2014 Lexus IS250 Owner's Manual

4177-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)For right-hand drive vehicles:
The battery and the fuse box in front of the battery are located on the opposite side of the
engine compartment.
Engine compartment
Fuse boxes (→P. 4 4 5 )
Battery (→P. 422)
Engine oil level dipstick
(→P. 4 1 8 )
Engine coolant reservoir
(→P. 4 2 1 )
Engine oil filler cap (→P. 4 1 9 )Wa s h e r f l u i d t a n k (→P. 4 2 6 )
Electric cooling fans
Condenser (→P. 422)
Radiator (→P. 422)1
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5
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4187-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
With the engine at operating temperature and turned off, check the oil level on
the dipstick.
■Checking the engine oil
Park the vehicle on level ground. After warming up the engine and turning
off the engine, wait more than 5 minutes for the oil to drain back into the
bottom of the engine.
Holding a rag under the end, pull
the dipstick out.
Wipe the dipstick clean.
Reinsert the dipstick fully.
Holding a rag under the end, pull
the dipstick out and check the oil
level.
Low
Normal
Excessive
The shape of the dipstick may dif-
fer depending on the type of vehi-
cle or engine.
Wipe the dipstick and reinsert it fully.
Engine oil
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5
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4197-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
■Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near the
low level mark, add engine oil of the
same type as that already in the
engine.
Make sure to check the oil type and prepare the items needed before adding
oil.
Remove the oil filler cap by turning it counterclockwise.
Add engine oil slowly, checking the dipstick.
Install the oil filler cap by turning it clockwise.
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will be consumed while driving. In the following situations,
oil consumption may increase, and engine oil may need to be refilled in between oil
maintenance intervals.
●When the engine is new, for example directly after purchasing the vehicle or after
replacing the engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inappropriate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine speeds or with a heavy load, when towing, or when driving
while accelerating or decelerating frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for a long time, or when driving frequently through
heavy traffic
Engine oil selection→P. 5 4 1
Oil quantity (Low → Full) 1.5 L (1.6 qt., 1.3 Imp. qt.)
Items Clean funnel
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4207-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
CAUTION
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains potentially harmful contaminants which may cause skin dis-
orders such as inflammation and skin cancer, so care should be taken to avoid pro-
longed and repeated contact. To remove used engine oil from your skin, wash
thoroughly with soap and water.
●Dispose of used oil and filters only in a safe and acceptable manner. Do not dispose of
used oil and filters in household trash, in sewers or onto the ground.
Call any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped
professional, service station or auto parts store for information concerning recycling
or disposal.
●Do not leave used engine oil within the reach of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine damage
Check the oil level on a regular basis.
■When replacing the engine oil
●Be careful not to spill engine oil on the vehicle components.
●Avoid overfilling, or the engine could be damaged.
●Check the oil level on the dipstick every time you refill the vehicle.
●Be sure the engine oil filler cap is properly tightened.

4217-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
The coolant level is satisfactory if it is between the “FULL” and “LOW” lines on
the reservoir when the engine is cold.
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW”
line, add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
(→P. 5 3 1 )
■Coolant selection
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” or a similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite, and non-borate coolant with long-life hybrid
organic acid technology.
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deionized water.
(Minimum temperature: -35°C [-31°F])
For more details about coolant, contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional.
■If the coolant level drops within a short time of replenishing
Visually check the radiator, hoses, engine coolant reservoir cap, drain cock and water
pump.
If you cannot find a leak, have any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly
qualified and equipped professional, test the cap and check for leaks in the cooling sys-
tem.
Engine coolant
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CAUTION
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant reservoir cap or radiator cap. (→P. 5 3 1 )
The cooling system may be under pressure and may spray hot coolant if the cap is
removed, causing serious injuries, such as burns.

4227-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
Check the radiator and condenser and clear away any foreign objects.
If either of the above parts is extremely dirty or you are not sure of their condi-
tion, have your vehicle inspected by any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or
another duly qualified and equipped professional.
Check the battery as follows.
■Caution symbols
The meaning of each caution symbol on the top of the battery are as follows:
NOTICE
■When adding coolant
Coolant is neither plain water nor straight antifreeze. The correct mixture of water and
antifreeze must be used to provide proper lubrication, corrosion protection and cool-
ing. Be sure to read the antifreeze or coolant label.
■If you spill coolant
Be sure to wash it off with water to prevent it from damaging parts or paint.
Radiator and condenser
CAUTION
■When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator or condenser as they may be hot and cause serious injuries,
such as burns.
Battery
No smoking, no naked
flames, no sparksBattery acid
Shield eyesNote operating instructions
Keep away from childrenExplosive gas

4237-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals are not corroded and that there are no
loose connections, cracks, or loose clamps.
Te r m i n a l s
Hold-down clamp
■Checking battery fluid
Check that the level is between the “UPPER LEVEL” and “LOWER LEVEL”
lines.
“UPPER LEVEL” line
“LOWER LEVEL” line
If the fluid level is at or below the
“LOWER LEVEL” line, add distilled
water.
■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 it securely.
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Low O.K.2
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4247-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS250_EE(OM53C51E)
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive.
Therefore, observe the following 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 disconnecting
the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting the battery
The engine may not start. Follow the procedure below to initialize the system.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Open and close any of the doors.
Restart the engine.
●Unlocking the doors using the smart entry & start system may not be possible immedi-
ately after reconnecting the battery. If this happens, use the wireless remote control or
the mechanical key to lock/unlock the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine switch in ACCESSORY mode. The engine may not
start with the engine switch turned off. However, the engine will operate normally from
the second attempt.
●The engine switch mode is recorded by the vehicle. If the battery is disconnected and
reconnected, the vehicle will return the engine switch mode to the status it was in
before the battery was disconnected. Make sure to turn off the engine before discon-
necting the battery. Take extra care when connecting the battery if the engine switch
mode prior to the battery being disconnected is unknown.
If the engine will not start even after multiple attempts at all the methods contact any
authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
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