ECO mode LEXUS RC300 2020 Owner's Guide

1274-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■Locking the door from outside with the
engine running
1
With the driver’s door open, pull the
driver’s door handle and insert the
mechanical key.
2
Turn the mechanical key counterclock-
wise.
3
Pull out the mechanical key and close
the door.
Modes can be changed by pressing
the engine switch with brake pedal
released. (The mode changes each
time the switch is pressed.)
WARNING
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emer-
gency while driving the vehicle, press
and hold the engine switch for more than
2 seconds, or press it briefly 3 times or
more in succession. ( P.276)
However, do not touch the engine switch
while driving except in an emergency.
Turning the engine off while driving will
not cause loss of steering or braking con-
trol, but the power assist to these systems
will be lost. This 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.
■When parking
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may cause exhaust gases
to enter the vehicle and may lead to an
accident caused by light-headedness, or
may lead to death or a serious health
hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated
area or a closed area, such as a
garage, stop the engine.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the
engine running for a long time. If such
a situation cannot be avoided, park the
vehicle in an open space and ensure
that exhaust fumes do not enter the
vehicle interior.
●Do not leave the engine running in an
area with snow build-up, or where it is
snowing. If snowbanks build up around
the vehicle while the engine is running,
exhaust gases may collect and enter
the vehicle.
Changing engine switch modes

1314-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
emergency measure to ensure that the shift
lever can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1
Set the parking brake.
2
Turn the engine switch to off.
3
Depress the brake pedal.
4
Pry the cover up with a flathead screw-
driver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the
tip of the screwd river with a rag.
5
Press the shift lock override button.
The shift lever can be shifted while the but-
ton is pressed.
■Sport mode/Eco drive mode
 P.192
■Snow mode
Snow mode can be se lected to suit the
conditions when driving on slippery
road surfaces, such as snow.
Press the switch.
Press the switch again to return to normal
mode.
■Snow mode automatic deactivation
Snow mode is automatically deactivated if
the engine switch is turned off after driving
in snow mode.
To drive using temporary shift range
selection, operate the “-” or “+” paddle
shift switch.
When the “-” paddle shift switch is
operated, the shift range will be down-
shifted to a range that enables engine
braking force that is suitable to driving
conditions. When the “+” paddle shift
switch is operated, the shift range will
be one gear higher than the gear in use
during normal D position driving.
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when releas-
ing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override
button, make sure to set the parking
brake and depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pe dal 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, pos-
sibly leading to an accident resulting in
death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving mode
Selecting shift ranges in the D
position

1374-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
4-3.Operating the lights and wipers
Operating the switch turns on
the lights as follows:U.S.A.
Canada
1 The side marker, parking, tail,
license plate, instrument panel
lights, and daytime running lights
( P.137) turn on.
2 The headlights and all lights
listed above (except daytime run-
ning lights) turn on.
3 The headlights, daytime run-
ning lights ( P.137) and all the lights listed above turn on and off
automatically. (When the engine
switch is in IGNITION ON mode.)
4 (U.S.A.) Off / (Canada)
The daytime running lights turn on.
( P.137)■Daytime running light system
●The daytime running lights illuminate
using the same lights as the parking lights
and illuminate brighter than the parking
lights.
●To make your vehicle more visible to
other drivers during daytime driving, the
daytime running lights turn on automati-
cally when all of the following conditions
are met. (The daytime running lights are
not designed for use at night.)
• The engine is running
• The parking brake is released
• The headlight switch is in the (Can-
ada only), or
* position
*: When the surroundings are bright
The daytime running lights remain on after
they illuminate, even if the parking brake is
set again.
●For the U.S.A.: Daytime running lights
can be turned off by operating the switch.
●Compared to turning on the headlights,
the daytime running light system offers
greater durability and consumes less
electricity, so it can help improve fuel
economy.
■Headlight control sensor
The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything
Headlight switch
The headlights can be operated
manually or automatically.
Operating instructions
A
B

1384-3. Operating the lights and wipers
that blocks the sensor is affixed to the wind-
shield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detect-
ing the level of ambient light and may cause
the automatic headlight system to malfunc-
tion.
■Automatic light off system
When the light switch is in , or : The headlights and tail lights turn off
30 seconds after the engine switch is
turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned
off and a door is opened and all of the doors
and trunk are closed. (The lights turn off
immediately if on the key is pressed
twice after both side doors are closed.)
To turn the lights on again, turn the engine
switch to IGNITION ON mode, or turn the
light switch off once and then back to
or .
If any of the doors or trunk lid is left open,
the lights automatically turn off after 20
minutes.
■Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer sounds when the engine switch is
turned off or turned to ACCESSORY
mode and the driver’s door is opened while
the lights are turned on.
■Automatic headlight leveling system
The level of the headlights is automatically
adjusted according to the number of pas-
sengers and the loading condition of the
vehicle to ensure that the headlights do not
interfere with other road users.
■Customization
Some functions can be customized.
(  P.341)
1With the headlights on, push the
lever away from you to turn on the
high beams.
Pull the lever toward you to the center
position to turn the high beams off.
2Pull the lever toward you and
release it to flash the high beams
once.
You can flash the high beams with the
headlights on or off.
 When the steering wheel or turn
signal lever is operated while the
headlights are on (low beam) and
the vehicle speed is 19 mph (30
km/h) or lower, a cornering light will
turn on and light up the direction of
movement of the vehicle. The cor-
nering lights are designed to ensure
excellent visibility when making a
turn at an intersection.
 When the shift position is in R while
the headlights are on (low beam),
both cornering lights will turn on.
This is designed to enhance visibility
when parking.
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the lights on longer than
necessary when the engine is not run-
ning.
Turning on the high beam head-
lights
Cornering lights

1414-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
mittently changing brightness and dark-
ness
• When frequently and repeatedly driving
ascending/descending roads, or roads
with rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces
(such as stone-paved ro ads, gravel roads,
etc.)
• When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a winding road
• When there is a highly reflective object ahead of the vehicle, such as a sign or
mirror
• When the back of a preceding vehicle is highly reflective, such as a container on a
truck
• When the vehicle’s headlights are dam- aged or dirty, or are not aimed properly
• When the vehicle is listing or titling due to
a flat tire, a trailer being towed, etc.
• When the headlights are changed between the high beams and low beams
repeatedly in an abnormal manner
• When the driver believes that the high beams may be flashing or dazzling
pedestrians or other drivers
■Temporarily lowering sensor sensitivity
The sensitivity of the sensor can be tempo-
rarily lowered.
1 Turn the engine switch off while the fol-
lowing conditions are met.
●The headlight switch is in or .
●The headlight sw itch lever is in high beam
position.
●Automatic High Beam switch is on.
2 Turn the engine switch to IGNITION
ON mode.
3 Within 30 seconds after 2, repeat pull-
ing the headlight switch lever to the
original position then pushing it to the
high beam position quickly 10 times,
then leave the lever in high beam posi-
tion.
4 If the sensitivity is changed, the Auto-
matic High Beam indicator is turn on
and off 3 times.
Automatic High Beam (headlights) may
turn on even when the vehicle is stopped.
■Switching to the low beams
Pull the lever to its original position.
The Automatic High Beam indicator will
turn off.
Push the lever away from you to activate
the Automatic High Beam system again.
■Switching to the high beams
Press the Automatic High Beam
switch.
The Automatic High Beam indicator will
turn off and the high beam indicator will
turn on.
Press the switch to activate the Automatic
High Beam system again.
Turning the high beams on/off
manually

1484-3. Operating the lights and wipers
ON mode, the wipers will operate once
to show that AUTO mode is activated.
●If the temperature of the raindrop sensor
is 185°F (85°C) or higher, or -22°F
(-30°C) or lower, automatic operation
may not occur. In this case, operate the
wipers in any mode other than AUTO
mode.
■When the windshield wipers are in tem-
porary operation (vehicles with
rain-sensing windshield wipers)
AUTO mode cannot be activated even if is pressed.
■If no windshield washer fluid sprays
Check that the washer nozzles are not
blocked if there is washer fluid in the wind-
shield washer fluid reservoir.
WARNING
■Caution regarding the use of wind-
shield wipers in AUTO mode
The windshield wipers may operate
unexpectedly if the sensor is touched or
the windshield is subject to vibration 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
fluid until the windshield becomes warm.
The fluid may freeze on the windshield
and cause low visibility. This may lead to
an accident, resulting in death or serious
injury.
NOTICE
■When there is no washer fluid spray
from the nozzle
Damage to the washer fluid pump may
be caused 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 nozzle will be damaged.

1734-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
1Press the “ON/OFF” button to acti-
vate the cruise control.
Dynamic radar cruise control indicator will
come on and a message will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
Press the button again to deactivate the
cruise control.
If the “ON/OFF” button is pressed and
held for 1.5 seconds or more, the system
turns on in constant speed control mode.
( P.175)
2 Accelerate or decelerate, with
accelerator pedal operation, to the
desired vehicle speed (at or above
approximately 30 mph [50 km/h])
and push the lever down to set the
speed.
Cruise control “SET” indicator will come
on.
The vehicle speed at the moment the lever is released beco
mes the set speed.
To change the set speed, operate the
lever until the desired set speed is dis-
played.
1Increases the speed
2 Decreases the speed
Fine adjustment: Momentarily move
the lever in the desired direction.
Large adjustment: Hold the lever up or
down to change the speed, and release
when the desired speed is reached.
In the vehicle-to-vehicle distance con-
trol mode, the set speed will be
increased or decreased as follows:
■For the U.S. mainland and Hawaii
Fine adjustment: By 1 mph (1.6 km/h)*1 or 1
km/h (0.6 mph)
*2 each time the lever is
operated
Setting the vehicle speed (vehi-
cle-to-vehicle distance control
mode)
Adjusting the set speed

1754-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
1Pulling the lever toward you can-
cels the speed control.
The speed control is also canceled when
the brake pedal is depressed.
2Pushing the lever up resumes the
cruise control and returns vehicle
speed to the set speed.
However, cruise control does not resume
when the vehicle speed is approximately
25 mph (40 km/h) or less.
When your vehicle is too close to a
vehicle ahead, and sufficient automatic
deceleration via the cruise control is
not possible, the display will flash and
the buzzer will sound to alert the driver.
An example of this would be if another
driver cuts in front of you while you are
following a vehicle. Depress the brake
pedal to ensure an appropriate vehi-
cle-to-vehicle distance.
■Warnings may not occur when
In the following instances, warnings
may not occur even when the vehi-
cle-to-vehicle distance is small.
 When the speed of the preceding
vehicle matches or exceeds your
vehicle speed
 When the preceding vehicle is trav-
eling at an extremely slow speed
 Immediately after the cruise control
speed was set
 When depressing the accelerator
pedal
When constant speed control mode is
selected, your vehicle will maintain a
set speed without controlling the vehi-
cle-to-vehicle distance. Select this
mode only when vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance control mode does not function
correctly due to a dirty radar sensor,
etc.
1 With the cruise control off, press
and hold the “ON/OFF” button for
1.5 seconds or more.
Immediately after the “ON/OFF” button is
pressed, the dynamic radar cruise control
Canceling and resuming the
speed control
Approach warning (vehi-
cle-to-vehicle distance control
mode)
Selecting constant speed con-
trol mode

1764-5. Using the driving support systems
indicator will come on. Afterwards, it
switches to the cruise control indicator.
Switching to constant speed control mode
is only possible when operating the lever
with the cruise control off.
2Accelerate or decelerate, with
accelerator pedal operation, to the
desired vehicle speed (at or above
approximately 25 mph [40 km/h])
and push the lever down to set the
speed.
Cruise control “SET” indicator will come
on.
The vehicle speed at the moment the lever
is released becomes the set speed.
Adjusting the sp eed setting: P.173
Canceling and resuming the speed setting:
 P.175
■Dynamic radar cruise control can be set
when
●The shift lever is in D.
●Range 4 or higher of D has been selected
by using the paddle shift switch.
●Vehicle speed is at or above approxi- mately 30 mph (50 km/h).
■Accelerating after setting the vehicle
speed
The vehicle can accelerate by operating the
accelerator pedal. After accelerating, the
set speed resumes. Ho wever, during vehi-
cle-to-vehicle distance control mode, the
vehicle speed may decrease below the set
speed in order to main tain the distance to
the preceding vehicle.
■Automatic cancelation of vehi-
cle-to-vehicle dist ance control mode
Vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode is
automatically canceled in the following situ-
ations:
●Actual vehicle speed falls at or below
approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
●VSC is activated.
●TRAC is activated for a period of time.
●When the VSC or TRAC system is
turned off.
●When snow mode is set.
●The sensor cannot detect correctly
because it is covered in some way.
●Pre-collision braking is activated.
If vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode
is automatically canceled for any other
reason, there may be a malfunction in the
system. Contact your Lexus dealer.
■Automatic cancelation of constant
speed control mode
Constant speed control mode is automati-
cally canceled in the following situations:
●Actual vehicle speed is more than
approximately 10 mph (16 km/h) below
the set vehicle speed.
●Actual vehicle speed falls below approxi-
mately 25 mph (40 km/h).
●VSC is activated.
●TRAC is activated for a period of time.
●When the VSC or TRAC system is
turned off.
●Pre-collision braking is activated.
If constant speed control mode is automati-
cally canceled for any other reason, there

1924-5. Using the driving support systems
Vehicles without Adaptive Variable
Suspension System
1 Normal mode
Provides an optimal ba lance of fuel econ-
omy, quietness, and dynamic performance.
Suitable for city driving.
Press the switch to change the driving
mode to normal mode when Eco drive
mode or sport mode is selected.
2 Eco drive mode
Helps the driver accelerate in an
eco-friendly manner and improve fuel
economy through moderate throttle char-
acteristics and by controlling the operation
of the air conditioning system (heat-
ing/cooling).
When not in Eco drive mode, if the driving
mode select switch is turned to the left, the
Eco drive mode indicator will come on.
3Sport mode
Controls the transmission and engine to
provide quick, powerful acceleration. This
mode also changes the steering feel, mak-
ing it suitable for when agile driving
response is desired, such as when driving
on roads with many curves.
When not in sport mode, if the driving
mode select switch is turned to the right,
the “SPORT” indicator will comes on.
Vehicles with Adaptive Variable
Suspension System
1 Normal mode/Custom mode
Normal mode and custom mode are
selected by pressing the driving mode
select switch. Each time the switch is
pressed, the driving mode changes
between normal mode and custom mode.
When custom mode is selected, the “CUS-
TOM” indicator will be illuminated.
When Eco drive mode or sport mode is
selected, pressing th e switch changes the
driving mode to normal mode.
• Normal mode
Provides an optimal ba lance of fuel econ-
omy, quietness, and dynamic performance.
Suitable for city driving.
• Custom mode
Allows you to drive with the following func-
tions set to your preferred settings.
Driving mode select switch
The driving modes can be selected
to suit driving condition.
Selecting a drive mode