fuel LEXUS RX450h 2016 Owner's Manual

202
RX450h_U_OM0E013U 4-1. Before driving
Driving the vehicle..................... 204
Cargo and luggage.....................212
Vehicle load limits ........................216
Trailer towing (vehicles with
towing package)........................217
Trailer towing (vehicles
without towing
package).....................................230
Dinghy towing .............................. 231
4-2. Driving procedures
Power (ignition) switch ............ 232
EV drive mode ............................ 237
Hybrid transmission .................. 239
Turn signal lever .......................... 244
Parking brake............................... 245
Brake Hold.................................... 249
4-3. Operating the lights and
wipers
Headlight switch.......................... 251
Automatic High Beam ............. 255
Fog light switch ........................... 259
Windshield wipers and
washer ......................................... 260
Rear window wiper and
washer ......................................... 265
4-4. Refueling
Opening the fuel tank
cap..................................................2674 Driving

2054-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. (  P. 2 3 9 )
Pull the parking brake switch and parking brake is set manually. (  P. 2 4 6 )
Release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelerator pedal to acceler-
ate the vehicle.
Press the parking brake switch and parking brake is released manually.
(  P. 2 4 6 ) ■
When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist co ntrol will activate. (  P. 3 8 1 )■
For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles are similar to conventional vehicles, and it is necessary
to refrain from activities such as sudden acceleration. (  P. 3 8 7 )■
Driving in the rain ●
Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged-up, and th e road will be slippery.●
Drive carefully when it starts to rain, becau se the road surface will be especially slip-
pery. ●
Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because there may
be a layer of water between the tires and the road surface, preventing the steering and
brakes from operating properly. ■
Restraining the hybrid system output (Brake Override System) ●
When the accelerator and brake pedals are de pressed at the same time, the hybrid sys-
tem output may be restrained. ●
A warning message is displayed on the multi-information display while the system is
operating. If a warning message is shown on the multi-information display, read the
message and follow the instructions.■
Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control) ●
When the following unusual op eration is performed, the hybrid system output may be
restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to R (D
includes S) with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warning message appears on
the multi-information display. If a warnin g message is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display, read the message and follow the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is depresse d too while the vehicle is in reverse.●
While Drive-Start Control is being activate d, your vehicle may have trouble escaping
from the mud or fresh snow. In such case, deactivate TRAC (  P. 383) to cancel Drive-
Start Control so that the vehicle may become able to escape from the mud or fresh
snow.Starting off on a uphill 1
2
3
4

206 4-1. Before driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U ■
Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the ve hicle, observing the followin g precautions is recommended:●
For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops. ●
For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer. ●
For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods. ■
Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehi cle registration laws and confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel. (  P. 5 9 1 )■
Eco-friendly driving
 P. 1 2 1
WA R N I N G
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury. ■
When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the “READY” indicator is
illuminated. This prevents the vehicle from creeping. ■
When driving the vehicle ●
Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator ped-
als to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing th e accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to difficulty in operat-
ing 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 th e brake and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your righ t foot. Depressing the brake pedal using
your left foot may delay response in an emergency, resulting in an accident. ●
The driver should pay extra attention to pedestrians when the vehicle is powered only
by the electric motor (traction motor). As there is no engine noise, the pedestrians
may misjudge the vehicle’s movement. ●
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.

2174-1. Before driving
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U Contact your Lexus dealer for further in formation about additional requirements
such as a towing kit, etc.Trailer towing (vehicles with towing package) Your vehicle is designed primarily as a passenger-and-load-carrying vehicle.
Towing a trailer can have an adverse impact on handling, performance, brak-
ing, durability, and fuel consumption. Fo r your safety and the safety of others,
you must not overload your vehicle or trailer. You must also ensure that you
are using appropriate towing equipment, that the towing equipment has been
installed correctly and used properly, and that you employ the requisite driv-
ing habits.
Vehicle-trailer stability and braking pe rformance are affected by trailer sta-
bility, brake performance and setting, tr ailer brakes, the hitch and hitch sys-
tems (if equipped).
To tow a trailer safely, use extreme ca re and drive the vehicle in accordance
with your trailer’s characteristics and operating conditions.
Lexus warranties do not apply to damage or malfunction caused by towing a
trailer for commer cial purposes.

238 4-2. Driving procedures
RX450h_U_OM0E013U ■
Switching to EV drive mode when the gasoline engine is cold
If the hybrid system is starte d 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 en gine starts to switch to EV drive mode.■
Automatic cancelation of EV drive mode
When driving in EV drive mode, the gasoline engine may automatically restart in the fol-
lowing situations. When EV drive mode is canceled, a buzzer will sound, the EV drive
mode indicator will go off after flashing, an d a message is displaye d on the multi-informa-
tion display. ●
The hybrid battery (traction battery) becomes low.
The remaining battery level indicated in the “Energy Monitor” display is low. (  P. 1 2 5 )●
Vehicle speed is high. ●
The accelerator pedal is depressed firm ly or the vehicle is on a hill, etc.■
Possible driving distance when driving in EV drive mode
EV drive mode’s possible driving distance ra nges from a few hundred meters to approxi-
mately 0.6 mile (1 km). However, dependin g on vehicle conditions, there are situations
when EV drive mode cannot be used. (The distance that is possible depends on the
hybrid battery [traction battery] level and driving conditions.)■
Fuel economy
The hybrid system is designed to achieve the best possible fuel economy during normal
driving (using the gasoline engine and electric motor [traction motor]). Driving in EV
drive mode more than necessary may lower fuel economy.
WA R N I N G ■
Caution while driving
When driving in EV drive mode no engine noise is made. As such, pedestrians, people
riding bicycles or other people and vehicles in the surrounding area may not be aware
of the vehicle starting off or approaching them. Therefore, take extra care while driving
even if the vehicle proximity notification system is active.

2394-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U While the power switch is in ON mode, move the shift lever with the brake
pedal depressed. When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the vehicle is com-
pletely stopped.
* 1
: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise, shift the shift lever to D for normal driv-
ing.
* 2
: By selecting shift ranges using S mode, yo u can control accelerating force and engine
braking force.Hybrid transmission Shifting the shift lever
Shift position purpose Shift position Objective or function
P Parking the vehicle/starting the hybrid system
R Reversing
N Neutral
D Normal driving
* 1
S S mode driving
* 2
(  P. 2 4 1 )

2534-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U ■
Daytime running light system ●
To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers during daytime driving, the daytime
running lights turn on automatically whenever the hybrid system is started and the park-
ing brake is released with the headligh t switch in (Canada only) or posi-
tion. (Illuminate brighter than the par king lights.) Daytime running lights are not
designed for use at night.
For the U.S.A.: Daytime running lights can be turned off by operating the headlight
switch to position. ●
Compared to turning on the headlights, the daytime running light system offers greater
durability and consumes less electricity, so it can help improve fuel economy. ■
Cornering lights (if equipped)
When the cornering lights are on for more th an 30 minutes, they will turn off automati-
cally. ■
Headlight control sensor
■
Automatic light off system ●
When the headlights come on: The headlights and tail lights turn off 30 seconds after a
door is opened and closed if the power switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or
turned off. (The lights turn off immediately if on the key is pressed after all the doors
are locked.) ●
When only the tail lights come on: The tail lights turn off automatically if the power
switch is turned to ACCESSORY mode or turned off and the driver’s door is opened.
To turn the lights on again, turn the power switch to ON mode, or turn the light switch off
once and then back to or . ■
Automatic headlight leveling system (if equipped)
The level of the headlights is automatically ad justed according to the number of passen-
gers and the loading condition of the vehicle to ensure that the headlights do not inter-
fere with other road users. ■
Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer sounds when the power switch is turned off or turned to ACCESSORY mode
and the driver’s door is opened while the lights are turned on. ■
We l c o m e l i g h t i n g
If the headlight switch is turned to and the surrounding area is dark, unlocking the
doors using the smart access system with pu sh-button start or wireless remote control
will turn the parking lights and tail lights on automatically.The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything that
blocks the sensor is affixed to the windshield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detecting
the level of ambient light and may cause the
automatic headlight system to malfunction.

267
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U 4-4. Refueling
●
Close all the doors and windows, and turn the power switch off. ●
Confirm the type of fuel. ■
Fuel types
 P. 5 9 1 ■
Fuel tank opening for unleaded gasoline
To help prevent incorrect fueling, your vehicle has a fuel tank opening that only accom-
modates the special nozzle on unleaded fuel pumps.
Opening the fuel tank cap The fuel tank of your vehicle has a special structure, which requires a reduc-
tion in fuel tank pressure before refueling. After the opener switch has been
pressed, it will take several seconds until the vehicle is ready for refueling.
Before refueling the vehicle

268 4-4. Refueling
RX450h_U_OM0E013U WA R N I N G ■
When refueling the vehicle
Observe the following precautions while refu eling the vehicle. Failure to do so may
result in death or serious injury. ●
After exiting the vehicle and before openin g the fuel door, touch an unpainted metal
surface to discharge any static electricity. It is important to discharge static electricity
before refueling because sparks resulting fr om static electricity can cause fuel vapors
to ignite while refueling. ●
Always hold the grips on th e fuel tank cap and turn it slowly to remove it.
A whooshing sound may be heard when the fuel tank cap is loosened. Wait until the
sound cannot be heard before fully removing the cap. In hot weather, pressurized fuel
may spray out of the filler neck and cause injury. ●
Do not allow anyone that has not discharged static electricity from their body to come
close to an open fuel tank. ●
Do not inhale vaporized fuel.
Fuel contains substances th at are harmful if inhaled.●
Do not smoke while refueling the vehicle.
Doing so may cause the fuel to ignite and cause a fire. ●
Do not return to the vehicle or touch any person or object that is statically charged.
This may cause static electricity to build up, resulting in a possible ignition hazard.■
When refueling
Observe the following precautions to prevent fuel overflowing from the fuel tank: ●
Securely insert the fuel nozzle into the fuel filler neck. ●
Stop filling the tank after the fuel nozzle automatically clicks off.●
Do not top off the fuel tank.
NOTICE ■
Refueling ●
Finish refueling within 30 minutes. If more than 30 minutes passes, the internal valve
closes. In this condition, fuel may overflow during the refueling process. Press the fuel
filler door opener switch again. ●
Do not spill fuel during refueling.
Doing so may damage the vehicle, such as causing the emission control system to
operate abnormally or damaging fuel syst em components or the vehicle’s painted
surface.

2694-4. Refueling
4
Driving
RX450h_U_OM0E013U Press the switch to open the fuel
filler door. The fuel filler door will open within about
10 seconds of the switch being pressed.
Before refueling is possible, a message
will be shown on the multi-information
display in the instrument cluster to indi-
cate the progress of the fuel filler door
opener.
Turn the fuel tank cap slowly and
remove it, then put it into the holder
on the fuel filler door. ■
When the fuel filler door cannot be opened by pressing the inside switchOpening the fuel tank cap 1
2
●
If the fuel filler door opener switch cannot be
operated, contact your Lexus dealer to service
the vehicle. In case where refueling is urgently
necessary, the fuel filler door can be opened
using the lever in the luggage compartment. ●
Using the lever to open the fuel filler door may
not allow for an adequate reduction in fuel
tank pressure before refueling. To prevent fuel
from spilling out, turn the cap slowly when
removing it.
During refueling, fuel may spill out from the
filler opening due to air being discharged from
inside the fuel tank. Therefore, fill the fuel tank
carefully and slowly.