2514-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
4-6.Driving tips
When using Eco drive mode, the
torque corresponding to the accelera-
tor pedal depression amount can be
generated more smoothly than it is in
normal conditions. In addition, the
operation of the air conditioning sys-
tem (heating/cooling) will be mini-
mized, improving the fuel economy.
( P.212)
The Eco-friendly driving is possible by
keeping the indicate of Hybrid System
Indicator within Eco area. ( P.77)
Shift the shift lever to D when stopped
at a traffic light, or driving in heavy traf-
fic etc. Shift the shift lever to P when
parking. When using the N, there is no
positive effect on fuel consumption. In
the N, the gasoline engine operates
but electricity cannot be generated.
Also, when using the air conditioning
system, etc., the hybrid battery (trac-
tion battery) power is consumed.
Drive your vehicle smoothly. Avoid
abrupt acceleration and decelera-
tion. Gradual acceleration and
deceleration will make more effec-
tive use of the electric motor (trac-
tion motor) without having to use
gasoline engine power.
Avoid repeated acceleration.
Repeated acceleration consumes
hybrid battery (traction battery)
power, resulting in poor fuel con-
sumption. Battery power can be
restored by driving with the acceler-
ator pedal slightly released.
Make sure to operate the brakes gently
and in a timely manner. A greater
amount of electrical energy can be
regenerated when slowing down.
Repeated acceleration and decelera-
tion, as well as long waits at traffic
lights, will lead to bad fuel economy.
Check traffic reports before leaving
and avoid delays as much as possible.
When driving in a traffic jam, gently
release the brake pedal to allow the
vehicle to move forward slightly while
avoiding overuse of the accelerator
pedal. Doing so can help control
excessive gasoline consumption.
Hybrid vehicle driving tips
For economical and ecological
driving, pay attention to the follow-
ing points:
Using Eco drive mode
Use of Hybrid System Indicator
Shift lever operation
Accelerator pedal/brake pedal
operation
When braking
Delays
2544-6. Driving tips
or move a wiper that is frozen. Pour
warm water over the frozen area to
melt the ice. Wipe away the water
immediately to prevent it from
freezing.
To ensure proper operation of the
climate control system fan, remove
any snow that has accumulated on
the air inlet vents in front of the
windshield.
Check for and remove any excess
ice or snow that may have accumu-
lated on the exterior lights, vehicle’s
roof, chassis, around the tires or on
the brakes.
Remove any snow or mud from the
bottom of your shoes before getting
in the vehicle.
■To protect the windshield wipers
P.167
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a
safe distance between you and the
vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced
speed suitable to road conditions.
Park the vehicle and move the shift
lever to P without setting the park-
ing brake. The parking brake may
freeze up, preventing it from being
released. If the vehicle is parked
without setting the parking brake,
make sure to block the wheels.
Failure to do so may be dangerous
because it may cause the vehicle to move unexpectedly, possibly lead-
ing to an accident.
If the vehicle is parked without set-
ting the parking brake, confirm that
the shift lever cannot be moved out
of P
*.
*: The shift lever will be locked if it is
attempted to be shifted from P to any
other position with out depressing the
brake pedal. If the shift lever can be
shifted from P, there may be a problem
with the shift lock system. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
Vehicles with 17-inch tires
Use the correct tire chain size when
mounting the tire chains.
Chain size is regulated for each tire
size.
Side chain:
0.12 in. (3 mm) in diameter
0.39 in. (10 mm) in width
1.18 in. (30 mm) in length
Cross chain:
0.16 in. (4 mm) in diameter
0.55 in. (14 mm) in width
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle
Selecting tire chains
A
B
C
D
E
3086-1. Maintenance and care
WARNING
■Precaution regarding the rear
bumper with Blind Spot Monitor (if
equipped)
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped
or scratched, the system may malfunc-
tion. If this occurs, consult your Lexus
dealer.
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and
corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the
following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar, pollen or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron
powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chip ped or scratched,
have it repaired immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from corroding,
remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the
wheels.
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic
substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the
lights.
●Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the
lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■When using an automatic car wash
(vehicles with rain-sensing windshield
wipers)
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate and the wiper blades
may be damaged.
■When using a high-pressure car wash
●When washing the vehicle, do not let
water of the high-p ressure washer hit
directly or the vicinity of the camera.
Due to the shock from the high-pres-
sure water, it is possible the device may
not operate as normal.
●Do not bring the nozzle tip close to
boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following
parts. The parts may be damaged if
they come into contact with high-pres-
sure water.
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at least 11.9
in. (30 cm) away from the vehicle
body. Otherwise resin section, such as
molding and bumpers, may be
deformed and damaged.
Also, do not continuously hold the
nozzle in the same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of the
windshield continuously.
If water enters the air conditioning sys-
tem intake located near the lower part
of the windshield, th e air conditioning
system may not operate correctly.
●Do not wash the underside of the vehi-
cle using a high pressure car washer.
3146-2. Maintenance
Radiator/con-
denser
The radiator and con-
denser should be free
from foreign objects.
( P.324)
Washer fluid
Is there sufficient
washer fluid?
( P.325)
Trunk
ItemsCheck points
12-volt battery
Check the battery fluid
level and connections.
( P.326)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator
pedal
• The accelerator
pedal should move
smoothly (without
uneven pedal effort
or catching).
Hybrid transmis-
sion “Park” mech-
anism
•When parked on a slope and the shift
lever is in P, is the
vehicle securely
stopped?
Brake pedal
•Does the brake pedal move
smoothly?
•Does the brake pedal have appro-
priate clearance
from the floor?
•Does the brake pedal have the cor-
rect 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?
Indicators/buzz-
ers•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 operate nor-
mally?
• When parked on a slope and the park-
ing brake is on, is the
vehicle securely
stopped?
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
ItemsCheck points
3176-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
6-3.Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service pre-
cautions
If you perform maintenance by
yourself, be sure to follow the cor-
rect procedure as given in these
sections.
Maintenance
ItemsParts and tools
12-volt battery
condition
( P.326)•Grease
• Conventional wrench
(for terminal clamp
bolts)
Brake fluid
level
( P.325)
• FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
or SAE J1703 brake
fluid
FMVSS No.116 DOT 4
or SAE J1704 brake
fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake fluid)
Engine/power
control unit
coolant level
( P.323)
•“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” or a similar
high quality ethylene
glycol-based non-sili-
cate, non-amine, non-
nitrite and non-borate
coolant with long-life
hybrid organic acid
technology
For the U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is pre-mixed
with 50% coolant and
50% deionized water.
For Canada:
“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is pre-mixed
with 55% coolant and
45% deionized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding coolant)
Hybrid bat-
tery (traction
battery) air
intake vent
( P.343)
• Vacuum cleaner, etc.
• Phillips screwdriver
Engine oil level
( P.321)
•“Toyota Genuine Motor
Oil” or equivalent
•Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding engine oil)
Fuses
( P.348)• Fuse with same amper-
age rating as original
Headlight aim• Phillips-head screw-driver
Light bulbs
( P.351)
•Bulb with same number
and wattage rating as
original
• Flathead screwdriver
ItemsParts and tools
3256-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Checking fluid level
The brake fluid level should be
between the “MAX” and “MIN” lines
on the tank.
■Adding fluid
Make sure to check the fluid type and
prepare the necessary items.
Fluid type
FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703
brake fluid
FMVSS No.116 DOT 4 or SAE J1704
brake fluid
Item
Clean funnel
■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.
If any washer does not work or “Wind-
shield Washer Fluid Low” is shown on
the multi-information display, the
washer tank may be empty. Add
washer fluid.
WARNING
■When the hybrid system is hot
Do not touch the radiator or condenser
as they may be hot and cause serious
injuries, such as burns.
Checking and adding the brake
fluid
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 leve l in the accumulator
is high.
If the reservoir need s frequent refilling,
there may be a serious problem.
Adding the washer fluid
WARNING
■When adding washer fluid
Do not add washer fluid when the hybrid
system is hot or operating as washer fluid
contains alcohol and may catch fire if
spilled on the engine etc.
3567-1. Essential information
7-1.Essential information
Press the switch to flash all of the turn
signal lights.
To turn them off, press the switch once
again.
■Emergency flashers
●If the emergency flashers are used for a
long time while the hybrid system is not
operating (while the “READY” indicator
is not illuminated), the 12-volt battery may
discharge.
●If any of the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
or in the event of a strong rear impact, the
emergency flashers will turn on automati-
cally.
The emergency flashers will turn off auto-
matically after operating for approxi-
mately 20 minutes. To manually turn the
emergency flashers off, press the switch
twice.
(The emergency flashers may not turn on
automatically dependin g on the force of
the impact and conditions of the colli-
sion.)
1 Steadily step on the brake pedal
with both feet and firmly depress it.
Do not pump the brake pedal repeatedly
as this will increase the effort required to
slow the vehicle.
2Shift the shift lever to N.
If the shift lever is shifted to N
3 After slowing down, stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place by the road.
4 Stop the hybrid system.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted to
N
3 Keep depressing the brake pedal
with both feet to reduce vehicle
speed as much as possible.
4 To stop the hybrid system, press
and hold the power switch for 2
consecutive seconds or more, or
Emergency flashers
The emergency flashers are used to
warn other drivers when the vehicle
has to be stopped in the road due to
a breakdown, etc.
Operating instructions
If your vehicle has to be
stopped in an emergency
Only in an emergency, such as if it
becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way, stop the
vehicle using the following proce-
dure:
Stopping the vehicle
3647-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)
■Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)
■High coolant temperature warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds
Calmly perform the following actions if any of the warning lights comes on or
flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, bu t then goes off, this does not necessar-
ily indicate a malfunction in the system. However, if this continues to occur,
have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Actions to the warning lights or warning buzzers
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(red)
(Canada)
Indicates that:
The brake fluid level is low; or
The brake system is malfunctioning
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your Lexus
dealer. Continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in:
The regenerative braking system;
The electronically controlled brake system; or
The parking brake system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine coolant temperature is too high
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Handling method ( P.395)