engine LEXUS RX450h 2015 User Guide

1682-1. Driving procedures
■
Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake sys-
tem needs bedding-down of the brake shoe s periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer perform the bed-
ding down operation.■
Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. (  P. 800)■
For efficient use ●
Shift the shift lever to D when driving.
In the N position, the gasoline engine op erates but electricity cannot be gener-
ated. The hybrid battery (traction battery) will discharge, requiring unnecessary
engine power to recharge.●
Drive your vehicle smoothly.
Avoid abrupt acceleration and deceleration. Gradual acceleration and decel-
eration will make more effective use of the electric motor (t raction motor) with-
out having to use gasoline engine power.●
Avoid repeated acceleration.
Repeated acceleration consumes hybrid battery (traction battery) power,
resulting in poor acceleration. Battery power can be restored by driving with
the accelerator pedal slightly released.●
Shift the shift lever to P when parking.
In the N position, the hybrid battery (traction battery) does not recharge.
Leaving the shift lever in the N position for an extended period of time may dis-
charge the hybrid battery. The vehicle cannot run if the hybrid battery is dis-
charged.■
Eco-friendly driving
 P. 1 9 9
CAUTION
■
When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pe dal while stopped with the hybrid system
operating. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.

1692-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving 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 accelerato r pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may le ad to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your bo dy 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.●
When the hybrid vehicle is driven using the electric motor only, no engine noise is
made. As such, pedestrians, people riding bicycles or other people and vehicles
in the surrounding area may not realize that the vehicle is approaching. Even with
the Vehicle Proximity Notification System active, people may not realize the vehi-
cle is approaching when the surrounding area is noisy and so forth. Therefore,
take extra care while driving.●
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 result in an acci dent 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 your Lexus dealer 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.

1702-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION●
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.●
Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the hybrid
system. Engine braking is not availabl e with the hybrid system disengaged.●
During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid sys-
tem off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, however,
power assist to the steering will be lost. This will make it more difficult to steer
smoothly, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the vehicle
in the normal way:  P. 7 9 5●
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 6 )●
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.●
Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do
not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability
tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and
possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on
your vehicle are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.

1712-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving CAUTION■
When driving on slippery road surfaces ●
Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehi cle, 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 pudd le, lightly depress the brak e pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from
functioning properly. If the brakes on on ly one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be af fected, 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 no ise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have your Lexus dealer check and replac e the brake pads as soon as possible.
Rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
those of the brake discs are exceeded.

1722-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION■
When the vehicle is stopped ●
Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly
and unexpectedly, causing an accident.●
Do not leave the vehicle with the hybrid system on for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and
check that exhaust fumes do no t enter the vehicle interior.●
In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the “READY” indicator is on. Apply the parking
brake as necessary.●
If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely
apply the parking brake as needed.●
Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause the
exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible material is
nearby.

1762-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE■
When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle: ●
Engine stalling●
Short in electrical components●
Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to
have your Lexus dealer check the following:●
Brake function●
Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, hybrid trans-
mission, etc., and, for AWD models, the rear electric motor (traction motor).●
Lubricant condition for the bearings, susp ension joints (where possible) and the
function of all joints, bearings, etc.

1772-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving Power (ignition) switch Performing the following operations when carrying the electronic key on
your person starts the hybrid system or changes “POWER” switch modes.
■ Starting the hybrid system
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal. The “POWER” switch indicator will turn green. If the indicator does
not turn green, the hybrid system cannot be started.
Press the “POWER” switch. After a while, the “READY” indi-
cator comes on with a beep
sound.
The vehicle can move when the
“READY” indicator is on even if
the engine is stopped.
Continue depressing the brake
pedal until the hybrid system is
completely started.
The hybrid system can be
started from any “POWER”
switch mode.
Check that the “READY” indicator is on.
The vehicle will not move when the “READY” indicator is off.STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5

1832-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving EV drive mode
■
Switching to EV drive mode when the gasoline engine is cold
If the hybrid system is started while the gasoline engine is cold, the gasoline engine
will start automatically after a short period of time in order to warm up. In this case,
you will become unable to switch to EV drive mode.
After the hybrid system has started and the “READY” indicator has illuminated,
press the EV drive mode switch before the gasoline engine starts to switch to EV
drive mode.In EV drive mode, the electric motor (traction motor), powered by the
hybrid battery (traction battery) , is used to drive the vehicle.
This mode allows you to drive in residential areas early in the morning and
late at night, or in indoor parking lo ts etc. without concern for noises and
exhaust gas emissions.
However, when the Vehicle Proximity Notification System is active, the
vehicle may produce sound.
Turns EV drive mode on/off When EV drive mode is turned
on, the EV drive mode indicator
will come on. Pressing the
switch when in EV drive mode
will return the vehicle to normal
driving (using the gasoline
engine and electric motor [trac-
tion motor]).

1842-1. Driving procedures
■
Situations in which EV driv e mode cannot be turned on
It may not be possible to turn EV drive mode on in the following situations. If it can-
not be turned on, a buzzer will sound and a message will be shown on the multi-
information display. ●
The temperature of the hybrid system is high.
The vehicle has been left in the sun, driv en on a hill, driven at high speeds, etc.●
The temperature of the hybrid system is low.
The vehicle has been left in extremely low temperatures for a long period of
time etc.●
The gasoline engine is warming up.●
The hybrid battery (traction battery) is low.●
Vehicle speed is about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more.●
The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly or the vehicle is on a hill etc.●
The windshield defogger is in use.■
Automatic cancelation of EV drive mode
When driving in EV drive mode, the gasoline engine may automatically restart in
the following situations. When EV drive mo de is canceled, a buzzer will sound and
the EV drive mode indicator will flash and go off. ●
The hybrid battery (traction battery) becomes low.●
Vehicle speed becomes more than about 25 mph (40 km/h).
If engine coolant temperature is low, EV drive mode may be canceled when
vehicle speed is below 25 mph (40 km/h).●
The accelerator pedal is depressed firmly or the vehicle is on a hill etc.
When it is possible to inform the driver of automatic cancelation in advance, a prior
notice screen will appear on the multi-information display.■
Possible driving distance when driving in EV drive mode
In EV drive mode, it is possible to drive up about 1 /2 mile (1 km) if driving at a speed
of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or less.
(The distance that is possible depends on the hybrid battery [traction battery] level
and driving conditions.)
■
Fuel economy
RX450h is designed to achieve the best po ssible fuel economy during normal driv-
ing (using the gasoline engine and electric motor [traction motor]). Driving in EV
drive mode more than necessary may lower fuel economy.

1862-1. Driving procedures
Hybrid transmission Select a shift position appropriate for the driving conditions.
■ Shifting the shift lever
While the “POWER” switch is in ON mode, depress the brake
pedal and move the shift lever. When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the
vehicle is completely stopped.
■ Shift position purpose
* 1
: Shifting to the D position allows the sy stem to select a gear suitable for the
driving conditions. Setting the shift le ver to the D position is recommended
for normal driving.
* 2
: Selecting shift ranges using S mode controls engine braking forces. Shift position Function
P Parking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
R Reversing
N Neutral
D Normal driving
* 1
S S mode driving
* 2
(  P. 1 9 0 )