5177-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC200t_RC F_EE(OM24728E)
WARNING
The engine compartment contains many mechanisms and fluids that may move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energize d. To avoid death or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
■When working on the engine compartment
●Keep hands, clothing and tools away from the moving fan and engine drive belt.
●Be careful not to touch the engine, radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. right after driving
as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
●Do not leave anything that may burn easily, such as paper and rags, in the engine compartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel or the battery. Fuel andbattery fumes are flammable.
●Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It contains poisonous and corro-
sive sulfuric acid.
●Take care because brake fluid can harm your hands or eyes and damage painted sur- faces. If fluid gets on your hands or in your eyes, flush the affected area with clean
water immediately. If you still experience discomfort, consult a doctor.
■When working near the electric cooling fans or radiator grille
Be sure the engine switch is off. With the engine switch in IGNITION ON mode, the electric cooling fans may auto-matically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or the coolant temperature is high.
( P. 529)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc. from getting in
your eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove the air cleaner filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter removed may cause excessive engine wear due to dirt in the air.
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go down slightly as the brake pads wear or when the fluid level in the accumulator is high.
If the reservoir needs frequent refillin g, it may indicate a serious problem.
5187-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC200t_RC F_EE(OM24728E)
Pull the hood lock release lever.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Pull up the auxiliary catch lever and
lift the hood.
Hood
Release the lock from the inside of the vehicle to open the hood.
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WARNING
■Pre-driving check
Check that the hood is fully closed and locked. If the hood is not locked properly, it may op en while the vehicle is in motion and cause
an accident, which may result in death or serious injury.
5337-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC200t_RC F_EE(OM24728E)
WARNING
■Chemicals in the battery
Batteries contain poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. To redu ce the risk of death or serious injury, take
the following precautions while working on or near the battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touching the battery terminals with tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses when working near the battery.
●Keep children away from the battery.
■Where to safely charge the battery
Always charge the battery in an open area. Do not charge the battery in a garage or
closed room where there is insufficient ventilation.
■Emergency measures regarding electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get immediate medical attention. If possible, continue to apply water with a sponge or cloth while traveling tothe nearest medical facility.
●If electrolyte gets on your skinWash the affected area thoroughly. If you f eel pain or burning, get medical attention immediately.
●If electrolyte gets on your clothesIt can soak through clothing on to your sk in. Immediately take off the clothing and fol- low the procedure above if necessary.
●If you accidentally swallow electrolyteDrink a large quantity of water or milk. Get emergency medical attention immedi-ately.
NOTICE
■When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the engine is running. Also, be sure all accessories
are turned off.
■When adding distilled water
Avoid overfilling. Water spilled during battery recharging may cause corrosion.
5377-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC200t_RC F_EE(OM24728E)
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.
Vehicles without the tire inflation pressure display function
If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the driver is warned by a
warning light. ( P. 593)
Vehicles with the tire inflation pressure display function
●If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the driver is warned by
a screen display and a warning light. ( P. 593, 609)
●The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( P. 131, 139)
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 any authorized Lexus dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional. ( P. 538)
◆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
traveling speed.
●When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system
5387-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC200t_RC F_EE(OM24728E)
■How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in a safe place and turn the engine switch off.
Initialization cannot be perfor med while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure
level. ( P. 679)
Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure level. The tire pressure warning system will operate based on this pressure level.
Turn the engine switch to IGNITION ON mode.
Press and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light blinks
slowly 3 times.
Wait for a few minutes with the engine switch in IGNITION ON mode and
then turn the engine switch off.
◆Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a unique ID
code. When replacing a tire pressure wa rning valve and transmitter, it is nec-
essary to register the ID code. Have the ID code registered by any authorized
Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
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5397-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC200t_RC F_EE(OM24728E)
■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 any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qual- ified and equipped professional.
■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 10 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1 minu te 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 re place 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 (vehicles with the tire pressure warning system featuring a tire inflation pressure display function)
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 en gine switch to off and then to IGNITION ON
mode, or initialize the system after checking th at the tire pressure is properly adjusted.
■Low profile tires (except 17-inch tires)
Generally, low profile tires will wear more ra pidly and tire grip performance will be
reduced on snowy and/or icy roads when comp ared 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.
■If the tread on snow tires wears down below 4 mm (0.16 in.)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost.
5417-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC200t_RC F_EE(OM24728E)
■When initialization of the tire pressure warning system has failed
Initialization can be co mpleted in a few minutes. However, in the following cases, the set- tings have not been recorded and the syst em will not operate properly. If repeated
attempts to record tire inflation pressure settings are unsuccessful, have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
●When operating the tire pressure warning re set switch, the tire pressure warning light does not blink 3 times.
●After carrying out the initializat ion procedure, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1
minute then stays on after driving for 20 minutes.
■Registering ID codes
The ID codes of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitters for two sets of wheels
can be registered.
It is not necessary to register the ID codes wh en replacing normal tires with snow tires, if the ID codes for the wheels of both normal tires and snow tires are registered before-
hand.
For information about changing ID codes, as k any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
5557-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC200t_RC F_EE(OM24728E)
WARNING
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents. Failure to do so may cause damage to parts of the drivetrain as well as dangerous han-
dling characteristics, which may lead to an acc ident resulting in death or serious injury.
●Do not mix tires of different makes, models or tread patterns. Also, do not mix tires of remarkably different treadwear.
●Do not use tire sizes other th an those recommended by Lexus.
●Do not mix differently constructed tires (radial, bias-belted or bias-ply tires).
●Do not mix summer, all season and snow tires.
●Do not use tires that have been used on another vehicle. Do not use tires if you do not know how they were used previously.
●Vehicles with a compact spare tire: Do not tow if your vehicle has a compact spare
tire installed.
●Vehicles with an emergency tire puncture repa ir kit: Do not tow anything if a tire that has been repaired using the emergency tire puncture repair kit is installed. The load
on the tire may cause unexpected damage to the tire.
■When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not operate the tire pressure warning re set switch without first adjusting the tire
inflation pressure to the specified level. Ot herwise, the tire pressure warning light may not come on even if the tire inflation pressu re is low, or it may come on when the tire inflation pressure is actually normal.
■Caution regarding interference with electronic devices (vehicles with the tire pres-sure warning system featuring a tire inflation pressure display function)
●Users of any electrical medical device other than implantable cardiac pacemakers,cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemakers or implantable cardioverterdefibrillators should consult the manufacturer of the device for information about its
operation under the influence of radio waves. Radio waves could have unexpected effects on the operation of such medicaldevices.
●People with implantable cardiac pacemakers,cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemak-ers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators
should not come within 450 mm (17.7 in.) of the tire pressure warning system initiators.The radio waves may affect the operation of
such devices.