child restraint LEXUS RX400H 2008 Owners Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTSIndex
RX400h_U
2
1-1. Hybrid system ............................... 24Hybrid system................................... 24
1-2. Key information ........................... 34 Keys ...................................................... 34
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors...................................... 36
Wireless remote control .............. 36
Side doors .......................................... 39
Back door ........................................... 44
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors,
steering wheel) .......................... 49
Front seats .......................................... 49
Rear seats ........................................... 52
Driving position memory ............. 55
Head restraints................................. 57
Seat belts ........................................... 58
Steering wheel (manually adjustable type) ....... 65
Steering wheel (power-adjustable type)............ 66
Anti-glare inside rear view mirror ................................................ 67
Outside rear view mirrors ........... 68
Roof luggage carrier ..................... 70 1-5. Opening and closing the
windows and moon roof .......... 72
Power windows................................ 72
Moon roof .......................................... 75
1-6. Refueling ........................................ 78 Opening the fuel tank cap........... 78
1-7. Theft deterrent system.............. 83 Hybrid vehicle immobilizer system ............................................... 83
Alarm................................................... 85
Theft prevention labels (U.S.A.) ............................................ 88
1-8. Safety information ...................... 89 Correct driving posture ............... 89
SRS airbags ........................................ 91
Front passenger occupant classification system .................. 103
Child restraint systems ............... 108
Installing child restraints ............... 112
2-1. Driving procedures................... 122 Driving the vehicle ........................ 122
Engine (ignition) switch ................ 131
Transmission ................................... 135
Turn signal lever............................. 136
Parking brake ................................. 137
1Before driving
2When driving

Before driving1
23
RX400h_U
1-1. Hybrid system .................. 24Hybrid system ............................ 24
1-2. Key information ............... 34 Keys ............................................... 34
1-3. Opening, closing and locking the doors ........... 36
Wireless remote control ......... 36
Side doors.................................... 39
Back door .................................... 44
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors,
steering wheel) .............. 49
Front seats ................................... 49
Rear seats .................................... 52
Driving position memory ........ 55
Head restraints .......................... 57
Seat belts .................................... 58
Steering wheel (manually adjustable type) ...................... 65
Steering wheel (power-adjustable type) ....... 66
Anti-glare inside rear view mirror ......................................... 67
Outside rear view mirrors ...... 68
Roof luggage carrier................ 70 1-5. Opening and closing the
windows and
moon roof ........................ 72
Power windows .......................... 72
Moon roof ................................... 75
1-6. Refueling .......................... 78 Opening the fuel tank cap ..... 78
1-7. Theft deterrent system ... 83 Hybrid vehicle immobilizer system ........................................ 83
Alarm............................................ 85
Theft prevention labels (U.S.A.)...................................... 88
1-8. Safety information........... 89 Correct driving posture ......... 89
SRS airbags ................................. 91
Front passenger occupant classification system............ 103
Child restraint systems ......... 108
Installing child restraints........ 112

61
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
RX400h_U
■Emergency locking retractor (ELR)
The retractor will lock the belt during a sudden stop or on impact. It may also lock if
you lean forward too quickly. A slow, easy motion will allow the belt to extend so that
you can move around fully.
■Automatic locking retractor (ALR)
When a passenger's shoulder belt is completely extended and then retracted even
slightly, the belt is locked in that position and cannot be extended. This feature is
used to hold the child restraint system (CRS) firmly. To free the belt again, fully
retract the belt and then pull the belt out once more. ( →P. 112)
■Pregnant women
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat belt
in the proper way. (→P. 5 8 )
Women who are pregnant should position
the lap belt as low as possible over the hips in
the same manner as other occupants. Extend
the shoulder belt completely over the shoul-
der and position the belt across the chest.
Avoid belt contact over the rounding of the
abdominal area.
If the seat belt is not worn properly, not only a
pregnant woman, but also the fetus could suf-
fer death or serious injury as a result of sud-
den braking or a collision.

62
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
RX400h_U
■People suffering illness
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat belt in the proper way. ( →P. 5 8 )
■Child seat belt usage
The seat belts of your vehicle were principally designed for persons of adult size.
●Use a child restraint system appropriate for the child, until the child become large
enough to properly wear the vehicle's seat belt. ( →P. 1 0 8 )
●When the child becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle's seat belt,
follow the instructions on P. 58 regarding seat belt usage.
■Replacing the belt after the pr etensioner has been activated
If the vehicle is involved in multiple collisions, the pretensioner will activate for the
first collision, but will not activate for the second or subsequent collisions.
■Seat belt extender
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury in the event of sudden
braking or an accident.
Failing to do so may cause death or severe injury.
■Wearing a seat belt
●Ensure that all passengers wear a seat belt.
●Always wear a seat belt properly.
●Each seat belt should be used by one person only. Do not use a seat belt for more
than one person at once, including children.
●Lexus recommends that children be seated in the rear seat and always use a seat
belt and/or an appropriate child restraint system.
If your seat belts cannot be fastened securely
because they are not long enough, a person-
alized seat belt extender is available from
your Lexus dealer free of charge.

63
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
1
Before driving
RX400h_U
CAUTION
●Do not recline the seat any more than necessary to achieve a proper seating
position. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants are sitting up straight
and well back in the seats.
●Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.
●Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.
■Seat belt pretensioners
●Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger's seat. Doing so
will disperse the passenger's weight, which prevents the sensor from detecting
the passenger's weight properly. As a result, the seat belt pretensioner for the
front passenger's seat may not activate in the event of a collision.
●If the pretensioner has activated, the seat belt becomes locked: it cannot be fur-
ther extended, nor will it return to the stowed position. The seat belt cannot be
used again and must be replaced at your Lexus dealer.
■Child restraint lock function belt
Do not allow children to play with the child restraint lock function belt.
■Seat belt damage and wear
●Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate, or buckle to be jammed
in the door.
●Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fraying, and loose parts.
Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Damaged seat belts cannot
protect an occupant from death or serious injury.
●Ensure that the belt and tab are locked and the belt is not twisted.
If the seat belt does not function correctly, immediately contact your Lexus
dealer.

64
1-4. Adjustable components (seats, mirrors, steering wheel)
RX400h_U
CAUTION
●Replace the seat assembly, including the belts, if your vehicle has been involved in
a serious accident, even if there's no obvious damage.
●Do not attempt to install, remove, modify, disassemble or dispose of the seat belts.
Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Lexus dealer. Inappropriate han-
dling of the pretensioner may prevent it from operating properly resulting in
death or serious injury.
■Using a seat belt comfort guide
●Make sure the belt is not twisted and that it lies flat. The elastic cord must be
behind the belt and the guide must be on the front.
●To reduce the chance of injury in case of an accident or a sudden stop while driv-
ing, remove and store the comfort guide in its pocket when it is not in use.
●Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the center of the shoul-
der. The belt should be kept away from the neck, and should not fall off the shoul-
der.
Failure to observe these precautions could reduce the effectiveness of the seat
belt in an accident, causing death or serious injury.
■Using a seat belt extender
●Do not wear the seat belt extender if you can fasten the seat belt without the
extender.
●Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system because
the belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, increasing the risk of
death or injury in the event of a collision.
●The personalized extender may not be safe on another vehicle, when used by
another person, or at a different seatin g position other than the one originally
intended.
NOTICE
■When using a seat belt extender
When releasing the seat belt, press on the buckle release button on the extender,
not on the seat belt.
This helps prevent damage to the vehicle interior and the extender itself.

99
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
RX400h_U
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●The SRS front passenger airbag also deploys with considerable force, and can
cause death or serious injury especially if the front passenger is very close to the
airbag. The front passenger seat should be as far from the airbag as possible with
the seatback adjusted, so the front passenger sits upright.
●Improperly seated and/or restrained infants and children can be killed or seri-
ously injured by a deploying airbag. An infant or child who is too small to use a
seat belt should be properly secured using a child restraint system. Lexus strongly
recommends that all infants and children be placed in the rear seats of the vehicle
and properly restrained. The rear seats are the safest for infants and children.
(→ P. 1 0 8 )
●If the seat belt extender has been con-
nected to the driver's seat belt buckle but
the seat belt extender has not also been
fastened to the latch plate of the driver's
seat belt, the SRS driver's airbag system
will judge that the driver is wearing the seat
belt even though the seat belt has not been
connected. In this case, the driver's airbag
may not activate correctly in a collision,
resulting in death or serious injury in the
event of collision. Be sure to wear the seat
belt with the seat belt extender.

104
1-8. Safety information
RX400h_U■
Child
*3 or child restraint system*4
■Unoccupied
Indicator/
warning light AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF
indicator lights AIR BAG
OFF*5
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Flashing
*2
DevicesFront passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
in the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner
Indicator/
warning light AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF
indicator lights Not illumi-
nated
SRS warning light Off
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light
Devices Front passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
in the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner Deactivated

105
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
RX400h_U■
There is a malfunction in the system
*1: The system judges a person of adult size as an adult. When a smaller adult sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/
her as a child depending on his/her physique and posture.
*2: In the event the front passenger does not wear a seat belt.
*3: When a larger child who has outgrown a child restraint system sits in the front passenger seat, the system may recognize him/her as an
adult depending on his/her physique or posture.
*4: Never install a rear-facing child restraint system on the front passen- ger seat. A forward-facing child restraint system should only be
installed on the front passenger seat when it is unavoidable.
(→ P. 1 0 8 )
*5: In case the indicator is not illuminated, consult this manual as for installing the child restraint system properly. ( →P. 112)
Indicator/
warning light AIR BAG ON and AIR BAG OFF
indicator lights AIR BAG OFF
SRS warning light On
Front passenger’s seat belt reminder light Off
Devices Front passenger airbag
Deactivated
Side airbag on the front passenger seat
Curtain shield airbag
in the front passenger side Activated
Front passenger’s seat belt pretensioner

107
1-8. Safety information
1
Before driving
RX400h_U
CAUTION
■Front passenger occupant classification system precautions
●If an adult sits in the front passenger seat, the AIR BAG ON indicator light is illu-
minated. If the AIR BAG OFF indicator is illuminated, ask the passenger to sit up
straight, well back in the seat, feet on the floor, and with the seat belt worn cor-
rectly. If the AIR BAG OFF indicator still remain illuminated, either ask the pas-
senger to move to the rear seat, or if that is not possible, move the front passenger
seat fully rearward.
●When it is unavoidable to install the forward-facing child restraint system on the
front passenger seat, install the child restraint system on the front passenger seat
in the proper order. (→P. 1 1 2 )
●Do not modify or remove the seat.
●Do not kick the front passenger seat or subject it to severe impact. Otherwise,
the SRS warning light may come on to indicate a malfunction of the detection sys-
tem. In this case, contact your Lexus dealer immediately.
●Child restraint systems installed on the rear seat should not contact the front
seatbacks.