steering LEXUS RX350 2015 Workshop Manual

1692-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving CAUTION■
When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in th e driver’s seat. Do not depress the acceler-
ator 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 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. 8 0 4 )
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.

2442-4. Using other driving systems
CAUTION■
Conditions under which the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control may not function
correctly
Apply the brakes as necessary in the foll owing conditions as the radar sensor may
not be able to correctly detect vehicles ahead, and a fatal or serious accident may
result: ●
When water or snow thrown up by the surrounding vehicles hinders the function-
ing of the sensor●
When your vehicle is pointing upwards (caused by a heavy load in the luggage
compartment etc.)●
When the road curves or when the lanes are narrow●
When steering wheel operation or your position in the lane is unstable●
When the vehicle ahead of you decelerates suddenly■
Handling the radar sensor
Observe the following to ensure the cruise control system can function effectively.
Otherwise, the system may not function co rrectly and could result in an accident.●
Keep the sensor and grille cover clean at all times.
Clean the sensor and grille cover with a soft cloth so you do not mark or damage
them.●
Do not subject the sensor or surrounding area to a strong impact.
If the sensor moves even slightly off position, the system may malfunction. If the
sensor or surrounding area is subject to a strong impact, always have the area
inspected and adjusted by your Lexus dealer.●
Do not disassemble the sensor.●
Do not attach accessories or stickers to the sensor, grille cover or surrounding
area.
●
Do not modify or paint the sensor and grille cover.
●
Do not replace them with non-genuine parts.

2622-4. Using other driving systems
■
Flicker effect
When the camera is used under fluorescent light, sodium lights, or mercury lights
etc., the lights and the illuminated areas may appear to flicker.
CAUTION■
When using the rear view monitor system, observe the following precautions to
avoid an accident that could result in death or serious injuries: ●
Never depend solely on the monitor system when reversing.●
Always check visually and with the mirrors to confirm your intended path is clear.●
Use your own eyes to confirm the vehicle’s surroundings, as the displayed image
may become faint or dark, and moving imag es will be distorted, or not entirely
visible when the outside temperature is low. When backing up, be sure to check
behind and all around the vehicle visually and with the mirrors before proceeding.●
Always check the vehicle surrounding area, because the guide lines are ancillary
lines.●
The guide lines are ancillary lines and do not change even if the steering wheel is
turned.●
Depicted distances between objects and flat surfaces differ from actual dis-
tances.●
Do not use the system if the back door is open.

2692-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving 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
■ TRAC (Traction Control) Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the drive wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads
■ Hill-start assist control  P. 2 76
■ 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, help ing to ensure reliable handling and
stability. Examples of conditions wher e the system will switch to AWD are
when cornering, going uphill, starti ng off or accelerating, and when the
road surface is slippery due to snow or rain etc.

2702-4. Using other driving systems
When the VSC/TRAC systems are operating
If the vehicle is in danger of slip-
ping or if any of the drive wheels
spins, the slip indicator light flashes
to indicate that the VSC/TRAC
systems are operating. ■ Enhanced VSC (Enhanced vehicle stability control) (if equipped) Provides cooperative control of the ABS, TRAC, VSC and EPS.
Helps to maintain directional stability when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling steering performance.
■ VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integra ted Management) (if equipped)Provides integrated control of the ABS, brake assist, TRAC, VSC, hill-start
assist control, and EPS systems.
Helps to maintain vehicle stability when swerving on slippery road sur-
faces by controlling the brakes and engine output.
■ PCS (Pre-Collision System) (if equipped)  P. 2 7 8
■ BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) (if equipped)  P. 2 8 6

2722-4. Using other driving systems
■
When the message is displayed on the multi-information display showing that
TRAC has been disabled even if the VSC off switch has not been pressed
TRAC and hill-start assist control cannot be operated. Contact your Lexus dealer.■
Sounds and vibrations caused by th e ABS, VSC, TRAC and brake assist ●
A sound may be heard from the engi ne compartment when the engine is
started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indicate that
a malfunction has occurred in any of these systems. ●
Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are operat-
ing. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.■
EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a motor sound (whirring sound) may be
heard. This does not indicate a malfunction.■
Reactivation of the TRAC /VSC systems
Turning off the engine after turning off the TRAC/VSC systems will automatically
reactivate them.■
Reactivation of the TRAC sy stem linked to vehicle speed
When only the TRAC system is turned off, the TRAC system will turn on when vehi-
cle speed increases. However, when both TRAC and VSC systems are turned off,
the systems will not turn on even when vehicle speed increases.■
Reduced effectiveness of the EPS system
The effectiveness of the EPS system is reduced to prevent the system from over-
heating when there is frequent steering in put over an extended period of time. The
steering wheel may feel heavy as a result. Should this occur, refrain from excessive
steering input or stop the vehicle and turn the engine off. The EPS system should
return to normal within 10 minutes.

2942-5. Driving information
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 wh en 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 te rrain, 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.
NOTICE■
To prevent water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the engine or
other components does not occur. ●
Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage. ●
Water entering the automatic transmission will cause deterioration in shift quality,
locking up of your transmission accompanied by vibration, and ultimately dam-
age.
●
Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and premature
failure, and may also enter the differentials, transmission and transfer case, reduc-
ing the gear oil’s lubricating qualities.

2992-5. Driving information
2
When driving CAUTION●
Never allow anyone to ride in the luggage compartment. It is not designed for
passengers. They should ride in their seat s with their seat belt s properly fastened.
Otherwise, they are much more likely to suffer death or serious bodily injury, in
the event of sudden braking, sudden swerving or an accident.■
Capacity and distribution ●
Do not exceed the maximum axle weight ra ting 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 dete-
rioration of steering or braking control which may cause death or serious injury.■
Roof luggage carrier precautions (if equipped)
To use the roof rails as a roof luggage carrier, you must fit the roof rails with two or
more genuine Lexus cross rails or their equivalent.
When you load cargo on the roof luggage carrier, observe the following:
●
Before driving, make sure the cargo is securely fastened on the roof luggage car-
rier.●
Loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier will make the center of gravity of the
vehicle higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns, sudden braking or
abrupt maneuvers, otherwise the result may be a loss of control or vehicle roll-
over due to failure to operate this vehicl e correctly and result in death or serious
injury.
●
If driving for long distances, on rough ro ads, or at high spee ds, stop the vehicle
now and then during the trip to make sure the cargo remains in its place.
●
Do not exceed 165 lb. (75 kg) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
●
To reduce wind noise when there is no luggage loaded on the roof luggage car-
rier, move the front cross rail to the front-most position and the rear cross rail to
the rearmost position. ●
Place the cargo so that its weight is distrib-
uted evenly between the front and rear
axles. ●
If loading long or wide cargo, never exceed
the vehicle’s overall length or width.
(  P. 8 0 6 )Cross rails
Roof rails

3012-5. Driving information
2
When driving Vehicle load limits
■
Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on th e tire and loading information label.
(  P. 6 9 3 )
CAUTION■
Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tire s, but also degrade steering and braking
ability, resulting in an accident. Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating capacity, TWR
(Trailer Weight Rating) and cargo capacity.
■ Total load capacity (vehicle capacity weight): (  P. 806)Total load capacity means the combined weight of occupants, cargo and
luggage.
■ Seating capacity: 5 occupants (Front 2, Rear 3) Seating capacity means the maximum number of occupants whose esti-
mated average weight is 150 lb. (68 kg) per person.
■ TWR (Trailer weight rating): (  P. 310, 806)TWR means the maximum gross trailer weight (trailer weight plus its
cargo weight) that your vehicle is able to tow.
■ Cargo capacity Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending on the weight and
the number of occupants.

3162-5. Driving information
Trailer towing tips
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an
accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when towing:
● Speed limits for towing a trailer va ry by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted towing speed limit.
● Lexus recommends that the vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph (104
km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this limit, the posted
towing speed limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your
trailer owner’s manual, whichever is lowest. Instability of the towing
vehicle-trailer combination (trailer sway) increases as speed increases.
Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of control.
● Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer
connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reversing with th e trailer attached in an
area away from traffic until you be come accustomed to the feel of the
vehicle-trailer combination.
● Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires practice. Grip
the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to
move the trailer to the left. Move yo ur hand to the right to move the
trailer to the right. (This is gene rally opposite to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have someone
guide you when reversing to redu ce the risk of an accident.
● As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to-
vehicle distance should be increas ed. For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and trailer length.
● Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jackknif-
ing and a loss of vehicle control. Th is is especially true on wet or slip-
pery surfaces.
● Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.