2016 Lexus ES300h engine overheat

TABLE OF CONTENTS6
ES300h_OM_OM33B71U_(U)
7-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior ................ 428
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle inte rior....................431
7-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ............................ 434
General maintenance...............437
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs .................................... 440
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions..................................441
Hood ............................................... 443
Positioning a floor jack............. 444
Engine compartment ............... 445
12-volt battery ............................. 455
Tires.................................................. 459
Tire inflation pressure ............... 468
Wheels ............................................. 471
Air conditioning filter ................473
Electronic key battery...............475
Checking and replacing fuses............................................... 477
Light bulbs ....................................480 8-1. Essential information
Emergency flashers .................. 492
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency.... 493
8-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed................................ 494
If you think something is wrong ................ 498
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds..... 499
If a warning message is displayed ................................505
If you have a flat tire ..................508
If the hybrid system will not start ................................................ 518
If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P ..................... 520
If the electronic key does not operate properly ....................... 521
If the 12-volt battery is discharged ................................. 523
If your vehicle overheats ..........527
If the vehicle becomes stuck ...............................................531
7Maintenance and care8When trouble arises

17Pictorial index
ES300h_OM_OM33B71U_(U)
Windshield wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 186
Precautions against winter season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 280
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer)
* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 389
Precautions against car wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 429
Fuel filler door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 1 9 0
Refueling method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P . 190
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 536
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 459
Tire size/inflation pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 541
Winter tires/tire chain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 2 80
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 459
Coping with flat tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 508
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 443
Opening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 443
Engine compartment cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 446
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 537
Coping with overheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 527
Warning messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 505
Headlights/parking lights/daytime running ligh ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 178
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 185
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 1 76
Stop/tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P. 178
License plate lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 17 8
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 17 3
Side marker lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 178
4
5
6
7
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P. 480, Watts: P. 542)
*: If equipped
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

90
ES300h_OM_OM33B71U_(U)2. Instrument cluster
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the engine and its components
●Do not let the indicator needle of the tachometer enter the red zone, which indicates
the maximum engine speed.
●The engine may be overheating if the engine coolant temperature gauge is in the red
zone (H); or “Engine Coolant Temp High”
is shown on the multi-information display.
In this case, immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place, and check the engine after it
has cooled completely. ( P. 5 2 7 )

156
ES300h_OM_OM33B71U_(U)4-1. Before driving
WA R N I N G
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal
while stopped with the “READY” indicator is
illuminated. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator ped-
als to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing th e accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in oper-
ating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress th e brake and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your righ t foot. Depressing the brake pedal using
your left foot may delay response in an emergency, resulting in an accident.
●The driver should pay extra attention to pedestrians when the vehicle is powered only
by the electric motor (traction motor). As there is no engine noise, the pedestrians
may misjudge the vehicle’s movement. Even with the vehicle proximity notification
system active, people may not realize the vehicle is approaching when the surround-
ing area is noisy and so forth. Ther efore, take extra care while driving.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not turn off the hybrid system. Turning the hybrid system off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, however, power assist
to the steering will be lost. This will make it more difficult to steer smoothly, so you
should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the vehicle in
the normal way:  P. 4 9 3
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep
hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause th e brakes to overheat and lose effective-
ness. ( P. 1 74 )
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wh eel, the seat, or the inside or outside rear
view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Ev en if the legal speed limit permits it, do not
drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and possible
injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.

ES300h_OM_OM33B71U_(U)
1574-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WA R N I N G
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce your
ability to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine speed
could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle , lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that the
brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on only on e side are wet and not functioning properly,
steering control may be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll
forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may result in an acci dent or damage to the vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Shifting the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the hybrid sys-
tem. Engine braking is not available when N is selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed. Shifting the
shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of
the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or those
of the brake discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
If the shift lever is in any position other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate sud-
denly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing
the brake pedal while stopped with the “R EADY” indicator is illuminated, and apply
the parking brake as necessary.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely
apply the parking brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible material is nearby.

ES300h_OM_OM33B71U_(U)
2754-5. Using the driving support systems
4
Driving
■ECB operating sound
ECB operating sound may be heard in the following cases, but it does not indicate that a
malfunction has occurred.
●Operating sound heard from the engine compartment when the brake pedal is oper-
ated.
●Motor sound of the brake system heard from the front part of the vehicle when the
driver’s door is opened.
●Operating sound heard from the engine compartment when one or two minutes
passed after the stop of the hybrid system.
■EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a motor sound (whirring sound) may be heard.
This does not indicate a malfunction.
■Automatic reactivation of TRAC and VSC systems
After turing the TRAC and VSC systems of f, the systems will be automatically re-
enabled in the following situations:
●When the power switch is turned off
●If only the TRAC system is turned off, the TRAC will turn on when vehicle speed
increases.
If both the TRAC and VSC systems are turned off, automatic re-enabling will not occur
when vehicle speed increases.
■Operating conditions of hill-start assist control
When the following four conditions are met, the hill-start assist control will operate:
●The shift lever is in a position other than P or N (when starting off forward/backward on
an upward incline).
●The vehicle is stopped.
●The accelerator pedal is not depressed.
●The parking brake is not engaged.
■Automatic system cancelation of hill-start assist control
The hill-start assist control will turn off in any of the following situations:
●The shift lever is moved to P or N.
●The accelerator pedal is depressed.
●The parking brake is engaged.
●Approximately 2 seconds elapse after the brake pedal is released.
■Reduced effectiveness of the EPS system
The effectiveness of the EPS system is reduced to prevent the system from overheating
when there is frequent steering input over an extended period of time. The steering
wheel may feel heavy as a result. Should this occur, refrain from excessive steering input
or stop the vehicle and turn the hybrid system off. The EPS system should return to nor-
mal within 10 minutes.

527
ES300h_OM_OM33B71U_(U)8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
If your vehicle overheats
■If the needle of the engine coolant temperature gauge enters the red zone
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and tu rn off the air conditioning system, and
then stop the hybrid system.
If you see steam:
Carefully lift the hood after the steam subsides.
If you do not see steam:
Carefully lift the hood.
After the hybrid system has
cooled down sufficiently, inspect
the hoses and cooling system for
leaks.
Radiator
Cooling fans
If a large amount of coolant leaks,
immediately contact your Lexus
dealer.
The coolant level is satisfactory if
it is between the “FULL” and
“LOW” line on the reservoir.Reservoir
“FULL”
“LOW”
Radiator cap
The following may indicate that your vehicle is overheating.
●The needle of the engine coolant temperature gauge ( P. 86) enters the
red zone or a loss of hybrid system po wer is experienced. (For example, the
vehicle speed does not increase.)
●“Hybrid System Overheated” is show n on the multi-information display.
●Steam comes out from under the hood.
Correction procedures
1
2
3
1
2
4
1
2
3
4

586Alphabetical index
ES300h_OM_OM33B71U_(U)
Emergency, in case ofIf a warning buzzer sounds................................................. 499
If a warning light turns on.............. 499
If a warning message is displayed ....................................... 505
If the 12-volt battery is discharged .........................................523
If the electronic key does not operate properly ......... 521
If the hybrid system will not start ................................................. 518
If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P ........... 520
If you have a flat tire ......................... 508
If you think something is wrong.............................................. 498
If your vehicle becomes stuck ....................................................... 531
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency ..........493
If your vehicle needs to be towed .......................................494
If your vehicle overheats ................ 527
Emergency flashers ............................. 492
Energy monitor .........................................97 Engine
Accessory mode ................................. 167
Compartment ..................................... 445
Hood........................................................ 443
How to start the hybrid system ....................................................166
Identification number.......................536
Ignition switch (power switch) ......166
Overheating......................................... 527
Power switch. ........................................166
Engine compartment cover..............446
Engine coolant Capacity.................................................539
Checking .................................................451
Preparing and checking before winter ....................................280
Engine coolant temperature gauge ........................................................ 86
Engine oil Capacity................................................. 537
Checking ............................................... 447
Preparing and checking before winter ....................................280