2006 Lexus IS250 maintenance

272
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Checking battery condition
Check the battery condition using the indicator color.
Blue: Good condition
White: Charging is necessary.
Have the vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer.
Red: Not working properly,
have the battery checked by
your Lexus dealer.
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. Therefore, before recharging:
●If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to disconnect the
ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on the charger is off when connecting and discon-
necting the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging the battery
The engine may not start. Follow the procedure below to initialize the system.
1. Shift the shift lever to P (automatic) or depress the brake pedal with the shift lever in N (manual).
2. Open and close any of the doors.
3. Restart the engine.

273
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■Chemicals in the battery:
A battery contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce hydro-
gen gas which is flammable and explosive. To reduce the risk of death or serious
injury, take the following precautions while working on or near battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touching the battery terminals with tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses when working near the battery.
●Keep children away from the battery.
■Where to safety charge the battery
Always charge the battery in an open area. Do not charge the battery in a garage or
closed room where there is not sufficient ventilation.
■How to recharge the battery
Only perform a slow charge (5 A or less). The battery may explode if charged at a
quicker rate.
■Emergency measures regarding electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get immediate medi-
cal attention. If possible, continue to apply water with a sponge or cloth while
traveling to the nearest medical facility.
●If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thoroughly. If you feel pain or burning, get medical atten-
tion immediately.
●If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can seak through clothing on to your skin. Immediately take off the clothing and
follow the procedure above if necessary.
●If you accidentally swallow electrolyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk. Fo llow with milk of magnesia, beaten raw
egg or vegetable oil. Get emergency medical attention immediately.

274
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Washer fluidIf any washer does not work or the
warning message appears on the
multi-information display, the
washer tank may be empty. Add
washer fluid.
NOTICE
■When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the engine is running. Also, be sure all accesso-
ries are turned off.
NOTICE
■Do not use any fluid other than washer fluid
Do not use soapy water or engine antifreeze instead of washer fluid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the vehicle’s painted surfaces.
■Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as necessary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed on the washer fluid tank.

275
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and
tread wear.
■Checking tires
New tread
Tread wear indicator
Worn tread
The location of tread wear indi-
cators is shown by the TWI or 
marks, etc., molded on the side-
wall of each tire.
Check spare tire condition and
pressure if not rotated.
■ Tire rotation
2WD models with 16-inch tires and AWD models
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
Lexus recommends tire rotation
in accordance with the mainte-
nance schedule to equalize tire
wear and extend tire life.
Do not fail to initialize the tire
inflation warning system after
tire rotation.
2WD models with 17-inch tires or 18-inch tires
Tires cannot be rotated.
Front

276
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Turning directional tiresTire direction marks
The tires listed below are direc-
tional. The tire sidewalls are
marked with arrows indicating the
rolling direction of the tire. If
mounted on the wrong side of the
vehicle, directional tires will per-
form poorly.
Installing tire inflation pressure sensors
When replacing tires or wheels, new tire pressure sensors must also be
installed. Tire pressure sensors ca n be installed in any of the following
three ways:
● Sensors can be removed from the ol d wheels and installed on the new
wheels.
■ The tire pressure warning system
Your Lexus is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure sensors to detect low tire pressure before serious
problems arise. ( P. 331, 335)
Before removing the tire from th e wheel, remove the system’s tire
inflation pressure sensor. Be carefu l not to damage the sensor when
removing and installing the tires.
Ti r e s i z e
FrontRear
225/45R17 90W245/45R17 95W
225/40R18 88Y255/40R18 95Y

277
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
●When replacing only the tire, the sensor already installed on the wheel
does not need to be replaced.
● Replacing both a wheel and its sensor.
When new tire pressure sensors are installed, new sensor ID codes must be
registered in the ECU and tire inflatio n pressure sensor must be initialized.
( P. 277, 278)
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■ The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
●When the standard tire pressure changes by replacing tires or
wheels
● When tires are rotated.
● When tire pressure sensors are replaced.
● When driving with the tires inflated to a higher than standard tire
pressure.
When the tire pressure warning sy stem is initialized, the current tire
pressure is set as the pressure benchmark.
■ How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
To initialize the system, use the satellite switch. ( P. 214)
Park the vehicle in safe place and turn off the engine.
Adjust the tire pressure to the specified pressure ( P. 3 7 8 )
Turn the engine switch to IG-ON mode.
Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified level. The tire infla-
tion pressure warning system will operate based on this pressure level.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

278
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
The tire pressure initialization
setting display
Continue to press the  or 
switch until the initialization setting
display appears.
It may take several minutes to com-
plete the setting. Wait for several
minutes before turning the engine
switch OFF if necessary.
Recording tire pressure settings
Press the ON/OFF button for
more than 3 seconds. At this time,
the tire inflation pressure warning
indicator flashes 3 times and the
message showing that the initial
setting is complete is displayed on
the multi-information display.
Registering and selecting tire inflation pressure sensor ID codesThe tire inflation pressure sensor is equipped with a unique ID code.
To select tire inflation pressure sensor ID codes, use the satellite switch.
( P. 214)
■ Registering ID codes
Two separate sets of ID codes can be registered for each vehicle. This
allows 2 separate sets of settings to be conveniently recorded for all
season and winter tires.
MAIN: The MAIN ID code is used fo r the factory installed tire pres-
sure sensors.
2nd: The 2nd ID code is used for tire inflation pressure sensors associ-
ated with a secondary set of tires.
Make sure to have all tire inflation pressure warning system ID codes regis-
tered by your Lexus dealer. ID codes must be reset when tires or wheels are
replaced.
STEP4

279
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
■Selecting ID codes
When replacing tires, make sure to select the ID code set that matches
the new tire set. If the incorrect ID code is selected, the tire pressure
warning system will not operate properly.
Tire pressure ID code settings
display
Press  or  repeatedly until the
setting display appears.
Switching ID codes
Press the ON/OFF button to
switch between MAIN and 2nd ID
codes.
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to expose the
fabric or 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.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if they
have seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■If the tread wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm) on snow tires
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost.
■Low profile tires (vehicles not equipped with 205/55R16 tires)
Generally, low profile tires will wear more rapidly and tire grip performance will be
reduced on snowy and/or icy roads when co mpared to standard tires. Be sure to
use snow tires or tire chains
* on snowy and/or icy roads and drive carefully at a
speed appropriate for road and weather conditions.
*: Tire chains cannot be mounted on 18-inch tires.