3796-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)WARNING ■
Precautions regarding the exhaust pipes
As exhaust gases cause the exhaust pipes to become quite hot, do not touch the
exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately after the engine is turned off.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the exhaust pipes until they have
cooled sufficiently, as touching hot exhaust pipes can cause burns. ■
Precaution regarding the rear bumper with Blind Spot Monitor (if equipped)
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped or scratched, the syst em may malfunction. If
this occurs, consult your Lexus dealer.
NOTICE ■
Application of coatings to the vehi cle body (vehicles with CFRP parts)
Do not apply any kind of coating to the vehicle body as doing so may damage the paint
or reduce its durability. ■
To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and components (aluminum
wheels etc.) ●
Wash the vehicle immediatel y 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, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated wi th soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron pow-
der or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoli ne 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 subs tances 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. ■
To prevent damage to the windshield wiper arms
When lifting the wiper arms away from the windshield, pull the driver side wiper arm
upward first, and repeat for the passenger side. When returning the wipers to their
original position, do so from the passenger side first. ■
When using an automatic car wash (vehicle s with rain-sensing windshield wipers)
Set the wipers to the intermittent windshield wipers. ( P. 236)
If AUTO mode is selected, the wipers may operate and the wiper blades may be dam-
aged.
3936-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U) 6
Maintenance and care Pull the hood lock release lever. The hood will pop up slightly.
Pull up the auxiliary catch lever and
lift the hood.
Hood Release the lock from the inside of the vehicle to open the hood.1
2
WARNING ■
Pre-driving check
Check that the hood is fully closed and locked.
If the hood is not locked properly, it may op en while the vehicle is in motion and cause
an accident, which may result in death or serious injury.
4076-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U) 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 items. ■
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.Brake fluid
RC350/RC300
RC F
Fluid type SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 brake fluid
SAE J1704 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 4 brake fluid
Items Clean funnel
WARNING ■
When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm your hands and eyes and damage painted surfaces.
If fluid gets on your hands or in your ey es, flush the affected area with clean water
immediately.
If you still experience di scomfort, 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 level in the accumulator is high.
If the reservoir needs frequent ref illing, there may be a serious problem.
410 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)WARNING ■
Chemicals in the battery
Batteries contain poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce hydrogen
gas which is flammable and explosive. To redu ce the risk of death or serious injury, take
the following precautions while wo rking on or near the battery:●
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.■
How to recharge the battery
Only perform a slow charge (5 A or less) . The battery may explode if charged at a
quicker rate. ■
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 fe el pain or burning, get medical attention
immediately. ●
If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can soak through clothing on to your s kin. Immediately take off the clothing and fol-
low the procedure above if necessary. ●
If you accidentally swallow electrolyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk. Get emergenc y medical attention immedi-
ately.
NOTICE ■
When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the engine is running. Also, be sure all accessories
are turned off.
4136-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U) 6
Maintenance and care Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses tire pres-
sure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire inflation pressure before
serious problems arise. ●
If the tire pressure drops below a predet ermined level, the driver is warned by
a screen display and a warning light. ( P. 455, 477)●
The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( P. 103, 118)The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually disp layed on the multi-
information display.
◆ Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pr essure warning valv es and transmitters
must also be installed.
When new tire pressure wa rning valves and transmitters are installed, new ID
codes must be registered in the tire pressure warning computer and the tire
pressure warning system must be initia lized. Have tire pressure warning valve
and transmitter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. ( P. 414)
◆ Initializing the tire pressure warning system ■
The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following circum-
stances: ●
When rotating the tires. ●
When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when changing travel-
ing speed. ●
When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.Tire pressure warning system
414 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U)■
How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in a safe place and turn the engine switch off.Initialization cannot be performed while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to th e specified cold tire inflation pressure
level. ( P. 548)Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure
level. The tire pressure warning system will operate based on this pressure level.
Turn the engine switch to IGNITION ON mode.
Press and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light blinks
slowly 3 times.
Wait for a few minutes with the engine switch in IGNITION ON mode and
then turn the engine switch off.
◆ Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and tran smitter is equipped with a unique ID
code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and transmitter, it is nec-
essary to register the ID code. Have the ID code registered by your Lexus
dealer. 1
2
3
4
5
4156-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U) 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 enou gh to expose the fabric, and
bulges indicating internal damage ●
A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size or location of
a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult your Lexus dealer. ■
Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not registered, the tire
pressure warning system will not work proper ly. After driving for about 20 minutes, the
tire pressure warning light blinks for 1 minu te and stays on to indicate a system malfunc-
tion. ■
Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if it has seldom
or never been used or damage is not obvious.■
Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The tire pressure warning syst em does not replace routine tire inflation pressure checks.
Make sure to check tire inflat ion pressure as part of your routine of daily vehicle checks.■
When rotating the tires
Make sure that the engine switch is off. If the tires are rotated while the engine switch is in
IGNITION ON mode, the tire position information will not be updated.
If this accidentally occurs, either turn the engine switch to off and then to IGNITION ON
mode, or initialize the system after checking th at the tire pressure is properly adjusted.■
Low profile tires
Generally, low profile tires will wear more rapidly and tire grip performance will be
reduced on snowy and/or icy roads when comp ared to standard tires. Be sure to use
snow tires or tire chains on snowy and/or icy roads and drive carefully at a speed appro-
priate for road and weather conditions.
4176-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350_RC300 AWD_RC3 00_RC F_U(OM24748U) 6
Maintenance and care ■
Situations in which the tire pressure warning system may not operate properly ●
In the following cases, the tire pressure warning system may not operate properly.
• If non-genuine Lexus wheels are used.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not an OE (Original Equipment) tire.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not of the specified size.
• Tire chains etc. are equipped.
• An auxiliary-supported run-flat tire is equipped.
• If a window tint that affects th e 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 extr emely higher than the specified level.
• If tires not equipped with tire pressure warning valves and tr ansmitters are used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters is not registered
in the tire pressure warning computer. ●
Performance may be affected in the following situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio station, large display, air-
port or other facility that generates st rong radio waves or electrical noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phon e 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 driving and changing the radio wave conditions. ●
When the vehicle is parked, the time taken for the warning to start or go off could be
extended. ●
When tire inflation pressure declines rapidly for example when a tire has burst, the
warning may not function. ■
The initialization operation ●
Make sure to carry out initialization afte r adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before carryi ng out initialization or tire inflation pres-
sure adjustment. ●
If you have accidentally turned the engine swit ch off during initialization, it is not neces-
sary to press the reset switch again as initialization will re start automatically when the
engine switch has been turned to IG NITION ON mode for the next time.●
If you accidentally press the re set switch when initialization is not necessary, adjust the
tire inflation pressure to the specified leve l when the tires are co ld, and conduct initial-
ization again. ■
When initialization of the tire pressure warning system has failed
Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. However, in the following cases, the set-
tings have not been recorded and the system will not operate properly. If repeated
attempts to record tire inflation pressure settings are unsuccessful, have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer. ●
When operating the tire pres sure warning reset switch, th e tire pressure warning light
does not blink 3 times. ●
After carrying out the initializat ion procedure, the tire pressu re warning light blinks for 1
minute then stays on after driving for 20 minutes.