2534-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
Drive your vehicle only in areas
where off-road vehicles are permit-
ted to travel.
Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before entering
private property.
Do not enter areas that are closed.
Honor gates, barriers and signs that
restrict travel.
Stay on established roads. When
conditions are we t, driving tech-
niques should be changed or travel
delayed to prevent damage to
roads.
■Additional informatio n for off-road driv-
ing
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and
Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining
to driving your vehicle off-road, consult the
following organizations.
●State and Local Parks and Recreation
Departments
●State Motor Vehicle Bureau
●Recreational Vehicle Clubs
●U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land
Management
WARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of death or seri-
ous injury or damage to your vehicle:
●Drive carefully when off the road. Do
not take unnecessary risks by driving in
dangerous 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 effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in
sand, mud, water or snow.
●After driving through tall grass, mud,
rock, sand, water, et c., check that there
is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stone,
sand, etc. adhering or trapped to the
underbody. Clear of f any such matter
from the underbody. If the vehicle is
used with these materials trapped or
adhering to the underbody, a break-
down or fire could occur.
●When driving off-road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns, strike
objects, etc. This may cause loss of
control or vehicle rollover causing
death or serious injury. You are also
risking expensive damage to your
vehicle’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 trans-
mission will cause deterioration in shift
quality, locking up of your transmission
accompanied by vibration, and ulti-
mately damage.
●Water can wash the grease from wheel
bearings, causing rusting and prema-
ture failure, and may also enter the dif-
ferentials and transmission reducing
the gear oil’s lubricating qualities.
■When you drive through water
If driving through water, such as when
crossing shallow streams, first check the
depth of the water and the bottom of the
riverbed for firmness. Drive slowly and
avoid deep water.
3146-2. Maintenance
Radiator/con-
denser
The radiator and con-
denser should be free
from foreign objects.
( P.324)
Washer fluidIs there sufficient washer
fluid? ( P.327)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator
pedal
• The accelerator pedal
should move smoothly
(without uneven pedal
effort or catching).
Automatic
transmission
“Park” mecha-
nism•When parked on a slope and the shift
lever is in P, is the vehi-
cle securely stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate
clearance from the
floor?
• Does the brake pedal have the correct
amount of free play?
ItemsCheck points
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to one side when
the brakes are
applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel
spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too
close to the floor
when the brakes are
applied.
Head restraints
•Do the head restraints move smoothly and
lock securely?
Indica-
tors/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzers function
properly?
Lights
• Do all the lights come on?
• Are the headlights aimed correctly?
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake switch operate
normally?
• When parked on a slope and the parking
brake is on, is the vehi-
cle securely stopped?
Seat belts
•Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
ItemsCheck points
3517-1. Essential information
7
When trouble arises
seconds or more, or press it briefly
3 times or more in succession.
5
Stop the vehicle in a safe place by
the road.
Remove the seat belt first.
If the door can be opened, open the
door and exit the vehicle.
If the door can not be opened, open
the window using the power window
switch and exit the vehicle through
the window.
If the window can not be opened
using the power window switch,
remain calm, wait until the water
level inside the vehicle rises to the
point that the water pressure inside
of the vehicle equals the water pres-
sure outside of the vehicle, and then
open the door and exit the vehicle.
WARNING
■If the engine has to be turned off while
driving
Power assist for the brakes and steering
wheel will be lost, making the brake
pedal harder to depress and the steering
wheel heavier to turn. Decelerate as
much as possible before turning off the
engine.
If the vehicle is trapped in
r
ising water
In the event the vehicle is sub-
merged in water, remain calm and
perform the following.
WARNING
■Using an emergency hammer*1 for
emergency escape
The rear side windows and rear window
of this vehicle can be shattered by an
emergency hammer
*1 used for emer-
gency escape, however, since the wind-
shield and front side windows
*2 are
laminated glass they can not be shattered
by an emergency hammer
*1.
*1: Contact your Lexus dealer or after-
market accessory manufacturer for
further information about an emer-
gency hammer.
*2: Vehicles with laminated glass
3557-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
and operate the brakes. The vehicle’s
wheels, drivetrain, axles, steering and
brakes must be in good condition.
To have your vehicle towed by another
vehicle, the towing eyelet must be
installed to your vehicle. Install the tow-
ing eyelet by following the specified
procedure.
1 Take out the towing eyelet.
(P.280)
2 Remove the eyelet cover using a
flathead screwdriver.
To protect the bodywork, place a rag
between the screwdriver and the vehicle
body as shown in the illustration.
3Insert the towing eyelet into the
hole and tighten partially by hand. 4
Tighten down the towing eyelet
securely using a wheel nut wrench
*
or hard metal bar.
*: If a wheel nut wrench is not equipped, a wheel nut wrench can be purchased at
your Lexus dealer.
5 Securely attach cables or chains to
the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehicle body.
6Enter the vehicle being towed and
start the engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the engine
switch to ON.
7Shift the shift lever to N and release
the parking brake.
When the shift lever cannot be shifted:
P.157
■While towing
If the engine is not running, the power assist
for the brakes and steering will not function,
marking steering and braking more difficult.
■Wheel nut wrench
Vehicles with wheel nut wrench: Wheel nut
wrench is installed in luggage compart-
ment. ( P.280)
Vehicles without wheel nut wrench: Wheel
nut wrench can be purchased at your Lexus
dealer.
Emergency towing procedure
3657-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
If the tire pressure warning light blinks for
approximately 1 minute then stays on
There may be a malfunction in the tire pres-
sure warning system. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
If the tire pressure warning light comes
on
1
After the temperature of the tires has
lowered sufficiently, check the inflation
pressure of each tire and adjust them to
the specified level.
2
If the warning light does not turn off
even after several minutes have
elapsed, check that the inflation pres-
sure of each tire is at the specified level
and perform initialization. ( P.333)
■The tire pressure warning light may
come on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may come
on due to natural causes such as natural air
leaks and tire inflation pressure changes
caused by temperature. In this case, adjust-
ing the tire inflation pressure will turn off the
warning light (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with a spare tire
The compact spare tire is not equipped with
a tire pressure warning valve and transmit-
ter. If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure warn-
ing light will not turn off even though the flat
tire has been replaced with the spare tire.
Replace the spare tire with the repaired tire
and adjust the tire inflation pressure. The
tire pressure warning lig ht will go off after a
few minutes.
■Conditions that the tire pressure warn-
ing system may not function properly
P.331
WARNING
■If both the ABS and the brake system
warning lights remain on
Stop your vehicle in a safe place immedi-
ately and contact your Lexus dealer.
The vehicle will become extremely
unstable during braking, and the ABS
system may fail, which could cause an
accident resulting in death or serious
injury.
■When the electric power steering
system warning light comes on
When the light comes on yellow, the
assist to the power st eering is restricted.
When the light comes on red, the assist
to the power steering is lost and handling
operations of the steering wheel become
extremely heavy.
When steering wheel operations are
heavier than usual, grip the steering
wheel firmly and operate it using more
force than usual.
■If the tire pressure warning light
comes on (vehicles without run-flat
tires)
Be sure to observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so could cause a loss of
vehicle control and result in death or
serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as
soon as possible. Check and adjust the
tire inflation pre ssure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes
on even after tire inflation pressure
adjustment, it is prob able that you have
a flat tire. Check the tire s. If a tire is flat,
change it with the spare tire and have
the flat tire repaired by the nearest
Lexus dealer.
WARNING
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and brak-
ing.
If the vehicle tires deteriorate, you
could lose control of the steering
wheel or the brakes.
3667-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■If the tire pressure warning light
comes on (vehicles with run-flat tires)
Be sure to observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so could cause a loss of
vehicle control and result in death or
serious injury.
●Decelerate to the lowest appropriate
speed as soon as possible. Do not
drive over 50 mph (80 km/h).
●Check and adjust the tire inflation
pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes
on even after tire inflation pressure
adjustment, it is probable that you have
a flat tire. Have the flat tire replaced by
the nearest Lexus dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and brak-
ing.
If the vehicle tires deteriorate, you
could lose control of the steering
wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air leakage
should occur
The tire pressure warning system may
not activate immediately.
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly when
cold and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label (tire and load
information label). (I f your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indi-
cated on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label [tire and load
information label], yo u should determine
the proper tire infl ation pressure for
those tires.)
As an added safety fe ature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS-tire pressure
warning system) that illuminates a low
tire pressure telltale (tire pressure warn-
ing light) when one or more of your tires
is significantly under-inflated. Accord-
ingly, when the low ti re pressure telltale
(tire pressure warning light) illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a signifi-
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire
to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi-
ciency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicle’s handling and stopping abil-
ity.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pressure
warning system) is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the
driver’s responsibility to maintain correct
tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumina-
tion of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale
(tire pressure warning light).
Your vehicle has also been equipped with
a TPMS (tire pressure warning system)
malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS (tire pressure warning system)
malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale (tire pres-
sure warning light) . When the system
detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and
then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the
malfunction exists. When the malfunction
indicator is illuminated, the system may
not be able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended.
3747-2. Steps to take in an emergency
5Raise the vehicle until the tire is
slightly raised off the ground.
6
Remove all the wheel nuts and the
tire.
When resting the tire on the ground, place
the tire so that the wh eel design faces up to
avoid scratching the wheel surface.
1Remove any dirt or foreign matter
from the wheel contact surface.
If foreign matter is on the wheel contact
surface, the wheel nuts may loosen while
the vehicle is in motion, causing the tire to
WARNING
■Replacing a flat tire
●Do not touch the disc wheels or the
area around the brakes immediately
after the vehicle has been driven.
After the vehicle has been driven the
disc wheels and the area around the
brakes will be extremely hot. Touching
these areas with hands, feet or other
body parts while changing a tire, etc.
may result in burns.
●Failure to follow these precautions
could cause the wheel nuts to loosen
and the tire to fall of f, resulting in death
or serious injury.
• Never use oil or grease on the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
Oil and grease may cause the wheel
nuts to be excessively tightened, lead-
ing to bolt or disc wheel damage. In
addition, the oil or grease can cause
the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel
may fall off, causing a serious accident.
Remove any oil or grease from the
wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
• Have the wheel nuts tightened with a torque wrench to 76 ft • lbf (103 N •m,
10.5 kgf •m) as soon as possible after
changing wheels.
• When installing a tire, only use wheel nuts that have been specifically
designed for that wheel.
• If there are any cracks or deformations in the bolt screws, nut threads or bolt
holes of the wheel, have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer.
• Do not attach a heavily damaged wheel ornament, as it may fly off the
wheel while the vehicle is moving.
■Replacing a flat tire for vehicles with
power back door
In cases such as when replacing tires,
make sure to cancel the power back
door system ( P.112). Failure to do so
may cause the back door to operate
unintentionally if the power back door
switch is accidentally touched, resulting
in hands and fingers being caught and
injured.
Installing the spare tire
3948-1. Specifications
*: The fluid capacity is a reference quantity.If replacement is necessary, contact your Lexus dealer.
*1: Minimum pedal clearance when depressed with a force of 66 lbf (300N, 31.0 kgf) while the engine is running.
*2: Make sure to confirm that the brake system wa rning light (yellow) does not illuminate. (If
the brake system warning light illuminates, refer to P.360.)
CVT (Continuously Variable Transaxle)
Fluid capacity*9.0 qt. (8.5 L, 7.5 Imp.qt)
Fluid typeToyota Genuine CVT Fluid FE
NOTICE
■CVT (Continuously Variable Transaxle) fluid type
Using CVT (Continuously Variable Transaxl e) fluid other than “Toyota Genuine CVT
Fluid FE” may cause deterioration in shift qua lity, locking up of your transmission accom-
panied by vibration, and ultimately damage the transmission of your vehicle.
Brakes
Pedal clearance*13.98 in. (101 mm) Min.
Brake pad wear limit0.04 in. (1.0 mm)
Pedal free play0.04 0.24 in. (1.0 6.0 mm)
Parking brake indicator*2
When pushing the parking brake switch for 1 to 4
seconds: comes on
When pulling the parking brake switch for 1 to 4
seconds: turns off
Fluid typeSAE J1703 or FMVSS No. 116 DOT 3
SAE J1704 or FMVSS No. 116 DOT 4
Steering
Free playLess than 1.2 in. (30 mm)