2018 LEXUS LS500 tires

300 4-6. Driving tips
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) Perform the following according to the
driving conditions:
 Do not try to forcib ly open a window
or move a wiper that is frozen. Pour
warm water over the frozen area to
melt the ice. Wipe away the water
immediately to prevent it from
freezing.
 To ensure proper operation of the
climate control system fan, remove
any snow that has accumulated on
the air inlet vents in front of the
windshield.
 Check for and remove any excess
ice or snow that may have accumu-
lated on the exterior lights, vehicle’s
roof, chassis, around the tires or on
the brakes.
 Remove any snow or mud from the
bottom of your shoes before getting
in the vehicle.
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a
safe distance between you and the
vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced
speed suitable to road conditions. Park the vehicle and shift the shift posi-
tion to P without setting the parking
brake. The parking brake may freeze
up, preventing it from being released. If
the vehicle is parked without setting
the parking brake, make sure to block
the wheels.
Failure to do so may be dangerous
because it may cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly, possibly leading to
an accident. 
Vehicles with front and rear tires of
the same size
Use the correct tire chain size when
mounting the tire chains.
Chain size is regulated for each tire
size.
Side chain (0.12 in. [3 mm] in diam-
eter)
Cross chain (0.16 in. [4 mm] in
diameter) 
Vehicles with front and rear tires of
differing sizes
Tire chains cannot be mounted.
Snow tires should be used instead.NOTICE■
Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow
tires from Lexus dealers or legitimate tire
retailers.
This is because the removal and attach-
ment of snow tires affects the operation
of the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters.
Before driving the vehicle
When driving the vehicle When parking the vehicle
Selecting tire chains
A
B

3014-6. Driving tips
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 4
Driving Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary depending on location and
type of road. Always check local regu-
lations before installing chains. ■
Tire chain installation
Observe the following precautions when
installing and removing chains: ●
Install and remove tire chains in a safe
location.●
Install tire chains on the rear tires. Do not
install tire chains on the front tires.●
Install tire chains on the rear tires as
tightly as possible. Retighten chains after
driving 1/4 ⎯ 1/2 mile (0.5 ⎯ 1.0 km).●
Install tire chains following the instruc-
tions provided with the tire chains.
To enable the windshield wipers to be
lifted when heavy snow or icy condi-
tions are expected, change the rest
position of the windshield wipers from
the retracted position below the hood
to the service position using the wiper
lever. ( → P.183)Regulations on the use of tire
chains
NOTICE■
Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters may not function correctly
when tire chains are fitted.
Windshield wipers

361
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 6 6
Maintenance and care Maintenance and care .
6-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehi-
cle exterior ................................ 362
Cleaning and protecting the vehi-
cle interior ................................. 365
6-2. Maintenance
Maintenance requirements
........................................................ 368
General maintenance ............. 369
Emission inspection and mainte-
nance (I/M) programs ......... 372
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions
........................................................ 373
Hood............................................... 375
Positioning a floor jack............ 375
Engine compartment............... 377
Battery ........................................... 384
Tires ................................................ 386
Replacing the tire ...................... 396
Tire inflation pressure .............. 399
Wheels............................................ 401
Air conditioning filter............... 402
Electronic key battery ............. 403
Checking and replacing fuses
........................................................ 405
Light bulbs .................................... 408

3716-2. Maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care Parking brake • Does the parking
brake operate nor-
mally?
•When parked on a
slope and the park-
ing brake is on, is the
vehicle securely
stopped?
Seat belts • Do the seat belts
operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should
not be damaged.
Seats • Do the seat controls
operate properly?
Steering wheel • Does the steering
wheel rotate
smoothly?
• Does the steering
wheel have the cor-
rect amount of free
play?
•There should not be
any strange sounds
coming from the
steering wheel.
Vehicle exterior Items Check points
Doors/trunk • Do the doors/trunk
operate smoothly?
Engine hood •Does the engine
hood lock system
work properly?
Fluid leaks •There should not be
any signs of fluid
leakage after the
vehicle has been
parked.Items Check points
Tires • Is the tire inflation
pressure correct?
• The tires should not
be damaged or
excessively worn.
• Have the tires been
rotated according to
the maintenance
schedule?
•The wheel nuts
should not be loose.
Windshield wip-
ers • The wiper blades
should not show any
signs of cracking,
splitting, wear, con-
tamination or defor-
mation.
• The wiper blades
should clear the
windshield without
streaking or skip-
ping.Items Check points

386 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) Terminals
Hold-down clamp
Check the battery condition by indica-
tor color.
Blue: Good condition
Red: Charging is necessary.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Lexus dealer.
Clear: Replacement is necessary.
Have the battery checked by your
Lexus dealer. Check if the treadw ear indicators are
showing on the tires. Also check the
tires for uneven wear, such as excessive
wear on one side of the tread.
New tread
Worn tread
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 indica-
tors are showing on a tire.Checking the battery condition A
B
A
B
C Tires Replace or rotate tires in accor-
dance with maintenance schedules
and treadwear.
Checking tires
A
B
C

3876-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care ■
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
properly repaired due to the size or loca-
tion of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Lexus
dealer. ■
Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked
by a qualified technician even if it has sel-
dom or never been used or damage is not
obvious. ■
Maximum load of tire
Check that the maximum load of the
replacement tire is greater than 1/2 of the
Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) of
either the front axle or the rear axle, which-
ever 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 mentioned on the sidewall of the
tire. ( → P.459)
■
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 recom-
mended. 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 conditions as well
as for use year-round. All season tires,
however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in
heavy or loose snow. Also, all season tires
fall short in accelerati on and handling per-
formance 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 instal led tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equip-
ment, make sure your snow tires also have
radial construction. Do not install studded
tires without first checking local regula-
tions for possible restrictions. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels.
( → P.299) ■
If the tread on snow tires wears down
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.
WARNING
■
When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
parts of the drive train as well as danger-
ous handling characteristics, which may
lead to an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.

388 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 
Vehicles with front and rear tires of
the same size
Rotate the tires in the order shown. To equalize tire wear and extend tire life,
Lexus recommends that tire rotation is car-
ried out at the same in terval as tire inspec-
tion.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation. 
Vehicles with front and rear tires of
differing sizes
Tires cannot be rotated.
When run-flat tires are installed, the
vehicle can be driven for a maximum of
100 miles (160 km) at a speed below
50 mph (80 km/h) after any tire goes
flat. (However, the vehicle speed may
not increase to near 50 mph [80
km/h] depending on weather or driv-
ing conditions.)
A run-flat tire has a mark on
the side wall. Make sure to replace the flat tire before the
vehicle has been driven for near 100 miles
(160 km). Also, do not use a repaired tire.
■
Run-flat tires ●
The run-flat tires are for only this vehicle.
Do not use the tires on other vehicles. ●
Do not mix run-flat tires and normal tires.
●
If non-genuine Lexus wheels are used, it
may be impossible to sufficiently demon-
strate the performance of run-flat tires.
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure warning system that uses tire
pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters to detect low ti re inflation pressure WARNING●
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 than those
recommended by Lexus.●
Do not mix differently constructed
tires (radial, bias-b elted 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.
NOTICE■
Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving on
roads with loose surfaces or potholes.
These conditions may cause losses in tire
inflation pressure, reducing the cushion-
ing ability of the tires. In addition, driving
on rough roads may cause damage to
the tires themselves, as well as the vehi-
cle’s wheels and body.
Tire rotation Run-flat tires
Tire pressure warning system

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