2010 Lexus IS250C Do-It-Yourself Maintenance / LEXUS 2010 IS350C/250C OWNERS MANUAL (OM53A20U)

5
When trouble arises
513
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■Avoiding a discharged battery
●Turn off the headlights and the audio system while the engine is off.
●Turn off any unnecessary electrical components when the vehicle is running at a
low speed for an extended period, such as in heavy traffic, etc.
CAUTION
■Avoiding battery fires or explosions
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidentally igniting the flammable
gas that may be emitted from the battery.
●Make sure the jumper cable is connected to the correct terminal and that it is not
unintentionally in contact with any pa rt other than the intended terminal.
●Do not allow the jumper cables to come into contact with the “+” and “-” termi-
nals.
●Do not allow open flame or use matches, cigarette lighters or smoke near the
battery.
Maintain the engine speed of th e second vehicle and turn the
“ENGINE START STOP” switch to IGNITION ON mode,
then start the vehicle’s engine.
Once the vehicle’s engine ha s started, remove the jumper
cables in the exact reverse ord er in which they were con-
nected.
Once the engine starts, have the ve hicle checked at your Lexus dealer
as soon as possible.STEP5
STEP6

514
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
CAUTION
■Battery precautions
The battery contains poisonous and corrosive acidic electrolyte, while related parts
contain lead and lead compounds. Observe the following precautions when han-
dling the battery.
●When working with the battery, always wear safety glasses and take care not to
allow any battery fluids (acid) to come into contact with skin, clothing or the vehi-
cle body.
●Do not lean over the battery
●In the event that battery fluid comes into contact with the skin or eyes, immedi-
ately wash the affected area with water and seek medical attention.
Place a wet sponge or cloth over the affected area until medical attention can be
received.
●Always wash your hands after handling the battery support, terminals, and other
battery-related parts.
●Do not allow children near the battery.
NOTICE
■To prevent damaging the vehicle
Do not pull- or push-start the vehicle, because the three-way catalytic converter
may overheat and become a fire hazard.
■When handling jumper cables
Be careful that the jumper cables do not become tangled in the cooling fan or any
of the belts when connectin g or disconnecting them.

5
When trouble arises
515
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine overheats:
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the automatic air
conditioning system.
Check to see if steam is coming out from under the hood.
If you see steam: Stop the engine. Carefully lift the hood after the steam sub-
sides and then restart the engine.
If you do not see steam: Leave the engine running and carefully lift the hood.
Remove the engine compartment cover. ( P. 400)
Check to see if the cooling fan is operating.
If the fan is operating: Wait until the temperature of the engine (shown on the
instrument cluster) begins to fall and then stop the engine.
If the fan is not operating: Stop the engine immediately and call your local Lexus
dealer.
After the engine has cooled
down sufficiently, check the
engine coolant level and inspect
the radiator core (radiator) for
any leaks.STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

516
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■Overheating
If you observe the following, your vehicle may be overheating.
●The engine coolant temperature gauge enters the red zone or a loss of power is
experienced.
●Steam is coming from under the hood.
CAUTION
■To prevent an accident or injury when in specting under the hood of your vehicle
●If steam is seen coming from under the hood, do not open the hood until the
steam has subsided. The engine compartm ent may be very hot, causing serious
injury such as burns.
●Keep hands and clothing away from the fan and other belts while the engine is
running.
●Do not loosen the radiator cap while the engine and radiator are hot.
Serious injury, such as burns, may resu lt from hot coolant and steam released
under pressure.
Add engine coolant if required.
Water can be used in an emer-
gency measure if engine coolant
is unavailable. ( P. 5 3 7 )
Have the vehicle checked at your nearest Lexus dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
STEP6

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When trouble arises
517
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
NOTICE
■When adding engine coolant
Wait until the engine has cooled down before adding engine coolant.
When adding coolant, do so slowly. Adding cool coolant to a hot engine too quickly
can cause damage to the engine.

518
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If the vehicle becomes stuck
CAUTION
■When attempting to free a 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.
■When shifting the shift lever
With automatic transmission vehicles, be careful not to shift the shift lever with the
accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or serious injury.
Carry out the following procedures if the tires spin or the vehicle becomes
stuck in mud, dirt, or snow.
Stop the engine. Set the parking brake and shift the shift lever
in P (vehicles with an automatic transmission) or N (vehicles
with a manual transmission).
Remove the mud, snow, or sand from around the stuck tire.
Place wood, stones or some ot her material to help provide
traction under the tires.
Restart the engine.
Shift the shift lever to the D or R position (vehicles with an auto-
matic transmission) or 1 or R position (vehicles with a manual
transmission) and carefully appl y the accelerator to free the
vehicle.
Turn off TRAC and VSC if these functions are hampering your
attempts to free the vehicle. (  P. 2 0 6 )
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

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When trouble arises
519
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
NOTICE
■To avoid damaging the transmission and other components
●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.

520
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If the retractable hardtop does not close
Unlock the trunk. (P. 4 7 )
Open the trunk fully.
If the retractable hardtop does not clos e when the switch is pressed, check
that all operating conditions are met. ( P. 8 6 )
If the retractable hardtop will not cl ose even though all operating condi-
tions have been met, there may be a malfunction. Immediately have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
As a temporary measure, the following procedure can be performed to
manually close the retractable hardtop.
■ Notes for manually closing the retractable hardtop
●This procedure requires 2 people.
● There is some risk of damage to the vehicle during the procedure,
such as when applying consi derable force or removing and
installing various parts. If you are unsure of how to perform this
procedure properly, it is recommended that you contact your
Lexus dealer.
● Protect your hands with gloves etc. when placing them in narrow
spaces.
● Before starting the procedure, turn the “ENGINE START STOP”
switch off.
STEP1
STEP2