201
4Driving
RX350/RX350L_U
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch .........................252
Automatic High Beam .............256
Fog light switch .......................... 260
Windshield wipers and washer........................................... 261
Rear window wiper and washer.......................................... 267
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap .................................................269 4-5. Using the driving support
systems
Lexus Safety System+ .............. 274
PCS (Pre-Collision System) .......... 281
LKA (Lane-Keeping A ssist) ........... 291
Dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed
range ........................................... 300
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) ...... 313 • BSM function ...........................317
• RCTA function....................... 321
Intuitive parking assist .............. 326
Intelligent Clearance Sonar (ICS) ............................................. 336
Lexus parking assist monitor ........................................ 357
Driving mode select switch ........................................... 373
All-wheel drive lock switch ........................................... 377
Driving assist systems .............. 378
4-6. Driving tips Winter driving tips .....................384
Utility vehicle precautions............................... 388
202
RX350/RX350L_U4-1. Before driving
P. 231
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( P. 240)
Release the parking brake. ( P. 248)
If the parking brake is in automatic mode, the parking brake is released automatically
when shifting the shift lever to any position other than P. ( P. 247)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal
to accelerate the vehicle.
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake. ( P. 248)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift lever to P or
N. ( P. 240)
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake ( P. 248), and shift the shift lever to P ( P. 240).
Press the engine switch to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you ha ve the electronic key on your person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:
Starting the engine
Driving
Stopping
Parking the vehicle
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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 vehicle 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 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, 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 dashboard. 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.
2124-1. Before driving
RX350/RX350L_U
WARNING
■Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the pedals from being depressed properly, may block the
driver’s vision, or may result in items hittin g the driver or passengers, possibly causing
an accident.
●Stow cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment whenever possible.
●Do not stack cargo and luggage in the luggage compartment higher than the seat-
backs.
●When you fold down the rear seats, long items should not be placed directly behind
the front seats.
●Never allow anyone to ride in the luggage compartment. It is not designed for pas-
sengers. They should ride in their seats with their seat belts properly fastened.
●Do not place cargo or luggage in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or re ar seats (when stacking items)
•On the luggage cover
• On the instrument panel
•On the dashboard
●Secure all items in the occupant compartment.
■Capacity and distribution
●Do not exceed the maximum axle weight rating or the total vehicle weight rating.
●Even if the total load of occupant’s weight and the cargo load is less than the total load
capacity, do not apply the load unevenly. Improper loading may cause deterioration
of steering or braking control whic h may cause death or serious injury.
■Roof luggage carrier precautions
Observe the following precautions:
●Place the cargo so that its weight is distributed evenly between the front and rear
axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo, never exceed the vehicle overall length or width.
( P. 698)
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is secu rely fastened on the roof luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier will make the center of gravity of the vehi-
cle higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden star ts, sharp turns, sudden braking or abrupt
maneuvers, otherwise it may re sult in loss of control or vehicle rollover due to failure
to operate this vehicle correctly and result in death or serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on rough road s, or at high speeds, stop the vehicle now
and then during the trip to make sure the cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 165 lb. (75 kg) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo (vehicles with a moon roof or panoramic moon roof)
Be careful not to scratch the surface of the moon roof or panoramic moon roof.
2214-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350/RX350L_U
Use the correct trailer ball for your application.Trailer ball load rating
Matches or exceeds the gross trailer
weight rating of the trailer.
Ball diameter
Matches the size of the trailer coupler.
Most couplers are stamped with the
required trailer ball size.
Shank length
Protrudes beyond the bottom of the lock washer and nut by at least 2 threads.
Shank diameter
Matches the ball mount hole diameter size.
RX350
Weight carrying ball position:
44.96 in. (1142 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole position:
35.94 in. (913 mm)
RX350L
Weight carrying ball position:
49.72 in. (1263 mm)
Hitch receiver pin hole position:
45.08 in. (1145 mm)
Selecting trailer ball
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Trailer classTypical trailer ball size
IV2 5/16 in.
II and III2 in.
I1 7/8 in.
Positions for towing hitch receiver and hitch ball
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2244-1. 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.
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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. However, 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 may 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 and firmly while turning
the steering wheel left and right.
2344-2. Driving procedures
RX350/RX350L_U
■If the electronic key battery is depleted
P. 623
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly and firmly, the engine switch mode may not change
or the engine may not start.
●If attempting to restart the engine immediately after turning the engine switch off, the
engine may not start in some cases. After turning the engine switch off, please wait a
few seconds before restarting the engine.
■If the smart access system wi th push-button start has been deactivated by a customized
setting
P. 684
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resu lting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If engine 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 cir-
cumstance may lead to an accident, re sulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle, press and hold
the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly 3 times or more in succes-
sion. ( P. 645)
However, do not touch the engi ne switch while driving except in an emergency. Turning
the engine off while driving will not cause lo ss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. Th is 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.