2021 LEXUS RX450h manual transmission

1744-1. Before driving
for a more safe trailer hookup, the trailer
ball setup must be the proper height for the
coupler on the trailer.Coupler
Trailer ball
■Before towing
Check that the following conditions are
met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are prop-
erly inflated. ( P.466)
●Trailer tires are inflated according to the
trailer manufacturer’s recommendation.
●All trailer lights work as required by law.
●All lights work each time you connect
them.
●The trailer ball is set at the proper height
for the coupler on the trailer.
●The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and
check for improper tongue weight, over-
loading, worn suspension, or other possi-
ble causes.
●The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
●The rear view mirrors conform to all
applicable federal, state/provincial or local regulations. If they do not, install
rear view mirrors appropriate for towing
purposes.
■Adaptive Variable Suspension System
(if equipped)
The suspension can be switched for
improvement in driveability. ( P.284)
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any
new power train components (such as an
engine, hybrid transmission, rear differential
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
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. (See “Warranty
and Services Guide”, “Owner’s Manual
Supplement” or “Scheduled Mainte-
nance”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately 600
miles (1000 km) of trailer towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing
vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can adversely
affect handling of your vehicle and trailer,
causing instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer swaying by
turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing th e accelerator pedal
immediately but very gradually to reduce
speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply
vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the
steering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer
should stabilize. (if enabled, Trailer Sway
Control can also help to stabilize the vehicle
A
B

1814-1. Before driving
4
Driving
cle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry
road. Do not exceed this limit, the
posted towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s manual,
whichever is lowest. Instability of the
towing vehicle-trailer combination
(trailer sway) increases as speed
increases. Exceeding speed limits
may cause loss of control.
 Before starting out, check the trailer
lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer
connections. Recheck after driving
a short distance.
 Practice turning, stopping and
reversing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you
become accustomed to the feel of
the vehicle-trailer combination.
 Reversing with a tr ailer attached is
difficult and requires practice. Grip
the bottom of the steering wheel
and move your hand to the left to
move the trailer to the left. Move
your hand to the right to move the
trailer to right. (This is generally
opposite to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or
prolonged turning. Have someone
guide you when reversing to reduce
the risk of an accident.
 As stopping distance is increased
when towing a trailer, vehicle-to
vehicle distance should be
increased. For each 10 mph (16
km/h) of speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
 Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jackknif-
ing and a loss of vehicle control. This
is especially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden accel-
eration.
 Avoid jerky steering and sharp
turns, and slow down before making
turn.
 Note that when making a turn, the
trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Compensate by making a
wider than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a turn, in
cross winds, on wet or slippery sur-
faces, etc. Increasing vehicle speed
can destabilize the trailer.
 Take care when passing other vehi-
cles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After pass ing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty of room
before changing lanes.
 To maintain engine braking effi-
ciency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking,
do not put the transmission in D.
( P.191)
 Instability happens more frequently
when descending steep or long
downhill grades. Before descend-
ing, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while
descending steep or long downhill
grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or applying the brakes too

1824-1. Before driving
frequently. This could cause the
brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the trailer,
your 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 temperature gauge indi-
cates overheating, immediately turn
off the air conditioning (if in use),
pull your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. ( P.454)
 Always place wheel blocks under
both the vehicle’s and the trailer’s
wheels when parking. Put the trans-
mission in P and apply the parking
brake. Avoid parking on a slope, but
if unavoidable, do so only after per-
forming the following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep them
applied.
2 Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and trailer’s
wheels.
3 When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
4 Shift into P and apply the parking
brake.
5 Turn off the hybrid system.
 When restarting after parking on a
slope:
1 With the transmission in P, start the
hybrid system. Be sure to keep the
brake pedal depressed. 2
Shift into a forward gear. If revers-
ing, shift into R.
3 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, release the parking brake.
(P.195)
4 Release the brake pedal, and slowly
pull or back away from the wheel
blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the blocks.

2954-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
WARNING
●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, 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 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 sa fety measures to
ensure that water da mage to the hybrid
battery (traction battery), hybrid system
or other components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine compart-
ment may cause severe damage to the
hybrid system. Water entering the inte-
rior may cause the hybrid battery
(traction battery) stowed under the
rear seats to short circuit.
●Water entering the hybrid transmis-
sion and rear electr ic motor (traction
motor) will cause deterioration in
transmission quality. The malfunction
indicator may come on, and the vehi-
cle may not be drivable.
●Water can wash the grease from wheel
bearings, causing rusting and prema-
ture failure, and may also enter the
hybrid transmission case, 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.
■Inspection after off-road driving
●Sand and mud that has accumulated
around brake discs may affect braking
efficiency and may damage brake sys-
tem components.
●Always perform a maintenance
inspection after each day of off-road
driving that has taken you through
rough terrain, sand, mud, or water. For
scheduled maintena nce information,
refer to the “Warranty and Services
Guide/Owner’s Manual Supple-
ment/Scheduled Maintenance”.