
370 6-2. Maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) Radiator, con-
denser, inter-
cooler radiator
and intercooler
sub radiator The radiator, con-
denser, intercooler
radiator and inter-
cooler sub radiator
should be free from
foreign objects.
( → P.382)
Washer fluid Is there sufficient
washer fluid?
( → P.383)
Trunk Items Check points
Battery Check the connec-
tions. ( → P.384)
Vehicle interior Items Check points
Accelerator
pedal • The accelerator
pedal should move
smoothly (without
uneven pedal effort
or catching).
Automatic trans-
mission “Park”
mechanism •When parked on a
slope and the shift
position is in P, is the
vehicle securely
stopped?Items Check points
Brake pedal •Does the brake
pedal move
smoothly?
•Does the brake
pedal have appro-
priate clearance
from the floor?
•Does the brake
pedal have the cor-
rect amount of free
play?
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/buzz-
ers •Do the indicators
and buzzers function
properly?
Lights • Do all the lights
come on?Items Check points

3756-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care 1 Pull the hood lock release lever.The hood will pop up slightly.
2 Pull up the auxiliary catch lever and
lift the hood. ■
Front
2WD modelsHood
Opening the hood
WARNING
■
Pre-driving check
Check that the hood is fully closed and
locked.
If the hood is not locked properly, it may
open while the vehicle is in motion and
cause an accident, which may result in
death or serious injury. Positioning a floor jack When using a floor jack, follow the
instructions in the manual provided
with the jack and perform the oper-
ation safely.
When raising your vehicle with a
floor jack, position the jack cor-
rectly. Improper placement may
damage your vehicle or cause
injury.
Location of the jack point

3836-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care ■
Checking fluid level
The brake fluid level should be
between the “MAX” and “MIN” lines
on the tank.
■
Adding fluid
Make sure to check the fluid type and
prepare the necessary item.
Fluid type FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703
brake fluid
FMVSS No.116 DOT 4 or SAE J1704
brake fluid
Item Clean funnel
■
Brake fluid can absorb moisture from
the air
Excess moisture in the brake fluid can cause
a dangerous loss of braking efficiency. Use
only newly opened brake fluid. If any washer does not work or the
warning message appears on the
multi-information display, the washer
tank may be empty. Add washer fluid.WARNING■
When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator, condenser,
intercooler radiator or intercooler sub
radiator as they may be hot and cause
serious injuries, such as burns.
Checking and adding the brake
fluid WARNING■
When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm your
hands and 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, see a
doctor.
NOTICE■
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 out
or when the fluid leve l in the accumulator
is high.
If the reservoir need s frequent refilling,
there may be a serious problem.
Adding the washer fluid
WARNING
■
When adding washer fluid
Do not add washer fluid when the engine
is hot or running as washer fluid contains
alcohol and may catch fire if spilled on
the engine, etc.

3856-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care battery was disconnect ed. Make sure to
turn off the engine before disconnecting
the battery. Take extra care when con-
necting the battery if the engine switch
mode prior to discharge is unknown.
If the system will not st art even after multiple
attempts, contact your Lexus dealer.
Make sure that the battery terminals
are not corroded and that there are no
loose connections, cracks, or loose
clamps.WARNING■
Chemicals in the battery
The battery contains poisonous and cor-
rosive sulfuric acid and may produce
hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. To reduce the risk of death or
serious injury, take the following precau-
tions while working on or near the bat-
tery: ●
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 to the nearest medical
facility. ●
If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thoroughly. If
you feel pain or burning, get medical
attention immediately. ●
If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can soak through clothing on to your
skin. Immediately take off the clothing
and follow the procedure above if nec-
essary. ●
If you accidentally swallow electrolyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk.
Get emergency medical attention
immediately. ■
When replacing the battery
Use a battery designed for this vehicle.
Failure to do so may cause gas (hydro-
gen) to enter the passenger compart-
ment, causing a fire or explosion.
For replacement of the battery, contact
your Lexus dealer.
NOTICE■
When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the
engine is running. Also, be sure all acces-
sories are turned off.
Exterior

3896-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care before serious problems arise.
The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( → P.76)
If the tire pressure drops below a
predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a
warning light. ( → P.422)
■
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.
■
Tire inflation pressure
●
It may take a few minutes to display the
tire inflation pressure after the engine
switch is turned to IGNITION ON mode.
It may also take a few minutes to display
the tire inflation pres sure after inflation
pressure has been adjusted.
●
Tire inflation pressu re changes with tem-
perature. The displayed values may also be different from the values measured
using a tire pressure gauge. ■
Situations in which the tire pressure
warning system may not operate prop-
erly ●
In the following cases, the tire pressure
warning system may not operate prop-
erly.
• If non-genuine Lexus wheels are used.
• If a tire has been replaced with a tire that
is not an OE (Original Equipment) tire.
• If a tire has been replaced with a tire that
is not of the specified size.
• If tire chains, etc. are installed.
• An auxiliary-supported run-flat tire is
equipped.
• If a window tint that affects the radio wave
signals is installed.
• If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehi-
cle, particularly around the wheels or
wheel housings.
• If the tire inflation pressure is much higher
than the specified level.
• If wheels not equipped with tire pressure
warning valves and transmitter are used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warn-
ing valves and transmitters is not regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning
computer. ●
Performance may be af fected in the fol-
lowing situations.
• When driving near a TV tower, electric
power plant, gas stat ion, radio station,
large display, airport or other facility that
generates strong radi o waves or electri-
cal noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular
phone, cordless phone or other wireless
communication device
If tire position information is not correctly
displayed due to the radio wave conditions,
the display may be corrected by changing
the location of the vehicle as the radio wave
conditions may change.
●
When the vehicle is stopped, the time
taken for the warning to start or turn off
may be longer.
●
When the inflation pressure of a tire
drops rapidly, for example when a tire has
burst, the warning may not operate.

392 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) When replacing the tires or wheels, the
tire pressure warning valve and trans-
mitters must be installed to the wheels
which will be installed to the vehicle.
When new tire pressure warning
valves and transmitte rs are installed,
new ID codes must be registered in the
tire pressure warning computer and
the tire pressure warning system must
be initialized. ( → P.394)■
Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID codes of the tire pressure warning
valve and transmitters are not registered,
the tire pressure warning system will not
work properly. In this case, after driving for
about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning
light will blink for ap proximately 1 minute
and then illuminate to indicate a system
malfunction. ■
The tire pressure warning system
must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when changing
traveling speed or load weight.
When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when the tire size
is changed.
When rotating the tires.
After performing the transmitter ID
code registration procedure.
( → P.394)
When the tire pressure warning system
is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pres-
sure. ■
How to initialize the tire pressure
warning system
1 Park the vehicle in a safe place and
turn the engine switch off. The initialization pr ocedure cannot be
started while the vehicle is moving.
2 Adjust the tire inflation pressure to
the specified cold tire inflation pres-
sure level. Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the
specified cold tire infl ation pressure level.
The tire pressure warning system will oper-
ate based on this pressure level.
3 Turn the engine switch to IGNI-
TION ON mode.
4 Press or of the meter con-
trol switch to select .Installing tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters
NOTICE■
Repairing or replacing tires, wheels,
tire pressure warning valves, trans-
mitters and tire valve caps●
When removing or fitting the wheels,
tires or the tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters, contact your
Lexus dealer as the tire pressure warn-
ing valves and transmitters may be
damaged if not handled correctly.
●
Make sure to install the tire valve caps.
If the tire valve caps are not installed,
water may enter the valves of the tire
pressure warning valve and transmit-
ters and the valves may become stuck.
●
When replacing tire valve caps, do not
use tire valve caps other than those
specified. The cap may become stuck. Initializing the tire pressure
warning system

3936-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care 5 Press or to select “Vehicle
Settings” and then press .
6 Press or to select “TPWS”
and then press .
7 Press or to select “Set
Pressure”. Then press and hold
until the tire pressure warning light
blinks 3 times.Then a message will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
“--” will be displayed on the multiinforma-
tion display for the inflation pressure of
each tire while initia lization is being per-
formed.
8 Drive straight (with occasional left
and right turns) at approximately
25 mph (40 km/h) or more for
approximately 10 to 30 minutes.Initialization is complete when the position
of each tire is determined and the inflation
pressure of each tire is displayed on the
multi-information display.
Initialization may take longer than approxi-
mately 1 hour in certain situations, such as
when the vehicle is stopped for a long time
at traffic lights, etc. ( → P.393)
■
Initialization procedure
●
Make sure to perform the initialization
procedure after adjusting the tire inflation
pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before performing the initia lization procedure or
adjusting the tire inflation pressure. ●
If the engine switch is turned off during
initialization, it is no t necessary to restart
the initialization procedure from the
beginning as it will begin automatically
when the engine switch is turned back to
IGNITION ON mode. ●
If initialization has accidentally been
started when it is not necessary, adjust
the tire inflation pressure to the specified
level when the tires are cold and then
perform the initiali zation procedure
again. ●
While the position of each tire is being
determined and the inflation pressures
are not being displayed on the
multi-information display, if the inflation
pressure of a tire drops, the tire pressure
warning light will come on. ■
If the tire pressure warning system is not
initialized properly ●
In the following situations, initialization
may take longer than usual to be com-
pleted or may not be possible. (Usually,
the vehicle will need to be driven for
approximately 10 to 30 minutes to com-
plete initialization.) If initialization is not
complete after drivin g approximately 30
minutes, continue driving for a while.
• If the vehicle is driven on an unpaved
road, it may take longer to complete ini-
tialization.
• If the vehicle is backed up while perform-
ing initialization, data collected during ini-
tialization will be cleared and it will take
longer than normal to complete.
• If the vehicle is driven in heavy traffic or
another situation where other vehicles
are driven close by, it may take time for
the system to recognize the tire pressure
warning valve and transmitters of your
vehicle over those of other vehicles.
If initialization is not complete after driving
for approximately 1 hour, park the vehicle in
a safe place for approximately 20 minutes
and then drive the vehicle again.
●
In the following situations, initialization
will not be started or was not completed
properly and the system will not operate
properly. Perform the initialization proce-

394 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) dure again.
• If, when attempting to start initialization,
the tire pressure warning light does not
blink 3 times.
• If, when the vehicle has been driven for
about 20 minutes after performing ini-
tialization, the tire pressure warning light
blinks for approximately 1 minute and
then illuminates.●
If initialization cannot be completed after
performing the above procedure, con-
tact your Lexus dealer.
Every tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter has a unique ID code.
When replacing a tire pressure warn-
ing valve and transmitter, it is necessary
to register the ID codes.
The ID codes can be registered on
of the multi-information display.
1 Press or of the meter con-
trol switch to select .
2 Press or to select “Vehicle
Settings” and then press .
3 Press or to select “TPWS”
and then press . 4 Press or to select “Change
Wheel Set”. Then press and hold
until the tire pressure warning
light blinks slowly 3 times. Then a message will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
When registration is being performed, the
tire pressure warning light will blink for
approximately 1 minute then illuminate and
“--” will be displayed for the inflation pres-
sure of each tire on the multi-information
display.
5 Drive straight (with occasional left
and right turns) at approximately
25 mph (40 km/h) or more for
approximately 10 to 30 minutes. Registration is complete when the tire
pressure warning light turns off and the
inflation pressure of ea ch tire is displayed
on the multiinformation display.
Registration may take longer than approxi-
mately 1 hour in certain situations, such as
when the vehicle is stopped for a long time
at traffic lights, etc. ( → P.395)
After registering the ID codes, make sure
to initialize the tire pressure warning sys-
tem. ( → P.392)
■
When registering ID codes
●
Before performing ID code registration,
make sure that no wheels with tire pres-
sure warning valve and transmitters
installed are near the vehicle.
●
Make sure to initializ e the tire pressure
warning system after registering the ID WARNING■
When initializing the tire pressure
warning system
Do not initialize the tire pressure warning
system without first adjusting the tire
inflation pressure to the specified level.
Otherwise, the tire pressure warning
light may not come on even if the tire
inflation pressure is low, or it may come
on when the tire inflation pressure is
actually normal.
Registering ID codes