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4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
■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
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
CAUTION
■Exhaust pipes and rear bumper exhaust diffusers
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipes and rear bumper exhaust diffusers to
become quite hot. Therefore, do not touch them while the engine is running or
immediately after turning the engine off.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the exhaust pipes and rear
bumper exhaust diffusers until they have cooled sufficiently, as touching hot exhaust
pipes and diffusers can cause burns.
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4-1. Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and components (alu-
minum 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 in sects, 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.
■To prevent damage to the windshield wiper arms
When lifting the wiper arms away from th e windshield, pull the driver side wiper
arm upward first, and repeat for the passenger side. When returning the wipers to
their original position, do so from the passenger side first.
■When using an automatic car wash
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers
may operate and the wiper blades may be
damaged.
Off
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4-2. Maintenance
Vehicle exterior
Steering wheel
• Moves smoothly?
• Has correct free play?
• No strange noises?
ItemsCheck points
Door/trunk• Operates 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?
• Wheel nuts are not loose?
CAUTION
■If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before performing
maintenance checks.
ItemsCheck points
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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Maintenance and care
Tires
Installing tire inflation pressure warning valves and transmittersWhen replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and trans-
mitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning va lves and transmitters are installed,
new tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID codes must be regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning co mputer and the tire pressure warning
system must be initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmit-
ter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. ( P. 400)
Replace tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and tread wear.
■Checking tires
New tread
Treadwear indicator
Worn tread
The location of treadwear indi-
cators is shown by the “TWI” or
“ ” marks, etc., molded on the
sidewall of each tire.
■The tire pressure warning system
Your Lexus is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and tr ansmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise. ( P. 4 5 6 , 4 6 5 )
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■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 come s 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 it has sel-
dom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■If the tread on snow tires wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost.
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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Maintenance and care
■Tire rotationTy p e A
Ty p e B
■Tire replacement
P. 4 1 3
■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 co mpared to standard tires. Be sure to
use snow tires on snowy and/or icy roads and drive carefully at a speed appropriate
for road and weather conditions.
It is not possible to rotate the tires, as each tire
and wheel is designed only for its original
position on the vehicle.
It is not possible to rotate the tires, as the front
and rear tire sizes are different.
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■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.
2 All 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 adequa te traction performance compared with
snow tires in heavy or loos e 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 ic y roads, we recommend using snow tires.
If you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, construction and load capac-
ity as the originally installed tires. Since your vehicle has radial tires as original
equipment, make sure your snow tires also have radial construction. Do not install
studded tires without first checking loca l regulations for possible restriction.
Snow tires should be installed on all wheels. ( P. 2 0 4 )
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. 5 1 6 )
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not press the satellite switch without first adjusting the tire inflation pressure to
the specified level. Otherwise, the tire pressure warning light may not come on
even if the tire inflation pressure is low, or it may come on when the tire inflation
pressure is actually normal.
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing tires, wheels, ti re pressure warning valves, transmitters
and tire valve caps
●When removing or fitting the wheels, tires or the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters, contact your Lexus dealer as the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters may be damage d if not handled correctly.
●When replacing tire valve caps, do not use tire valve caps other than those speci-
fied. The cap may become stuck.
■To avoid damaging the tire pressu re warning valves and transmitters
Do not use liquid sealants on flat tires.
■Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving on roads with loose surfaces or pot holes.
These conditions may cause losses in tire inflation pressure, reducing the cushion-
ing ability of the tires. In addition driving on rough roads may cause damage to the
tires themselves, as well as the vehicle’s wheels and body.
■Low profile tires
Low profile tires may cause greater dama ge than usual to the tire wheel when
receiving impact from the road surface. Therefore pay attention to the following:
●Be sure to use proper tire inflation pressure. If tires are under-inflated, they may
be damaged more severely.
●Avoid pot holes, uneven pavement, curbs and other road hazards.
Failure to do so can lead to severe tire and wheel damage.
■If tire inflation pressure becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires and/or wheels may be ruined.