2019 LEXUS RX350 engine

2074-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury. ■
When the vehicle is stopped ●
Do not race the engine.
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 the engine is running, and apply the parking brake as neces-
sary. ●
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 shift lever to P, stop the engine and lock the
vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattend ed while the engine is running.
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 engine is running or immediately after turn-
ing the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

208 4-1. Before driving
RX350/RX350L_U WARNING
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 engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire due to engine over-
heating. Additionally, if the ve hicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases
may collect and enter the vehicle, leading 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 brake booster device 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. ●
Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted brakes. ●
The brake system consists of 2 individual hy draulic systems; if one of the systems fails,
the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual and the bra king distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately. ■
If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
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.

2094-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U NOTICE ■
When driving the vehicle ●
Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving, as
this may restrain driving torque. ●
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depre ss the accelerator and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on a hill. ■
When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake and shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may cause the
vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed. ■
Avoiding damage to vehicle parts ●
Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor. ●
When driving over bumps on the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damaging
the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc. ■
If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations . Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle. ●
It may be difficult to control your vehicle. ●
The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations. ●
The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire (  P. 666)■
When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain, etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle: ●
Engine stalling ●
Short in electrical components ●
Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to have
your Lexus dealer check the following: ●
Brake function ●
Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, transaxle, transfer
(AWD models), rear differential (AWD models), etc. ●
Lubricant condition for the propeller shaf t (AWD models), bearings and suspension
joints (where possible), and the func tion of all joints, bearings, etc.

224 4-1. Before driving
RX350/RX350L_U ●
To maintain engine braking efficien cy and charging system performance
when using engine braking, do not put th e transmission in D. If in the M or S
mode, the transmission shift range po sition must be in 6 or lower. (  P. 240)●
Instability happens more fr equently when descending steep or long downhill
grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do not make sudden
downshifts while descending st eep or long downhill grades.●
Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the brakes too fre-
quently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and result in reduced braking
efficiency. ●
Due to the added load of the trailer, yo ur vehicle’s engine may overheat on hot
days (at temperatures over 85  F [30  C]) when driving up a long or steep
grade. If the engine coolant temperat ure gauge indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air conditioning (if in use), pull your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. (  P. 692)●
Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trailer’s wheels
when parking. Put the transmission in P and apply the parking brake. Avoid
parking on a slope, but if unavoidable, do so only after performing the follow-
ing:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and trailer’s
wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in place, release the brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
Shift into P and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the engine.●
When restarting afte r parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the en gine. Be sure to keep the brake pedal
depressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
If the parking brake is in manual mode, release the parking brake.
(  P. 248)
Release the brake pedal, and slowly pull or back away from the wheel
blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks. 1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5

226 4-1. Before driving
RX350/RX350L_U ■
Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components (such as an
engine, transaxle, transfer (AWD models), rear differential (AWD models) or wheel
bearing), Lexus recommends that you do not tow a trailer until the vehicle has been
driven for over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can start towing.
However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the vehicle at a speed of less than
50 mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle acceleration.■
Maintenance ●
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will requir e more frequent maintenance due to the addi-
tional load. (See “Warranty and Services Guide”, “Owner’s Manual Supplement” or
“Scheduled Maintenance”.) ●
Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ba ll and bracket after approximately 600 miles
(1000 km) of trailer towing. ■
If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing ve hicles, rough roads, etc.) can adversely
affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability. ●
If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wh eel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer sway ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal im mediately but very gradually to reduce
speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the st eering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer
should stabilize. (if enabled, Trailer Sway Control can also he lp to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.) ●
After the trailer sw aying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not ov erloaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the speed at which trailer swaying occurred is beyond
the limit of your particular vehicle-trailer combination.
Drive at a lower speed to prevent instability. Remember that swaying of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer increases as speed increases.

231
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U 4-2. Driving procedures
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal. and a message will be displayed on the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, th e engine cannot be started.
Press the engine switch shortly and
firmly. When operating the engine switch, one
short, firm press is enough.
It is not necessary to press and hold the
switch.
The engine will crank until it starts or for
up to 30 seconds, whichever is less.
Continue depressing the brake pedal
until the engine is completely started.
The engine can be started from any
engine switch mode.
Stop the vehicle completely.
Set the parking brake (  P. 247), and shift the shift lever to P.
Press the engine switch.
Release the brake pedal and check that the display on the meters is off.Engine (ignition) switch Performing the following operations wh en carrying the electronic key on your
person starts the engine or changes engine switch modes.
Starting the engine 1
2
3
4
Stopping the engine 1
2
3
4

232 4-2. Driving procedures
RX350/RX350L_U Modes can be changed by pressing the en gine switch with brake pedal released.
(The mode changes each time the switch is pressed.)
Off
* The emergency flashers can be used.
ACCESSORY mode Some electrical components such as the
audio system can be used.
“ACCESSORY” will be displayed on the
meters.
IGNITION ON mode All electrical components can be used.
“IGNITION ON” will be displayed on
the meters.
* : If the shift le ver is in a position other than
P when turning off the engine, the
engine switch will be turned to ACCES-
SORY mode, not to off.
If the engine is stopped with the shift le ver in a position other than P, the engine
switch will not be turned off but inst ead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. Per-
form the following procedure to turn the switch off:
Check that the parking brake is set.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Check that “Turn Off Vehicle” is disp layed on the multi-information display
and then press the engine switch once.
Check that “Turn Off Vehicle” on th e multi-information display is off.Changing engine switch modes 1
2
3
When stopping the engine with the shift lever in a position other than P1
2
3
4

2334-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U ■
Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode for more than 20 minutes or IGNITION ON
mode (with the engine not running) for more than an hour with the shift lever in P, the
engine switch will automatically turn off. Ho wever, this function cannot entirely prevent
battery discharge. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine switch in ACCESSORY or
IGNITION ON mode for long periods of time when the engine is not running.■
Electronic key battery depletion
 P. 122 ■
Conditions affe cting operation
 P. 148 ■
Note for the entry function
 P. 149 ■
If the engine does not start ●
The engine immobilizer system ma y not have been deactivated. (  P. 74)
Contact your Lexus dealer. ●
Check that the shift lever is se curely set in P. The engine ma y not start if the shift lever is
displaced out of P. “To Start Vehicle, Put Sh ift Lever into P” will be displayed on the
multi-information display. ■
Steering lock
After turning the engine switch off and opening and closing the doors, the steering wheel
will be locked due to the steering lock func tion. Operating the engine switch again auto-
matically cancels the steering lock. ■
When the steering lock cannot be released
■
Steering lock motor overheating prevention
To prevent the steering lock motor from overheating, operation of the motor may be sus-
pended if the engine is turned on and off repeat edly in a short period of time. In this case,
refrain from operating the engine switch. After about 10 seconds, the steering lock
motor will resume functioning. ■
When “Access System with Elec. Key Malf unction See Owner’s Manual” is displayed
on the multi-information display
The system may be malfunctio ning. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.“Steering Wheel Lock Press Engine Switch
while Turning Wheel” w ill be displayed on the
multi-information display.
Check that the shift leve r is in P. Press the
engine switch shortly an d firmly while turning
the steering wheel left and right.