2016 LEXUS RX450H maintenance

486 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX450h_U_OM0E013U WA R N I N G ■
When disconnecting the 12-volt battery
NOTICE ■
When recharging the 12-volt battery
Never recharge the 12-volt battery while the hybrid system is operating. Also, be sure
all accessories are turned off.Do not disconnect the negative (-) terminal on
the body side as shown. The disconnected neg-
ative (-) terminal may to uch the positive (+) ter-
minal, which may cause a short and result in
death or serious injury.

4876-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
RX450h_U_OM0E013U 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 a “TWI” or “  ” mark, etc., molded
into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
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.Tires Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and tread-
wear.
Checking tires
Tire rotation 1
2
3
Front

488 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX450h_U_OM0E013U 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. 4 8 9 )
◆ 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. 5 3 8 ) The illustration used is intended as an exam-
ple, and may differ from the image that is
actually displayed on the multi-information
display.

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6
Maintenance and care
RX450h_U_OM0E013U ■
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. 5 8 9 )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.
Select on the multi-information display. (  P. 1 0 9 )
Press or of the meter con-
trol switch, select the “TPMS”
screen and then press and hold
the
until the tire pressure
warning light blinks slowly 3
times. “- -” will be displayed for inflation
pressure of each tire on the multi-
information display while the tire
pressure warning system determines
the position of each tire.
When position of each tire is determined, the inflation pressure of each tire will be
displayed on the multi-information display.
Drive the vehicle at approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) or more for approx-
imately 10 to 30 minutes until the inflat ion pressure of each tire is displayed
on the multi-information display. If tire inflation pressure becomes low before the inflation pressure is displayed, the
tire pressure warning light will come on.
Depending on the vehicle and driving conditions, initializati on may take up to
approximately 1 hour to complete.
◆ 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. 1
2
3
4
5
6

490 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX450h_U_OM0E013U ■
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. 5 9 4 )

4916-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
RX450h_U_OM0E013U ■
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. 3 9 0 )■
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
Initialize the system with the tire inflation pressure adjusted to the specified level. ■
If the tread on snow tires wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost. ■
If you press the tire pressure warning reset switch accidentally
If initialization is performed, adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified level and ini-
tialize the tire pressure warning system again.

492 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX450h_U_OM0E013U ■
Situations in which the tire pressure warning system may not operate properly ●
In the following cases, the tire pressure warning system may not operate properly.
• If non-genuine Lexus wheels are used.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not an OE (Original Equipment) tire.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not of the specified size.
• Tire chains etc. are equipped.
• If a window tint that affects the radio wave signals is installed.
• If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehicle, particularly around the wheels or wheel
housings.
• If the tire inflation pressure is extremely higher than the specified level.
• If wheel without the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters is not registered
in the tire pressure warning computer. ●
Performance may be affected in the following situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio station, large display, air-
port or other facility th at generates strong radio waves or electrical noise.
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular phone, cordless ph one or other wireless
communication device.
If tire position information is not correctl y displayed due to the radio wave conditions,
the display may be corrected by driving and changing the radio wave conditions. ●
When the vehicle is parked, the time taken for the warning to start or go off could be
extended. ●
When tire inflation pressure declines rapidly for example when a tire has burst, the
warning may not function. ■
The initialization operation ●
Make sure to carry out initialization af ter adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before carry ing out initialization or tire inflation pres-
sure adjustment. ●
If you have accidentally turned the power swit ch off during initializat ion, it is not neces-
sary to press the reset switch again as init ialization will restart automatically when the
power switch has been turned to 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 leve l when the tires are co ld, and conduct initial-
ization again. ●
While the position of each tire is being de termined and the inflation pressures are not
being displayed on the mu lti-information display, if the in flation pressure of a tire drops,
the tire pressure warning light will come on.

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6
Maintenance and care
RX450h_U_OM0E013U ■
Warning performance of the tire pressure warning system
The warning of the tire pressure warning syst em will change in accordance with the con-
ditions under which it was initialized. 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 may take longer to complete if the vehicle is driven on an unpaved road.
When performing initialization, drive on a pa ved road if possible. Depending on the driv-
ing environment and condition of the tires, initialization will be completed in approxi-
mately 10 to 30 minutes. If initialization is not complete af ter driving approximately 10 to
30 minutes, continue driving for a while.
If the inflation pressure of each tire is not displayed after driving for approximately 1 hour,
perform the following procedure. ●
Park the vehicle in a safe place for approxim ately 20 minutes. Then drive straight (with
occasional left and right turns) at approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) or more for
approximately 10 to 30 minutes.
However, in the following situations, the tire inflation pressure will not be recorded and
the system will not operate properly. Perform initialization again. ●
When operating the tire pressure warning reset switch, the tire pressure warning light
does not blink 3 times. ●
After performing initialization, the tire pres sure warning light blinks for 1 minute then
stays on while driving.
If the inflation pressure of each tire is st ill not displayed, have the vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer.