3216-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Fuse boxes (P.343)
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.323)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.322)
Battery ( P.325)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.324)
Radiator ( P.324)
Condenser ( P.324)
Electric cooling fan
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.321)
Washer fluid tank ( P.327)
With the engine at operating tempera-
ture and turned off, check the oil level on the dipstick.
■Checking the engine oil
1 Park the vehicle on level ground.
After warming up the engine and
Engine compartment
Components
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
Checking and adding the engine
oil
3236-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
ing frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for a long
time, or when driving frequently through
heavy traffic
■After changing the engine oil
The engine oil maintenance data should be
reset. Perform the following procedures:
1
Press or of the meter control
switches and select .
2
Press or of the meter control
switches, select “Vehicle Settings” and
then press “OK”.
3
Press or of the meter control
switches, select “Oil Maintenance” and
then press and hold the “OK”.
4
Select “Yes” and press “OK”.
“Reset Complete” will be displayed when
the reset procedure has been completed.
The coolant level is satisfactory if it is
between the “FULL” and “LOW” lines
on the reservoir when the engine is
cold.
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW” line,
add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
( P.386)
■Coolant selection
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
or a similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite,
and non-borate coolant with long-life
hybrid organic acid technology.
U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a mix-
ture of 50% coolant and 50% deionized
WARNING
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as inflamma-
tion and skin cancer, so care should be
taken to avoid prolonged and
repeated contact. To remove used
engine oil from your skin, wash thor-
oughly with soap and water.
●Dispose of used oil and filters only in a
safe and acceptable manner. Do not
dispose of used oil and filters in house-
hold trash, in sewers or onto the
ground. Call your Lexus dealer, ser-
vice station or auto parts store for
information concerning recycling or
disposal.
●Do not leave used engine oil within the
reach of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine damage
Check the oil level on a regular basis.
■When replacing the engine oil
●Be careful not to spill engine oil on the
vehicle components.
●Avoid overfilling, or the engine could
be damaged.
●Check the oil level on the dipstick
every time you refill the vehicle.
●Be sure the engine o il filler cap is prop-
erly tightened.
Checking the engine coolant
A
B
C
3246-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
water.
(Minimum temperature: -31°F [-35°C])
Canada:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a mix-
ture of 55% coolant and 45% deionized
water.
(Minimum temperature: -44°F [-42°C])
For more details about coolant, contact
your Lexus dealer.
■If the coolant level drops within a short
time of replenishing
Visually check the radiator, hoses, engine
coolant reservoir cap, drain cock and water
pump.
If you cannot find a leak, have your Lexus
dealer test the cap and check for leaks in
the cooling system.
Check the radiator and condenser and
clear away any foreign objects.
If either of the above parts is extremely
dirty or you are not sure of their condi- tion, have your vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer.
■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
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant reser-
voir cap.
The cooling system may be under pres-
sure and may spray hot coolant if the cap
is removed, causing serious injuries, such
as burns.
NOTICE
■When adding coolant
Coolant is neither plain water nor
straight antifreeze. The correct mixture
of water and antifreeze must be used to
provide proper lubrication, corrosion
protection and cooling. Be sure to read
the antifreeze or coolant label.
■If you spill coolant
Be sure to wash it off with water to pre-
vent it from damagi ng parts or paint.
Checking the radiator and con-
denser
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator or condenser
as they may be hot and cause serious
injuries, such as burns.
■When the electric cooling fan is oper-
ating
Do not touch the engine compartment.
With the engine switch in ON, the elec-
tric cooling fan may automatically start to
run if the air conditioning is on and/or the
coolant temperature is high. Be sure the
engine switch is OFF when working near
the electric cooling fan or radiator grille.
Checking and adding the brake
fluid
3867-2. Steps to take in an emergency
1Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
turn off the air conditioning system,
and then stop the engine.
2 If you see steam:
Carefully lift the hood after the
steam subsides.
If you do not see steam:
Carefully lift the hood.
3 After the engine has cooled down
sufficiently, inspect the hoses and radiator core (radiator) for any
leaks.
Radiator
Cooling fan
If a large amount of coolant leaks, immedi-
ately contact your Lexus dealer.
4
The coolant level is satisfactory if it
is between the “FULL” and “LOW”
lines on the reservoir.
Reservoir
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
5 Add coolant if necessary.
Water can be used in an emergency if
If your vehicle overheats
The following may indicate that
your vehicle is overheating.
The engine coolant temperature
gauge ( P.72, 75) enters the red
zone, or a loss of engine power is
experienced. (For example, the
vehicle speed does not increase.)
“Engine Coolant Temp High Stop
in a Safe Place See Owner’s
Manual” is shown on the multi-
information display.
Steam comes out from under the
hood.
Correction procedures
A
B
A
B
C
3877-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
coolant is unavailable.
6Start the engine and turn the air
conditioning system on to check
that the radiator cooling fan oper-
ates and to check for coolant leaks
from the radiator or hoses.
The fan operates when the air conditioning
system is turned on immediately after a
cold start. Confirm that the fan is operating
by checking the fan sound and air flow. If it
is difficult to check these, turn the air con-
ditioning system on and off repeatedly.
(The fan may not operate in freezing tem-
peratures.)
7If the fan is not operating:
Stop the engine immediately and
contact your Lexus dealer.
If the fan is operating:
Have the vehicle inspected at the
nearest Lexus dealer.
8
Check if “Engine Coolant Temp
High Stop in a Safe Place See
Owner’s Manual” is shown on the
multi-information display.
If the message does not disappear:
Stop the engine and contact your
Lexus dealer.
If the message is not displayed:
Have the vehicle inspected at the
nearest Lexus dealer.
WARNING
■To prevent an accident or injury when
inspecting under the hood of your
vehicle
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in serious
injury such as burns.
●If steam is seen coming from under the
hood, do not open the hood until the
steam has subsided. The engine com-
partment may be very hot.
●Keep hands and clothing (especially a
tie, a scarf or a muffler) away from the
fan and belts. Failure to do so may
cause the hands or clothing to be
caught, resulting in serious injury.
●Do not loosen the coolant reservoir
cap while the engine and radiator are
hot.
High temperature steam or coolant
could spray out.
NOTICE
■When adding engine coolant
Add coolant slowly after the engine has
cooled down sufficiently. Adding cool
coolant to a hot engine too quickly can
cause damage to the engine.
■To prevent damage to the cooling sys-
tem
Observe the following precautions:
●Avoid contaminating the coolant with
foreign matter (such as sand or dust,
etc.).
●Do not use any coolant additive.