2019 LEXUS RX350 manual transmission

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

238 4-2. Driving procedures
RX350/RX350L_U ■
S mode ●
When the shift range is 6 or lower, holding th e shift lever toward “+” sets the shift range
to 8. ●
To prevent the engine from over-revving, upshifting may automatically occur. ●
To protect the automatic transmission, a functi on is adopted that au tomatically selects a
higher shift range when the fluid temperature is high. ■
To protect the automatic transmission
If the automatic transmission fluid temperat ure is high, “Transmission Fluid Temp High
See Owner’s Manual” will be displayed on the multi-information display and the vehicle
will go into transmission protection mode automatically. Have th e vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer. ■
Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifti ng operation may sometimes
be restricted. In some circum stances, downshifting may not be possible even when the
shift lever is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.) ■
When driving with dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range activated
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of enabling engine braking,
engine braking will not occur because dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed
range will not be canceled. ●
While driving in D or S mode, downshifting to 7, 6, 5 or 4. (  P. 300)●
When switching the driving mode to spor t mode while driving in the D position
(  P. 373)■
Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)
When the following unusual operation is performed, the engine output may be
restrained. ●
When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D includes S)
with the accelerator pedal depressed, a wa rning message appears on the multi-infor-
mation display. If a warning message is shown on the multi- information display, read the
message and follow the instructions. ●
When the accelerator pedal is depressed too while the vehicle is in reverse. ■
Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent ac cidental operation of the shift lever in start-
ing.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only when the engine switch is in IGNITION ON
mode and the brake pedal is being depressed.

2434-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U ■
Automatic deactivation of shift range selection in the D position
Shift range selection in the D position will be deactivated in the following situations:●
The “+” paddle shift switch is held down for a period of time●
When the vehicle comes to a stop ●
If the accelerator pedal is depressed fo r more than a certain period of time●
When the shift lever is shifted to a position other than D ■
To protect the automatic transmission
If the automatic transmission fluid temperat ure is high, “Transmission Fluid Temp High
See Owner’s Manual” will be displayed on the multi-information display and the vehicle
will go into transmission protection mode automatically. Have th e vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer. ■
Downshifting restriction warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifti ng operation may sometimes
be restricted. In some circum stances, downshifting may not be possible even when the
shift lever or paddle shif t switch is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)■
When driving with dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range activated
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of enabling engine braking,
engine braking will not occur because dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed
range will not be canceled. ●
While driving in D position, downshifting to 7, 6, 5 or 4. (  P. 300)●
When switching the driving mode to spor t mode while driving in the D position
(  P. 373)■
Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)
When the following unusual operation is performed, the engine output may be
restrained. ●
When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D includes
M) with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears on the multi-
information display. If a wa rning message is shown on the multi-information display,
read the message and follow the instructions. ●
When the accelerator pedal is depressed too while the vehicle is in reverse. ■
Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent ac cidental operation of the shift lever in start-
ing.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only when the engine switch is in IGNITION ON
mode and the brake pedal is being depressed.

390 4-6. Driving tips
RX350/RX350L_U WARNING ■
Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of death, serious injury
or damage to your vehicle: ●
Drive carefully when off the road. Do not ta ke unnecessary risks by driving in danger-
ous places. ●
Do not grip the steering wheel spokes when driving off-road. A bad bump could jerk
the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands and especially your thumbs on the
outside of the rim. ●
Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving in sand, mud,
water or snow. ●
After driving through tall grass, mud, rock , sand, rivers, etc., check that there is no
grass, bush, paper, rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or trapped on the underbody.
Clear off any such matter from the underbody. If the vehicle is used with these materi-
als trapped or adhering to the underbody, a breakdown or fire could occur. ●
When driving off-road or in rugged terrain , do not drive at excessive speeds, jump,
make sharp turns, strike obje cts, etc. This may cause loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You are also risking expensive damage to your vehi-
cle’s suspension and chassis.
NOTICE ■
To prevent water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the engine or other
components does not occur. ●
Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage.●
Water entering the automatic transmission will cause deterioration in shift quality,
locking up of your transmission accompan ied by vibration, and ultimately damage.●
Water can wash the grease from wheel be arings, causing rusting and premature fail-
ure, and may also enter the differential, transmission and transfer (AWD models only)
case, reducing the gear oi l’s lubricating qualities.■
When you drive through water
If driving through water, such as when cro ssing shallow streams, first check the depth of
the water and the bottom of the riverbed for firmness. Drive slowly and avoid deep
water. ■
Inspection after off-road driving ●
Sand and mud that has accumulated around brake discs may affect braking efficiency
and may damage brake system components. ●
Always perform a maintenance inspection afte r each day of off-road driving that has
taken you through rough terrain, sand, mud, or water. For scheduled maintenance
information, refer to the “Warranty and Services Guide/Owner’s Manual Supple-
ment/Scheduled Maintenance”.

662 8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RX350/RX350L_U * : A buzzer sounds the first time a message is shown on the multi-information display.
●
If the following messages are shown, there may be a malfunction.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your Lexus dealer.
Continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous.
• “Braking Power Low Stop in a Safe Place See Owner’s Manual”
• “Oil Pressure Low Stop in a Safe Place See Owner’s Manual”
• “Charging System Malfun ction See Owner's Manual”●
If the following message is shown, there may be a malfunction.
Immediately have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
• “Access System with Elec. Key Malfunction See Owner’s Manual” ●
If “Engine Coolant Temp High Stop in a Safe Place See Owner’s Manual” is
displayed, following the instructions, accordingly. (  P. 692)●
If “Transmission Fluid Temp High See Owner’s Manual” is shown, the auto-
matic transmission fluid temperature may be too high.
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place, shift the shift lever to P with the
engine running and wait until the message is cleared.
If the message is not cleared, contact your Lexus dealer.Flashes  Sounds Indicates a situation, such as when
damage to the vehicle or danger may
result
Comes
on  Does not sound Indicates a condition, such as malfunc-
tion of electrical components, their
condition, or indicates the need for
maintenance
Flashes  Does not sound Indicates a situation, such as when an
operation has been performed incor-
rectly, or indicates how to perform an
operation correctly
If a message instructing to refer to the Owner’s Manual is displayed System
warning
light Warning buzzer
* Warning

757Alphabetical index
RX350/RX350L_U Alarm ............................................................. 77
All-wheel drive lock mode ................377
Anchor brackets ...................................... 57
Antenna
Radio ........................................................ 423
Smart access system
with push-button start ................... 146
Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)....... 378
Warning light ...................................... 654
Approach warning...............................308
Armrest .................................................... 555
Assist grips .............................................. 556
Audio system (with Lexus
Display Audio System) ................... 394
Antenna .................................................. 423
Audio input........................................... 403
AUX port.............................................. 403
Bluetooth ®
audio ..............................453
CD player .............................................. 427
iPod ...........................................................434
MP3/WMA disc ............................... 427
Optimal use ........................................... 413
Portable music player ...................... 442
Radio ........................................................420
Setup menu .......................................... 406
Steering wheel audio
switches .............................................. 400
USB memory ...................................... 438 Audio system
(with navigation system)
* Automatic air conditioning
system .......................................... 503, 518
Air conditioning filter ........................ 618
S-FLOW mode..................................... 511
Automatic headlight leveling
system .....................................................254
Automatic High Beam ....................... 256
Automatic light control system .......252
Automatic transmission.......... 236, 240
If the shift lever cannot be
shifted from P ....................... 239, 244
M mode .................................................. 242
Paddle shift switches.............. 241, 242
S mode.....................................................237
AUX port ................................................ 403
Auxiliary boxes ......................... 535, 540
* : Refer to the “NAVIGATION SYSTEM OWNER’S MANUAL”.