
555
7Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U 7-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior .................556
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle interior ................... 561
7-2. Maintenance
Maintenance
requirements .............................564
General maintenance ..............566
Emission inspection and
maintenance (I/M)
programs ....................................569 7-3. Do-it-yourself
maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions ................................ 570
Hood ............................................... 572
Positioning a floor jack ............. 573
Engine compartment ................ 574
Tires ..................................................584
Tire inflation pressure ............... 593
Wheels ........................................... 596
Air conditioning filter ...............598
Windshield wiper inserts ......... 601
Electronic key battery ..............603
Checking and replacing
fuses ..............................................605
Headlight aim ............................. 608
Light bulbs...................................... 610

556
RX350_U_OM48E90U 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 shor ter when the coating is warmed by apply-
ing warm water. ●
Deep scratches caused by keys, coins, etc. cannot be restored.●
Do not use wax that contain abrasives. ■
Automatic car washes ●
Before washing the vehicle:
• Fold the mirrors
• Turn off the power back door
Start washing from the front of the vehicle. Extend the mirrors before driving. ●
Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface and harm your
vehicle’s paint. ●
Rear spoiler may not be washable in some automatic car washes. There may also be an
increased risk of damage to vehicle. ■
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.Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior Perform the following to protect the ve hicle and maintain it in prime condi-
tion:

5577-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U ■
Note for a smart access system with push-button start ●
If the door handle becomes wet while the el ectronic key is within the effective range,
the door may lock and unlock repeatedly. Place the key in a position 6 ft. (2 m) or more
separate from the vehicle while the vehicle is being washed. (Take care to ensure that
the key is not stolen.) ●
If the electronic key is insi de the vehicle and a door handle becomes wet during a car
wash, a buzzer will sound outside the vehicle. To turn off the alarm, lock all the doors. ●
Set the electronic key to battery-saving mode to disable the smart access system with
push-button start. ( P. 1 4 7 )■
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 as used on the paint. ●
Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after driving for
long distance in the hot weather. ●
Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use. ■
Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners. ■
Front side windows water-repellent coating ●
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.

5597-1. Maintenance and care
7
Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U 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 scratche d, 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 wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers may operate and the wiper blades may be
damaged.

5677-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U * : Vehicles with sing le-beam headlightsVehicle interior Items Check 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, is
the vehicle securely stopped?
Brake pedal • Does the brake pedal move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate clearance
from the floor? ( P. 6 8 0 )
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of
free play? ( P. 6 8 0 )
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?
• Are the headlights aimed correctly?
* ( P. 6 0 8 )
Parking brake • Does the parking brake switch operate normally?
• 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.

568 7-2. Maintenance
RX350_U_OM48E90U Vehicle exterior Items Check points
Doors • Do the doors operate smoothly?
Engine hood • Does the engine hood lock system work properly?
Fluid leaks • There should not be any si gns 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/
rear window wiper • The wiper blades should no t show any signs of crack-
ing, splitting, wear, contamination or deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield/rear
window without streaking or skipping.
WA R N I N G ■
If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before performing
maintenance checks.

5857-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U 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.
◆ 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. 5 8 6 )
◆ Initializing the tire pressure warning system ■
The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following circum-
stances: ●
When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when changing travel-
ing speed. ●
When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when the tire size is
changed. ●
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. The illustration used is intended as an exam-
ple, and may differ from the image that is
actually displayed on the multi-information
display.●
If the tire pressure drops below a prede-
termined level, the driver is warned by a
screen display and a warning light.
( P. 6 3 6 ) The illustration used is intended as an exam-
ple, and may differ from the image that is
actually displayed on the multi-information
display.

5877-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U ■
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 prop erly 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.■
Maximum load of tire
Check that the maximum load of the replacem ent 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.
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. 686)