher weight,
the operator must determine the maximum weight rating of the particular hitch assem-
bly and never exceed the maximum weight rating specified for the trailer-hitch.
Exceeding the maximum weight rating set by the trailer-hitch manufacturer can cause
an accident resulting in death or serious personal injuries. ■
When towing a trailer
Lexus recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any applicable federal and
state/provincial regulations. ●
If the gross trailer weight exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer brakes are required. Lexus
recommends trailers with brakes that conform to all applicable federal and state/pro-
vincial regulations. ●
Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as this will lower the vehicle’s braking
effectiveness. ●
Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both the trailer
and the vehicle. If damage occurs to the co upling unit or hitch ball, there is danger of
the trailer wandering into another lane.
NOTICE ■
When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recommended by your Lexus dealer. Do not install the trailer
hitch on the bumper; this may cause body damage. ■
Do not directly splice trailer lights
Do not directly splic e trailer lights. Directly splicin g trailer lights may damage your
vehicle’s electrical system and cause a malfunction.

2594-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UWith 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.
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) secures excellent visibility at intersections
and on curves by automatically adjusting the direction of the light axis of the
headlights according to vehicle speed and the degree of the tire’s angle as con-
trolled by steering input. AFS operates at speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
●
When the steering wheel or turn signal lever is operated while the headlights
are on (low beam), a cornering light w ill turn on and light up the direction of
movement of the vehicle. The cornerin g lights are designed to ensure excel-
lent visibility when making a turn at an intersection. However, when vehicle speed is approximately 22 mph (35 km/h) or higher, the cor-
nering lights will not turn on.●
When the shift lever is in R while the headlights are on (low beam), both cor-
nering lights will turn on. This is desi gned to enhance visibility when parking.Turning on the high beam headlights 1
2
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) (if equipped)
Cornering lights (if equipped)

266 4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85U(U.S.A.) or (Canada)
Turns the fog lights off
Turns the fog lights on
■
Fog lights can be used when
The headlights are on in low beam.Fog light switch The fog lights secure excellent visibility in difficult driving conditions, such as
in rain and fog.
Operating instructions 1
2