395
Maintenance and care7
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
7-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior................. 396
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior .................. 399
7-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements............................. 402
General maintena nce ..............405
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs ................................... 408
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions ................................409
Hood .................................................. 411
Positioning a floor jack ...............412
Engine compartment ................ 413
Tires .................................................. 423
Tire inflation pressure ............... 432
Wheels ........................................... 435
Air conditioning filter ............... 437
Electronic key battery .............. 439
Checking and replacing fuses ................................................441
Light bulbs..................................... 444
396
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)7-1. Maintenance and care
●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 vehicle body is cool.
■Self-restoring coat
The vehicle body has a self-restoring coating that is resistant to small surface scratches
caused in a car wash etc.
●The coating lasts for 5 to 8 years from when the vehicle is delivered from the plant.
●The restoration time differs depending on the depth of the scratch and outside temper-
ature.
The restoration time may become shorter when the coating is warmed by applying
warm water.
●Deep scratches caused by keys, coins, etc. cannot be restored.
●Do not use wax that contain abrasives.
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors before washing the vehicle. Start washing from the front of the vehicle.
Make sure to extend th e mirrors before driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface and harm your
vehicle’s paint.
■High pressure car washes
●Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity of the windows.
●Before using the car wash, check that the fuel filler door on your vehicle is closed prop-
erly.
■When using a car wash
If the door handle becomes wet while the electronic key is within the effective range, the
door may lock and unlock repeatedly. In that case, follow the following correction proce-
dures to wash the vehicle:
●Place the key in a position 6 ft. (2 m) or more separate from the vehicle while the vehi-
cle is being washed. (Take care to ensure that the key is not stolen.)
●Set the electronic key to battery-saving mo de to disable the smart access system with
push-button start. ( P. 115)
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
Perform the following to protect the ve hicle and maintain it in prime condi-
tion:
3977-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
■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 a long
distance in hot weather.
●Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Front side windows water-repellent coating (if equipped)
●The following precautions can extend the effectiveness of the water-repellent coating.
• Remove any dirt, etc. from the front side windows regularly.
• Do not allow dirt and dust to accumulate on the windows for a long period.Clean the windows with a soft, da mp cloth as soon as possible.
• Do not use wax or glass cleaners that co ntain abrasives when cleaning the windows.
• Do not use any metallic objects to remove condensation build up.
●When the water-repellent performance has become insufficient, the coating can be
repaired. Contact your Lexus dealer.
CAUTION
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the en gine compartment. Doing so may cause the
electrical components etc. to catch fire.
■When cleaning the windshield (vehicles with rain-sensing windshield wipers)
●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
■Precautions regarding the exhaust pipe
Exhaust gases cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has cooled suffi-
ciently, as touching hot exhaust pipe can cause burns.
■ Precaution regarding the rear bumper with Blind Spot Monitor (if equipped)
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped or scratched, the system may malfunction. If
this occurs, consult your Lexus dealer.
Set the wipers to the intermittent windshield
wipers. ( P. 1 8 5 )
If AUTO mode is selected, the wipers may
operate unexpectedly in the following situa-
tions, and may result in hands being caught or
other serious injuries and cause damage to the
wiper blades.
3987-1. Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosio n 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 coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated wi th soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron pow-
der or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gaso line are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from corroding, remo ve 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 su rfaces of the lights.
●Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■When using an automatic car wash (vehicle s with rain-sensing windshield wipers)
Set the wipers to the interm ittent windshield wipers. (P. 1 8 5 )
If AUTO mode is selected, the wipers may operate and the wiper blades may be dam-
aged.
4067-2. Maintenance
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• The accelerator pedal should move smoothly (with- out uneven pedal effort or catching).
Automatic transmission
“Park” mechanism• When parked on a slope and the shift lever is in P, isthe vehicle securely stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate clearance
from the floor? ( P. 5 1 8 )
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of
free play? ( P. 5 1 8 )
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to one side when the
brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too close to the floor when the brakes are applied.
Head restraints• Do the head restraints move smoothly and lock
securely?
Indicators/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzers function properly?
Lights• Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Moves smoothly?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is on,is the vehicle securely stopped?
Seat belts•Do the seat belt s operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correct amount of free play?
• There should not be an y strange sounds coming
from the steering wheel.
4077-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors/trunk• Do the doors/trunk operate smoothly?
Engine hood• Does the engine hood lock system work properly?
Fluid leaks• There should not be any signs of fluid leakage after
the vehicle has been parked.
Ti r e s
• Is the tire inflation pressure correct?
• The tires should not be damaged or excessively worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the mainte- nance schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wipers
• The wiper blades should no t show any signs of crack-
ing, splitting, wear, contamination or deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield without
streaking or skipping.
CAUTION
■If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before performing
maintenance checks.
4247-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses tire pres-
sure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire inflation pressure before
serious problems arise.
●If the tire pressure drops below a predet ermined level, the driver is warned by
a screen display and a warning light. ( P. 4 7 8 )
◆Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are installed, new ID
codes must be registered in the tire pressure warning computer and the tire
pressure warning system must be initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve
and transmitter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. ( P. 4 2 6 )
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following circum-
stances:
●When rotating the tires.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system
●The tire pressure detected by the tire
pressure warning system can be dis-
played on the multi-information display.
4267-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
◆Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a unique ID
code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and transmitter, it is nec-
essary to register the ID code. Have the ID code registered by your Lexus
dealer.
■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 prop erly repaired due to the size or location of
a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult your Lexus dealer.
■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 proper ly. After driving for about 20 minutes, the
tire pressure warning light blinks for 1 minute and stays on to indicate a system malfunc-
tion.
■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.
■When rotating the tires
Make sure that the engine switch is off. If the tires are rotated while the engine switch is in
IGNITION ON mode, the tire position information will not be updated.
If this accidentally occurs, either turn the engine switch to off and then to IGNITION ON
mode, or initialize the system after checking th at the tire pressure is properly adjusted.