steering LEXUS RX270 2014 Service Manual

140
1-7. Safety information
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●If a vinyl cover is put on the area where the SRS knee airbags will deploy, be sure
to remove it.
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side airbags
inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from activating correctly, disable the system or cause the
side airbags to inflate accidentally, resulting in death or serious injury.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS airbag
components.
Doing so can cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS airbags have
deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbags have deployed, open a door
or window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do so. Wash off
any residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel pad and
front and rear pillar garnishes, are damaged or cracked, have them replaced by
any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped
professional.
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 140 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

141
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications with-
out consulting any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified
and equipped professional.
The SRS airbags may malfunction or deploy (inflate) accidentally, causing death or
serious injury.
●Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
●Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel, instrument
panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear pillars or roof side
rails
●Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the occupant
compartment
●Installation of a grille guard (bull bars, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow plows or winches
●Modifications to the vehicle's suspension system
●Installation of electronic devices such as an RF-transmitter or CD players
●Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 141 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

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
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 169 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

172
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.
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 172 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

173
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
●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.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off while
driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, 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.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop
the vehicle in the normal way: →P. 6 0 3
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a
steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effec-
tiveness. (→P. 1 8 7 )
●When stopped on an incline, use the brake pedal and parking brake to prevent
the vehicle from rolling backward or forward, causing an accident.
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside
rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents, resulting
in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●On vehicles with an electronically modulated air suspension, if you drive through
water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first check the depth of the water
and the firmness of the river bed. Put the vehicle in “HI” (high) mode with the
height selector switch and then turn off the electronically modulated air suspen-
sion by pressing the height control off switch. Drive your vehicle at 30 km/h (19
mph) or lower.
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 173 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

174
2-1. Driving procedures
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shift changing, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●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
functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in an accident.
■When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This 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 indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by any authorized Lexus dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional as soon as possible.
Rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Moderate levels of brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced front braking power.
As a result, the discs may wear more quickly than conventional brake discs. There-
fore, when replacing the brake pads, Lexus recommends that you also have the
thickness of the discs measured.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
those of the brake discs are exceeded.
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 174 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

178
2-1. Driving procedures
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehi-
cle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline components or propel
the vehicle forward or backward, causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time during driving,
as this may restrain driving torque.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake pedals at
the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damag-
ing the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire (→P. 5 7 2 )
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 178 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

183
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
■If the engine does not start
The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. (→P. 1 1 5 )
Contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and
equipped professional immediately.
■Steering lock
After turning the “ENGINE START STOP” switch off and opening and closing the
doors, the steering wheel will be locked due to the steering lock function. Operat-
ing the “ENGINE START STOP” switch again automatically cancels the steering
lock.
■When the steering lock cannot be released
■Steering lock motor overheating prevention
To prevent the steering lock motor from overheating, the motor may be suspended
if the engine is turned on and off repeatedly in a short period of time. In this case,
refrain from operating the engine. After about 2 seconds, the steering lock motor
will resume functioning.
■When the “ENGINE START STOP” switch indicator flashes in amber
The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized
Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional,
immediately.
■If the electronic key battery is depleted
→P. 5 0 1The green indicator light on the “ENGINE
START STOP” switch will flash and a mes-
sage will be shown on the multi-information
display. Press the “ENGINE START STOP”
switch again while turning the steering wheel
left and right.
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 183 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

184
2-1. Driving procedures
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver's seat. Do not depress the acceler-
ator pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If the vehicle begins to slide due to engine failure or other circumstances, do not
lock or open the doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activa-
tion of the steering lock in this circumstance may lead to an accident, resulting 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 START STOP” switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it
briefly 3 times or more in succession. (→P. 6 0 3 )
However, do not touch the “ENGINE START STOP” switch while driving except in
an emergency. Turning the engine off while driving will not cause loss of steering or
braking control, 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.
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 184 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分

219
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
2
When driving
RX350/270_EE
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting system) (if equipped)
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) improves visibility at intersections
and on curves by automatically adjusting the direction of the light axis of
the headlights according to vehicle speed and the degree of the tire
angle that are controlled by steering input.
AFS operates at speeds of 10 km/h (6 mph) or higher.
■Deactivating AFS
Press the menu switch.
The multi-information display will
change modes to electronic fea-
tures control mode.
Press the “∧” or “∨” switch until
“AFS” appears.
Press the “ENTER” switch to
change to “OFF”.
The “AFS OFF” indicator will be
displayed.
Each pressing of the switch turns
“AFS” on and off.
Press the menu switch to change
to the normal display.
STEP1
STEP2
RX350_270_EE_48D77E.book 219 ページ ２０１４年１月２４日　金曜日　午前１０時４分