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Maintenance and care
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 fab-
ric, and bulges indicating internal damage.
A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size or loca-
tion of a cut or other damage.
If you are not sure, consult with any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional.
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
10 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1 minute and stays on to
indicate a system malfunction.
Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if it has
seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The tire pressure warning system does not replace routine tire inflation pressure
checks. Make sure to check tire inflation pressure as part of your routine of daily
vehicle checks.
Low profile tires (vehicles with 17 inch 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 tire chains on snowy and/or icy roads and drive carefully at a
speed appropriate for road and weather conditions.
If the tread on snow tires wears down below 4 mm (0.16 in.)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost.
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Situations in which the tire pressure warning system may not operate properly
In the following cases, the tire pressure warning system may not operate prop-
erly.
• If non-genuine Lexus wheels are used.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not an OE (Original Equipment)
tire.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not of the specified size.
• Tire chains etc. are equipped.
• Lock nuts are equipped.
• An auxiliary-supported run-flat tire is equipped.
• If a window tint that affects the radio wave signals is installed.
• If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehicle, particularly around the wheels
or wheel housings.
• If the tire inflation pressure is extremely higher than the specified level.
• If wheel without the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters is not reg-
istered in the tire pressure warning computer.
Performance may be affected in the following situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio station, large dis-
play, airport or other facility that generates strong radio waves or electrical
noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phone or other
wireless communication device
When the vehicle is parked, the time taken for the warning to start or go off
could be extended.
When tire inflation pressure declines rapidly for example when a tire has burst,
the warning may not function.
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Maintenance and care
The initialization operation
Make sure to carry out initialization after adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before carrying out initialization or tire infla-
tion pressure adjustment.
If you have accidentally turned the power switch off during initialization, it is
not necessary to press the reset switch again as initialization will restart auto-
matically when the power switch has been turned to ON mode for the next time.
If you accidentally press the reset switch when initialization is not necessary,
adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified level when the tires are cold,
and conduct initialization again.
Warning performance of the tire pressure warning system
The warning of the tire pressure warning system will change in accordance with
the conditions under which it was initialized. For this reason, the system may
give a warning even if the tire pressure does not reach a low enough level, or if
the pressure is higher than the pressure that was adjusted to when the system was
initialized.
When initialization of the tire pressure warning system has failed
Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. However, in the following
cases, the settings have not been recorded and the system will not operate prop-
erly. If repeated attempts to record tire inflation pressure settings are unsuccess-
ful, have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional.
When operating the tire pressure warning reset switch, the tire pressure warning
light does not blink 3 times.
After carrying out the initialization procedure, the tire pressure warning light
blinks for 1 minute then stays on after driving for 20 minutes.
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Maintenance and care
WA R N I N G
When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to parts of the drive train as well as danger-
ous handling characteristics, which may lead to an accident resulting in death
or serious injury.
Do not mix tires of different makes, models or tread patterns.
Also, do not mix tires of remarkably different treadwear.
Do not use tire sizes other than those recommended by Lexus.
Do not mix differently constructed tires (radial, bias-belted or bias-ply tires).
Do not mix summer, all season and snow tires.
Do not use tires that have been used on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not know how they were used previously.
Vehicles with a compact spare tire: Do not tow if your vehicle has a compact
spare tire installed.
Vehicles with an emergency tire puncture repair kit: Do not tow anything if a
tire that has been repaired using the emergency tire puncture repair kit is
installed. The load on the tire may cause unexpected damage to the tire.
When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not operate the tire pressure warning reset switch without first adjusting the
tire inflation pressure to the specified level. Otherwise, the tire pressure warn-
ing 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.
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NOTICE
Repairing or replacing tires, wheels, tire pressure warning valves, transmitters
and tire valve caps
When removing or fitting the wheels, tires or the tire pressure warning valves
and transmitters, contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another
duly qualified and equipped professional as the tire pressure warning valves
and transmitters may be damaged if not handled correctly.
Make sure to install the tire valve caps. If the tire valve caps are not installed,
water could enter the tire pressure warning valves and the tire pressure warn-
ing valves could be bound.
When replacing tire valve caps, do not use tire valve caps other than those
specified.
The cap may become stuck.
To avoid damage to the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When a tire is repaired with liquid sealants, the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter may not operate properly. If a liquid sealant is used, contact any
authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped
professional or other qualified service shop as soon as possible. Make sure to
replace the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter when replacing the tire.
(P. 511)
Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving on roads with loose surfaces or potholes.
These conditions may cause losses in tire inflation pressure, reducing the cush-
ioning ability of the tires. In addition, driving on rough roads may cause dam-
age to the tires themselves, as well as the vehicle’s wheels and body.
Low profile tires (vehicles with 17 inch tires)
Low profile tires may cause greater damage than usual to the tire wheel when
sustaining impact from the road surface. Therefore, pay attention to the follow-
ing:
Be sure to use proper tire inflation pressure. If tires are under-inflated, they
may be damaged more severely.
Avoid potholes, uneven pavement, curbs and other road hazards. Failure to do
so may lead to severe tire and wheel damage.
If tire inflation pressure of each tire becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires and/or wheels may be ruined.
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Maintenance and care
Tire inflation pressure
Effects of incorrect tire inflation pressure
Driving with incorrect tire inflation pressure may result in the following:
Reduced fuel efficiency
Reduced driving comfort and tire life
Reduced safety
Damage to the drive train
If a tire needs frequent inflating, have it checked by any authorized Lexus dealer
or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
Instructions for checking tire inflation pressure
When checking tire inflation pressure, observe the following:
Check only when the tires are cold.
If your vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours or has not been driven for
more than 1.5 km or 1 mile, you will get an accurate cold tire inflation pressure
reading.
Always use a tire pressure gauge.
The appearance of the tire can be misleading. In addition, tire inflation pressure
that is even just a few pounds off can affect ride quality and handling.
Do not reduce tire inflation pressure after driving. It is normal for tire inflation
pressure to be higher after driving.
Never exceed the vehicle capacity weight.
Passengers and luggage weight should be placed so that the vehicle is balanced.
Make sure to maintain proper tire inflation pressure. Tire inflation pres-
sure should be checked at least once per month. However, Lexus recom-
mends that tire inflation pressure be checked once every two weeks.
(P. 645)
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WA R N I N G
Proper inflation is critical to save tire performance
Keep your tires properly inflated. Otherwise, the following conditions may
occur and result in an accident causing death or serious injury:
Excessive wear
Uneven wear
Poor handling
Possibility of blowouts resulting from overheated tires
Poor sealing of the tire bead
Wheel deformation and/or tire separation
A greater possibility of tire damage from road hazards
NOTICE
When inspecting and adjusting tire inflation pressure
Be sure to put the tire valve caps back on.
Without the valve caps, dirt or moisture could get into the valve and cause air
leakage, which could result in an accident. If the caps are lost, replace them as
soon as possible.
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Maintenance and care
Wheels
When replacing wheels, care should be taken to ensure that they are
equivalent to those removed in load capacity, diameter, rim width and
inset
*.
Replacement wheels are available at any authorized Lexus dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
*: Conventionally referred to as “offset”.
Lexus does not recommend using the following:
Wheels of different sizes or types
Used wheels
Bent wheels that have been straightened
Use only Lexus wheel nuts and wrenches designed for use with your
aluminum wheels.
When rotating, repairing or changing your tires, check that the wheel
nuts are still tight after driving 1600 km (1000 miles).
Be careful not to damage the aluminum wheels when using tire chains.
Use only Lexus genuine balance weights or equivalent and a plastic or
rubber hammer when balancing your wheels.
When replacing wheels (vehicles with the tire pressure warning system)
The wheels of your vehicle are equipped with tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters that allow the tire pressure warning system to provide advance warn-
ing in the event of a loss in tire inflation pressure. Whenever wheels are replaced,
tire pressure warning valves and transmitters must be installed. (P. 5 1 1 )
If a wheel is bent, cracked or heavily corroded, it should be replaced.
Otherwise, the tire may separate from the wheel or cause a loss of han-
dling control.
Wheel selection
Aluminum wheel precautions