1184-1. Before driving
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WARNING
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal
using your left foot may delay
response in an emergency, resulting in
an accident.
●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 flamma-
ble material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn off
the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of
steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be
lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull
over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emer-
gency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way:
P.274
●Use engine braking (downshift) to
maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may
cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P.128)
●Do not adjust the positions of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the inside
or outside rear view mirrors while driv-
ing.
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 per-
mits 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 not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehi-
cle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking
due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly
depress the brake pedal to make sure
that the brakes are functioning prop-
erly. Wet brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning properly. If the
brakes on only one side are wet and
not functioning properly, steering con-
trol may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward
while the shift lever is in a driving posi-
tion, or roll forward while the shift lever
is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall
or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident
or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shif t lever to P while
the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission
and may result in a loss of vehicle con-
trol.
●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 con-
trol.
1194-1. Before driving
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4
Driving
WARNING
●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 con-
trol.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the
vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine
braking is not available 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 indica-
tors)
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.
Front brakes on F SPORT models
(RC350 [2WD]/RC300 [2WD] only):
Moderate levels of brake pad and disc
wear allow enhanced front braking
power. As a result, the discs may wear
more quickly than conventional brake
discs. Therefore, when replacing the
brake pads, Lexus recommends that you
also have the thickness of the discs mea-
sured. 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 race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P
or N, the vehicle may accelerate sud-
denly and unexpectedly, causing an
accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to
the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the
engine is running, and apply the park-
ing brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline,
in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or back-
ward, always 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.
■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 cause the plastic lenses and plas-
tic material 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 circuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the
vehicle. If a cigare tte 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
windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on
the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act
as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.
2536-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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6
Maintenance and care
■Brake fluid can absorb moisture from
the air
Excess moisture in the brake fluid can cause
a dangerous loss of braking efficiency. Use
only newly opened brake fluid.
Check the battery as follows.
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals
are not corroded and that there are no
loose connections, cracks, or loose
clamps. Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces
hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. Therefore, observe the following
before recharging:
●If recharging with the battery installed on
the vehicle, be sure to disconnect the
ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on the char-
ger is off when connecting and discon-
necting the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting the bat-
tery
The engine may not start. Follow the proce-
dure below to initialize the system.
1
Shift the shift lever to P.
2
Open and close either door.
3
Restart the engine.
●Unlocking the doors using the smart
access system with pu sh-button start may
not be possible immediately after recon-
necting the battery. If this happens, use
the wireless remote control or the
mechanical key to lock/unlock the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine switch in
ACCESSORY mode. The engine may
not start with the engine switch turned off.
However, the engine will operate nor-
mally from the second attempt.
●The engine switch mode is recorded by
the vehicle. If the battery is disconnected
and reconnected, the vehicle will return
the engine switch mode to the status it
was in before the battery was discon-
nected. Make sure to turn off the engine
before disconnecting the battery. Take
extra care when connecting the battery if
the engine switch mode prior to the bat-
tery being disconnected is unknown.
If the system will not start even after multi-
ple attempts, contact your Lexus dealer.
WARNING
■When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm your
hands and eyes and damage painted sur-
faces.If fluid gets on your hands or in your
eyes, flush the affected area with clean
water immediately.
If you still experience discomfort, see a
doctor.
NOTICE
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go
down slightly as the brake pads wear out
or when the fluid level in the accumulator
is high.
If the reservoir need s frequent refilling,
there may be a serious problem.
Battery
A
B