stop start LEXUS RC300 2020 User Guide

1164-1. Before driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the engine
 P.125
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal depressed,
shift the shift lever to D. ( P.129)
2 Release the parking brake.
(P.135)
3 Gradually release the brake pedal
and gently depress the accelerator
pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 With the shift lever in D, depress the
brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the shift lever
to P or N. ( P.129)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D, depress the
brake pedal.
2 Set the parking brake ( P.135),
and shift the shift lever to P
( P.129).
3 Press the engine switch to stop the
engine.
4 Lock the door, making sure that you
have the electronic key on your
person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as
needed.
■Starting off on a steep uphill
1 Make sure that the parking brake is
set and shift the shift lever to D.
2 Gently depress the accelerator
pedal.
3 Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on an uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate.
(  P.194)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because
visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road
will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain,
because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on
an expressway in the rain, because there
may be a layer of wa ter between the tires
and the road surface, preventing the
steering and brakes from operating prop-
erly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine
speed may become high while driving. This
is due to automatic up-shifting control or
down-shifting implementation to meet driv-
ing conditions. It does not indicate sudden
acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill
or downhill
●When the accelerato r pedal is released
●When the brake pedal is depressed while
sport mode is selected
■Restraining the engine output (Brake
Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake pedals
are depressed at the same time, the
engine output may be restrained.
●A warning message is displayed on the
multi-information display while the sys-
tem is operating.
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be
observed to ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1174-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
●When the following unusual operation is
performed, the engine output may be
restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D
includes M) with the accelerator pedal
depressed, a warning message appears
on the multi-information display. If a
warning message is shown on the
multi-information disp lay, read the mes-
sage and follow the instruction.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed
too much while the vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start Control is being acti-
vated, your vehicle may have trouble
escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In
such case, deactivate TRAC ( P.195) to
cancel Drive-Start Control so that the
vehicle may become able to escape from
the mud or fresh snow.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing
the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for
extended periods.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type park-
ing brake system. This type of brake system
needs bedding-down of the brake shoes
periodically or whenever the parking brake
shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your
Lexus dealer perform the bedding down
operation.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign
country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registra-
tion laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P.320)
■Idling time before engine stop (RC300)
To prevent damage to the turbocharger, allow the engine to idle immediately after
high-load driving.
Driving conditionIdling time
Normal city driving or
high-speed driving (at the
highway speed limit or rec-
ommended speed)
Not neces-
sary
Steep hill driving, continuous
driving (race track driving
etc.)Approxi-mately 1 minute
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with
the location of the brake and accelera-
tor pedals to avoid depressing the
wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelera- tor pedal instead of the brake pedal
will result in sudden acceleration that
may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in
operating the pedals. Make sure to
operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle
only slightly. This allows you to depress
the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.

1204-1. Before driving
WARNING
●Do not leave a door or window open if
the curved glass is coated with a met-
allized film such as a silver-colored
one. Reflected 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 unattended
while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift
lever in P but the parking brake is not
set, the vehicle may start to move, pos-
sibly leading to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while
the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if
you accidentally move the shift lever or
depress the accelerator pedal, this could
cause an accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is
parked in a poorly ventilated area,
exhaust gases may collect and enter the
vehicle, leading to death or a serious
health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more
cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the
brakes are wet, and this may cause one
side of the vehicle to brake differently
than the other side. Also, the parking
brake may not securely hold the vehi-
cle.
●If the brake booster device does not
operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid hills or sharp turns
that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but
the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up
the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 individ-
ual hydraulic systems; if one of the sys-
tems fails, the other w ill still operate. In
this case, the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual and
the braking distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when
any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehi-
cle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may
damage the driveline components or
propel the vehicle forward or backward,
causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and
brake pedals at th e same time while
driving, as this may restrain the engine
output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or
depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the
vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake and shift
the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may
cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle
may accelerate suddenly if the accelera-
tor pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in
either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time. Doing so may
damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road,
drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the
vehicle, etc.

1264-2. Driving procedures
■When “Access System with Elec. Key
Malfunction See Owner’s Manual” is
displayed on the multi-information dis-
play
The system may be malfunctioning. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
■Electronic key battery
 P.267
■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 imme-
diately 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.
■Customization
If the smart access sy stem with push-button
start has been deactivated in a customized
setting, refer to P.306.
1Stop the vehicle.
2
Set the parking brake ( P.135),
and shift the shift lever to P.
3
Press the engine switch.
4
Release the brake pedal and check
that the display on the meters is off.
■Automatic engine shut off feature
●The vehicle is equipped with a feature
that automatically shuts off the engine
when the shift lever is in P with the engine
running for an extended period.
●The engine will automatically shut off
after approximately 1 hour if it has been
left running while the shift lever is in P.
●The timer for the automatic engine shut
off feature will reset if the brake pedal is
depressed or if the shift lever is in a posi-
tion other than P.
●After the vehicle is parked, if the door is
locked with the door lock switch
( P.88) from the inside or the mechani-
cal key ( P.306) from the outside, the
automatic engine shut off feature will be
disabled. The timer for the automatic
engine shut off feature will be re-enabled
if the driver’s door is opened.
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 result-
ing 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 com-
plete stop. Activation of the steering lock
in this circumstance may lead to an acci-
dent, resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start
or stalls frequently, have your vehicle
checked by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfunction
with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operat-
ing somewhat differently than usual, such
as the switch sticking slightly, there may
be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus
dealer immediately.
Stopping the engine

1294-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise, shift the shift lever to D for normal
driving.
*2: Any gear range can be fixed when driv-ing in M mode.
■To protect the automatic transmission
If the automatic transmission fluid tempera-
ture is high, “Transmission Fluid Temp High
See Owner’s Manual” will be displayed on
the multi-information display and the vehi-
cle will go into transmission protection
mode automatically. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer.
■When driving with dynamic radar cruise
control activated
Even when performing the following
actions with the intent of enabling engine
braking, engine braking will not occur
because dynamic radar cruise control will
not be canceled.
●6-speed models: While driving in the D
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not stop the engine when the shift
lever is in a position other than P. If the
engine is stopped in another shift lever
position, the engine switch will not be
turned off but instead be turned to
ACCESSORY mode. If the vehicle is left
in ACCESSORY mode, battery dis-
charge may occur.
Automatic transmission
Select the shift position depending
on your purpose and situation.
Shift position purpose and func-
tions
Shift posi- tionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
N
Neutral
(Condition in which the
power is not transmitted)
DNormal driving*1
MM mode driving*2 (  P.132)

1304-2. Driving procedures
position, downshifting to 5 or 4. (P.131)
●8-speed models: While driving in the D
position, downshifting to 7, 6, 5 or 4.
( P.131)
●When switching the driving mode to
sport mode while driving in the D posi-
tion. ( P.192)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start
Control)
 P.117
■AI-SHIFT
●The AI-SHIFT automatically selects the
suitable gear accordin g to driver perfor-
mance and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates
when the shift lever is in D. (Shifting the
shift lever to the M position cancels the
function.)
●8-speed models: G AI-SHIFT automati-
cally selects a suitable gear for sporty
driving according to driver’s input and
driving conditions. G AI-SHIFT operates
automatically when the shift lever is in D
and sport mode is sele cted for the driving
mode. (Selecting normal mode with the
driving mode select switch or shifting the
shift lever to the M po sition cancels this
function.)
While the engine switch is in
IGNITION ON mode, move the shift
lever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P
and D, make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent
accidental operation of the shift lever in
starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only
when the engine swit ch is in IGNITION
ON mode and the brake pedal is being
depressed.
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal is
being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted with your
foot on the brake pedal, there may be a
problem with the shift lock system. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
The following steps may be used as an
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road sur-
faces
Be careful of downshifting and sudden
acceleration, as this could result in the
vehicle skidding to the side or spinning.
Shifting the shift lever

1884-5. Using the driving support systems
●The vehicle speed is greater than approx-
imately 10 mph (16 km/h).
■The BSM function will detect a vehicle
when
The BSM function will detect a vehicle pres-
ent in the detection area in the following sit-
uations:
●A vehicle in an adj acent lane overtakes
your vehicle.
●You overtake a vehicle in an adjacent lane
slowly.
●Another vehicle enters the detection
area when it changes lanes.
■Conditions under which the BSM func-
tion will not detect a vehicle
The BSM function is not designed to detect
the following types of vehicles and/or
objects:
●Small motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians,
etc.*
●Vehicles traveling in the opposite direc-
tion
●Guardrails, walls, signs, parked vehicles
and similar stationary objects*
●Following vehicles th at are in the same
lane*
●Vehicles traveling 2 lanes away from your
vehicle*
●Vehicles which are being overtaken rap-
idly by your vehicle*
*
: Depending on the conditions, detection of a vehicle and/or object may occur.
■Conditions under which the BSM func-
tion may not function correctly
●The BSM function may not detect vehi-
cles correctly in the following situations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to a strong impact to the sensor or its sur-
rounding area
• When mud, snow, ice, a sticker, etc. is covering the sensor or surrounding area
on the rear bumper
• When driving on a road surface that is wet with standing water during bad
weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or fog • When multiple vehicles are approaching
with only a small gap between each vehi-
cle
• When the distance between your vehicle and a following vehicle is short
• When there is a significant difference in
speed between your vehicle and the vehi-
cle that enters the detection area
• When the difference in speed between
your vehicle and another vehicle is
changing
• When a vehicle enters a detection area
traveling at about the same speed as your
vehicle
• As your vehicle starts from a stop, a vehi-
cle remains in the detection area
• When driving up and down consecutive steep inclines, such as hills, dips in the
road, etc.
• When driving on roads with sharp bends, consecutive curves, or uneven surfaces
• When vehicle lanes are wide, or when driving on the edge of a lane, and the
vehicle in an adjacent lane is far away
from your vehicle
• When a bicycle carrier or other acces- sory is installed to the rear of the vehicle
• When there is a significant difference in height between your vehicle and the
vehicle that enters the detection area
• Immediately after the BSM main switch is turned on
●Instances of the BSM function unneces-
sarily detecting a vehicle and/or object
may increase in the following situations:
• When the sensor is misaligned due to a strong impact to the sensor or its sur-
rounding area
• When the distance between your vehicle and a guardrail, wall, etc. that enters the
detection area is short
• When driving up and down consecutive steep inclines, such as hills, dips in the
road, etc.
• When vehicle lanes are narrow, or when driving on the edge of a lane, and a vehi-
cle traveling in a lane other than the adja-
cent lanes enters the detection area
• When driving on roads with sharp bends, consecutive curves, or uneven surfaces
• When the tires are slipping or spinning
• When the distance between your vehicle
and a following vehicle is short
• When a bicycle carrier or other acces-

1944-5. Using the driving support systems
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the
brakes are applied suddenly, or if the
brakes are applied while driving on a
slippery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of brak-
ing force after the brake pedal is
depressed when the system detects a
panic stop situation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding
when swerving sudden ly or turning on
slippery road surfaces
■Enhanced VSC (Enhanced Vehi-
cle Stability Control)
Provides cooperative control of the
ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS.
Helps to maintain directional stability
when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling steering perfor-
mance.
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and pre-
vent the drive wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerat-
ing on slippery roads
■Hill-start assist control
Helps to prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing backward when starting on an
incline
■VGRS (Variable Gear Ratio Steer-
ing) (if equipped)
Adjusts the front wheel turning angle in
accordance with the vehicle speed and
steering wheel movement
■DRS (Dynamic Rear Steering) (if
equipped)
Contributes to the turning characteris-
tics and responsiveness of the vehicle
by adjusting the rear wheel angle of the
vehicle in accordance with steering
wheel movement.
■EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce
the amount of effort needed to turn the
steering wheel
■Adaptive Variable Suspension Sys-
tem (if equipped)
By independently controlling the
damping force of th e shock absorbers
for each of the 4 wheels according to
the road and driving conditions, this
system combines riding comfort with
superior vehicle stability, and helps
good vehicle posture.
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and
performance, the following systems
operate automatically in response
to various driving situations. Be
aware, however, that these systems
are supplementary and should not
be relied upon too heavily when
operating the vehicle.
Summary of the driving assist
systems

1954-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■LDH (Lexus Dynamic Handling
system) (if equipped)
Provides integrated control of the
VGRS, DRS and EPS. Contributes to
turning characteristics at low speeds,
responsiveness at medium speeds and
safety at high speeds by controlling the
steering angle of the front and rear
wheels in accordance with the steering
wheel operation and vehicle speed.
■VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Inte-
grated Management)
Provides integrated control of the
ABS, brake assist, TRC, VSC, hill-start
assist control, EPS, VGRS (if
equipped) and DRS (if equipped) sys-
tems
Helps to maintain vehicle stability when
swerving on slippery road surfaces by
controlling the brakes, engine output,
steering assist, and if equipped with
VGRS, steering ratio
■When the TRAC/VSC systems are
operating
The slip indicator light will flash while the
TRAC/VSC systems are operating.
■Disabling the TRAC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in mud, dirt or snow,
the TRAC system may reduce power from
the engine to the wheels. Pressing the
switch to turn the system off may make it
easier for you to rock the vehicle in order to free it.
To turn the TRAC system off, quickly press
and release the switch.
The “Traction Co
ntrol Turned Off” will be
shown on the multi-information display.
Press the switch ag ain to turn the sys-
tem back on.
■Turning off both TRAC and VSC sys-
tems
To turn the TRAC and VSC systems off,
press and hold the switch for more
than 3 seconds while the vehicle is stopped.
The VSC OFF indicator light will come on
and the “Traction Control Turned Off” will
be shown on the multi-information display.
*
Press the switch ag ain to turn the sys-
tems back on.
*: On vehicles with PCS (Pre-Collision System), pre-collision brake assist,
pre-collision braking, and steering con-
trol (performed through cooperative
control of PCS and LDH) (if equipped)
will also be disabled. The Pre-Collision
System warning light will come on and a
message will be di splayed on the
multi-information display. ( P.162)

1964-5. Using the driving support systems
■When the message is displayed on the
multi-information display showing that
TRAC has been disabled even if the switch has not been pressed
TRAC cannot be operated. Contact your
Lexus dealer.
■Operating conditions of hill-start assist
control
When the following four conditions are met,
the hill-start assist control will operate:
●The shift lever is in a position other than P
or N (when starting off forward/back-
ward on an upward incline).
●The vehicle is stopped.
●The accelerator pedal is not depressed.
●The parking brake is not engaged.
■Automatic system cancelation of
hill-start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn off in any
of the following situations:
●The shift lever is moved to P or N.
●The accelerator pedal is depressed.
●The parking brake is engaged.
●Approximately 2 seconds elapse after
the brake pedal is released.
■VGRS is disabled when
VGRS may stop operating in the following
situations.
In this event, the steering wheel may move
from its straight forward position, but it will
return when the system restarts.
●When the steering wheel is operated for
an extended period of time while the
vehicle is stopped or is moving very
slowly
(on vehicles with LDH, DRS is disabled
together with VGRS)
●When the steering wheel has been held
fully to the left or right
The center position of the steering wheel
may change when VGRS is disabled. How-
ever, the position will return to normal after
VGRS is reactivated.
■When the battery is disconnected (vehi-
cles with VGRS)
The steering wheel may move from its
straight forward position, but this will be
corrected automatically when driving.
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the
ABS, brake assist, VSC, TRAC, hill-start
assist control and VGRS systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment when the brake pedal is
depressed repeatedly, when the engine is
started or just after the vehicle begins to
move. This sound does not indicate that a
malfunction has occurred in any of these
systems.
●Any of the following conditions may
occur when the above systems are oper-
ating. None of these indicates that a mal-
function has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the
vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■EPS, VGRS and DRS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a
motor sound (whirring sound) may be
heard. This does not indicate a malfunction.
■Reactivation of the TRAC/VSC systems
Even after the TRAC /VSC systems have
been turned off, turning the engine off and
then on again will automatically reactivate
the TRAC/VSC systems.
■Reactivation of the TRAC system linked
to vehicle speed
When only the TRAC system is turned off,
the TRAC system will turn on when vehicle
speed increases. Ho wever, when both
TRAC/VSC systems are turned off, the sys-
tems will not turn on even when vehicle
speed increases.
■Reduced effectiveness of the EPS sys-
tem
The effectiveness of the EPS system is
reduced to prevent the system from over-
heating when there is frequent steering