wheel LEXUS RX450h 2015 Workshop Manual

2752-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving CAUTION■
When the VSC is activated
The slip indicator light flashes. Always drive carefully. Reckless driving may cause
an accident, resulting in death or serious injury. Exercise particular care when the
indicator light flashes.■
When the TRAC/VSC systems are turned off
Be especially careful and drive at a speed appropriate to the road conditions. As
these are the systems to help ensure vehicle stability and driving force, do not turn
the TRAC/VSC systems off unless necessary.■
Replacing tires
Make sure that all tires are of the same size, brand, tread pattern and total load
capacity. In addition, make sure that the tires are inflated to the recommended tire
inflation pressure level.
The ABS and VSC systems will not function correctly if different tires are installed
on the vehicle.
Contact your Lexus dealer for further info rmation when replacing tires or wheels.■
Handling of tires and suspension
Using tires with any kind of problem or modifying the suspension will affect the driv-
ing assist systems, and may cause a system malfunction.

2942-5. Driving information
■
Additional information for off-road driving
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining to driving your vehicle off-road, consult
the following organizations. ●
State and Local Parks and Recreation Departments●
State Motor Vehicle Bureau●
Recreational Vehicle Clubs●
U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
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.

2952-5. Driving information
2
When driving NOTICE■
To prevent water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the hybrid bat-
tery, hybrid system or other components does not occur. ●
Water entering the engine compartment may cause severe damage to the hybrid
system. Water entering the interior may cause the hybrid battery stowed under
the rear seats to short circuit.●
Water entering the hybrid transmission will cause deterioration in transmission
quality. The malfunction indicator may come on, and the vehicle may not be driv-
able.●
Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and premature
failure, and may also enter the hybrid transmission case, reducing the gear oil’s
lubricating qualities.■
When you drive through water
If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first check the
depth of the water and the bottom of the riverbed for firmness. Drive slowly and
avoid deep water.■
Inspection after off-road driving ●
Sand and mud that has accumulated around brake discs may affect braking effi-
ciency and may damage brake system components.●
Always perform a maintenance inspection after each day of off-road driving that
has taken you through rough terrain, sand, mud, or water. For scheduled mainte-
nance information, refer to the “Warra nty and Services Guide/Owner’s Manual
Supplement/Schedul ed Maintenance”.

3032-5. Driving information
2
When driving
Selecting tire chains
Use the correct tire chain size when mounting the tire chains. Chain size
is regulated for each tire size.
Side chain:
0.12 in. (3 mm) in diameter
0.98 in. (25 mm) in length
0.43 in. (10.8 mm) in width
Cross chain:
0.15 in. (3.9 mm) in diameter
1.00 in. (25.3 mm) in length
0.54 in. (13.8 mm) in width
Regulations on the use of tire chains
Regulations regarding the use of tire chains vary depending on location
and type of road. Always check local regulations before installing chains. ■ When driving the vehicle
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced speed suitable to road
conditions.
■ When parking the vehicle
Park the vehicle and move the shif t lever to P without setting the
parking brake. The parking brake may freeze up, preventing it from
being released. If necessary, bl ock the wheels to prevent inadvert-
ent sliding or creeping.

3042-5. Driving information
■
Tire chain installation
Observe the following precautions when installing and removing chains: ●
Install and remove tire chains in a safe location. ●
Install tire chains on the front tires only. Do not install tire chains on the rear tires.●
Install the tire chains on front tires as tightly as possible. Re tighten chains after
driving 1 /4  1/2 mile (0.5  1.0 km).●
Install tire chains following the instructions provided with the tire chains.
CAUTION■
Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or serious
injury. ●
Use tires of the size specified for your vehicle.●
Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.●
Do not drive in excess of 75 mph (120 km/h ), regardless of the type of snow tires
being used.●
Use snow tires on all, not just some wheels.■
Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle being unable to be driven safely, and may
cause death or serious injury. ●
Do not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tire chains being used,
or 30 mph (50 km/h), whichever is lower.
●
Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.
●
Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt stee ring, sudden braking and shifting opera-
tions that cause sudden engine braking.
●
Slow down sufficiently before entering a curve to ensure that vehicle control is
maintained.

3102-5. Driving information
GCWR, TWR, Unbraked TWR, Fifth wheel and Gooseneck towing TWR
Confirm that the gross trailer weight , gross combination weight, gross
vehicle weight, gross axle weight and tongue weight are all within the lim-
its.
■ GCWR
* and TWR
*
■ Unbraked TWR
*1000 lb. (453 kg)
* : These models meet the tow-vehicle trailering requirement of SAE Interna-
tional per SAE J2807. To w i n g t y p e Driving system GCWR TWR
With towing package AW D 9480 lb.
(4297 kg) 3500 lb.
(1588 kg)

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.

3172-5. Driving information
2
When driving ● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before making a
turn.
● Note that when making a turn, the tr ailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of th e turn. Compensate by making a
wider than normal turning radius.
● Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery sur-
faces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
● Take care when passing other vehi cles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of your
trailer, and be sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
● To maintain engine braking efficiency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking, do not put the transmission in D.
● Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or long
downhill grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long downhill
grades.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the brakes
too frequently. This could cause th e brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
● Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over 85°F [30°C]) when driving up a
long or steep grade. If the eng ine coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off th e air conditioning (if in use), pull
your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot. (  P. 7 8 8 )

3182-5. Driving information
● Always place wheel bloc ks under both the vehi cle’s and the trailer’s
wheels when parking. Apply the pa rking brake firmly, and put the
transmission in P. Avoid parking on a slope, but if unavoidable, do so
only after performing the following:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and
trailer’s wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in pl ace, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into P and turn off the hybrid system.
● When restarting after parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the hybrid system. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal depressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
Release the parking brake and br ake pedal, and slowly pull or
back away from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4

3202-5. Driving information
■
Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components (such as
an engine, transmission, differential 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 tow-
ing. 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 require more frequent maintenance due to
the additional load. (See “Warranty and Services Guide”, “Owner's Manual
Supplement” or “Scheduled Maintenance”.)●
Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball 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 peda l immediately 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. ●
After the trailer swaying 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 ov erloaded 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
vehicle-trailer increases as speed increases.