tires LEXUS RX450h 2018 Owner's Manual

3894-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85U◆ Delays
Repeated acceleration and deceleration, as well as long waits at traffic lights,
will lead to bad fuel economy. Check traffic reports before leaving and avoid
delays as much as possible. When drivin g in a traffic jam, gently release the
brake pedal to allow the vehicle to move forward slightly while avoiding over-
use of the accelerator pedal. Doing so can help control excessive gasoline
consumption.
◆ Highway driving
Control and maintain the vehicle at a co nstant speed. Before stopping at a toll
booth or similar, allow plenty of ti me to release the accelerator and gently
apply the brakes. A greater amount of electrical energy can be regenerated
when slowing down.
◆ Air conditioning
Use the air conditioning only when necessary. Doing so can help reduce
excessive gasoline consumption.
In summer: When the ambient temperature is high, use the recirculated air
mode. Doing so will help to reduce the burden on the air conditioning system
and reduce fuel consumption as well.
In winter: Because the gasoline engine will not automatically cut out until it
and the interior of the vehicle are warm , it will consume fuel. Also, fuel con-
sumption can be improved by av oiding overuse of the heater.
◆ Checking tire inflation pressure
Make sure to check the tire inflation pr essure frequently. Improper tire infla-
tion pressure can cause poor fuel economy.
Also, as snow tires can cause large amou nts of friction, their use on dry roads
can lead to poor fuel economy. Use ti res that are appropriate for the season.
◆ Luggage
Carrying heavy luggage will lead to poor fuel economy. Avoid carrying
unnecessary luggage. Installing a large roof rack will also cause poor fuel
economy.
◆ Warming up before driving
Since the gasoline engine starts up an d cuts out automatically when cold,
warming up the engine is unnecessary. Moreover, frequently driving short dis-
tances will cause the engine to repeated ly warm up, which can lead to excess
fuel consumption.

390 4-6. Driving tips
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85U●
Use fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside temperatures.
•Engine oil
• Engine/power cont rol unit coolant
• Washer fluid ●
Have a service technician inspect the condition of the 12-volt battery. ●
Have the vehicle fitted with four snow tires or purchase a set of tire chains for
the front tires. Ensure that all tires are of the specified size and the same brand, and that chains
match the size of the tires.
Perform the following according to the driving conditions: ●
Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is frozen. Pour
warm water over the frozen area to me lt the ice. Wipe away the water imme-
diately to prevent it from freezing. ●
To ensure proper operation of the c limate control system fan, remove any
snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents in front of the windshield. ●
Check for and remove any excess ice or snow that may have accumulated on
the exterior lights, vehicle’s roof, chassi s, around the tires or on the brakes.●
Remove any snow or mud from the bottom of your shoes before getting in the
vehicle.Winter driving tips Carry out the necessary preparations an d inspections before driving the vehi-
cle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropriate to the prevail-
ing weather conditions.
Pre-winter preparations
Before driving the vehicle

392 4-6. Driving tips
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UTo enable the windshield wi pers to be lifted when he avy snow or icy conditions
are expected, change the rest position of the windshield wipers from the
retracted position below the hood to th e service position using the wiper lever.
( →
P. 270) ■
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 tire chains on front tires as tightly as possible. Retighten chains after driving
1/4 - 1/2 mile (0.5 - 1.0 km). ●
Install tire chains following the instru ctions provided with the tire chains. Windshield wipers
WARNING ■
Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehi cle control and cause death or serious injury.●
Use tires of the specified size. ●
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 dr iven 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 steering, sudden braking and shifting operations
that cause sudden engine braking. ●
Slow down sufficiently before entering a cu rve to ensure that vehicle control is main-
tained. ●
Do not use the LKA (Lane-Keeping Assist) system.

3934-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UNOTICE ■
Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow ti res from Lexus dealers or legitimate tire
retailers.
This is because the removal an d attachment of snow tires affects the operation of the
tire pressure warning va lves and transmitters.■
Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valv es and transmitters may not function correctly when tire
chains are fitted.

3954-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UYour vehicle is not designed to be driv en off-road. However, in the event that
off-road driving cannot be avoided, please observe the following precautions to
help avoid the areas prohibited to vehicles. ●
Drive your vehicle only in areas wher e off-road vehicles are permitted to
travel. ●
Respect private property. Get owner’s permission before entering private
property. ●
Do not enter areas that are closed. Honor gates, barriers and signs that
restrict travel. ●
Stay on established road s. When conditions are wet, driving techniques
should be changed or travel dela yed to prevent damage to roads.●
Avoid driving on very steep, slippery ro ads and other surfaces, such as sand,
where the tires are liable to lose tractio n. Your vehicle may not perform as well
as conventional AWD on-road vehicles on these surfaces. ■
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 Bu reau of Land ManagementOff-road driving

579
7Maintenance and care
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85U7-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior................ 580
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle interior ................. 584
7-2. Maintenance
Maintenance
requirements.............................587
General maintenance ............. 589
Emission inspection and
maintenance (I/M)
programs ....................................592 7-3. Do-it-yourself
maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions................................593
Hood ...............................................595
Positioning a floor jack ............ 596
Engine compartment ............... 597
12-volt battery .............................605
Tires .................................................... 611
Tire inflation pressure............... 620
Wheels ........................................... 623
Air conditioning filter ............... 625
Windshield wiper inserts ........ 628
Electronic key battery ..............630
Checking and replacing
fuses .............................................. 632
Headlight aim .............................. 635
Light bulbs..................................... 637

5917-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UVehicle exterior Items Check points
Doors • Do the doors operate smoothly?
Engine hood • Does the engine hood lock system work properly?
Fluid leaks • There should not be any si gns of fluid leakage after
the vehicle has been parked.
Tires • Is the tire inflation pressure correct?
• The tires should not be damaged or excessively
worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the mainte-
nance schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wipers/
rear window wiper •The wiper blades should no t show any signs of crack-
ing, splitting, wear, contamination or deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield/rear
window without streaking or skipping.
WARNING ■
If the hybrid system is operating
Turn the hybrid system off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.

6117-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UCheck if the treadwear indicators are showing on the tires. Also check the tires
for uneven wear, such as excessive wear on one side of the tread.
Check the spare tire condition and pressure if not rotated.
New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicator The location of treadwear indica tors is shown by a “TWI” or “ Δ ” mark, etc., molded
into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
Rotate the tires in the order shown. To equalize tire wear and extend tire life,
Lexus recommends that tire rotation is
carried out at the same interval as tire
inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.Tires Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and tread-
wear.
Checking tires
Tire rotation 1
2
3
Front

612 7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85UYour vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses tire pres-
sure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire inflation pressure before
serious problems arise.
◆ Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pr essure warning valv es and transmitters
must also be installed.
When new tire pressure wa rning valves and transmitters are installed, new ID
codes must be registered in the tire pressure warning computer and the tire
pressure warning system must be initia lized. Have tire pressure warning valve
and transmitter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. ( → P. 613)
◆ Initializing the tire pressure warning system ■
The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following circum-
stances: ●
When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when changing travel-
ing speed. ●
When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when the tire size is
changed. ●
When rotating the tires
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.Tire pressure warning system ●
The tire pressure detected by the tire
pressure warning system can be dis-
played on the multi-information display. The illustration used is intended as an exam-
ple, and may differ from the image that is
actually displayed on the multi-information
display.●
If the tire pressure drops below a prede-
termined level, the driver is warned by a
screen display and a warning light.
( → P. 662) The illustration used is intended as an exam-
ple, and may differ from the image that is
actually displayed on the multi-information
display.

614 7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX450h_RX450hL _U_OM48F85U■
When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if: ●
The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire. ●
You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enou gh to expose the fabric, and
bulges indicating internal damage. ●
A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size or location of
a cut or other damage.
If you are not sure, consult with your Lexus dealer. ■
Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not registered, the tire
pressure warning system will not work proper ly. After driving for about 20 minutes, the
tire pressure warning light blinks for 1 minu te and stays on to indicate a system malfunc-
tion. ■
Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if it has seldom
or never been used or damage is not obvious.■
Proper storage of the spare tire (RX450hL)
As an improperly stored spare tire may cause damage to the wire cable that holds it,
check that the spare tire is stored properly on a daily basis.
If the spare tire is slanted, the hoist assemb ly may be stuck in the wheel opening. If the
spare tire rattles while driving, it may not be fully raised. Lower the spare tire to the
ground and make sure that the hoist assemb ly is perpendicular to the wheel opening.
Raise the tire slowly and steadily until a click is heard and the jack handle skips.
If the spare tire cannot be lowered, the wire cable may be severed. Have the vehicle
inspected at your Lexus dealer. ■
Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The tire pressure warning syst em does not replace routine tire inflation pressure checks.
Make sure to check tire inflat ion pressure as part of your routine of daily vehicle checks.●
If the stored spare tire appears to be slanted or
rattles while driving, the spare tire may not be
properly stored. Store the spare tire again by
performing the following tire change proce-
dure correctly: 1
2