370 6-1. Maintenance and care
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 6-1.Maintenance and care
Working from top to bottom, liber-
ally 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 water-
proof 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 coat-
ing 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 ●
Before washing the vehicle:
• Fold the mirrors
• Turn off the power trunk opener and
closer
Start washing from the front of the vehicle.
Extend the mirrors before driving.●
Brushes used in automatic car washes
may scratch the vehicl e surface and harm
your vehicle’s paint. ■
High pressure car washes ●
Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash
to come within close proximity of the win-
dows and the air suspension unit (if
equipped). ●
Before using the car wash, check that the
fuel filler door on your vehicle is closed
properly. ■
When using a car wash
If the door handle becomes wet while the
electronic key is within the effective range,
the door may lock and unlock repeatedly. In
that case, follow the following correction
procedures to wash the vehicle: ●
Place the key in a position 6 ft. (2 m) or
more separate from the vehicle while the
vehicle is being wash ed. (Take care to
ensure that the key is not stolen.) ●
Set the electronic key to battery-saving
mode to disable the smart access system
with push-button start. ( → P.120)■
Aluminum wheels ●
Remove any dirt immediately by using a
neutral detergent. ●
Wash detergent off with water immedi-
ately after use.
●
To protect the paint from damage, make
sure to observe the following precau-
tions.
• Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive
detergent
• Do not use hard brushes
• Do not use detergent on the wheels when
they are hot, such as after driving or park-
ing in hot weatherCleaning and protecting the
vehicle exterior Perform cleaning in a manner
appropriate to each component
and its material.
Cleaning instructions
3816-2. Maintenance
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care 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
3936-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 6
Maintenance and care The 12-volt battery is located in the
trunk under the luggage mat.
Removing the luggage mat: → P.348
■
Before recharging
When recharging, the 12-volt battery pro-
duces hydrogen gas which is flammable
and explosive. Therefore, observe the fol-
lowing precautions before recharging: ●
If recharging with the 12-volt battery
installed on the vehicle, be sure to discon-
nect the ground cable. ●
Make sure the power switch on the char-
ger is off when connecting and discon-
necting the charger cables to the 12-volt
battery. ■
After recharging/reconnecting the
12-volt battery ●
Unlocking the doors using the smart
access system with push-button may not
be possible immediately after reconnect-
ing the 12-volt battery. If this happens, use
the wireless remote control or the
mechanical key to lo ck/unlock the doors.
●
Start the hybrid system with the power
switch in ACCESSORY mode. The
hybrid system may not start with the
power switch turned off. However, the
hybrid system will operate normally from
the second attempt.
●
The power switch mode is recorded by
the vehicle. If the 12-volt battery is recon-NOTICE■
Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as neces-
sary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed
on the label of the washer fluid bottle.
12-volt battery
Location
4457-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 7
When trouble arises
Remove the cover inside the trunk and
pull the lever.
Using the lever to open the fuel filler
door may not allow for an adequate
reduction in fuel tank pressure before
refueling. To prevent fuel from spilling
out, turn the cap slowly when removing
it. During refueling, fuel may spill out
from the filler opening due to air being
discharged from inside the fuel tank.
Therefore, fill the fuel tank carefully and
slowly. ■
When the electronic key does not work
properly ●
Make sure that the smart access system
with push-button star t has not been dis-
abled at your Lexus dealer. If it has been
disabled, re-enable it. ●
Check if battery-saving mo de is set. If it is
set, cancel the function. ( → P.120)
■
Unlocking the door
Use the mechanical key ( → P.106) in
order to perform th e following opera-
tions:If the fuel filler door cannot
be opened If the fuel filler door opener switch
cannot be operated, contact your
Lexus dealer to service the vehicle.
In case where refueling is urgently
necessary, the following procedure
can be used to open the fuel filler
door.
Opening the fuel filler door If the electronic key does not
operate properly If communication between the
electronic key and vehicle is inter-
rupted ( → P.120) or the electronic
key cannot be used because the
battery is depleted, the smart
access system with push-button
start and wireless remote control
cannot be used. In such cases, the
doors and trunk can be opened and
the hybrid system can be started by
following the procedure below.
NOTICE■
In case of a smart access system with
push-button start malfunction or
other key-rela ted problems
Take your vehicle with all the electronic
keys provided with your vehicle to your
Lexus dealer.
Locking and unlocking the
doors, unlocking the trunk
446 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 1 Pull the driver’s door handle and
insert the mechanical key.
2 Unlock the door.
3 Remove the key, return the handle,
and then pull the handle again. ■
Locking the door
1 With the door open, push down the
inside lock button.
2 Close the door. ■
Trunk
Turn the mechanical key clockwise to
open. ( → P.68) ■
Key linked functions
1 Closes the windows and the moon
roof (turn and hold)
2 Opens the windows and the moon
roof (turn and hold) These settings must be customized at your
Lexus dealer.
1 Depress the brake pedal. WARNING■
When using the mechanical key and
operating the power windows or
moon roof
Operate the power window or moon
roof after checking to make sure that
there is no possibility of any passenger
having any of their body parts caught in
the window or moon roof.
Also, do not allow children to operate the
mechanical key. It is possible for children
and other passengers to get caught in
the power window or moon roof.
Starting the hybrid system
4477-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 7
When trouble arises 2 Touch the Lexus emblem side of the
electronic key to the power switch.When the electronic key is detected, a
buzzer sounds and the power switch will
turn to ON mode.
When the smart access system with
push-button start is de activated in custom-
ization setting, the powe r switch will turn to
ACCESSORY mode.
3 Firmly depress the brake pedal and
check that is shown on the
multi-information display.
4 Press the power switch.
In the event that the hybrid system still
cannot be started, contact your Lexus
dealer. ■
Stopping the hybrid system
Set the parking brake, shift the shift position
to P and press the power switch as you nor-
mally do when stopping the hybrid system.
■
Electronic key battery
As the above procedure is a temporary
measure, it is recomme nded that the elec-
tronic key battery be replaced immediately
when the battery is depleted. ( → P.413)
■
Changing power switch modes
Release the brake pedal and press the
power switch in step 3 above. The hybrid
system does not start and modes will be
changed each time the switch is pressed.
( → P.170) If you have a set of jumper (or booster)
cables and a second vehicle with a
12-volt battery, you can jump start your
vehicle by following the steps below.
Method connecting jumper (or
booster) cables to the 12-volt bat-
tery
1 Confirm that the electronic key is
being carried. When connecting the jumper (or booster)
cables, depending on the situation, the
alarm may activate and doors locked.
( → P.69)
2 Open the trunk lid and remove the
luggage mat. ( → P.348)In the event that the trunk opener cannot
be used, use the mechanical key to open
the trunk. ( → P.445)If the 12-volt battery is dis-
charged The following procedures may be
used to start the hybrid system if the
12-volt battery is discharged.
You can also call your Lexus dealer
or a qualified repair shop.
Restarting the hybrid system
448 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 3 Connect a positive jumper cable clamp to on your vehicle and connect the
clamp on the other end of the positive cab le to on the second vehicle. Then,
connect a negative cable clamp to on the second vehicle and connect the
clamp at the other end of the negative cable to .
Positive (+) battery terminal (your vehicle)
Positive (+) battery terminal (second vehicle)
Negative (-) battery terminal (second vehicle)
Negative (-) battery terminal (your vehicle)
4 Start the engine of the second vehi-
cle. Increase the engine speed
slightly and maintain at that level for
approximately 5 minutes to
recharge the 12-volt battery of your
vehicle.
5 Open and close any of the doors of
your vehicle with the power switch
off.
6 Maintain the engine speed of the
second vehicle and start the hybrid
system of your vehicle by turning
the power switch to ON mode.
7 Make sure the “READY” indicator
comes on. If the indicator does not
come on, contact your Lexus
dealer.
8 Once the hybrid system has
started, remove the jumper cables in the exact reverse order from
which they were connected.
Method connecting jumper (or
booster) cables to the exclusive
jump starting terminal
1 Confirm that the electronic key is
being carried. When connecting the jumper (or booster)
cables, depending on the situation, the
alarm may activate and doors locked.
( → P.69)
2 Open the hood. Remove the driver
side engine compartment cover A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
450 7-2. Steps to take in an emergency
LS500h_OM_OM50F42U_(U) 6 Open and close any of the doors of
your vehicle with the power switch
off.
7 Maintain the engine speed of the
second vehicle and start the hybrid
system of your vehicle by turning
the power switch to ON mode.
8 Make sure the “READY” indicator
comes on. If the indicator does not
come on, contact your Lexus
dealer.
9 Once the hybrid system has
started, remove the jumper cables
in the exact reverse order from
which they were connected.
10 Close the exclusive jump starting
terminal cover and install the fuse
box cover and en gine compart-
ment cover.
Once the hybrid system starts, have
the vehicle inspected at your Lexus
dealer as soon as possible. ■
Starting the hybrid system when the
12-volt battery is discharged
The hybrid system cannot be started by
push-starting. ■
To prevent 12-volt battery discharge●
Turn off the headlights and the audio sys-
tem while the hybrid system is off.
●
Turn off any unnecessary electrical com-
ponents when the vehicle is running at a
low speed for an extended period, such
as in heavy traffic.
■
When the 12-volt battery is removed or
discharged
●
Information stored in the ECU is cleared.
When the 12-volt battery is depleted,
have the vehicle inspected at your Lexus
dealer.
●
Some systems may require initialization. ( → P.495)■
When removing the 12-volt battery ter-
minals
When the 12-volt battery terminals are
removed, the information stored in the
ECU is cleared. Before removing the
12-volt battery terminals, contact your
Lexus dealer. ■
Charging the 12-volt battery
The electricity stored in the 12-volt battery
will discharge gradually even when the
vehicle is not in use, due to natural dis-
charge and the draining effects of certain
electrical appliances. If the vehicle is left for
a long time, the 12-volt battery may dis-
charge, and the hybrid system may be
unable to start. (The 12-volt battery
recharges automatically while the hybrid
system is operating.) ■
When recharging or replacing the
12-volt battery ●
In some cases, it may not be possible to
unlock the doors using the smart access
system with push-button start when the
12-volt battery is discharged. Use the
wireless remote control or the mechani-
cal key to lock or unlock the doors. ●
The hybrid system may not start on the
first attempt after the 12-volt battery has
recharged but will start normally after the
second attempt. This is not a malfunction. ●
The power switch mode is memorized by
the vehicle. When the 12-volt battery is
reconnected, the system will return to the
mode it was in before the 12-volt battery
was discharged. Before disconnecting
the 12-volt battery, turn the power switch
off.
If you are unsure what mode the power
switch was in before the 12-volt battery
discharged, be especially careful when
reconnecting the 12-volt battery.
■
When replacing the 12-volt battery
●
Use a Central Degassing type 12-volt
battery (European Regulations).
●
Use a 12-volt battery with the same case
size as the previous 12-volt battery and an
epuivalent 20 hour rate capacity (20HR)
or greater.