3126-2. Maintenance
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
ItemsCheck 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.
ItemsCheck 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.
ItemsCheck points
3266-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Check if the treadwear indicators are
showing on the tires. Also check the
tires for uneven wear, such as excessive
wear on one side of the tread.
Check the spare tire condition and
pressure if not rotated.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.
■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 your Lexus
dealer.
●Vehicles with 17-inch tires:
The wheel angle differs from vehicles
equipped with 18-inch tires. Therefore, 18-
inch tires cannot be installed, as sufficient
gaps with surrounding parts cannot be
ensured.
■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.
■Low profile tires (18-inch tires)
Generally, low profile tires will wear more
rapidly and tire grip performance will be
reduced on snowy and/or icy roads when
compared to standard tires. Be sure to use
snow tires on snowy and/or icy roads and
drive carefully at a speed appropriate for
road and weather conditions.
■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.403)
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accor-
dance with maintenance schedules
and treadwear.
Checking tires
A
B
C
3276-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed perfor-
mance tires best suited to highway driv-
ing under dry conditions. Since summer
tires do not have the same traction per-
formance 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
recommended. 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 ade-
quate for driving in most winter condi-
tions as well as for use year-round. All
season tires, however, do not have ade-
quate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance com-
pared 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 installed 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
regulations for possible restrictions.
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels. ( P.242)
■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 drivetrain as well as danger-
ous handling characteristics, which may
lead to an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.
●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-belted or bias-ply
tires).
●Do not tow if your vehicle has a com-
pact spare tire installed.
●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.
■Low profile tires (18-inch tires)
Low profile tires may cause greater dam-
age than usual to the tire wheel when
sustaining impact from the road surface.
Therefore, pay attention to the following:
3286-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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 interval as tire inspec-
tion.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.
■When rotating the tires
Make sure that the power switch is off. If the
tires are rotated while the power switch is in
ON mode, the tire position information will
not be updated.
If this accidentally oc curs, either turn the
power switch to off and then to ON mode,
or initialize the system after checking that
the tire pressure is properly adjusted.
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
before serious problems arise.
If the tire pressure drops below a
predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a
warning light. ( P.362)
The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( P.73)
The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
■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 power
switch is turned to ON mode.
It may also take a few minutes to display
the tire inflation pre ssure after inflation
pressure has been adjusted.
NOTICE
●Be sure to use proper tire inflation
pressure. If tires are under-inflated,
they may be damaged more severely.
●Avoid potholes, uneven pavement,
curbs and other road hazards. Failure
to do so may lead to severe tire and
wheel damage.
■If tire inflation pres
sure of each tire
becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
Tire rotation
Tire pressure warning system
3306-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
For vehicles sold in Canada
When replacing tires or wheels, tire
pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning
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 initialized. ( P.332)
■When replacing the 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
properly. After driving for about 20 min-
utes, the tire pressure warning light blinks
for 1 minute and stays on to indicate a sys-
tem malfunction.
Installing tire pressure warning
valves and transmittersNOTICE
■Repairing or replac ing 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 could enter the tire pressure
warning valves and the tire pressure
warning valves could be bound.
●When replacing tire valve caps, do not
use tire valve caps other than those
specified. The cap may become stuck.
3316-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■The tire pressure warning system
must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
When rotating the tires.
When the tire inflation pressure is
changed when changing traveling
speed.
When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when changing tire
size. (When there are multiple spec-
ified pressures)
After registering the ID codes.
( P.332)
When the tire pressure warning system
is initialized, the cu rrent 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
stop the hybrid system for 20 min-
utes or more.
Initialization cannot be performed while
the vehicle is moving.
2 Adjust the tire inflation pressure to
the specified cold tire inflation pres-
sure level.
Make sure to adjust th e 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 Start the hybrid system ( P.135)
4 Press or of the meter con-
trol switches and select . 5
Press or of the meter con-
trol switches and select “Vehicle
Settings”, then press “OK”.
6 Press or of the meter con-
trol switches and select “TPWS”,
then press “OK”.
7 Press or of the meter con-
trol switches and select “Set Pres-
sure”. Then press and hold “OK”
until the tire pressure warning light
starts blinking.
A message is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display. Also, “--” is displayed for
inflation pressure of each tire on the multi-
information display while the tire pressure
warning system determines the position.
8Drive at approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h) or more for approxi-
mately 10 to 30 minutes.
When initialization is complete, the infla-
tion pressure of each tire will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
Even if the vehicle is not driven at approxi-
mately 25 mph (40 km/h) or more, initial-
ization can be completed by driving for a
long time. However, if initialization does not
complete after driving for 1 hour or more,
park the vehicle in a safe place for approxi-
mately 20 minutes and then drive the vehi-
cle again.
■When initializing
●Initialization is performed while driving at
Initializing the tire pressure
warning system
3326-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
a vehicle speed of approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h) or more.
●Make sure to carry out initialization after
adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before
carrying out initialization or tire inflation
pressure adjustment.
●The tire pressure warning system can be
initialized by yourse lf, but depending on
the driving conditions and driving envi-
ronment, initialization may take some
time to complete.
■The initialization operation
●If you have accidenta lly turned the power
switch off during initialization, it is not
necessary to manually restart the initial-
ization again, as initialization will restart
automatically the next time the power
switch is turned to ON mode.
●If you accidentally perform initialization
when initialization is not necessary, adjust
the tire inflation pres sure to the specified
level when the tires are cold, and conduct
initialization 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 pres-
sure 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. Normally,
initialization completes within approxi-
mately 30 minutes.
• Vehicle is not driven at approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) or more
• Vehicle is driven on unpaved roads
• Vehicle is driven near other vehicles and system cannot recognize tire pressure
warning valve and tran smitters of your
vehicle over those of other vehicles
If initialization does not complete after driv-
ing for 1 hour or more, park the vehicle in a
safe place for approximately 20 minutes
and then drive the vehicle again.
●If the vehicle is reversed during initializa-
tion, the data up to that point is reset, so perform the initiali
zation procedure
again from the beginning.
●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-
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 canno t be completed after
performing the above procedure, contact
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 code.
When registering the ID codes, per-
form the following procedure.
1
Park the vehicle in a safe place, wait
for approximately 20 minutes, and
then start the hybrid system.
( P.135)
WARNING
■When initializing the tire pressure
warning system
Do not initialize tire inflation pressure
without first adjusting the tire inflation
pressure to the specified level. Other-
wise, the tire pressure warning light may
not come on even if the tire inflation pres-
sure is low, or it may come on when the
tire inflation pressure is actually normal.
Registering ID codes
3356-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Tire pressure gauge
1
Remove the tire valve cap.
2
Press the tip of the tire pressure
gauge onto the tire valve.
3
Read the pressure using the gauge
gradations.
4
If the tire inflation pressure is not at
the recommended level, adjust the
pressure.
If you add too much air, press the
center of the valve to deflate.
5
After completing the tire inflation
pressure measurem ent and adjust-
ment, apply soapy water to the
valve and check for leakage.
6
Put the tire valve cap back on.
■Tire inflation pressure check interval
You should check tire inflation pressure
every two weeks, or at least once a month.
Do not forget to check the spare.
■Effects of incorrect tire inflation pres-
sure
Driving with incorrect ti re inflation pressure
may result in the following:
●Reduced fuel economy
●Reduced driving comfort and poor han-
dling
●Reduced tire life due to wear
●Reduced safety
●Damage to the drivetrain
If a tire needs frequent inflating, have it
checked by your Lexus dealer.
■Instructions for checking tire inflation
pressure
When checking tire inflation pressure,
observe the following:
●Check only when the tires are cold.
If your vehicle has been parked for at
least 3 hours or has not been driven for more than 1 mile or 1.5 km, you will get an
accurate cold tire inflation pressure read-
ing.
●Always use a tire pressure gauge.
It is difficult to judge if a tire is properly
inflated based only on its appearance.
●It is normal for the ti
re inflation pressure
to be higher after driving as heat is gen-
erated in the tire. Do not reduce tire infla-
tion pressure after driving.
●Never exceed the vehicle capacity
weight.
Passengers and luggage weight should
be placed so that the vehicle is balanced.
B
WARNING
■Proper inflation is critical to save tire
performance
Keep your tires properly inflated.
If the tires are not properly inflated, the
following conditions may occur which
could lead to an accident resulting in
death or serious injury:
●Excessive wear
●Uneven wear
●Poor handling
●Possibility of blowouts resulting from
overheated tires
●Air leaking from between tire and
wheel
●Wheel deformation and/or tire dam-
age
●Greater possibility of tire damage
while driving (due to road hazards,
expansion joints, sharp edges in the
road, etc.)