2019 LEXUS LS500H Owners Manual

1694-1. Before driving
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
4
Driving
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with 4 wheels on the
ground) behind a motor home.
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to your vehi-
cle
Do not tow your vehicle with the four
wheels on the ground.

1704-2. Driving procedures
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4-2.Driving procedures
1Press the parking brake switch to
check that the parking brake is set.
(P.183)
The parking brake indicator will come on.
2 Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message will be displayed on
the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the hybrid system can-
not be started.
When the shift position is N, the hybrid sys-
tem cannot start. Shift the shift position to P
when starting the hybrid system. ( P.178)
3 Press the power switch shortly and
firmly.
When operating the power switch, one
short, firm press is enough. It is not neces-
sary to press and hold the switch.
If the “READY” indicator turns on, the
hybrid system will operate normally.
Continue depressing the brake pedal until
the “READY” indicator is illuminated.
The hybrid system can be started from any
power switch mode.
4Check that the “READY” indicator
is illuminated.
The vehicle cannot be driven if the
“READY” indicator is off.
■Power switch illumination
According to the situation, the power
switch illumination operates as follows.
●When a door is opened, or the power
switch mode is changed from ACCES-
SORY or ON mode to off, the power
switch illumination slowly blinks.
●When depressing the brake pedal with
carrying the electronic key on your per-
son, the power switch illumination rapidly
blinks.
●When the power switch is in ACCES-
SORY or ON mode, the power switch
illumination illuminates.
■If the hybrid system does not start
●The immobilizer system may not have
been deactivated. ( P.71)
Contact your Lexus dealer.
●If a message related to start-up is shown
on the multi-information display, read the
message and follow the instructions.
■When the ambient temperature is low,
such as during winter driving conditions
●When starting the hybrid system, the
flashing time of the “READY” indicator
may be long. Leave the ve hicle as it is until
the “READY” indicator is steady on, as
steady means the vehicle is able to move.
●When the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) is extremely cold (below approxi-
mately -22°F [-30°C]) under the
influence of the outside temperature, it
may not be possible to start the hybrid
system. In this case, try to start the hybrid
system again after the temperature of the
hybrid battery increases due to the out-
side temperature increase etc.
■Sounds and vibrations specific to a
hybrid vehicle
 P.64
Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following opera-
tions when carryin g the electronic
key on your person starts the hybrid
system or changes power switch
modes.
Starting the hybrid system

1714-2. Driving procedures
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4
Driving
■If the 12-volt battery is discharged
The hybrid system cannot be started using
the smart access system with push-button
start. Refer to P.445 to restart the hybrid
system.
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P.108
■Conditions affe cting operation
 P.125
■Notes for the entry function
 P.125
■Steering lock function
●After turning the power switch off and
opening and closing the doors, the steer-
ing wheel will be lock ed due to the steer-
ing lock function. Operating the power
switch again automatically cancels the
steering lock.
●When the steering lock cannot be
released, “Push Power Switch While
Turning Steering Whee l in Either Direc-
tion” will be displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
Press the power switch shortly and firmly
while turning the steering wheel left and
right.
●To prevent the steering lock motor from
overheating, the motor may be sus-
pended if the hybrid system is turned on
and off repeatedly in a short period of
time. In this case, refrain from operating
the power switch. After about 10 sec-
onds, the steering lock motor will resume
functioning.
■If the “READY” indicator does not come
on
In the event that the “READY” indicator
does not come on even after performing
the proper procedures for starting the vehi- cle, contact your Lexus dealer immediately.
■If the hybrid system
is malfunctioning
 P.69
■Electronic key battery
 P.409
■Operation of the power switch
●If the switch is no t pressed shortly and
firmly, the power switch mode may not
change or the hybrid system may not
start.
●If attempting to restart the hybrid system
immediately after turning the power
switch off, the hybrid system may not start
in some cases. After turning the power
switch off, please wait a few seconds
before restarting the hybrid system.
■Customization
If the smart access system with push-button
start has been deactivated in a customized
setting, refer to P.443.
WARNING
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hybrid system while sit-
ting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress
the accelerator pedal while starting the
hybrid system under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
WARNING
■Caution while driving
If hybrid system 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 circumstance may lead to an
accident, resulting in death or serious
injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the hybrid system
If the hybrid system becomes difficult to
start, have your vehicle checked by your
Lexus dealer immediately.

1724-2. Driving procedures
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
1Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
(P.183)
3 Shift the shift position to P.
(P.178)
Check that the shift position indicator
shows P and the parking brake indicator is
illuminated.
4 Press the power switch.
The hybrid system will stop, and the meter
display will be extinguished (the shift posi-
tion indicator will be extinguished a few
seconds after the meter display).
5 Release the brake pedal and check
that “ACCESSORY” or “IGNI-
TION ON” is not shown on the
meter.
■Automatic P position selection function
 P.179
Modes can be changed by pressing
the power switch with the brake pedal
released. (The mode changes each
time the switch is pressed.)
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction
with the power switch
If the power switch seems to be operat-
ing somewhat differently than usual, such
as the switch sticking slightly, there may
be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer immediately.
Stopping the hybrid system
WARNING
■Stopping the hybrid system in an
emergency
●If you want to stop the hybrid system in
an emergency while driving the vehi-
cle, press and hold the power switch
for more than 2 seconds, or press it
briefly 3 times or more in succession.
(  P.416)
However, do not touch the power
switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. Turning the hybrid system off
while driving will not cause loss of
steering or braking control, however,
power assist to the st eering 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.
●If the power switch is operated while
the vehicle is running, a warning mes-
sage will be shown on the multi-infor-
mation display and a buzzer sounds.
●When restarting the hybrid system
after an emergency shutdown, press
the power switch.
Changing power switch modes

1734-2. Driving procedures
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4
Driving1 Off
The emergency flashers can be used.
2ACCESSORY mode
Some electrical components such as the
audio system can be used.
“ACCESSORY” will be displayed on the
meter.
3ON mode
All electrical components can be used.
“IGNITION ON” will be displayed on the
meter.
■Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode
for more than 20 minutes or ON mode
(with hybrid system not operating) for more
than an hour with the shift position in P, the
power switch will automatically turn off.
However, this function cannot entirely pre-
vent the 12-volt battery discharge. Do not
leave the vehicle with the power switch in
ACCESSORY or ON mode for long peri-
ods of time when the hybrid system is not
operating.
■When the shift control system malfunc-
tions
When attempting to turn the power switch
off while there is a ma lfunction in the shift
control system, the power switch mode may
change to ACCESSORY mode. In this
case, ACCESSORY mode may be turned
off by applying the parking brake and press-
ing the power switch again. If there is a mal-
function in the system, have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery discharge
●Do not leave the power switch in
ACCESSORY or ON mode for long
periods of time without the hybrid sys-
tem on.
●If “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION
ON” is displayed on the meter, the
power switch is not off. Exit the vehicle
after turning the power switch off.

1744-2. Driving procedures
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Turns EV drive mode on/off
When EV drive mode is turned on, the EV
drive mode indicator will come on. Press-
ing the switch when in EV drive mode will
return the vehicle to normal driving (using
the gasoline engine and electric motor
[traction motor]).
■Situations in which EV drive mode can-
not be turned on
It may not be possible to turn EV drive
mode on in the following situations. If it can-
not be turned on, a buzzer will sound and a
message will be shown on the multi-infor- mation display.
●The temperature of the hybrid system is
high.
The vehicle has been left in the sun,
driven on a hill, driven at high speeds, etc.
●The temperature of the hybrid system is
low.
The vehicle has been left in temperatures
lower than about 32°F (0°C) for a long
period of time etc.
●The gasoline engine is warming up.
●The hybrid battery (traction battery) is
low.
The remaining battery level indicated in
the “Energy Monitor” display is low.
(
 P.100)
●Vehicle speed is high.
●The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly
or the vehicle is on a hill etc.
●The windshield defogger is in use.
●When the shift position is in M.
■Switching to EV drive mode when the
gasoline engine is cold
If the hybrid system is started while the gas-
oline engine is cold, the gasoline engine will
start automatically in order to warm up. In
this case, you will become unable to switch
to EV drive mode.
To prevent gasoline engine warm up in
order to reduce noises, start the hybrid sys-
tem without starting the gasoline engine,
pressing the power switch with fully
depressing the brake pedal and pressing
the EV drive mode switch.
■Automatic cancelation of EV drive
mode
When driving in EV drive mode, the gaso-
line engine may automatically restart in the
following situations. When EV drive mode
EV drive mode
In EV drive mode, electric power is
supplied by the hybrid battery
(traction battery), and only the
electric motor (traction motor) is
used to drive the vehicle.
This mode allows you to drive in res-
idential areas early in the morning
and late at night, or in indoor park-
ing lots etc. without concern for
noises and gas emissions.
However, when the vehicle proxim-
ity notification system is active, the
vehicle may produce sound.
Operating instructions

1754-2. Driving procedures
LS500h_OM_(U)_1809
4
Driving
is canceled, a buzzer will sound and the EV
drive mode indicator will flash and go off.
●The hybrid battery (traction battery)
becomes low.
The remaining battery level indicated in
the “Energy Monitor” display is low.
(  P.100)
●Vehicle speed is high.
●The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly
or the vehicle is on a hill etc.
When it is possible to inform the driver of
automatic cancelation in advance, a prior
notice screen will appear on the multi-infor-
mation display.
■Possible driving distance when driving in
EV drive mode
EV drive mode’s possible driving distance
ranges from a few hundred meters to
approximately 0.6 mile (1 km). However,
depending on vehicle conditions, there are
situations when EV drive mode cannot be
used.
(The distance that is possible depends on
the hybrid battery [traction battery] level
and driving conditions.)
■Fuel economy
The hybrid system is designed to achieve
the best possible fuel economy during nor-
mal driving (using the gasoline engine and
electric motor [traction motor]). Driving in
EV drive mode more than necessary may
lower fuel economy.
■If “EV Mode Unavailable” is shown on
the multi-information display
The EV drive mode is not available. The rea-
son the EV drive mode is not available (the
vehicle is idling, batter y charge is low, vehi-
cle speed is higher than the EV drive mode
operating speed range or accelerator pedal
is depressed too much) may be displayed.
Use the EV drive mode when it becomes
available.
■If “EV Mode Deactivated” is shown on
the multi-information display
The EV drive mode has been automatically
canceled. The reason the EV drive mode is
not available (the battery charge is low,
vehicle speed is higher than the EV drive
mode operating speed range or accelera- tor pedal is depressed too much) may be
displayed. Drive the vehicle for a while
before attempting to turn on the EV drive
mode again.
WARNING
■Caution while driving
When driving in EV drive mode, pay spe-
cial attention to the area around the vehi-
cle. Because there is no engine noise,
pedestrians, people riding bicycles or
other people and vehicles in the area
may not be aware of the vehicle starting
off or approaching them, so take extra
care while driving. Therefore, take extra
care while driving even if the vehicle
proximity notification system is active.

1764-2. Driving procedures
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*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise, set the shift position in D for nor-
mal driving. You can choose gear range
suitable for your driving situation by
operating the paddle shift switches.
*2: Any gear range can be fixed when driv-
ing in M mode.
■For the shift positions
●When the power switch is off or in
ACCESSORY mode, the shift position
cannot be changed.
●When the power switch is in ON mode
(the hybrid system is not operating), the
shift position can only be changed to N.
●When the “READY” indicator is on, the
shift position can be changed from P to D,
N or R.
●When the “READY” indicator is flashing,
the shift position cannot be changed from
P to another position even if the shift lever
is operated. Wait until the “READY” indi-
cator changes from a flashing to a solid light, and then operate the shift lever
again.
●The shift position can only be changed to
M directly from D.
In addition, if an attempt is made to change
the shift position by mo ving the shift lever or
by pressing the P position switch in any of
the following situations, the buzzer will
sound and the shifting operation will be dis-
abled or the shift posi tion will automatically
change to N. When this happens, select an
appropriate shift position.
●Situations where the shifting operation
will be disabled:
• When an attempt is made to change the
shift position from P to another position
by moving the shift lever without depress-
ing the brake pedal.
• When an attempt is made to change the shift position from P or N to M by moving
the shift lever.
• When the P position switch is pressed
while the vehicle is running.
*1
●Situations where the shift position will
automatically change to N:
• When an attempt is made to select the R position by moving the shift lever when
the vehicle is moving forward.
*2
• When an attempt is made to select the D
position by moving the shift lever when
the vehicle is moving in reverse.
*3
• When the shift position is changed from R to M
●If N is selected while driving at a certain
speed, even if the shift lever is not held in
the N position, the shift position changes
to N. In this situation, the buzzer sounds
and a confirmation message is displayed
on the multi-information display to inform
the driver that the shift position has
changed to N.
*1: Shift position may be changed to P
when driving at extremely low speeds.
*2: Shift position may be changed to R when driving at low speeds.
*3: Shift position may be changed to D when driving at low speeds.
Hybrid transmission
Select the shift position depending
on your purpose and situation.
Shift position purpose and func-
tions
Shift posi- tionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral (Condition in which
the power is not transmitted)
DNormal driving*1
MM mode driving*2 (  P.181)