2012 Lexus IS250 Owner's Manual

408
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U
BatteryCheck the battery as follows.
■ Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals are not corroded and that there
are no loose connections, cracks, or loose clamps.
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■ Checking battery fluid
Check that the level is between
“UPPER LEVEL” and “LOWER
LEVEL”. “UPPER LEVEL”
“LOWER LEVEL”
If the fluid level is at or below
“LOWER LEVEL”, add distilled
water.

409
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U■
Adding distilled water
Remove the vent plug.
Add distilled water.
If the “UPPER LEVEL” line cannot be seen, check the fluid level by
looking directly at the cell.
Put the vent plug back on and close securely.
Low O.K.
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. Therefore, before recharging:
●If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to disconnect the
ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on the charger is off when connecting and discon-
necting the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting the battery
In some cases, the engine may not start. Follow the procedure below to initialize the
system.
Shift the shift lever to “P” (automatic transmission) or depress the brake
pedal with the shift lever in N (manual transmission), and turn the
“ENGINE START STOP” switch OFF.
Open and close any of the doors.
Start the engine. (If the engine does not start first time, repeat the proce-
dure.)
If the engine will not start even after multiple attempts at the above method, contact
your Lexus dealer.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

410
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U
CAUTION
■Chemicals in the battery
A battery contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce hydro-
gen gas which is flammable and explosive. To reduce the risk of death or serious
injury, take the following precautions while working on or near the battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touching the battery terminals with tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses when working near the battery.
●Keep children away from the battery.
■Where to safely charge the battery
Always charge the battery in an open area. Do not charge the battery in a garage or
closed room where there is not sufficient ventilation.
■How to recharge the battery
Only perform a slow charge (5 A or less). The battery may explode if charged at a
quicker rate.
■Emergency measures regarding electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get immediate medi-
cal attention. If possible, continue to apply water with a sponge or cloth while
traveling to the nearest medical facility.
●If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thoroughly. If you feel pain or burning, get medical atten-
tion immediately.
●If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can soak through clothing on to your skin. Immediately take off the clothing and
follow the procedure above if necessary.
●If you accidentally swallow electrolyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk. Get emergency medical attention imme-
diately.

411
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U
Washer fluidIf any washer does not work or the
warning message appears on the
multi-information display, the
washer tank may be empty. Add
washer fluid.
NOTICE
■When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the engine is running. Also, be sure all accesso-
ries are turned off.
CAUTION
■When adding washer fluid
Do not add washer fluid when the engine is hot or running, as washer fluid contains
alcohol and may catch fire if spilled on the engine etc.
NOTICE
■Do not use any fluid other than washer fluid
Do not use soapy water or engine antifreeze instead of washer fluid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the vehicle’s painted surfaces.
■Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as necessary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed on the label of the washer fluid bottle.

412
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and
treadwear.
■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.
Check spare tire condition and
pressure if not rotated.
■ Tire rotation
2WD models with 16-inch tires or AWD models
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and extend
tire life, Lexus recommends that
tire rotation is carried out at the
same interval as tire inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire
pressure warning system after
tire rotation.
2WD models with non-directional 17-inch tires or 18-inch tiresRotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and extend
tire life, Lexus recommends that
tire rotation is carried out at the
same interval as tire inspection.
Front
Front

413
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U
Directional tiresTire direction marks
The tire sidewalls are marked with
arrows indicating the rolling direc-
tion of the tire. If mounted on the
wrong side of the vehicle, direc-
tional tires will perform poorly.
2WD models with directional 17-inch tires or 18-inch tires
Tires cannot be rotated.
■ The tire pressure warning system
Your Lexus is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise. ( →P. 473, 482)

414
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U
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 1 6 )
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■ The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
● When rotating the tires on vehicles differing with front and rear tire
inflation pressures.
● When changing the tire inflation pressure by changing traveling
speed.
● When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the pressure benchmark.

415
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U■
How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
To initialize the system, use the satellite switch. ( →P. 3 3 9 )
Park the vehicle in safe place and turn the “ENGINE START
STOP” switch OFF.
While the vehicle is moving, initialization is not performed.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire inflation
pressure level. (→ P. 5 3 1 )
Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire inflation
pressure level. The tire pressure warning system will operate based on
this pressure level.
Turn the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to IGNITION ON
mode.
The tire inflation pressure initial-
ization setting display
Continue to press “<” or “>” until
the initialization setting display
appears.
Recording tire inflation pressure
settings
Push and hold the “ON/OFF” but-
ton until the tire pressure warning
light blinks slowly three times.
Wait for a few minutes with the IGNITION ON mode, and then
turn the “ENGINE START STOP” switch OFF.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5