2011 Lexus IS F Owner's Manual

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4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
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.
Turn the wipers off before washing the vehicle.
High pressure car washes
Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity
of the windows.
Before car wash, check that the fuel filler door on your vehicle is closed
properly.
Touch-up paint (if equipped)
Touch-up paint may be used to cover small chips or scratches.
Apply the paint soon after the damage occurs or corrosion may set in. To
apply the touch-up paint so it is hardly noticeable the trick is to apply it only
to the bare spots. Apply only the smallest amount possible and do not paint
the surface around the scratch or chip.
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime
condition.
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
thoroughly 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 vehi-
cle body is cool.

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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
When cleaning the windshield
When the upper part of the windshield where the raindrop sensor is
located is touched by hand
When a wet rag or similar is held close to the raindrop sensor
If something bumps against the windshield
If you directly touch the raindrop sensor body or if something bumps into
the raindrop sensor
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.
Set the wiper switch to off.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the
wipers may operate unexpectedly in the
following situations, and may result in
hands being caught or other serious inju-
ries and cause damage to the wiper
blades.
Off

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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.
To prevent damage to the windshield wiper arms
When lifting the wiper arms away from the 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.

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Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior
The following procedures will help protect your vehicle's interior and
keep it in top condition:
Protecting the vehicle interior
Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty sur-
faces with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
Cleaning the leather areas
Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
Wipe any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened
with diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool
detergent.
Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly
wipe off all remaining traces of detergent.
Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any
remaining moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded
ventilated area.
Synthetic leather areas
Remove loose dirt using a vacuum cleaner.
Apply a mild soap solution to the synthetic leather using a
sponge or soft cloth.
Allow the solution to soak in for a few minutes. Remove

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Caring for leather areas
Lexus recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a year
to maintain the quality of the vehicle’s interior.
Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. Use a
sponge or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles. Do not apply
water. Excellent results are obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as possi-
ble.
Seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge. Also
check the belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
CAUTION
Water in the vehicle
Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehicle.
Doing so may cause electrical components etc. to malfunction or catch
fire.
Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle interior
wet.
(P. 106)
Electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or not function
properly, resulting in death or serious injury.
Cleaning the interior (especially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel may reflect
off the windshield, obstructing the driver's view and leading to an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.

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NOTICE
Cleaning detergents
Do not use organic substances such as benzene or gasoline, acidic or alka-
line solutions, dye, bleach or other detergent. Doing so may discolor the
vehicle interior or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces.
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel's or other
interior part’s painted surface may be damaged.
Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of
leather surfaces.
Remove any dust or dirt on leather surfaces immediately.
Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or that contain wax on the
upholstery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior
heats up significantly.
Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if water comes
into contact with electrical components under the floor of the vehicle, and
may also cause the body to rust.
Cleaning the inside of the rear window
Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window, as this may cause dam-
age to the rear window defogger heater wires or antenna. Use a cloth
dampened with lukewarm water to gently wipe the window clean. Wipe
the window in strokes running parallel to the heater wires or antenna.
Be careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires or antenna.

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4-2. Maintenance
Maintenance requirements
To ensure safe and economical driving, day-to-day care and regular
maintenance is essential. Lexus recommends the following mainte-
nance.
Scheduled maintenance
Scheduled maintenance should be performed at specified
intervals according to the maintenance schedule.
For full details of your maintenance schedule, read the “Lexus
Service Booklet” or “Lexus Warranty Booklet”.
Do-it-yourself maintenance
What about do-it-yourself maintenance?
Many maintenance items are easy to do yourself if you have a lit-
tle mechanical ability and a few basic automotive tools.
Note, however, that some maintenance tasks require special tools
and skills. These are best performed by qualified technicians. Even
if you're an experienced do-it-yourself mechanic, we recommend
that repairs and maintenance be conducted by any authorized
Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped
professional. Any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer will keep a
record of maintenance, which could be useful should you ever
require Warranty Service. Should you choose to select a qualified
and equipped professional other than an authorized Lexus repairer

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