4717-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
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.
4837-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
WARNING
■Chemicals in the 12-volt battery
The 12-volt battery contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. To reduce the risk of death or serious
injury, take the following precautions whil e working on or near the 12-volt battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touching the 12-volt battery terminals with tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match near the 12-volt battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses when working near the 12-volt battery.
●Keep children away from the 12-volt battery.
■Where to safely charge the 12-volt battery
Always charge the 12-volt battery in an open area. Do not charge the 12-volt battery in
a garage or closed room where th ere is insufficient ventilation.
■How to recharge the 12-volt battery
Only perform a slow charge (5 A or less). The 12-volt battery may explode if charged
at a quicker rate.
■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.
■When replacing the 12-volt battery
Use a 12-volt battery designed for this vehicle. Failure to do so may cause gas (hydro- gen) to enter the passenger compartment, causing a fire or explosion.
For replacement of the 12-volt battery, contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
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.
4867-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
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 predetermined level, the driver is warned by
a screen display and a warning light. ( P. 539, 552)
●The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( P. 121)
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. 487)
Tire pressure warning system
4877-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
◆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.
■How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in a safe place and turn the power 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. 604)
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 power switch to 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 power switch in ON mode and then turn
the power 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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4887-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
■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
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, orinitialize the system after checking that the tire pressure is properly adjusted.
■Low profile 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.
4907-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
■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.
4977-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
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.
●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
●Users of any electrical medical device other than implantable cardiac pacemakers,
cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators should consult the manufacturer of the device for information about itsoperation under the influence of radio waves.
Radio waves could have unexpected effects on the operation of such medical devices.
●People with implantable cardiac pacemakers,
cardiac resynchronization therapy-pacemak- ers or implantable cardioverter defibrillatorsshould not come within 450 mm (17.7 in.) of
the tire pressure warning system initiators. The radio waves may affect the operation ofsuch devices.
5027-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
Raise the vehicle until the tire is
slightly raised off the ground.
Remove all the wheel nuts and the
tire.
When resting the tire on the ground,
place the tire so that the wheel design faces up to avoid scratching the wheelsurface.
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WARNING
■Replacing a flat tire
●Do not touch the disc wheels or the area around the brakes immediately after thevehicle has been driven.
After the vehicle has been driven the disc wheels and the area around the brakes will be extremely hot. Touching these areas wi th hands, feet or other body parts while changing a tire, etc. may result in burns.
●Failure to follow these precautions could cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the tireto fall off, resulting in death or serious injury.
• Never use oil or grease on the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
Oil and grease may cause the wheel nuts to be excessively tightened, leading to bolt or disc wheel damage. In addition, the oil or grease can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel may fall off, causing a serious accident. Remove any oil or
grease from the wheel bolts or wheel nuts. • Have the wheel nuts tightened with a torque wrench to 103 N•m (10.5 kgf•m,76 ft•lbf) as soon as possible after changing wheels.
• Do not attach a heavily damaged wheel or nament, as it may fly off the wheel while the vehicle is moving.• When installing a tire, only use wheel nuts that have been specifically designed for
that wheel. • If there are any cracks or deformations in the bolt screws, nut threads or bolt holesof the wheel, have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Lexus dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualif ied and equipped professional.