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January 28, 2010 10:42 am
4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime condi-
tion.
●Working from top to bottom, liberally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any dirt
and dust.
Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a chamois.
●For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thor-
oughly with water.
●Wipe away any water.
●Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.
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Maintenance and care
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January 28, 2010 10:42 am
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors back before washing the vehicle.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface and
harm your vehicle’s paint.
●Before entering an automatic car wash, check that the fuel filler door is closed.
■High pressure washers
Do not allow the nozzles of the washers to come within close proximity of the win-
dows and fuel filler door.
■Aluminum wheels
●Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent. Do not use hard
brushes or abrasive cleaners. Do not use strong or harsh chemical cleaners.
Use the same mild detergent and wax as used on the paint.
●Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after driving
for long distance in the hot weather.
●Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.
■Bumpers and side moldings
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
CAUTION
■Caution about the exhaust pipe
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has cooled suffi-
ciently, as touching a hot exhaust pipe can cause burns.
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January 28, 2010 10:42 am
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and components
(aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If you see coal tar or tree sap on the paint surface
• If you see dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings on the paint
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron
powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled in dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place with
low humidity when storing the wheels.
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
●Do not apply wax on the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■When using an automatic car wash (with rain-sensing windshield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to off.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers
may operate and the wiper blades may be
damaged.OFF
AUTO
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4-2. Maintenance
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Maintenance and care
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January 28, 2010 10:42 am
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• Moves smoothly (without uneven pedal
effort or catching)?
Transmission “Park”
mechanism• Can the vehicle be hold securely on an
incline with the shift lever in “P”?
Brake pedal
• Moves smoothly?
• Does it have appropriate clearance and
correct amount of free play?
Brakes
• Pulls to one side when applied?
• Loss of brake effectiveness?
• Spongy feeling brake pedal?
• Pedal almost touches floor?
Head restraints• Move smoothly and lock securely?
Indicators/buzzers• Function properly?
Lights• Do all the lights come on?
• Headlights aimed correctly? (P. 511)
Pa r k i n g b r a ke
• Moves smoothly?
• Can hold the vehicle securely on an
incline?
Seat belts
• Does the seat belt system operate
smoothly?
• Are the belts undamaged?
Seats• Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel
• Moves smoothly?
• Has correct free play?
• No strange noises?
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January 28, 2010 10:42 am
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors/trunk• Operate smoothly?
Engine hood• The lock system works properly?
Fluid leaks• Is there any leakage after parking?
Ti r e
• Inflation pressure is correct?
• Tire surfaces not worn or dam-
aged?
• Tires rotated according to the
maintenance schedule?
• Wheel nuts are not loose?
CAUTION
■If the hybrid system is operating
Turn off the hybrid system and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and trans-
mitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are installed,
new tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID codes must be regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning computer and tire pressure warning
system must be initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmit-
ter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. (P. 4 7 8 )
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
●When changing the tire inflation pressure by changing traveling
speed or load weight, etc.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the pressure benchmark.
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Maintenance and care
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October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
■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.
■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 properly. After driving for about 20
minutes, the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1 minute to indi-
cate a system malfunction.
■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
Generally, low profile tires will wear more rapidly and tire grip performance will be
reduced on snowy and/or icy roads when compared to standard tires. Be sure to
use snow tires or snow chains on snowy and/or icy roads and drive carefully at a
speed appropriate for road and weather conditions.
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October 13, 2015 12:41 pm
■Maximum load of tire
Check that the maximum load of the replacement tire is greater than 1 /2 of the
Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) of either the front axle or the rear axle, which-
ever is greater.
■Tire types
1 Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to highway driving
under dry conditions. Since summer tires do not have the same traction perfor-
mance as snow tires, summer tires are inadequate for driving on snow-covered
or icy roads. For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, the use of snow
tires is recommended. When installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to be ade-
quate for driving in most winter conditions, as well as for use year round. All sea-
son tires, however, do not have adequate traction performance compared with
snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Also, all season tires fall short in acceleration
and handling performance compared with summer tires in highway driving.
3Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using snow
tires. If you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, construction and load
capacity as the originally installed tires. Since your vehicle has radial tires as orig-
inal equipment, make sure your snow tires also have radial construction. Do not
install studded tires without first checking local regulations for possible restric-
tion. Snow tires should be installed on all wheels. (P. 2 3 3 )
For the GAWR, see the Certification Label.
For the maximum load of the tire, see the load
limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure
mentioned on the sidewall of the tire.
(P. 6 0 1 )
