GS450h_OM_OM30E99U_(U)
2774-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
WA R N I N G
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
●Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
●Do not drive in excess of 75 mph (120 km/h), regardless of the type of snow tires
being used.
●Use snow tires on all, not just some wheels.
■Driving with tire chains (vehic les with front and rear tires of the same size except for
the vehicles with LDH and 19 inch tires)
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle being unable to be driven safely, and may
cause death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tire chains being used, or 30
mph (50 km/h), whichever is lower.
●Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.
●Avoid sudden acceleration, ab rupt steering, sudden braking and shifting operations
that cause sudden engine braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before entering a cu rve to ensure that vehicle control is main-
tained.
●Do not use LKA (Lane-Keeping Assist) system. (if equipped)
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow tires from Lexus dealers or legitimate tire
retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the operation of the
tire pressure warning valves and transmitters.
■Fitting tire chains (vehicles with front and rear tires of the same size except for the
vehicles with LDH and 19 inch tires)
The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function correctly when tire
chains are fitted.
■When standing the windshield wipers up
Raise the wipers in line with the windshield. ( P. 2 76 )
Failure to do so may result in dama ge to the wipers and/or the hood.
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GS450h_OM_OM30E99U_(U)
6Maintenance and care
6-1. Maintenance and care Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .................332
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ..................336
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ...339
General maintenance ............... 341
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs ....................................344 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions ................................ 345
Hood ............................................... 347
Positioning a floor jack .............348
Engine compartment ............... 349
12-volt battery..............................358
Tires ....................................................361
Tire inflation pressure ............... 370
Wheels ........................................... 373
Air conditioning filter ............... 375
Electronic key battery ...............377
Checking and replacing fuses .............................................. 379
Headlight aim (vehicles with single-beam head lights).......384
Light bulbs.....................................386
GS450h_OM_OM30E99U_(U)
3436-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors/trunk• Do the doors/trunk operate smoothly?
Engine hood• Does the engine hood lock system work prop-erly?
Fluid leaks• There should not be any signs of fluid leakageafter 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
maintenance schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wipers
• The wiper blades should not show any signs of cracking, splitting, wear, contamination or defor-
mation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield without streaking or skipping.
WA R N I N G
■If the hybrid system is operating
Turn the hybrid system off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.
361
GS450h_OM_OM30E99U_(U)6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Tires
Check if the treadwear indicators are showing on the tires. Also check the tires
for uneven wear, such as excessive wear on one side of the tread.
Check the spare tire condition and pressure if not rotated. New tread
Wo r n t r e a d
Treadwear indicator
The location of treadwear indicators is shown by the “TWI” or “ ” mark, etc., molded
into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and tread-
wear.
Checking tires
1
2
3
362
GS450h_OM_OM30E99U_(U)
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Rotate the tires in the order shown.
To equalize tire wear and extend tire life,
Lexus recommends that tire rotation is
carried out at the same interval as tire
inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.
Vehicles with front and rear tires of differing sizes
Tires cannot be rotated.
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
the multi-information display and a warning light. ( P. 4 0 0 , 4 0 6 )
●The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( P. 9 3 )
The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually displayed on the multi-
information display.
◆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. 3 6 4 )
Tire rotation
Front
Tire pressure warning system
GS450h_OM_OM30E99U_(U)
3636-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
◆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 inflation pressure is changed such as when changing travel-
ing speed or load weight.
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 power switch off.
Initialization cannot be performe d while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure
level. (P. 4 7 3 )
Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure
level. The tire pressure warning system w ill operate based on this pressure level.
Turn the power switch to ON mode.
Press
or on the meter control switch and select .
Press
or on the meter control switch and select “Vehicle Settings”.
Then press .
Press
or on the meter
control switch and select “TPMS”.
Then press and hold until a
message is displayed.
The message will be displayed on the
multi-information display and the tire
pressure warning light will blink
slowly 3 times.
When the message disappears, ini-
tialization is complete.
1
2
3
4
5
6
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GS450h_OM_OM30E99U_(U)
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
◆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:
●The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
●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 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 power switch is off. If the tires are rotated while the power switch is in
ON mode, the tire position information will not be updated.
If this accidentally occurs, either turn the power switch to off and then to ON mode, or
initialize the system after checking that the tire pressure is properly adjusted.
■Low profile tires (except 225/50R17 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 appro-
priate for road and weather conditions. ( P. 2 7 5 )
GS450h_OM_OM30E99U_(U)
3656-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Maximum load of tire
Check that the maximum load of the replacement tire is greater than 1 /2 of the Gross
Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) of either the front axle or the rear axle, whichever is
greater.
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to highway driving under
dry conditions. Since summer tires do not have the same traction performance as
snow tires, summer tires are inadequate for driving on snow-covered or icy roads. For
driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires is recommended.
When installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
●All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to be adequate for
driving in most winter condit ions as well as for use year-round. All season tires, how-
ever, do not have adequate traction performance compared with snow tires in heavy
or loose snow. Also, all season tires fall short in acceleration and handling perfor-
mance compared with summer tires in highway driving.
●Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using snow tires. If
you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, construction and load capacity as the
originally installed tires. Since your vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make
sure your snow tires also have radial cons truction. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for possible re strictions. Snow tires should be installed
on all wheels. ( P. 2 74 )
■If the tread on snow tires wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost. For the GAWR, see the Certification Label. For
the maximum load of the tire, see the load limit
at maximum cold tire inflation pressure men-
tioned on the sidewall of the tire. ( P. 4 8 1 )