2576-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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6
Maintenance and care
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 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
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-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.
●Do not tow if your vehicle has a com-
pact spare tire installed.
NOTICE
■Low profile 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:
●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 pressure of each tire
becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
■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
2626-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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1Remove 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 in flation 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.
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 on the
road, etc.)
NOTICE
■When inspecting and adjusting tire
inflation pressure
Be sure to put the tire valve caps back on.
If a valve cap is not installed, dirt or mois-
ture may get into the valve and cause an
air leak, resulting in decreased tire infla-
tion pressure.
2887-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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■When the tire pressure warning light
comes on
Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust
to the appropriate level. Pushing the tire
pressure warning reset switch will not turn
off the tire pressure warning light.
■The tire pressure warning light may
come on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may come
on due to natural causes such as natural air
leaks and tire inflation pressure changes
caused by temperature. In this case, adjust-
ing the tire inflation pressure will turn off the
warning light (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with the spare
tire
The spare tire is not equipped with a tire
pressure warning valve and transmitter. If a
tire goes flat, the tire pressure warning light
will not turn off even though the flat tire has
been replaced with the spare tire.
■Conditions that the tire pressure warn-
ing system may not function properly
P.258
■If the tire pressure warning light fre-
quently comes on after blinking for 1
minute
If the tire pressure wa rning light frequently
comes on after blinking for 1 minute when
the engine switch is turned to IGNITION
ON mode, have it checked by your Lexus
dealer.
■Warning buzzer
In some cases, the buzzer may not be heard
due to being in a noisy location or audio
sound.
WARNING
■If both the ABS and the brake system
warning lights remain on
Stop your vehicle in a safe place immedi-
ately and contact your Lexus dealer. The
vehicle will become extremely unstable
during braking, and the ABS system may
fail, which could cause an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
■When the electric power steering
system warning light comes on
The steering wheel may become
extremely heavy.
When steering wheel operations are
heavier than usual, grip the steering
wheel firmly and operate it using more
force than usual.
■If the tire pressure warning light
comes on
Be sure to observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so could cause a loss
of vehicle control and result in death or
serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as
soon as possible. Adjust the tire infla-
tion pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes
on even after tire inflation pressure
adjustment, it is prob able that you have
a flat tire. Check the tire s. If a tire is flat,
change it with the spare tire and have
the flat tire repaired by the nearest
Lexus dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and brak-
ing. If the vehicle tires deteriorate, you
could lose control of the steering
wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air leakage
should occur
The tire pressure warning system may
not activate immediately.
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly when
cold and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufac-
turer on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label (tire and load
information label). (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indi-
cated on the vehicle placard or tire infla-
tion pressure label [tire and load
information label], you should determine
the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.)
2947-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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Stop the vehicle in a safe place on a
hard, flat surface.
Set the parking brake.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Stop the engine.
Turn on the emergency flashers.
( P.274)
Type A
Jack handle
Wheel nut wrench
Screwdriver
Towing eyelet
If you have a flat tire
Your vehicle is equipped with a
spare tire. The flat tire can be
replaced with the spare tire.
For details about tires: P.255
WARNING
■If you have a flat tire
Do not continue driving with a flat tire.
Driving even a short distance with a flat
tire can damage the tire and the wheel
beyond repair, which could result in an
accident.
Before jacking up the vehicle
Location of the spare tire, jack and tools
A
B
C
D
2957-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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7
When trouble arises
Spare tire
Jack
Type B Jack handle
Wheel nut wrench
Screwdriver
Towing eyelet
Spare tire
Jack
E
F
A
B
C
D
E
F
WARNING
■Using the tire jack
Observe the following precautions.
Improper use of the tire jack may cause
the vehicle to suddenly fall off the jack,
leading to death or serious injury.
●Do not use the tire jack for any pur-
pose other than replacing tires or
installing and removing tire chains.
●Only use the tire jack that comes with
this vehicle for replacing a flat tire.
Do not use it on other vehicles, and do
not use other tire jacks for replacing
tires on this vehicle.
●Put the jack properly in its jack point.
●Do not put any part of your body under
the vehicle while it is supported by the
jack.
●Do not start the engine or drive the
vehicle while the vehicle is supported
by the jack.
2967-2. Steps to take in an emergency
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1Hold the hook and lift up the lug-
gage mat.
2
Secure the luggage mat using the
hook. 3
Remove the tool tray.
4
Take out the jack.
1
For tightening
2
For loosening
If the jack is too tightly installed to be
removed by hand, insert a tool, such as the
screwdriver included wi th the vehicle, into
the hole of the jack (portion ) and
loosen the jack.
1Secure the luggage mat using the
hook. ( P.296)
WARNING
●Do not raise the vehicle while some-
one is inside.
●When raising the vehicle, do not put an
object on or under the jack.
●Do not raise the vehicle to a height
greater than that required to replace
the tire.
●Use a jack stand if it is necessary to get
under the vehicle.
●When lowering the vehicle, make sure
that there is no-one near the vehicle. If
there are people nearby, warn them
vocally before lowering.
Taking out the jack
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to luggage mat
When closing the trunk lid, do not leave
the luggage mat lever hooked onthe
edge of the trunk.
Taking out the spare tire
A
2977-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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7
When trouble arises
2Remove the tool tray.
3
Loosen the center fastener that
secures the spare tire.
If the center fastener cannot be turned by
hand, use the wheel nut wrench that is
stored in the trunk. (To secure the tire,
tighten the center fastener by hand. Do not
use the wrench or other tools.)
1Chock the tires.
2
Slightly loosen the wheel nuts (one
turn).
3
Turn the tire jack portion by
hand until the notch of the jack is in
contact with the jack point.
The jack point guides are located under
the rocker panel. They indicate the jack
WARNING
■When storing the spare tire
Be careful not to catch fingers or other
body parts between the spare tire and
the body of the vehicle.
Replacing a flat tire
Flat tireWheel chock posi- tions
Front left-hand sideBehind the rear
right-hand side tire
Front right-hand
sideBehind the rear
left-hand side tire
Rear left-hand sideIn front of the front
right-hand side tire
Rear right-hand sideIn front of the front
left-hand side tire
A
2987-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC350AWD_RC350_RC300AWD_RC30
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4Raise the vehicle until the tire is
slightly raised off the ground.
5
Remove all the wheel nuts and the
tire.
When resting the tire on the ground, place
the tire so that the wh eel design faces up to
avoid scratching the wheel surface.
1Remove any dirt or foreign matter
from the wheel contact surface.
If foreign matter is on the wheel contact
surface, the wheel nuts may loosen while
the vehicle is in motion, causing the tire to
WARNING
■Replacing a flat tire
●Do not touch the disc wheels or the
area around the brakes immediately
after the vehicle has been driven.
After the vehicle has been driven the
disc wheels and the area around the
brakes will be extremely hot. Touching
these areas with hands, feet or other
body parts while changing a tire, etc.
may result in burns.
●Failure to follow these precautions
could cause the wheel nuts to loosen
and the tire to fall of f, resulting in death
or serious injury.
• Never use oil or grease on the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.Oil and grease may
cause the wheel nuts to be excessively
tightened, leading to bolt or disc wheel
damage. In addition, the oil or grease
can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and
the wheel may fall off, causing a serious
accident. Remove any oil or grease
from the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
• Have the wheel nuts tightened with a torque wrench to 76 ft•lbf (103 N•m,
10.5 kgf•m) as soon as possible after
changing wheels.
• Do not attach a heavily damaged wheel ornament, as it may fly off the
wheel while the vehicle is moving.
• When installing a tire, only use wheel nuts that have been specifically
designed for that wheel.
• If there are any cracks or deformations in the bolt screws, nut threads or bolt
holes of the wheel, have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Installing the spare tire