460
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
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 tem-perature.
The restoration time may become shorter when the coating is warmed by applying warm water.
●Deep scratches caused by keys, coins, etc. cannot be restored.
●Do not use wax that contains abrasives.
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors before washing the vehicle. Start washing from the front of the vehicle.
Make sure to extend th e mirrors before driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle body and damage the paint.
■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 vehicle and maintain it in prime condi-
tion:
4707-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
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
●Make sure that the “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION ON” on the multi-informationdisplay and the “READY” indicator are both off.
●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 drivingas 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 enginecompartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel. Fuel fumes are flamma-
ble.
●Be extremely cautious when working on the 12-volt battery. It contains poisonous and corrosive 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 cleanwater immediately.
If you still experience discomfort, consult a doctor.
■When working near the electric cooling fans or radiator grille
Be sure the power switch is off.
With the power switch in ON mode, the electric cooling fans may automatically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or the coolant temperature is high. ( P. 480)
■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.
5057-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
■Effects of incorrect tire inflation pressure
Driving with incorrect tire inflation pressure may result in the following:
●Reduced fuel economy
●Reduced driving comfort and poor handling
●Reduced tire life due to wear
●Reduced safety
●Damage to the drivetrain
If a tire needs frequent inflating, have it checked by any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qua lified and equipped professional.
■Instructions for checking tire inflation pressure
When checking tire inflation pressure, observe the following:
●Check only when the tires are cold. If your vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours or has not been driven for more than
1.5 km or 1 mile, you will get an accurate cold tire inflation pressure reading.
●Always use a tire pressure gauge. It is difficult to judge if a tire is prop erly inflated based only on its appearance.
●It is normal for the tire inflation pressure to be higher after driving as heat is generated in the tire. Do not reduce tire inflation pressure after driving.
●Passengers and luggage weight should be placed so that the vehicle is balanced.
Tire inflation pressure
Make sure to maintain proper tire infl ation pressure. Tire inflation pressure
should be checked at least once per month. However, Lexus recommends
that tire inflation pressure be checked once every two weeks. ( P. 604)
5398-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
Automatic headlight leveling system warning light Indicates a malfunction in the au tomatic headlight leveling system
Have the vehicle inspected by any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professionalimmediately.
Open door warning light (warning buzzer)*1
Indicates that a door or the trunk is not fully closed
Check that both side doors and the trunk are closed.
Low fuel level warning light Indicates that remaining fuel is approximately 10 L (2.6 gal., 2.2 Imp.gal.) or less
Refuel the vehicle.
Driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt reminder light (warning
buzzer)*2
Warns the driver and/or front passe nger to fasten their seat belts Fasten the seat belt.
If the front passenger’s seat is occupied, the front passenger’s seat belt also needs to be fastened to make the warning light(warning buzzer) turn off.
Rear passengers’ seat belt reminder lights (warning buzzer)*2
Warns the rear passengers to fasten their seat belts Fasten the seat belt.
Master warning light A buzzer sounds and the warning light comes on and flashes to
indicate that the master warnin g system has detected a malfunc- tion. P. 542
Tire pressure warning light
When the light comes on: Low tire inflation pressure such as• Natural causes ( P. 540)
• Flat tire ( P. 563) Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified level. The light will turn off after a few minutes. If the warning light
does not turn off after a few minutes, perform initialization ( P. 487). If the light does not turn off after performing initialization,have the system checked by any authorized Lexus dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
When the light comes on af ter blinking for 1 minute:
Malfunction in the tire pressure warning system Have the system checked by any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
Warning lightWarning light/Details/Actions
5408-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
*1: Open door warning buzzer:
P. 544
*2: Seat belt warning buzzer:
The seat belt warning buzzer sounds to al ert the driver, front passenger and rear pas- sengers that his or her seat belt is not fastened. The buzzer sounds for 30 seconds
after the vehicle reaches a speed of 20 km/h (12 mph). Then, if the seat belt is still unfastened, the buzzer will sound in a different tone for 90 more seconds.
■Front passenger detection sensor, seat belt reminder and warning buzzer
●If luggage is placed on a front passenger seat, the front passenger detection sensormay cause the warning light to flash and the warning buzzer to sound even if a passen-
ger is not sitting in the seat.
●If a cushion is placed on the seat, the sensor may not detect a passenger, and the warn- ing light may not operate properly.
■If the malfunction indicator lamp comes on while driving
The malfunction indicator lamp will come on if the fuel tank becomes completely empty. If the fuel tank is empty, refuel the vehicle immediately. The malfunction indicator lamp
will go off after several trips.
If the malfunction indicator lamp does not go off, contact any authorized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qualified and eq uipped professional as soon as possible.
■Electric power steering system warning light (warning buzzer)
When the 12-volt battery charge becomes insufficient or the voltage temporarily drops, the electric power steering system warning light may come on and the warning buzzer
may sound.
■When the tire pressure warning light comes on
Carry out the following procedure after the tire temperature has lowered sufficiently.
●Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust to the appropriate level.
●If the warning light does not go out even afte r several minutes, check that the tire infla- tion pressure is at the specifie d level and carry out initialization.
The warning light may come on again if the above operations are conducted without first allowing the tire temperature to lower sufficiently.
■The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may come on due to natural causes such as natural air leaks and tire inflation pressure changes caused by temperature. In this case, adjustingthe tire inflation pressure will turn off the warning light (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with the spare tire (if equipped)
The spare tire is not equipped with a tire pre ssure warning valve and transmitter. If a tire
goes flat, the tire pressure warning light will no t turn off even though the flat tire has been replaced with the spare tire.
■Conditions that the tire pressure warning system may not function properly
P. 489
5538-2. Steps to take in an emergency
8
When trouble arises
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
Indicates a malfunction in the tire pressure warning sys- tem
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and turn the power switch off then on again.If the tire pressure warning indicator flashes for 1
minute then illuminates, th ere is a malfunction in the system. Have the vehicle inspected by any autho-rized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qual-
ified and equipped professional.
Indicates that the tire position information cannot be rec- ognized Drive for a short while and check if the display
updates. If the radio wave conditions improve, the displaymay return to normal. If the tire pressure is still not
displayed after driving for several minutes, stop the vehicle in a safe place, turn the power switch offthen on again, and start driving.
If the tire pressure is still not displayed even after repeating this process several times, have the vehi-cle inspected by any authorized Lexus dealer or
repairer, or another duly qualified and equipped professional.
Maintenance of the hybrid battery (traction battery)
cooling component is required The filter may be clogged, the air intake vent may beblocked or there may be a gap in the duct
Have maintenance performed on the hybrid battery (traction battery) cooling component by any autho-rized Lexus dealer or repairer, or another duly qual-
ified and equipped professional.
Indicates that the washer fluid level is low Add washer fluid.
Indicates that remaining fuel is approximately 10 L (2.6 gal., 2.2 Imp. gal.) or less Refuel the vehicle.
Warning messageDetails/Actions
5768-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
One of the following may be the cause of the problem:
●The electronic key may not be functioning properly. (P. 580)
●There may not be sufficient fuel in the vehicle’s tank.
Refuel the vehicle.
●There may be a malfunction in the immobilizer system. ( P. 95)
●There may be a malfunction in the steering lock system.
●The hybrid system may be malfunctioning due to an electrical problem such
as electronic key battery depletion or a blown fuse. However, depending on
the type of malfunction, an interim measure is available to start the hybrid sys-
tem. ( P. 577)
One of the following may be the cause of the problem:
●The 12-volt battery may be discharged. ( P. 582)
●The 12-volt battery terminal connections may be loose or corroded.
( P. 481)
If the hybrid system will not start
Reasons for the hybrid system not starting vary depending on the situation.
Check the following and perform the appropriate procedure:
The hybrid system will not start even though the correct starting proce-
dure is being followed. ( P. 215)
The interior lights and headlights are dim, or the horn does not sound or
sounds at a low volume.
595
9Vehicle specifications
RC300h_EE(OM24740E)
9-1. Specifications
Maintenance data
(fuel, oil level, etc.) .................. 596
Fuel information..........................606
9-2. Customization
Customizable features ............ 607
9-3. Items to initialize
Items to initialize ...........................617