warning LEXUS RC300 2018 Manual Online

198 4-1. Before driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury. ■
When the vehicle is parked ●
Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, sp ray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehicle
when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cau se the plastic lenses and plastic mate-
rial of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the
vehicle, and may also cause a short circui t in the vehicle’s electrical components.●
Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a place such as
the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when luggage is loaded or the
seat is adjusted, causing a fire. ●
Do not attach adhesive discs to the windsh ield or windows. Do not place containers
such as air fresheners on th e instrument panel or dashbo ard. Adhesive discs or con-
tainers may act as lenses, ca using a fire in the vehicle.●
Do not leave a door or window open if th e curved glass is coated with a metallized
film such as a silver-colored one. Reflecte d 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 unattend ed while the engine is running.
If the vehicle is parked with the shift leve r in P but the parking brake is not set, the
vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an accident. ●
Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately after turn-
ing 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 over-
heating. Additionally, if the ve hicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases
may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.

1994-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury. ■
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 vehicle. ●
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, bu t the brake pedal should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the braking distan ce 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 individual hy draulic systems; if one of the systems fails,
the other will 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 imme-
diately. ■
If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessive ly when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehicle is
stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel the vehi-
cle forward or backward, causing an accident.

2034-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)WARNING ■
Things that must not be carried in the trunk
The following things may cause a fire if loaded in the trunk: ●
Receptacles containing gasoline ●
Aerosol cans ■
Storage precautions
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may prevent the pedals from being depressed properly, may block the
driver’s vision, or may result in items hittin g the driver or passeng ers, possibly causing
an accident. ●
Stow cargo and lugg age in the trunk whenever possible.●
RC350/RC300: To prevent cargo and luggage from sliding forward during braking,
do not stack anything in the enlarged trun k. Keep cargo and luggage low, as close to
the floor as possible. ●
RC350/RC300: When you fold down the rear seats, long items should not be
placed directly behind the front seats. ●
RC350/RC300: Never allow anyone to ride in the enlarged trunk. It is not designed
for passengers. They should ride in their se ats with their seat belts properly fastened.●
Do not place cargo or luggage in or on the following locations.
• At the feet of the driver
• On the front passenger or re ar seats (when stacking items)
• On the package tray
• On the instrument panel
•On the dashboard
• In front of the Center Display ●
Secure all items in the occupant compartment. ■
Capacity and distribution ●
Do not exceed the maximum axle weight rating or the total vehicle weight rating. ●
Even if the total load of occupant’s weight and the cargo load is less than the total load
capacity, do not apply the load unevenly. Improper loading may cause deterioration
of steering or braking control whic h may cause death or serious injury.

204 4-1. Before driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)◆ Total load capacity (vehicle capacity weight): (  P. 536)
Total load capacity means the combined weight of occupants, cargo and lug-
gage.
◆ Seating capacity: 4 occupants (Front 2, Rear 2)
Seating capacity means the maximum number of occupants whose estimated
average weight is 150 lb. (68 kg) per person.
◆ Towing capacity
Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle.
◆ Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending on the weight and the
number of occupants. ■
Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire and loading information label. (  P. 420)Vehicle load limits Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating capacity, towing capac-
ity and cargo capacity.
WARNING ■
Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tires, but also degrade steering and braking ability,
resulting in an accident.

2114-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)■
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 immediately 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. ■
If the smart access system wi th push-button start has been deactivated by a customized
setting
 P. 518
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 resu lting 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 complete stop. Activation of the steering lock in this cir-
cumstance may lead to an accident, re sulting in death or serious injury.■
Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle, press and hold
the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly 3 times or more in succes-
sion. (  P. 443)
However, do not touch the engi ne switch while driv ing except in an emergency. Turning
the engine off while driving will not cause lo ss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. Th is will make it more difficult to steer and
brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.

218 4-2. Driving procedures
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)■
Automatic deactivation of shift range selection in the D position
Shift range selection in the D position will be deactivated in the following situations:●
When the vehicle comes to a stop ●
If the accelerator pedal is depressed fo r more than a certain period of time●
When the shift lever is shifted to a position other than D ■
To protect the automatic transmission
If the automatic transmission fluid temperat ure is high, “Transmission Fluid Temp High
See Owner’s Manual” will be displayed on the multi-information display and the vehicle
will go into transmission protection mode automatically. Have th e vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer. ■
Downshifting restriction warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifti ng operation may sometimes
be restricted. In some circum stances, downshifting may not be possible even when the
shift lever or paddle shif t switch is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)■
Snow mode automatic deactivation
Snow mode is automatically deactivated if the engine switch is turn ed off after driving in
snow mode. ■
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 activate because dy namic radar cruise control will not be can-
celed. ●
8-speed models: While driving in the D posi tion, downshifting to 7, 6, 5 or 4.
(  P. 268) ●
6-speed models: While driving in the D position, downshifting to 5 or 4.
(  P. 268) ●
When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D position.
(  P. 301)■
Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent ac cidental operation of the shift lever in start-
ing.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only when the engine switch is in IGNITION ON
mode and the brake pedal is being depressed. ■
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. (  P. 465)
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed t oo much while the vehicle is in reverse.

220 4-2. Driving procedures
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)WARNING ■
When driving on slippery road surfaces
Be careful of downshifting an d sudden acceleration, as this could result in the vehicle
skidding to the side or spinning. ■
To prevent an accident wh en releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override butto n, make sure to set the parking brake and
depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed instead of the brake pedal when the
shift lock override button is pressed and the shift lever is shifted out of P, the vehicle
may suddenly start, possibly leading to an a ccident resulting in death or serious injury.

222 4-2. Driving procedures
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)To set the parking brake, fully depress
the parking brake pedal with your left
foot while depressing the brake pedal
with your right foot.
(Depressing the pedal again releases
the parking brake.) ■
Parking the vehicle
 P. 192 ■
Parking brake engaged warning buzzer
 P. 454, 464 ■
Usage in winter time
 P. 321Parking brake Operating instructions
NOTICE ■
Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake se t will lead to brake components overheat-
ing, which may affect braking performance and increase brake wear.

228 4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)Push the lever away from you with
the headlight switch in the or
position.
Press the Automatic High Beam
switch. The Automatic High Beam indicator will
come on when the system is operating.Automatic High Beam The Automatic High Beam uses a came ra sensor located behind the upper
portion of the windshield to assess the brightness of the lights of vehicles
ahead, streetlights, etc., and automatica lly turns the high beams on or off as
necessary. WARNING ■
Limitations of the Automatic High Beam
Do not overly rely on the Automatic High Beam. Always drive safely, taking care to
observe your surroundings and turning the hi gh beams on or off ma nually if necessary.■
To prevent incorrect operation of the Automatic High Beam system
Do not overload the vehicle.
Activating the Automatic High Beam 1
2

240 4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)WARNING ■
Caution regarding the use of windshield wipers in AUTO mode
The windshield wipers may operate unexpectedly if the sensor is touched or the wind-
shield is subject to vibratio n in AUTO mode. Take care that your fingers or anything
else do not become caught in the windshield wipers.■
Caution regarding the use of washer fluid
When it is cold, do not use the washer fl uid until the windshield becomes warm. The
fluid may freeze on the windshield and cause lo w visibility. This may lead to an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE ■
When the windshield is dry
Do not use the wipers, as they may damage the windshield. ■
When there is no washer fluid spray from the nozzle
Damage to the washer fluid pump may be cau sed if the lever is pulled toward you and
held continually. ■
When a nozzle becomes blocked
In this case, contact your Lexus dealer.
Do not try to clear it with a pin or other object. The nozz le will be damaged.