
182 4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 1 Press the Automatic High Beam 
switch.
2 Push the lever away from you with 
the headlight switch in the   or 
 position. The AHB indicator will come on when the 
system is operating.
■
Conditions to turn the high beams on/off 
automatically ●
When all of the follo wing conditions are 
met, the high beams will be turned on 
automatically (after approximately 1 sec-
ond):
• The vehicle speed is approximately 21 
mph (34 km/h) or more.
• The area ahead of the vehicle is dark.
• There are no vehicles ahead with head-
lights or tail lights turned on.
• There are few streetlights on the road 
ahead. ●
If any of the following conditions are met, 
the high beams will turn off automatically:
• The vehicle speed is below approxi-
mately 17 mph (27 km/h).
• The area ahead of the vehicle is not dark.
• Vehicles ahead have  their headlights or 
tail lights turned on.
• There are many streetlights on the road 
ahead. ■
Camera sensor dete ction information●
The high beams may not be automatically 
turned off in the following situations:
• When a vehicle suddenly appears from 
around a curve
• When the vehicle is cut in front of by 
another vehicle
• When vehicles ahead cannot be 
detected due to repeated curves, road 
dividers or roadside trees
• When vehicles ahead appear in a far-
away lane on a wide road
• When the lights of vehicles ahead are not 
on
●
The high beams may be turned off if a AHB (Automatic High 
Beam) The Automatic High Beam uses a 
camera sensor located behind the 
upper portion of the windshield to 
assess the brightness of the lights of 
vehicles ahead, streetlights, etc., 
and automatically turns the high 
beams on or off as necessary. WARNING■
Limitations of the Automatic High 
Beam
Do not overly rely on the Automatic High 
Beam. Always drive sa fely, taking care to 
observe your surroundings and turning 
the high beams on or off manually if nec-
essary. ■
To prevent incorrect operation of the 
Automatic High Beam system
Do not overload the vehicle.
Activating the Automatic High 
Beam 

1834-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving vehicle ahead that is using fog lights with-
out its headlights turned on is detected.●
House lights, street lig hts, traffic signals, 
and illuminated billboards or signs and 
other reflective objects may cause the 
high beams to change to the low beams, 
or the low beams to remain on.●
The following factors may affect the 
amount of time taken for the high beams 
to turn on or off:
• The brightness of the headlights, fog 
lights, and tail lights  of vehicles ahead
• The movement and direction of vehicles 
ahead
• When a vehicle ahead only has opera-
tional lights on one side
• When a vehicle ahead is a two-wheeled 
vehicle
• The condition of the road (gradient, 
curve, condition of th e road surface, etc.)
• The number of passengers and amount of 
luggage in the vehicle●
The high beams may turn on or off unex-
pectedly.●
Bicycles or similar vehicles may not be 
detected.●
In the following situations the system may 
not be able to correctly detect the sur-
rounding brightness le vel. This may cause 
the low beams to remain on or the high 
beams to flash or dazzle pedestrians or 
vehicles ahead. In such a case, it is neces-
sary to manually switch between the high 
and low beams.
• When driving in  inclement weather 
(heavy rain, snow, fog, sandstorms, etc.)
• When the windshield is obscured by fog, 
mist, ice, dirt, etc.
• When the windshield is cracked or dam-
aged
• When the camera sensor is deformed or 
dirty
• When the temperature of the camera 
sensor is extremely high
• When the surrounding brightness level is 
equal to that of head lights, tail lights or 
fog lights
• When headlights or tail lights of vehicles 
ahead are turned off, dirty, changing 
color, or not aimed properly
• When the vehicle is hit by water, snow, 
dust, etc. from a preceding vehicle • When driving through an area of inter-
mittently changing brightness and dark-
ness
• When frequently and repeatedly driving 
ascending/descending roads, or roads 
with rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces 
(such as stone-paved roads, gravel roads, 
etc.)
• When frequently and repeatedly taking 
curves or driving on a winding road
• When there is a highly reflective object 
ahead of the vehicle, such as a sign or 
mirror
• When the back of a preceding vehicle is 
highly reflective, such as a container on a 
truck
• When the vehicle’s headlights are dam-
aged or dirty, or are not aimed properly
• When the vehicle is listing or titling due to 
a flat tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
• When the headlights are changed 
between the high beams and low beams 
repeatedly in an abnormal manner
• When the driver believes that the high 
beams may be flashing or dazzling 
pedestrians or other drivers ■
Temporarily lowering  sensor sensitivity
The sensitivity of the  sensor can be tempo-
rarily lowered.
1 Turn the engine switch off while the fol-
lowing conditions are met.
●
The headlight switch is in   or  . ●
The headlight switch lever is in high beam 
position. ●
Automatic High Beam switch is on.
2 Turn the engine switch to IGNITION 
ON mode.
3 Within 30 seconds after step  2 , repeat 
pulling the headlight switch lever to the 
original position then pushing it to the 
high beam position quickly 10 times, 
then leave the lever  in high beam posi-
tion.
4 If the sensitivity is changed, the AHB 
indicator is turn on and off 3 times.
Automatic High Beam (headlights) may 
turn on even when the vehicle is stopped. 

184 4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 ■
Switching to the low beams
Pull the lever to its original position. The AHB indicator will turn off.
Push the lever away from you to activate 
the Automatic High Beam system again.
■
Switching to the high beams
Press the Automatic High Beam 
switch. The AHB indicator will turn off and the 
high beam indicator will turn on.
Press the switch to activate the Automatic 
High Beam system again. Operate the   lever operates the 
wipers or washer as follows. When 
 is selected, the wipers will operate 
automatically when the sensor detects 
falling rain. The system automatically 
adjusts wiper timing in accordance 
with rain volume and vehicle speed.Turning the high beams on/off 
manually Windshield wipers and 
washer Operating the lever can switch 
between automatic operation and 
manual operation, or can use the 
washer. NOTICE■
When the windshield is dry
Do not use the wipers, as they may dam-
age the windshield.
Operating the wiper lever 

1854-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving 1  (U.S.A.) or   (Canada)
Off
2  Rain-sensing wiper operationThe wipers will operate automatically when 
the sensor detects falling rain. The system 
automatically adjusts wiper timing in 
accordance with rain volume and vehicle 
speed.
3  (U.S.A.) or   (Canada)
Low speed wiper operation
4  (U.S.A.) or   (Canada)
High speed wiper operation
5  (U.S.A.) or   (Canada)
Temporary operation
When   is selected, the sensor sen-
sitivity can be adjusted by turning the 
switch ring.
6 Increases the sensitivity
7 Decreases the sensitivity 8  Washer/wiper dual opera-
tion Pulling the lever operates the wipers and 
washer.
(After operating several times, the wipers 
operate once more time  after a short delay 
to prevent dripping. However, the dripping 
prevention does not operate while the 
vehicle is moving.)
Vehicles with headlight cleaners:
When the engine swit ch is in IGNITION 
ON mode and the headlights are on, if the 
lever is pulled, the he adlight cleaners will 
operate once. After this, the headlight 
cleaners will operate every 5th time the 
lever is pulled.
■
The windshield wiper and washer can be 
operated when
The engine switch is in IGNITION ON 
mode. ■
Effects of vehicle speed on wiper opera-
tion
Even when the wipers are not in AUTO 
mode, vehicle speed affects the time until 
the drip prevention wiper sweep occurs.
With low speed windsh ield wiper operation 
selected, wiper operation will be switched 
from low speed to intermittent wiper opera-
tion only when the vehicle is stationary.
(However, when the sensor sensitivity is 
adjusted to the highes t level, the mode can-
not be switched.)
■
Raindrop sensor
●
The raindrop sensor judges the amount 
of raindrops.
An optical sensor is adopted. It may not 
operate properly when sunlight from the 
rising or setting of  the sun intermittently 
strikes the windshield, or if bugs etc. are 
present on the windshield. 

186 4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 ●
If the wiper is turned to AUTO mode 
while the engine switch is in IGNITION 
ON mode, the wipers will operate once 
to show that AUTO mode is activated.●
If the temperature of the raindrop sensor 
is 185°F (85°C) or higher, or 5°F 
(-15°C) or lower, automatic operation 
may not occur. In this case, operate the 
wipers in any mode other than AUTO 
mode.■
If no windshield washer fluid sprays
Check that the washer nozzles are not 
blocked if there is wash er fluid in the wind-
shield washer fluid reservoir.
■
Front door opening linked windshield 
wiper stop function
When   is selected and the windshield 
wipers are operating, if a front door is 
opened while the vehicle is stopped and the 
P shift position is sele cted, operation of the 
windshield wipers w ill be stopped to pre-
vent anyone near the vehicle from being 
sprayed by water from the wipers. When 
the front door is closed, wiper operation will 
resume.
■
When stopping the engine in an emer-
gency while driving
If the windshield wipers are operating when 
the engine is stopped, the windshield wipers 
will operate in high speed operation. After 
the vehicle is stopped, operation will return 
to normal when the engi ne switch is turned  to IGNITION ON mode, or operation will 
stop when the driver’s door is opened. ■
Outside rear view mirror defogger acti-
vation linked to windshield wiper opera-
tion
The outside rear view mirror defoggers 
automatically turn on when you operate the 
windshield wipers.
The outside rear view mirror defoggers 
automatically turn off approximately 15 
minutes after the wipers stop.
For details about the outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers:   P.314
WARNING■
Caution regarding the use of wind-
shield wipers in AUTO mode
The windshield wipers may operate 
unexpectedly if the sensor is touched or 
the windshield is subj ect to vibration in 
AUTO mode. Take care that your fingers 
or anything else do not become caught 
in the windshield wipers. ■
Caution regarding the use of washer 
fluid
When it is cold, do  not use the washer 
fluid until the windshield becomes warm. 
The fluid may freeze on the windshield 
and cause low visibility. This may lead to 
an accident, resulting in death or serious 
injury.
NOTICE
■
When there is no washer fluid spray 
from the nozzle
Damage to the washer fluid pump may 
be caused if the lever is pulled toward 
you and held continually.
■
When a nozzle becomes blocked
In this case, contact your Lexus dealer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or other 
object. The nozzle will be damaged. 

1914-5. Using the driving support systems
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving 4-5.Using the driving support systems
*
:If equipped
■
PCS (Pre-Collision System) (vehi-
cles with Lexus Safety System + A)
 P.204 ■
FCTA (Front Cross Traffic Alert)
 P.222 ■
LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
 P.225 ■
AHB (Automatic High Beam)
 P.182 ■
RSA (Road Sign Assist) **
:If equipped
 P.247 ■
Dynamic radar cruise control with 
full-speed range
 P.237 Four types of sensors, located behind 
the front grille, front bumper, rear 
bumper and windshield, detect infor-
mation necessary to operate the drive 
assist systems.
 Front
Front radar sensor
Front side radar sensors
Front camera
 Rear Rear side radar sensors ( 
P.250 )Lexus Safety System + A *
The Lexus Safety System + A con-
sists of the following drive assist sys-
tems and contributes to a safe and 
comfortable driving experience:
Drive assist system WARNING■
Lexus Safety System + A
The Lexus Safety System + A is designed 
to operate under the assumption that the 
driver will drive safely , and is designed to 
help reduce the impact to the occupants 
and the vehicle in the case of a collision 
or assist the driver in normal driving con-
ditions.
As there is a limit to the degree of recog-
nition accuracy and control performance 
that this system can provide, do not 
overly rely on this system. The driver is 
always responsible for paying attention 
to the vehicle’s surroundings and driving 
safely.
Sensors
A
B
C 

192 4-5. Using the driving support systems
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 WARNING■
To avoid malfunction of the front 
radar sensor
Observe the following precautions.
Otherwise, the radar sensor may not 
operate properly, possibly leading to an 
accident resulting in  death or serious 
injury. ●
Keep the radar sensor and the grille 
cover clean at all times.
Radar sensor
Grille cover
If the front of the rada r sensor or the front 
or back of the grille cover is dirty or cov-
ered with water droplets, snow, etc., 
clean it.
Clean the radar sensor and grille cover 
with a soft cloth to avoid damage them.
●
Do not attach accessories, stickers 
(including transpar ent stickers) or 
other items to the radar sensor, grille 
cover or surrounding area. A
B ●
Do not subject the radar sensor or its 
surrounding area to a strong impact. 
If the radar sensor is moved even 
slightly off position, the system may 
malfunction and objects may not be 
detected correctly.
If the radar sensor, front grille, or front 
bumper has been subjected to a 
strong impact, have the vehicle 
inspected by your Lexus dealer. ●
Do not disassemble the radar sensor. ●
Do not modify or paint the radar sen-
sor or grille cover. ●
If the radar sensor, front grille, or front 
bumper needs to be removed and 
installed, or replaced, contact your 
Lexus dealer. ■
To avoid malfunction of the front side 
radar sensors
Observe the following precautions.
Otherwise, the radar sensor may not 
operate properly, possibly leading to an 
accident resulting in death or serious 
injury. 

1934-5. Using the driving support systems
LS500_OM_(U)_1810 4
Driving WARNING●
Keep the radar sensors and their sur-
rounding areas on the front bumper 
clean at all times.
If a radar sensor or  its surrounding area 
on the front bumper is dirty or covered 
with snow, the system may not operate 
and a warning message (  P.428) will be 
displayed.
If this occurs, clean off the dirt or snow 
and drive the vehicle for approximately 
10 minutes.
If the warning message does not disap-
pear, have your vehicle inspected by your 
Lexus dealer. ●
Do not attach accessories, stickers 
(including transparen t stickers), alumi-
num tape or other items to the radar 
sensors or their surrounding area.
●
Do not subject a radar sensor or its 
surrounding area on the front bumper 
to a strong impact.
If a radar sensor is moved even slightly 
off position, the system may malfunction 
and vehicles may not be detected cor-
rectly.
In the following situations, have your 
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
• If a radar sensor or its surrounding 
area is subject to a strong impact
• If the area on the front bumper around 
a radar sensor is scratched or dented, 
or the front bumper has become par-
tially disengaged  ●
Do not disassemble the radar sensors. ●
Do not modify the radar sensors or 
their surrounding area on the front 
bumper. ●
If a radar sensor or the front bumper 
needs to be removed and installed, or 
replaced, contact your Lexus dealer. ●
Do not paint the front bumper any 
color other than an official Lexus color. ■
To avoid malfunction of the front cam-
era
Observe the following precautions.
Otherwise, the front camera may not 
operate properly, possibly leading to an 
accident resulting in death or serious 
injury. ●
Keep the windshield clean at all times.
• If the windshield is dirty or covered 
with an oily film, water droplets, snow, 
etc., clean the windshield.
• As some glass coating agents may 
affect the detection performance of 
the front camera, consult your Lexus 
dealer when using a glass coating 
agent.
• If a glass coating agent is applied to the 
windshield, it will still be necessary to 
use the windshield wipers to remove 
water droplets, etc. from the area of 
the windshield in front of the front 
camera.
• If the inner side of the windshield 
where the front camera is installed is 
dirty, contact your Lexus dealer.