
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

364 6-1. Maintenance and care
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) WARNING■
Precaution regarding the front
bumper (vehicles with Lexus Safety
System+A)
If the paint of the fr ont bumper is chipped
or scratched, the Lexus Safety System+A
may not function correctly. If this occurs,
consult your Lexus dealer. ■
Precaution regarding the rear
bumper
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped
or scratched, the fo llowing systems may
not function correctly. If this occurs, con-
sult your Lexus dealer. ●
Lexus Safety System+A (if equipped)●
BSM (if equipped)●
RCTA (if equipped)●
PKSB (if equipped)
NOTICE■
To prevent paint deterioration and
corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels, etc.)●
Wash the vehicle immediately in the
following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the
paint surface
• If dead insects, in sect droppings or
bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated
with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron
powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled
with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline
are spilled on the paint surface ●
If the paint is chipped or scratched,
have it repaired immediately. ●
To prevent the wheels from corroding,
remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the
wheels. ■
Cleaning the exterior lights ●
Wash carefully. Do not use organic
substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the
lights. ●
Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the
lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses. ■
When using an automatic car wash
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate and the wiper blades
may be damaged. ■
When using a high pressure car wash ●
When washing the vehicle, do not
spray the camera or its surrounding
area directly with a high pressure
washer. Shock applied from high pres-
sure water may cause the device to not
operate normally. ●
Do not bring the nozzle tip close to
boots (rubber or re sin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following
parts. The parts may be damaged if
they come into contact with high-pres-
sure water.
• Traction related parts
•Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts

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

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.

410 7-1. Essential information
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) 7-1.Essential information
Press the switch to flash all of the turn
signal lights. To turn them off, press the switch once
again.
■
Emergency flashers●
If the emergency flashers are used for a
long time while the engine is not running,
the battery may discharge.●
If any of the SRS airbags deploy (inflate)
or in the event of a strong rear impact, the
emergency flashers will turn on automati-
cally.
The emergency flashers will turn off auto-
matically after operating for approxi-
mately 20 minutes. To manually turn the
emergency flashers off, press the switch
twice.
(The emergency flashers may not turn on
automatically depending on the force of
the impact and conditions of the colli-
sion.) 1 Steadily step on the brake pedal
with both feet and firmly depress it. Do not pump the brake pedal repeatedly
as this will increase the effort required to
slow the vehicle.
2 Shift the shift position to N.
If the shift position is shifted to N
3 After slowing down, stop the vehi-
cle in a safe place by the road.
4 Stop the engine.
If the shift position cannot be shifted
to N
3 Keep depressing the brake pedal
with both feet to reduce vehicle
speed as much as possible.
4 To stop the engine, press and hold
the engine switch for 2 consecutive Emergency flashers The emergency flashers are used to
warn other drivers when the vehicle
has to be stopped on the road due
to a breakdown, etc.
Operating instructions If your vehicle has to be
stopped in an emergency Only in an emergency, such as if it
becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way, stop the
vehicle using the following proce-
dure:
Stopping the vehicle

418 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) ■
Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)
■
Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)
■
High coolant temperature warning light *
(warning buzzer)*
: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer soundsCalmly perform the following actions if any of the warning lights comes on or
flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, bu t then goes off, this does not necessar-
ily indicate a malfunction in the system. However, if this continues to occur,
have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Actions to the warning lights or warning buzzers Warning light Details/Actions(U.S.A.)
or (red)
(Canada) Indicates that:
The brake fluid level is low; or
The brake system is malfunctioning
→ Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your Lexus
dealer. Continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous.
Indicates that the brake pads are worn out (only the right-side pads can
be detected)
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Warning light Details/Actions
(yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in:
The electronically controlled br ake system (if equipped); or
The parking brake system
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Warning light Details/Actions
Indicates that the engine coolant temperature is too high
→ Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Handling method ( → P.443)

420 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) ■
Pop Up Hood warning light (warning buzzer)
■
ABS warning light (warning buzzer)
■
Brake Override System warning light/Drive-Start Control warning light *
(warning buzzer)
*
: This light illuminates on the multi-information display. Warning light Details/Actions
Indicates that the Pop Up Hood system has operated
→ The Pop Up Hood system cannot be reused once it has operated.
Have it replaced by your Lexus dealer.
Indicates a malfunction in the Pop Up Hood system
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Warning light Details/Actions(U.S.A.)
or (Canada) Indicates a malfunction in:
The ABS; or
The brake assist system
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Warning light Details/Actions
When a buzzer sounds:
Brake Override System is malfunctioning;
Drive-Start Control is operating;
Drive-Start Control is malfunctioning; or
Parking Support Brake function (for static objects) is operating
→ Follow the instructions displayed on the multi-information display.
When a buzzer does not sound:
Brake Override System is operating
→ Release the accelerator pedal and depress the brake pedal.

424 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LS500_OM_OM50F54U_(U) ■
PKSB OFF indicator (warning buzzer)
■
PCS warning light (warning buzzer)
■
Slip indicator Warning light Details/Actions
(flashes)
(if equipped) When a buzzer sounds:
Indicates a malfunction in the PK SB (Parking Support Brake) system
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
When a buzzer does not sound:
Indicates that the system is temporarily unavailable, possibly due to a
sensor being dirty or covered with ice, etc.
→ Follow the instructions displayed on the multi-information display.
( → P.275, 428)
Warning light Details/Actions
(flashes or illumi-
nates) Indicates a malfunction in the PCS (Pre-Collision System) or that the
system is temporarily unavailable due to the vehicle being extremely
hot/cold, or dirt around a front sensor, etc.
→ Follow the instructions displayed on the multi-information display.
( → P.210, 217, 430)
If the PCS (Pre-Collision System) or VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
system is disabled, the PCS warning light will illuminate.
→ P.210, 217
Warning light Details/Actions
Indicates a malfunction in:
The VSC system;
The TRAC system;
The hill-start assist control system;
The VGRS system (if equipped); or
The DRS system (if equipped)
→ Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.