2014 LEXUS RX270 flat tire

4Maintenance and care
451
RX350/270_EE
4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior............. 452
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle interior .............. 455
4-2. Maintenance
Maintenance
requirements ........................ 458
4-3. Do-it-yourself
maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions ............................ 461
Hood .......................................... 465
Positioning a floor jack.......... 466
Engine compartment ............ 468
Tires ........................................... 483
Tire inflation pressure ........... 495
Wheels ...................................... 497
Air conditioning filter............ 499
Electronic key battery ........... 501
Checking and replacing
fuses........................................ 504
Light bulbs ................................. 516
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459
4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
RX350/270_EE
■Where to go for maintenance service?
In order to maintain your vehicle in the best possible condition, Lexus recommends
that maintenance service operations as well as other inspections and repairs be
carried out by authorized Lexus dealers or repairers or other duly qualified and
equipped professionals. For repairs and services covered by your warranty, please
visit an authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, who will use genuine Lexus parts in
repairing any difficulties you may encounter. There can also be advantages in utiliz-
ing authorized Lexus dealers or repairers for non-warranty repairs and services, as
members of the Lexus network will be able to expertly assist you with any difficulties
you may encounter.
Your Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional
will perform all of the scheduled maintenance on your vehicle reliably and econom-
ically due to their experience with Lexus vehicles.
■Does your vehicle need repairs?
Be on the alert for changes in performance and sounds, and visual tip-offs that indi-
cate service is needed. Some important clues are:
●Engine missing, stumbling or pinging
●Appreciable loss of power
●Strange engine noises
●A fluid leak under the vehicle (However, water dripping from the air condition-
ing system after use is normal.)
●Change in exhaust sound (This may indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and have the exhaust system checked imme-
diately.)
●Flat-looking tires, excessive tire squeal when cornering, uneven tire wear
●Vehicle pulls to one side when driving straight on a level road
●Strange noises related to suspension movement
●Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy feeling brake pedal, pedal almost touches
the floors, vehicle pulls to one side when braking
●Engine coolant temperature continually higher than normal
If you notice any of these clues, take your vehicle to any authorized Lexus dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional, as soon as possible.
Your vehicle may need adjustment or repair.
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462
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX350/270_EE
ItemsParts and tools
Light bulbs (→P. 5 1 6 )
• Bulb with same number and watt-
age rating as original
• Phillips-head screwdriver
•Flathead screwdriver
•Wrench
Radiator and condenser (→P. 4 7 8 )
Tire inflation pressure (→P. 4 9 5 )• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source
Wa s h e r f l u i d (→P. 4 8 2 )
• Water or washer fluid containing
antifreeze (for winter use)
• Funnel (used only for adding water
or washer fluid)
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485
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
RX350/270_EE
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
●When rotating the tires
●When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when changing
travelling speed or load weight
●When changing the tire size
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
■How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in a 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. 6 1 7 )
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.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
RX350/270_EE
■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, and 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 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
●Standard tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if
they have seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
●The compact spare tire could be deformed gradually in the long term even if
you don't use it. Be sure to have the compact spare tire checked by any autho-
rized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped profes-
sional if it is over 5 years.
■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.
■If the tread on snow tires wears down 4 mm (0.16 in.)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX350/270_EE
■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 “ENGINE START STOP” switch off during
initialization, it is not necessary to press the reset switch again as initialization
will restart automatically when the “ENGINE START STOP” switch has been
turned to IGNITION 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
driving conditions. 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 properly. If
repeated attempts to record tire inflation pressure settings are unsuccessful, 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 warn-
ing 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 10 minutes.
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
RX350/270_EE
CAUTION
■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 dangerous
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.
●Do not tow if your vehicle has a compact spare tire installed.
■When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not push the tire pressure warning reset 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.
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494
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX350/270_EE
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
transmitter, contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly
qualified and equipped professional as the tire pressure warning valves and trans-
mitters may be damaged 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 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 autho-
rized 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. 4 8 4 )
■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 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.
■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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