steering LEXUS RX350 2016 Service Manual

204 4-1. Before driving
RX350_U_OM48E90U ◆ Total load capacity (vehicle capacity weight):  P. 6 74
Total load capacity means the combined weight of occupants, cargo and lug-
gage.
◆ Seating capacity: 5 occupants (Front 2, Rear 3)
Seating capacity means the maximum number of occupants whose estimated
average weight is 150 lb. (68 kg) per person.
◆ TWR (Trailer Weight Rating) (vehicles with towing package):
 P. 2 0 8 , 6 74
TWR means the maximum gross trailer weight (trailer weight plus its cargo
weight) that your vehicle is able to tow.
◆ TWR (Trailer Weight Rating) (vehicles without towing package)
Lexus does not recommend towing a trailer with your vehicle.
◆ Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrea se depending on the weight and the
number of occupants. ■
Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire and loading information label. (  P. 5 9 3 )Vehicle load limits Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating capacity, trailer weight
rating and cargo capacity.
WA R N I N G ■
Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tires, but also degrade steering and braking ability,
resulting in an accident.

212 4-1. Before driving
RX350_U_OM48E90U Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an acci-
dent, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when towing: ●
Speed limits for towing a trailer vary 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 man-
ual, 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 con-
nections. Recheck after driving a short distance. ●
Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in an area
away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel of the vehicle-
trailer combination. ●
Reversing with a trailer attached is di fficult 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 your hand to the right to move the trailer to right. (This
is generally opposite to reversing without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or
prolonged turning. Have someone guid e you when reversing to reduce the
risk of an accident. ●
As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of speed, allow at least
one vehicle and trailer length. ●
Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, re sulting in the traile r jackknifing and a
loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery surfaces. ●
Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration. ●
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before making a turn. ●
Note that when making a turn, the traile r wheels will be closer than the vehicle
wheels to the inside of the turn. Comp ensate by making a wider than normal
turning radius. ●
Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery surfaces,
etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer. ●
Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires considerable dis-
tance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of your trailer, and be
sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.Trailer towing tips

2154-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX350_U_OM48E90U ■
Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components (such as an
engine, transaxle, transfer (AWD models), rear differential (AWD models) or wheel
bearing), Lexus recommends that you do not tow a trailer until the vehicle has been
driven for over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can start towing.
However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the vehicle at a speed of less than
50 mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle acceleration.■
Maintenance ●
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will requir e more frequent maintenance due to the addi-
tional load. (See “Warranty and Services Guide”, “Owner’s Manual Supplement” or
“Scheduled Maintenance”.) ●
Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ba ll and bracket after approximately 600 miles
(1000 km) of trailer towing. ■
If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can adversely
affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability.●
If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer sway ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal i mmediately but very gradually to reduce
speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the steering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer
should stabilize. (if enabled, Trailer Sway Cont rol can also help to stabilize the vehicle and
trailer.) ●
After the trailer sw aying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the speed at which trailer swaying occurred is beyond
the limit of your particular vehicle-trailer combination.
Drive at a lower speed to prevent instability. Remember that swaying of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer increases as speed increases.

216 4-1. Before driving
RX350_U_OM48E90U WA R N I N G ■
Trailer towing precautions
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care and drive the vehicle in accordance with the
trailer’s characteristics and op erating conditions. Failure to do so could cause an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury. Vehicle stability and braking performance are
affected by trailer stability, brake setting and performance, and the hitch. Your vehicle
will handle differently when towing a trailer. ■
To avoid accident or injury ●
Do not exceed the TWR, unbrak ed TWR, GCWR, GVWR or GAWR.●
If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway control device with suffi-
cient capacity is required. ●
Adjust the tongue weight within the approp riate range. Place heavier loads as close
to the trailer axle as possible. ●
Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h), the posted towing speed limit or the speed limit
for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner’s manual, whichever is lowest. Slow
down sufficiently before making a turn, in cr oss winds, on wet or slippery surface, etc.
to help avoid an accident. If you experience a vehicle-trailer instability from reducing
a certain speed, slow down and make sure you keep your vehicle speed under the
speed of which you expe rience the instability.●
Do not make jerky, abrupt or sharp turns. ●
Do not apply the brakes suddenly as you ma y skid, resulting in ja ckknifing and loss of
vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery surfaces. ●
Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight, gross axle
weight and trailer tongue weight capacities. ●
Do not use the following systems when trailer towing.
•Cruise control
*• Dynamic radar cruise control
*• Dynamic radar cruise cont rol with full-speed range
*• LDA (Lane-Departure Alert with steering control)
*• LKA (Lane-Keeping Assist)
*• PCS (Pre-Crash Safety system)
*• BSM (Blind Spot Monitor)
*
* : If equipped ●
Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long downhill grades. Do not
make sudden downshifts while descen ding steep or long downhill grades.●
Vehicle-trailer instability is more likely on steep long downhills. Before descending
steep or long downhill grades, slow down and downshift. Do not make sudden down-
shifts when descending stee p or long downhill grades. Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the brakes too frequently. This could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in reduced braking efficiency. ●
Do not tow a trailer when the compact spare tire is installed on your vehicle.

222 4-2. Driving procedures
RX350_U_OM48E90U ■
Auto power off function
If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode for more than 20 minutes or IGNITION ON
mode (the engine is not running) for more than an hour with the shift lever in P, the engine
switch will automatically turn off. However, this function cannot en tirely prevent battery
discharge. Do not leave the vehicle with the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNI-
TION ON mode for long periods of ti me when the engine is not running.■
Electronic key battery depletion
 P. 1 2 2 ■
Conditions affe cting operation
 P. 1 4 8 ■
Note for the entry function
 P. 1 4 9 ■
If the engine does not start ●
The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. (  P. 74 )
Contact your Lexus dealer. ●
Check that the shift lever is securely set in P. The engine may not start if the shift lever is
displaced out of P. “To Start Vehicle, Put Shift Lever into P” will be displayed on the
multi-information display. ■
Steering lock
After turning the engine switch off and opening and closing the doors, the steering wheel
will be locked due to the stee ring lock function. Operating the engine switch again auto-
matically cancels the steering lock. ■
When the steering lock cannot be released
■
Steering lock motor overheating prevention
To prevent the steering lock motor from over heating, operation of the motor may be sus-
pended if the engine is turned on and off repeat edly in a short period of time. In this case,
refrain from operating the engine switch. After about 10 seconds, the steering lock
motor will resume functioning. ■
When “Access System with Elec. Key Malfunction See Owner’s Manual” is displayed
on the multi-information display
The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.“Steering Wheel Lock Press Engine Switch
while Turning Wheel” will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
Check that the shift lever is in P. Press the
engine switch while turning the steering wheel
left and right.

2234-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RX350_U_OM48E90U ■
If the electronic key battery is depleted
 P. 6 0 3 ■
Operation of the engine switch ●
When operating the engine switch, one short, firm press is enough. If the switch is
pressed improperly, the engine may not start or the engine switch mode may not
change. It is not necessary to press and hold the switch. ●
If attempting to restart the engine immediat ely after turning the engine switch off, the
engine may not start in some cases. After tu rning the engine switch off, please wait a
few seconds before re starting the engine.■
If the smart access system with push-butto n start has been deactivated by a customized
setting
 P. 6 6 1
WA R N I N G ■
When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accelerator
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 engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the doors until
the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the steering lock in this cir-
cumstance may lead to an accident, re sulting 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 switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly 3 times or more in succes-
sion. (  P. 6 2 5 )
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emergency. Turning
the engine off while driving will not cause lo ss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. Th is 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.

242 4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
RX350_U_OM48E90U With 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.
Pull 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.
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) secure s excellent 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’s angle as con-
trolled by steering input. AFS operates at speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
●
When the steering wheel or turn signal lever is operated while the headlights
are on (low beam), a cornering light w ill turn on and light up the direction of
movement of the vehicle. The cornerin g lights are designed to ensure excel-
lent visibility when making a turn at an intersection.However, when vehicle speed is approximately 22 mph (35 km/h) or higher, the cor-
nering lights will not turn on.●
When the shift lever is in R while the headlights are on (low beam), both cor-
nering lights will turn on. This is desi gned to enhance visibility when parking.Turning on the high beam headlights 1
2
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) (if equipped)
Cornering lights (if equipped)

262
RX350_U_OM48E90U 4-5. Using the driving support systems
◆ PCS (Pre-Collision System)
 P. 2 7 0
◆ LKA (Lane-Keeping Assist) 
 P. 2 8 3
◆ LDA (Lane Departure Alert with steering control) 
 P. 2 9 3
◆ Automatic High Beam
 P. 2 4 5
◆ Dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range 
 P. 3 0 2
◆ Dynamic radar cruise control 
 P. 3 1 4Lexus Safety System+ 
 : If equippedThe Lexus Safety System+ consists of the following drive assist systems and
contributes to a safe and comfo rtable driving experience:
WA R N I N G ■
Lexus Safety System+
The Lexus Safety System+ is designed to operate under the assumption that the driver
will drive safely, and is designed to help reduce the impact to the occupants and the
vehicle in the case of a collision or assist the driver in normal driving conditions.
As there is a limit to the degree of recognition accuracy and control performance that
this system can provide, do not overly rely on this system. The driver is always responsi-
ble for paying attention to the vehicl e's surroundings and driving safely.

272 4-5. Using the driving support systems
RX350_U_OM48E90U WA R N I N G ■
Limitations of the pre-collision system ●
The driver is solely responsible for safe driving. Always drive safely, taking care to
observe your surroundings.
Do not use the pre-collision system instea d of normal braking operations under any
circumstances. This system will not preven t collisions or lessen collision damage or
injury in every situation. Do not overly rely on this system. Failure to do so may lead to
an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.●
Although this system is design ed to help avoid and reduce the impact of a collision, its
effectiveness may change according to various conditions, therefore the system may
not always be able to achieve the same level of performance.
Read the following conditions carefully. Do not overly rely on this system and always
drive carefully.
• Conditions under which the system may operat e even if there is no possibility of a
collision:  P. 2 7 7
• Conditions under which the system may not operate properly:  P. 2 8 0●
Do not attempt to test the operation of the pre-collision system yourself, as the system
may not operate properly, poss ibly leading to an accident.■
Pre-collision braking
* 3
●
The pre-collision braking function may not operate if certain operations are per-
formed by the driver. If the accelerator peda l is being depressed strongly or the steer-
ing wheel is being turned, the system may de termine that the driver is taking evasive
action and possibly prevent the pre-colli sion braking function from operating.●
In some situations, while the pre-collision braking function is op erating, operation of
the function may be canceled if the accele rator pedal is depressed strongly or the
steering wheel is turned and the system determines that the driver is taking evasive
action. ●
A large amount of braking force is applied while the pre-collision braking function is
operating. Additionally, as the vehicle may creep if it has been stopped by the pre-
collision braking function, the driver should depress the brake pedal as necessary. ●
If the brake pedal is being depressed, the system may determine that the driver is tak-
ing evasive action and possibly delay the op eration timing of the pre-collision braking
function.
* 3
: Depending on the region in which the ve hicle was sold, the pre-collision braking
function may not be available.

2774-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
RX350_U_OM48E90U ■
Pedestrian detection function
* 4
* 4
: Depending on the region in which the vehicle was sold, the pedestrian detection func-
tion may not be available. ■
Cancelation of the pre-collision braking
* 3
●
If either of the following occur while the pr e-collision braking function is operating, it
will be canceled:
• The accelerator pedal is depressed strongly.
• The steering wheel is turned sharply or abruptly. ●
If the vehicle is stopped by the operation of the pre-collision braking function, the oper-
ation of the pre-collision braking function will be canceled after the vehicle has been
stopped for approximately 2 seconds.
* 3
: Depending on the region in which the vehi cle was sold, the pre-collision braking func-
tion may not be available. ■
Conditions under which the system may operate even if there is no possibility of a colli-
sion ●
In some situations such as the following, th e system may determine that there is a possi-
bility of a frontal co llision and operate.
• When passing a vehicle or pedestrian
* 4
• When changing lanes while overtaking a preceding vehicle
• When overtaking a preceding vehicle that is changing lanesThe pre-collision system detects pedestrians
based on the size, profile, and motion of a
detected object. However, a pedestrian may not
be detected depending on the surrounding
brightness and the motion, posture, and angle of
the detected object, preventing the system from
operating properly. (  P. 2 8 1 )
• When overtaking a preceding vehicle that
is making a left/right turn
• When passing a vehicle in an oncoming
lane that is stopped to make a right/left turn