ESP LEXUS RX270 2014 User Guide

169
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
Starting off on a steep uphill
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to
D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on an uphill
The hill-start assist control is available. (→P. 2 7 8 )
■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 especially
slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■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 accelerator pedal is released
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
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2-1. Driving procedures
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator
pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• 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.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal
using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, resulting in an acci-
dent.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●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 accident or damage to the vehicle.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the back door is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause
driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a serious health hazard.
Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional immediately.
●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 D while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
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2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
■The multi-information display at low temperatures
Allow the interior of the vehicle to warm up before using the liquid crystal informa-
tion display. At extremely low temperatures, the information display monitor may
respond slowly, and display changes may be delayed.
■Customization
Settings (e.g. available languages) can be changed.
(Customizable features →P. 6 2 2 )
CAUTION
■Operating the windows close suggestion mode
●Before closing the windows, ensure that there are no objects in the surrounding
area that could become caught in the windows.
●Check that all the windows are closed when exiting the vehicle, as window close
suggestion mode may not operate under certain conditions.
■Caution while driving
When operating the electronic features control while driving, take extra notice of
the vehicle’s surrounding area.
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2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
Display customization
The audio mode display and/or the shift position and shift range display
can be shown or hidden.
Press and hold the head-up display
main switch changes the display to
the display on/off mode.
Press the head-up display main
switch to select the desired setting
item. Press and hold the head-up
display main switch to turn the dis-
play on/off.
Customization can be performed
when the head-up display is on and
the vehicle is traveling at less than
8 km/h (5 mph).
■Brightness of the head-up display
The headlight control sensor detects the brightness of the area surrounding the
head-up display and adjusts the brightness accordingly. (→P. 220)
■Head-up display
The head-up display may seem dark and hard to see when viewed through sun-
glasses, especially polarized sunglasses.
Adjust the brightness of the head-up display or remove your sunglasses.
CAUTION
■Before using the head-up display
Check that the position and brightness of the head-up display image does not inter-
fere with safe driving. Incorrect adjustment of the image's position or brightness
may obstruct the driver's view and lead to an accident, resulting in death or serious
injury.
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2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
■Vehicle-to-vehicle distance settings
Select a distance from the table below. Note that the distances
shown correspond to a vehicle speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). Vehi-
cle-to-vehicle distance increases/decreases in accordance with
vehicle speed.
■Canceling and resuming the speed control
Pulling the lever toward you
cancels the cruise control.
The speed setting is also can-
celed when the brakes are
applied.
Pushing the lever up resumes
the cruise control and returns
vehicle speed to the set
speed.
Resuming is available when the
vehicle speed is more than
approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).
Distance optionsVehicle-to-vehicle distance
LongApproximately 50 m (164 ft.)
MediumApproximately 40 m (132 ft.)
ShortApproximately 25 m (82 ft.)
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2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
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.
■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 braking 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 suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces
■TRC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent any of the drive wheels from
spinning when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads
■Hill-start assist control
→P. 2 7 8
■EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn
the steering wheel
■Active Torque Control 4WD system (AWD models)
Automatically switches from front-wheel drive to AWD (All-Wheel Drive)
according to driving conditions, helping to ensure reliable handling and
stability. Examples of conditions where the system will switch to AWD are
when cornering, going uphill, starting off or accelerating, and when the
road surface is slippery due to snow or rain etc.
■VSC+ (Vehicle Stability Control +) (if equipped)
Provides cooperative control of the ABS, TRC, VSC and EPS.
Helps to maintain directional stability when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling steering performance
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2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
■Operating conditions of emergency brake signal
When the following two conditions are met, the emergency brake signal will oper-
ate:
●Actual vehicle speed is over 55 km/h (34 mph).
●The brake pedal is depressed in a manner that cause the system to judge from
the vehicle deceleration that this is a sudden braking operation.
■Automatic system cancellation of emergency brake signal
The emergency brake signal will turn off in any of the following situations:
●The emergency flashers are turned on.
●The brake pedal is released.
●The system judges from the vehicle deceleration that this is not a sudden brak-
ing operation.
CAUTION
■The ABS does not operate effectively when
●The limits of tire gripping performance have been exceeded (such as excessively
worn tires on a snow covered road).
●The vehicle hydroplanes while driving at high speed on a wet or slick road.
■Stopping distance when the ABS is operating may exceed that of normal condi-
tions
The ABS is not designed to shorten the vehicle's stopping distance. Always main-
tain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, especially in the following situa-
tions:
●When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
●When driving with tire chains
●When driving over bumps in the road
●When driving over roads with potholes or roads with uneven surfaces
■TRC may not operate effectively when
Directional control and power may not be achievable while driving on slippery road
surfaces, even if the TRC system is operating.
Drive the vehicle carefully in conditions where stability and power may be lost.
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2-4. Using other driving systems
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
■When the VSC is activated
The slip indicator light flashes. Always drive carefully. Reckless driving may cause
an accident, resulting in death or serious injury. Exercise particular care when the
indicator light flashes.
■When the TRC/VSC systems are turned off
Be especially careful and drive at a speed appropriate to the road conditions. As
these are the systems to help ensure vehicle stability and driving force, do not turn
the TRC/VSC systems off unless necessary.
■Replacing tires
Make sure that all tires are of the same size, brand, tread pattern and total load
capacity. In addition, make sure that the tires are inflated to the recommended tire
inflation pressure level.
The ABS and VSC systems will not function correctly if different tires are installed
on the vehicle.
Contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and
equipped professional, for further information when replacing tires or wheels.
■Handling of tires and suspension
Using tires with any kind of problem or modifying the suspension will affect the driv-
ing assist systems, and may cause a system malfunction.
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2-5. Driving information
RX350/270_EE
Off-road driving
When driving your vehicle off-road, please observe the following precau-
tions to ensure your driving enjoyment and to help prevent the closure of
areas to off-road vehicles.
●Drive your vehicle only in areas where off-road vehicles are permitted
to travel.
●Respect private property. Get owner’s permission before entering pri-
vate property.
●Do not enter areas that are closed. Honor gates, barriers and signs
that restrict travel.
CAUTION
■Off-road vehicle precautions
Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of death or serious
injury or damage to your vehicle:
●In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt. Therefore, the driver and all passengers should fasten
their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving.
●Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers, if at all possible.
Failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or vehicle roll-
over causing death or serious injury.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier will make the center of the vehicle
gravity higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns, sudden braking or
abrupt maneuvers, otherwise it may result in loss of control or vehicle rollover
due to failure to operate this vehicle correctly.
●Always slow down in gusty crosswinds. Because of its profile and higher center of
gravity, your vehicle is more sensitive to side winds than an ordinary passenger
car. Slowing down will allow you to have better control.
●Do not drive horizontally across steep slopes. Driving straight up or straight down
is preferred. Your vehicle (or any similar off-road vehicle) can tip over sideways
much more easily than forward or backward.
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2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE●Stay on established roads. When conditions are wet, driving tech-
niques should be changed or travel delayed to prevent damage to
roads.
CAUTION
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of death or serious
injury or damage to your vehicle:
●Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in
dangerous places.
●Do not grip the steering wheel spokes when driving off-road. A bad bump could
jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands and especially your
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
●Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving in sand,
mud, water or snow.
●After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, water, etc., check that there is no
grass, bush, paper, rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or trapped to the underbody.
Clear off any such matter from the underbody. If the vehicle is used with these
materials trapped or adhering to the underbody, a breakdown or fire could occur.
●When driving off-road or in rugged terrain, do not drive at excessive speeds,
jump, make sharp turns, strike objects, etc. This may cause loss of control or vehi-
cle rollover causing death or serious injury. You are also risking expensive dam-
age to your vehicle’s suspension and chassis.
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