LEXUS LS500H 2018 Repair Manual

611-3. Hybrid system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 1
For safety and security
The illustration is an example for explana-
tion and may differ from the actual item.
Warning label
Power control unit
Electric motor (traction motor)
Hybrid battery (traction battery)
Service plug
High voltage cables (orange)
Air conditioning compressor ■
Running out of fuel
When the vehicle has run out of fuel and the
hybrid system cannot be started, refuel the
vehicle with at least enough gasoline to
make the low fuel level warning light
( → P.430) go off. If there is only a small
amount of fuel, the hybrid system may not be able to start. (The standard amount of
fuel is about 3.4 gal. [13 L, 2.8 Imp. gal.],
when the vehicle is on a level surface. This
value may vary when the vehicle is on a
slope. Add extra fuel when the vehicle is
inclined.) ■
Electromagnetic waves ●
High voltage parts and cables on hybrid
vehicles incorporate electromagnetic
shielding, and therefore emit approxi-
mately the same amount of electromag-
netic waves as conventional gasoline
powered vehicles or home electronic
appliances.
●
Your vehicle may cause sound interfer-
ence in some third party-produced radio
parts.
■
Hybrid battery (traction battery)
The hybrid battery (traction battery) has a
limited service life. The lifespan of the
hybrid battery (traction battery) can Hybrid system precautions Take care when handling the hybrid system, as it is a high voltage system (about
650 V at maximum) as well as contains parts that become extremely hot when
the hybrid system is operating. Obey th e warning labels attached to the vehi-
cle.
System components
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

62 1-3. Hybrid system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) change in accordance with driving style and
driving conditions. ■
Starting the hybrid system in an
extremely cold environment
When the hybrid battery (traction battery)
is extremely cold (below approximately
-22°F [-30°C]) under the influence of the
outside temperature, it may not be possible
to start the hybrid system. In this case, try to
start the hybrid system again after the tem-
perature of the hybrid battery increases due
to the outside temperature increase etc.
WARNING■
High voltage precautions
This vehicle has high voltage DC and AC
systems as well as a 12-volt system. DC
and AC high voltage is very dangerous
and can cause severe burns and electric
shock that may result in death or serious
injury. ●
Never touch, disassemble, remove or
replace the high voltage parts, cables
or their connectors.●
The hybrid system will become hot
after starting as the system uses high
voltage. Be careful of both the high
voltage and the high temperature, and
always obey the warning labels
attached to the vehicle.
●
Never try to open the service plug
access hole located behind the rear
seat. The service plug is used only
when the vehicle is serviced and is
subject to high voltage.
■
Road accident cautions
Observe the following precautions to
reduce the risk of death or serious injury: ●
Stop the vehicle in a safe place to pre-
vent subsequent accidents. While
depressing the brake pedal, apply the
parking brake and sh ift the shift posi-
tion to P to stop the hybrid system.
Then, slowly release the brake pedal. ●
Do not touch the high voltage parts,
cables and connectors. ●
If electric wires ar e exposed inside or
outside your vehicle, an electric shock
may occur. Never touch exposed elec-
tric wires. ●
Do not touch the battery if liquid is
leaking from or adhering to it.
If electrolyte (carbonate ester-based
organic electrolyte) from the hybrid
battery (traction battery) comes into
contact with the eyes or skin, it could
cause blindness or skin wounds. In the
unlikely event that it comes into con-
tact with the eyes or skin, wash it off
immediately with a large amount of
water, and seek immediate medical
attention. ●
If electrolyte is leaking from the hybrid
battery (traction battery), do not
approach the vehicle.
Even in the unlikely event that the
hybrid battery (traction battery) is
damaged, the internal construction of
the battery will prev ent a large amount
of electrolyte from leaking out. How-
ever, any electrolyte that does leak out
will give off a vapor. This vapor is an
irritant to skin and eyes and could
cause acute poisoning if inhaled.
●
Do not bring burning or high-tem-
perature items close to the electrolyte.
The electrolyte may ignite and cause a
fire.
●
If a fire occurs in the hybrid vehicle,
leave the vehicle as soon as possible.
Never use a fire extinguisher that is not
meant for electric fires. Using even a
small amount of water may be danger-
ous.

631-3. Hybrid system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 1
For safety and security WARNING●
If your vehicle needs to be towed, do
so with four wheels raised. If the
wheels connected to the electric
motor (traction motor) are on the
ground when towing, the motor may
continue to generate electricity. This
may cause a fire. ( → P.422)●
Carefully inspect the ground under the
vehicle. If you find that liquid has
leaked onto the ground, the fuel sys-
tem may have been damaged. Leave
the vehicle as soon as possible.■
Hybrid battery (traction battery)●
Your vehicle contains a sealed lith-
ium-ion battery.●
Never resell, hand over or modify the
hybrid battery. To prevent accidents,
hybrid batteries that have been
removed from a disposed vehicle are
collected through your Lexus dealer.
Do not dispose of the battery yourself.
Unless the battery is properly collected,
the following may occur, resulting in
death or serious injury:
• The hybrid battery may be illegally dis-
posed of or dumped, and it is hazard-
ous to the environment or someone
may touch a high voltage part, result-
ing in an electric shock. • The hybrid battery is intended to be
used exclusively with your hybrid vehi-
cle. If the hybrid battery is used outside
of your vehicle or modified in any way,
accidents such as electric shock, heat
generation, smoke generation, an
explosion and electrolyte leakage may
occur.
When reselling or handing over your
vehicle, the possibility of an accident is
extremely high because the person
receiving the vehicle may not be aware
of these dangers. ●
If your vehicle is disposed of without
the hybrid battery having been
removed, there is a danger of serious
electric shock if hi gh voltage parts,
cables and their connectors are
touched. In the event that your vehicle
must be disposed of, the hybrid battery
must be disposed of by your Lexus
dealer or a qualified service shop. If
the hybrid battery is not disposed of
properly, it may cause electric shock
that can result in death or serious
injury.
NOTICE■
Hybrid battery (tra ction battery) air
intake vents
Do not carry large amounts of water
such as water cooler bottles in the vehi-
cle. If water spills onto the hybrid battery
(traction battery), the battery may be
damaged. Have the vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer.

64 1-3. Hybrid system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) There are air intake vents on each side
of the rear seatback with the purpose
of cooling the hybrid battery (traction
battery). If the vents become blocked,
hybrid battery output may be reduced. 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.
■
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-Hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) air intake vents
NOTICE■
Hybrid battery (traction battery) air
intake vents●
Make sure not to block the air intake
vent with anything, such as a seat
cover, plastic cover, or luggage. If the
vents become blocked, the hybrid bat-
tery (traction battery) input and output
may be restricted, leading to a reduc-
tion in hybrid battery (traction battery)
output and a malfunction.
●
When dust etc. has accumulated in the
air intake vent, periodically clean it
with a vacuum cleaner to prevent the
vent from clogging.
●
A filter is installed to the air intake vent.
When the filter remains noticeably
dirty even after cleaning the air intake
vent, filter cleaning or replacement is
recommended. When cleaning or
replacing the filter, contact your Lexus
dealer.
Refer to P.374 for details on how to
clean the filters. ●
Do not get water or foreign materials
in the air intake vent s as this may cause
a short circuit and damage the hybrid
battery (traction battery).
Emergency shut off system
Hybrid warning message

651-3. Hybrid system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 1
For safety and security tact your Lexus dealer.

66 1-4. Theft deterrent system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 1-4.Theft deterrent system
The indicator light flashes after the
power switch has been turned off to
indicate that the system is operating.
The indicator light stops flashing after
the power switch has been turned to
ACCESSORY or ON mode to indi-
cate that the system has been can-
celed. ■
System maintenance
The vehicle has a maintenance-free type
immobilizer system. ■
Conditions that may cause the system to
malfunction ●
If the grip portion of the key is in contact
with a metallic object ●
If the key is in close proximity to or touch-
ing a key to the security system (key with
a built-in transponder chip) of another
vehicle
■
Certification for the immobilizer system 
For vehicles sold in the U.S.A. , Hawaii, Guam and Puerto RicoImmobilizer system The vehicle’s keys have built-in tran-
sponder chips that prevent the
hybrid system from starting if a key
has not been previously registered
in the vehicle’s on-board computer.
Never leave the keys inside the
vehicle when you leave the vehicle.
This system is designed to help pre-
vent vehicle theft but does not
guarantee absolute security
against all vehicle thefts.
Operating the system

671-4. Theft deterrent system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 1
For safety and security 
For vehicles sold in Canada
NOTICE■
To ensure the system operates cor-
rectly
Do not modify or remove the system. If
modified or removed, the proper opera-
tion of the system cannot be guaranteed.

68 1-4. Theft deterrent system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) ■
Items to check before locking the
vehicle
To prevent unexpected triggering of
the alarm and vehicle theft, make sure
of the following:
 Nobody is in the vehicle.
 The windows and moon roof are
closed before the alarm is set.
 No valuables or other personal
items are left in the vehicle. ■
Setting
Close the doors, trunk and hood, and
lock all the doors. The system will be
set automatically after 30 seconds. The indicator light changes from being on
to flashing when the system is set. ■
Canceling or stopping
Do one of the following to deactivate
or stop the alarms:
 Unlock the doors.
 Turn the power switch to ACCES-
SORY or ON mode, or start the
hybrid system. (The alarm will be
deactivated or stopped after a few
seconds.) ■
System maintenance
The vehicle has a maintenance-free type
alarm system. ■
Triggering of the alarm
The alarm may be triggered in the following
situations:
(Stopping the alarm deactivates the alarm
system.) ●
The trunk is opened using the mechanical
key.
●
A person inside the vehicle opens a door,
the trunk or hood, or unlocks the vehicle.Alarm The alarm uses light and sound to
give an alert when an intrusion is
detected.
The alarm is triggered in the follow-
ing situations when the alarm is set:
 A locked door or trunk is
unlocked or opened in any way
other than using the entry func-
tion, wireless remote control or
mechanical key. (The doors will
lock again automatically.)
 The hood is opened.
Setting/canceling/stopping the
alarm system

691-4. Theft deterrent system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 1
For safety and security ●
The 12-volt battery is recharged or
replaced when the vehicle is locked.
( → P.450)
■
Alarm-operated door lock
In the following cases, depending on the sit-
uation, the door may automatically lock to
prevent improper entry into the vehicle: ●
When a person remaining in the vehicle
unlocks the door and the alarm is acti-
vated.●
While the alarm is activated, a person
remaining in the vehicle unlocks the door.
NOTICE■
To ensure the system operates cor-
rectly
Do not modify or remove the system. If
modified or removed, the proper opera-
tion of the system cannot be guaranteed.

70 1-4. Theft deterrent system
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U)