2021 LEXUS RX450h stop start

4TABLE OF CONTENTS
6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehi-cle exterior ................................... 356
Cleaning and protecting the vehi- cle interior .................................... 359
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ..... 362
General maintenance ................ 363
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs ............ 366
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions........................................................... 367
Hood.................................................. 369
Positioning a floor jack............... 369
Engine compartment................... 371
12-volt battery................................ 376
Tires ................................................... 380
Tire inflation pressure ................. 387
Wheels.............................................. 389
Air conditioning filter..................390
Windshield wiper inserts........... 392
Electronic key battery ................ 393
Checking and replacing fuses ........................................................... 395
Headlight aim................................. 397
Light bulbs ....................................... 399
7-1. Essential information Emergency flashers...................... 410
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency .............................. 410If the vehicle is trapped in rising
water ................................................. 411
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed............................................................ 413
If you think something is wrong ............................................................ 417
If a warning light turns on or a warn- ing buzzer sounds...................... 418
If a warning messa ge is displayed
.......................................................... 428
If you have a flat tire .................... 432
If the hybrid syst em will not start
.......................................................... 444
If you lose your keys.................... 446
If the fuel filler door cannot be opened .......................................... 446
If the electronic key does not oper- ate properly ................................. 447
If the 12-volt battery is discharged .......................................................... 449
If your vehicle overheats ........... 454
If the vehicle becomes stuck ... 457
8-1. Specifications Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.) ................................................. 460
Fuel information............................ 469
Tire information .............................. 471
8-2. Customization Customizable features .............. 480
8-3. Init

ialization
Items to initialize ........................... 493
6Maintenance and care
7When trouble arises
8Vehicle specifications

14Pictorial index
■Instrument panel
Power switch ............................................................................................................P.184
Starting the hybrid system/changing the mo des.................................................. P.184
Emergency stop of the hybrid system ....................................................................... P.410
When the hybrid system will not start ...................................................................... P.444
Warning messages .......................................................................................................... P.428
Shift lever.................................................................................................................... P.191
Changing the shift position .............................................................................................. P.191
Precautions for towing .................................................................................................... P.413
When the shift lever does not move ...........................................................................P.192
Meters ......................................................................................................................... P.83
Reading the meters/adjusting the instrume nt panel light...........................P.83, 87
Warning lights/indicator lights ...................................................................................... P.78
When a warning light turns on ..................................................................................... P.418
Multi-information display ...................................................................................... P.88
Display ........................................................................................................................ ..............P.88
Energy monitor ................................................................................................................... P.100A
B
C
D

241-1. For safe use
1-1.For safe use
Use only floor mats designed specifi-
cally for vehicles of the same model
and model year as your vehicle. Fix
them securely in place onto the carpet.
1Insert the retaining hooks (clips)
into the floor mat eyelets.
2 Turn the upper knob of each retain-
ing hook (clip) to secure the floor
mats in place.
Always align the marks .
The shape of the reta ining hooks (clips)
may differ from that shown in the illustra-
tion.
Before driving
Observe the following before start-
ing off in the vehicle to ensure
safety of driving.
Installing floor mats
A
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause the driver’s
floor mat to slip, poss ibly interfering with
the pedals while driv ing. An unexpect-
edly high speed may result or it may
become difficult to stop the vehicle. This
could lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
■When installing the driver’s floor mat
●Do not use floor mats designed for
other models or different model year
vehicles, even if they are Lexus Genu-
ine floor mats.
●Only use floor mats designed for the
driver’s seat.
●Always install the floor mat securely
using the retaining hooks (clips) pro-
vided.
●Do not use two or more floor mats on
top of each other.
●Do not place the floor mat bot-
tom-side up or upside-down.
■Before driving
●Check that the floor mat is securely
fixed in the correct place with all the
provided retaining hooks (clips). Be
especially careful to perform this
check after cleaning the floor.
●With the hybrid system stopped and
the shift lever in P, fully depress each
pedal to the floor to make sure it does
not interfere with the floor mat.

251-1. For safe use
1
For safety and security
Adjust the angle of the seatback so
that you are sitting straight up and
so that you do not have to lean for-
ward to steer. (P.131)
Adjust the seat so that you can
depress the pedals fully and so that
your arms bend slightly at the
elbow when gripping the steering
wheel. ( P.131)
Lock the head restraint in place
with the center of the head restraint
closest to the top of your ears.
( P.145)
Wear the seat belt correctly.
( P.26) Make sure that all occupants are wear-
ing their seat belts before driving the
vehicle. (
P.26)
Use a child restraint system appropri-
ate for the child until the child becomes
large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belt. ( P.45)
Make sure that you can see backward
clearly by adjusting the inside and out-
side rear view mirrors properly.
( P.149, 150)
For safe driving
For safe driving, adjust the seat and
mirror to an appropriate position
before driving.
Correct driving posture
WARNING
■For safe driving
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
A
B
C
D
●Do not adjust the position of the
driver’s seat while driving.
Doing so could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
●Do not place a cushion between the
driver or passenger and the seatback.
A cushion may prevent correct pos-
ture from being achieved, and reduce
the effectiveness of the seat belt and
head restraint.
●Do not place anything under the front
seats.
Objects placed under the front seats
may become jammed in the seat
tracks and stop the seat from locking in
place. This may lead to an accident
and the adjustment mechanism may
also be damaged.
●Always observe the legal speed limit
when driving on public roads.
●When driving over long distances, take
regular breaks before you start to feel
tired.
Also, if you feel tired or sleepy while
driving, do not force yourself to con-
tinue driving and take a break immedi-
ately.
Correct use of the seat belts
Adjusting the mirrors

661-4. Hybrid system
1-4.Hybrid system
■System components
The illustration is an example for explanation and may differ from the actual item.
Gasoline engine
Front electric motor (traction motor)
Rear electric motor (traction motor)
■When stopped/during start off
The gasoline engine stops
* when the
vehicle is stopped. During start off, the
electric motor (traction motor) drives
the vehicle. At slow speeds or when
traveling down a gentle slope, the
engine is stopped
* and the electric
motor (traction motor) is used. When the shift lever is in N, the hybrid
battery (traction battery) is not being
charged.
*: When the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) requires charging or the engine is
warming up, etc., the gasoline engine will
not automatically stop. ( P.67)
■During normal driving
The gasoline engine is predominantly
Hybrid system features
Your vehicle is a hybrid vehicle. It has characteristics different from conven-
tional vehicles. Be sure you are closely familiar with the characteristics of your
vehicle, and operate it with care.
The hybrid system combines the use of a gasoline engine and an electric motor
(traction motor) according to driving conditions, improving fuel efficiency and
reducing exhaust emissions.
System components
A
B
C

671-4. Hybrid system
1
For safety and security
used. The electric motor (traction
motor) charges the hybrid battery
(traction battery) as necessary.
■When accelerating sharply
When the accelerator pedal is
depressed heavily, the power of the
hybrid battery (traction battery) is
added to that of the gasoline engine via
the electric motor (traction motor).
■When braking (regenerative brak-
ing)
The wheels operate the electric motor
(traction motor) as a power generator,
and the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) is charged.
■Regenerative braking
In the following situations, kinetic energy is
converted to electric energy and decelera-
tion force can be obta ined in conjunction
with the recharging of the hybrid battery
(traction battery).
●The accelerator pedal is released while
driving with the shift lever in D or S.
●The brake pedal is depressed while driv-
ing with the shift lever in D or S.
■EV indicator
The EV indicator comes on when the vehi-
cle is driven using only the electric motor
(traction motor) or th e gasoline engine is
stopped.
■Conditions in which the gasoline engine
may not stop
The gasoline engine starts and stops auto-
matically. However, it may not stop auto- matically in the following conditions:
●During gasoline engine warm-up
●During hybrid battery (traction battery)
charging
●When the temperature of the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery) is high or low
●When the heater is switched on
Depending on the circumstances, the gaso-
line engine may also not stop automatically
in other situations.
■Charging the hybrid battery (traction
battery)
As the gasoline engine charges the hybrid
battery (traction battery), the battery does
not need to be charged from an outside
source. However, if the vehicle is left parked
for a long time the hybrid battery (traction
battery) will slowly discharge. For this rea-
son, be sure to drive the vehicle at least
once every few months for at least 30 min-
utes or 10 miles (16 km ). If the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery) becomes fully
discharged and you are unable to start the
hybrid system, contact your Lexus dealer.
■Charging the 12-volt battery
 P.449
■After the 12-volt battery has discharged
or when the terminal has been removed
and installed during exchange, etc.
The gasoline engine may not stop even if
the vehicle is being driven by the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery). If this continues for a
few days, contact your Lexus dealer.
■Sounds and vibrations specific to a
hybrid vehicle
There may be no engine sound or vibration
even though the vehicle is able to move with
the “READY” indicator is illuminated. For
safety, apply the parking brake and make
sure to shift the shift lever to P when parked.
The following sounds or vibrations may
occur when the hybrid system is operating
and are not a malfunction:
●Motor sounds may be heard from the
engine compartment.
●Sounds may be heard from the hybrid
battery (traction battery) behind the rear

681-4. Hybrid system
seats when the hybrid system starts or
stops.
●Relay operating sounds such as a snap or
soft clank will be emitted from the hybrid
battery (traction battery), behind the rear
seats, when the hybrid system is started
or stopped.
●Sounds from the hybrid system may be
heard when the back door is open.
●Sounds may be heard from the transmis-
sion when the gasoline engine starts or
stops, when driving at low speeds, or
during idling.
●Engine sounds may be heard when
accelerating sharply.
●Sounds may be heard due to regenera-
tive braking when the brake pedal is
depressed or as the accelerator pedal is
released.
●Vibration may be felt when the gasoline
engine starts or stops.
●Cooling fan sounds may be heard from
the air intake vents under the rear seats.
■Maintenance, repair, recycling, and dis-
posal
Contact your Lexus dealer regarding main-
tenance, repair, recycling and disposal. Do
not dispose of the vehicle yourself.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.480)
When driving with the gasoline engine
stopped, a sound, which changes in
accordance with the driving speed, will
be played in order to warn people
nearby of the vehicle’s approach. This
sound may be heard inside the vehicle.
The sound will stop when the vehicle
speed exceeds approximately 22 mph
(35 km/h).
■Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System
In the following cases, the Acoustic Vehicle
Alerting System may be difficult for sur-
rounding people to hear.
●In very noisy areas
●In the wind or the rain
Also, as the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Sys-
tem is installed on the fr ont of the vehicle, it
may be more difficult to hear from the rear
of the vehicle compared to the front.
Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Sys-
tem

721-4. Hybrid system
Air intake vents
Air discharge vents (RX450h)
When a certain level of impact is
detected by the impact sensor, the
emergency shut off system blocks the
high voltage current and stops the fuel pump to minimize the risk of electrocu-
tion and fuel leakage. If the emergency
shut off system activates, your vehicle
will not restart. To restart the hybrid
system, contact your Lexus dealer.
A message is automatically displayed
when a malfunction occurs in the
hybrid system or an improper opera-
tion is attempted.
If a warning message is shown on the
multi-information display, read the
message and follow the instructions.
(
P.428)
■If a warning light comes on, a warning
message is displayed, or the 12-volt bat-
tery is disconnected
The hybrid system may not start. In this
case, try to start the system again. If the
“READY” indicator does not come on, con-
tact your Lexus dealer.
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery (traction battery) air
intake/discharge vents
●Do not place objects that will block the
air intake vents. The hybrid battery
(traction battery) may overheat and be
damaged.
●Clean the air intake/discharge vents
regularly to prevent the hybrid battery
(traction battery) from overheating.
●Do not get water or foreign materials
in either the air in take/discharge vents
as this may cause a short circuit and
damage the hybrid battery (traction
battery).
Emergency shut off system
A
B
Hybrid warning message