sport mode LEXUS RC350 2018 Owner's Manual

1142. Instrument cluster
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)
Pop-up display
Intersection guid-
ance (if equipped)
Select to enable/disable the pop-up
display.
Incoming calls
Audio Feedback
(F SPORT)
Volume Feedback
(F SPORT)
Brightness adjust-
ment
Color (except F
SPORT models)2 available colorsSelect to set the color of the cursor on
the multi-information display.
Needle (F SPORT
models)3 available colorsSelect to set the tachometer needle
color.
Rev indicator (F
SPORT models)
OnSelect to enable/disable the Rev indi-
cator. (P. 93)
Off
Rev setting
Select to set the desired engine speed
at which the Rev indicator will begin
to be displayed.
Rev peak (F SPORT
models)OnSelect to enable/disable the Rev peak.
( P. 93)
Off
Default settingSelect to reset the meter display set-
tings to the default setting.
ItemSettingsDetails

1162. Instrument cluster
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)
■Eco Driving Indicator
Eco Driving Indicator will not operate under the following conditions:
●The shift lever is in any position other than D.
●A paddle shift switch is operated.
●Neither normal mode nor Eco drive mode is selected. ( P. 301)
●The vehicle speed is approximately 80 mph (130 km/h) or higher.
■Background color of the indicator/shift posi tion display area (except F SPORT models)
The background color of the indicator/shift position display area is changed according to
the driving mode as follows ( P. 301):
●Eco drive mode: Blue
●Sport mode: Red
■G-force display (if equipped)
The G-force values may not be zero even when the vehicle is parked, such as when it is
parked on an incline.
■Suspension of the settings display
●Some settings cannot be changed while driv ing. When changing settings, park the
vehicle in a safe place.
●If a warning message is displa yed, operation of the settings display will be suspended.
■Tire pressure
●It may take a few minutes to display the tire inflation pressure after the engine switch is
turned to IGNITION ON mode. It may also take a few minutes to display the tire infla-
tion pressure after inflation pressure has been adjusted.
●“---” may be displayed if the tire position information cannot be determined due to
unfavorable radio wave conditions.
●Tire inflation pressure changes with temperat ure. The displayed values may also be dif-
ferent from the values measured using a tire pressure gauge. Eco Driving Indicator Light
During Eco-friendly acceleration (Eco driv-
ing), the Eco Driving Indicator Light will turn
on. When the acceleration exceeds the Zone
of Eco driving, or when the vehicle is stopped,
the light turns off.
Eco Driving Indicator Zone Display
Suggests the Zone of Eco driving with current
Eco driving ratio based on acceleration.
Eco driving ratio based on acceleration
If the acceleration exceeds the Zone of Eco
driving, the right side of the Eco Driving Indi-
cator Zone Display will illuminate.
Zone of Eco driving
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1934-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC300_RC F_U(OM24748U)
■When starting off on an uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. ( P. 312)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is ra ining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, beca use the road surface will be especially slip-
pery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because there may
be a layer of water between the tires and th e road surface, preventing the steering and
brakes from operating properly.
■Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, th e engine speed may become high while driving. This is due
to automatic up-shifting control or down-shi fting implementation to meet driving condi-
tions. It does not indica te sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
●When the accelerator 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 mult i-information display while the system is
operating. ( P. 477)
■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.
●While Drive-Start Control is being activated, your vehicle may have trouble escaping
from the mud or fresh snow. In such case, deactivate TRC ( P. 314) to cancel Drive-
Start Control so that the vehicle may beco me able to escape from the mud or fresh
snow.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observin g 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.

1964-1. 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 driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce your
ability to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine speed
could cause the vehicle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle , lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that the
brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on only on e side are wet and not functioning properly,
steering control may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll
forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering perfor-
mance, resulting in an accide nt or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the engine from
the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed. Shifting the
shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of
the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators) (RC350/
RC300)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Front brakes on F SPORT models (RC3 50 [2WD]/RC300 [2WD] only): Moderate
levels of brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced front braking power. As a result, the
discs may wear more quickly than convention al brake discs. Therefore, when replacing
the brake pads, Lexus recommends that you also have the thickness of the discs mea-
sured.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or those
of the brake discs are exceeded.

2144-2. Driving procedures
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise, shift the shift lever to D for normal driv-
ing.
*2: Any gear range can be fixed when driving in M mode.
■Sport mode/Eco drive mode
 P. 301
■Snow mode
Snow mode can be selected to suit th e conditions when driving on slippery
road surfaces, such as snow.
Press the switch.
Press the switch again to return to
normal mode.
Shift position purpose
Shift positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
(Condition in which the power is not transmitted)
DNormal driving*1
MM mode driving*2 (  P. 216)
Selecting the driving mode

2184-2. 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 temperature 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 the 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.

2194-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC300_RC F_U(OM24748U)
■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 prob-
lem with the shift lock system. Have the vehi cle inspected by your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
The following steps may be used as an emergency measure to ensure that the shift lever
can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
Set the parking brake.
Turn the engine switch to off.
Depress the brake pedal.
■AI-SHIFT
●The AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitab le gear according to driver performance
and driving conditions.
The AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the sh ift lever is in D. (Shifting the shift lever
to the M position cancels the function.)
●8-speed models: G AI-SHIFT automatically selects a suitable gear for sporty driving
according to driver’s input and driving co nditions. G AI-SHIFT operates automatically
when the shift lever is in D and sport mode is selected for the driving mode. (Selecting
normal mode with the driving mode select switch or shifting the shift lever to the M
position cancels this function.)
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Pry the cover up with a flathead screwdriver
or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the tip
of the screwdriver with a rag.
Press the shift lock override button.
The shift lever can be shifted while the button
is pressed.4
5

2234-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC300_RC F_U(OM24748U)
Louder
Lower
The indicator comes on when the ASC
system is on.
When the dial is turned to the lowest
volume, the ASC system will be turned
off and the indicator will go off.
■The ASC system can be operated when
The driving mode select switch is in normal mode or sport mode. ( P. 301)
■Temporary cancelation of the ASC system functions
The ASC system may be temporarily cancel ed depending on the driving conditions,
such as when the tires slip due to sudden acceleration.
ASC (Active Sound Control) (RC350/RC300)
: If equipped
The ASC system is an electronic sound system that generates engine sound,
conveying the kinetic situations of the vehicle’s acceleration and deceleration
to the driver through the speake rs inside the instrument panel.
The vehicle’s response to the driver’s acceleration behavior and shift opera-
tions are also conveyed in sound.
When sport mode is selected, the sound conveyed to the driver will be louder.
Controlling volume
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2244-2. Driving procedures
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)
■The ASC system can be operated when
The driving mode select switch is in SPORT S+ mode. ( P. 301)
ASC (Active Sound Control) (RC F)
: If equipped
The ASC system sonically emphasizes the vehicle’s response to the driver’s
operation of the accelerator pedal and sh ift lever or paddle shift switches. The
dynamic engine sound enabled by this system helps the driver further enjoy
the feeling of unity with the vehicle, particularly when driving in M mode.
(  P. 216)

3014-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC300_RC F_U(OM24748U)
RC350/RC300 (vehicles without Adapti ve Variable Suspension System)
Normal mode
Provides an optimal balance of fuel ec onomy, quietness, and dynamic perfor-
mance. Suitable for city driving.
Press the switch to change the driving mode to normal mode when Eco drive mode or
sport mode is selected.
Eco drive mode
Helps the driver accelerate in an eco-fr iendly manner and improve fuel econ-
omy through moderate throttle charact eristics and by controlling the opera-
tion of the air conditioning system (heating/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.
Sport mode
Controls the transmission and engine to provide quick, powerful acceleration.
This mode also changes the steering feel, making it suitable for when agile
driving response is desired, such as wh en 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.
Driving mode select switch
The driving modes can be selected to suit driving condition.
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