2006 LEXUS LS430 tires

285
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
■Tire inflation pressure check interval
You should check the tire inflation pressur
e every two weeks, or at least once a
month. 
Do not forget the spare. The inflation pressure for the spare tire should be the same
as
that for the standard tire. ( P.364 )
■Effects of incorrect tire inflation pressure
Driving with incorrect tire inflation pressure may result in the following:
•Wasting fuel
• Reducing driving comfort and tire life
• Making your vehicle less safe to drive
If a tire needs frequent refilling, have it checked by your Lexus dealer.
■Instructions for checking tire inflation pressure
When checking tire inflation pressure, observing the following;
• Check only when the tires are cold. 
If your vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours and has not been driven for
mor
e than 1 mile or 1.5 km since, you will get an accurate cold tire inflation pres -
sure reading.
• Always use a tire pressure gauge. 
The appearance of the tire can be misleadi n
g. In addition, tire inflation pressures
that are even just a few pounds off can degrade ride and handling.
• Do not bleed or reduce tire inflation pressure after driving. 
It is normal for the tire inflation pressure to be higher after driving.
• Never exceed the vehicle weight capacity. 
Passengers and luggage weight should be pla
ced so that the vehicle is bal-
anced.

286
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
CAUTION
■When inspecting and adjusting tire pressure
Be sure to reinstall the tire valve caps. 
Without the valve caps, dirt or moisture c
ould get into the valve and cause air leak-
age, which could result in an accident. If the caps ha
ve been lost, have new ones put
on as soon as possible.
■Check tire pressure regularly
The tire pressure warning system will warn you when one or more of your tires are
si
gnificantly under-inflated. However, ther e are combinations which the system will
not detect (both tires on the same side or same axle). Thus it is important to check
the tire pressure of all tires regularly.
■Proper inflation is critical to safe tire performance
Keep your tires properly inflated. Otherwise, the following conditions may occur
and r

esult in an accident causi ng in death or serious injury.
•Excessive wear
• Uneven wear
• Poor handling
• Possibility of blowouts from an overheated tire
• Poor sealing of the tire bead
• Wheel deformation and/or tire separation
• A greater possibility of tire damage from road hazards

287
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Wheels
If your wheel is bent, cracked or heavily corroded, the wheel should be
replaced.

Otherwise, the tire may separate from t
he wheel or cause loss of handling
control.
■ Wheel selection
When replacing wheels, care should be tak
en to ensure that they are
equivalent to those removed in lo ad capacity, diameter, rim width,
and offset.
Replacement wheels are available at your Lexus dealer.
Lexus does not recommend using:
• A wheel of a different size or type;
• Used wheels; or
• Bent wheels that have been straightened.
■ Aluminum wheel precautions
●Use only Lexus wheel nuts and a wrench designed for your alumi-
num wheels if you have rotated, repaired or changed your tires.
●Check that the wheel nuts are st ill tight after driving 1000 miles
(1600 km).
●Be careful not to damage the aluminum wheels when using tire
chains.
●Use only Lexus balance weights or equivalent and a plastic or rub-
ber hammer when balancing your wheels.

324
5-1. Essential information
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably needs
adjustment or repair. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
■Visible symptoms
Look for any of the following symptoms.
• Fluid leaks under the vehicle
Water dripping from the air conditioning after use is normal
• Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
• Engine coolant temperature gauge needle continually points higher
than normal
■ A
udible symptoms
Listen for any of the following symptoms.
• Change in exhaust sound
• Excessive tire squeal when cornering
• Strange noises related to suspension system
• Pinging or other noises related to engine
■ P
roblems with operation
Check for any of the following symptoms.
• Engine missing, stumbling or running rough
• Appreciable loss of power
• Vehicle pulls to heavily one side when braking
• Vehicle pulls to heavily one sid e when driving on a le
vel road
• Loss of brake effectiveness, sp ongy feeling, pedal almost touches
floor

342
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■Resetting the tire pressure warning data
After adjusting the tire inflation pressur
e, be sure to initialize the data. (P. 2 7 9 )
If the message remains on, the system may have malfunctioned. Have the vehicle
inspected b
y your Lexus dealer as soon as possible
■The tire pressure warning system may not function properly in the following con -
ditions
●Tires other than the sp ecified sizes are used, or if tires of different sizes or tread
pattern are mixed, or the degree of tread wear is very different among the
installed tires.
●A compact spare tire, snow tires, or tire chains are used.
●The tire inflation pressure is excessively higher than specified, or tire inflation
pressure suddenly drops due to buresting or other causes.
●Driving on slippery road surfaces such as rough or frozen roads.
●Driving under 19 mph (30 km/h) or above 62 mph (100 km/h), or less than 5
minutes drive.
●Initialization was not performed correctly after replacing or rotating tires or
wheels.
●The outside temperature is below 32 °F (0 °C) or above 104 °F(40 °C).
CAUTION
■When the low tire pressure warning message appears
Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If th
e vehicle’s tires have deteriorated, you
could lose control of the vehicle, resulting in death or serious injury.

348
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Replacing a flat tire
Chock the tires.
Slightly loosen the wheel nuts (one
turn).
Wheel
chocks
Flat tireWheel chock positions
Front tire
Left-
hand
sideBehind the rear
right-hand side
tire
Right-
hand
sideBehind the rear
left-hand side tire
Rear tire
Left-
hand
sideIn front of the
front right-hand
side tire
Right-
hand
sideIn front of the
front left-hand
side tire
Wheel nut 
wrench

352
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
CAUTION
■Using the tire jack
Improper use of the tire jack may lead to death or injuries due to the vehicle sud-
denly falling off the jack. 
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents.
• Do not use the tire jack for any purpose other than replacing tires or installing and
removing tire chains.
• Only use the tire jack that comes with this vehicle for replacing a flat tire. 
Do not use this tire jack on other vehicl
es, and do not use other tire jacks for
replacing tires on this vehicle.
• Always check that the tire jack is securely set to the jack point.
• Do not raise the vehicle while someone is in it.
• When raising the vehicle, do not put an object on or under the jack.
• Do not raise the vehicle to a height greate r than
that required to replace the tire.
• Do not put any part of your body under the vehicle supported by a jack.
• Do not start or run the engine while your vehicle is supported by the jack.
• Use a jack stand if it is necessary to get under the vehicle.
• Take particular care when lowering the vehicle to ensure that no one working on or
near the vehicle may be injured.
■Replacing a flat tire
Observe the following precautions to reduce
the risk of death or serious injury.
• Never use oil or grease on the wheel bolts or wheel nuts. 
The oil or grease can cause the wheel nuts to loosen, causing a serious accident.
R
emove any oil or grease on the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
• Have the wheel nuts tightene d with a tor
que wrench to 76 f t•lbf (105 N•m, 10.5
kgf
•m) as soon as possible after changing wheels. 
Failure to follow these pre-cautions could cause, the wheel nuts to loosen and the
w
heels may fall off, which could lead to an accident causing death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■Do not drive the vehicle with a flat tire.
Do not continue driving with a flat tire. 
Driving even a short distance can damage a tire and wheel beyond repair.

5
When trouble arises
361
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If the vehicle becomes stuck
CAUTION
■When removing the stuck vehicle
If you choose to rock the vehicle back and forth to free it, make sure the surround-
ing area is clear, to avoid striking other vehicles, objects or persons. The vehicle
may
also lunge forward or lunge back suddenly as it becomes free, use extreme
caution.
NOTICE
■To avoid damaging the transmission and other components
●Do not operate the selector lever while depressing the accelerator pedal.
●Avoid spinning the wheels and do not rev the engine.
●If the vehicle remains stuck after trying these procedures the vehicle may require
towing to be freed.
Carry out the following procedures if the tires spin or the vehicle becomes
stuck in mud, dirt, or snow to the extent that it cannot move.
• Stop the engine. Set the parking brake and put the transmission
selector lever in “P”.
• Remove the mud, snow, or sand from around the stuck tire.
• Place wood, stones or some other ma terial to help pr
ovide traction
under the tires.
• Restart the engine.
• Turn off the traction control system. ( P.141)
• Carefully apply the accelerator to free the vehicle.