2424-6. Driving tips
Use fluids that are appropriate to
the prevailing outside temperatures.
•Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Power control unit coolant (LC500h)
•Washer fluid
Have a service technician inspect
the condition of the 12-volt battery.
Have the vehicle fitted with four
snow tires.
Ensure that all tires are the specified size
and the same brand.
Perform the following according to the
driving conditions:
Do not try to forcibly open a window
or move a wiper that is frozen. Pour
warm water over the frozen area to
melt the ice. Wipe away the water
immediately to prevent it from
freezing.
When the outside door handle is
frozen, unlock the doors using the
wireless remote control. If the out-
side door handles remain retracted
and do not move even if the doors
are unlocked using the wireless
remote control, pour warm water
over the frozen area to melt the ice
and wipe away the water immedi-
ately to prevent it from freezing. The
outside door handle may not retract
due to ice, however, the outside
door handle will return to the nor-
mal position after the ice melts.
To ensure proper operation of the
climate control system fan, remove
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary prepara-
tions and inspections before driving
the vehicle in winter. Always drive
the vehicle in a manner appropriate
to the prevailing weather condi-
tions.
Preparation for winter
WARNING
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to
reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of
vehicle control and cause death or seri-
ous injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
●Maintain the recommended level of air
pressure.
●Do not drive in excess of 75 mph (120
km/h), regardless of the type of snow
tires being used.
●Use snow tires on all, not just some
wheels.
NOTICE
■Driving with tire chains
Do not fit tire chains. Tire chains may
damage the vehicle body and suspen-
sion, and adversely affect driving perfor-
mance.
■Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow
tires from Lexus dealers or legitimate tire
retailers.
This is because the removal and attach-
ment of snow tires affects the operation
of the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters.
Before driving the vehicle
2434-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
any snow that has accumulated on
the air inlet vents in front of the
windshield.
Check for and remove any excess
ice or snow that may have accumu-
lated on the exterior lights, vehicle’s
roof, chassis, around the tires or on
the brakes.
Remove any snow or mud from the
bottom of your shoes before getting
in the vehicle.
■To protect the windshield wipers
P.182
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a
safe distance between you and the
vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced
speed suitable to road conditions.
Park the vehicle and shift the shift posi-
tion to P without setting the parking
brake. The parking brake may freeze
up, preventing it from being released. If
the vehicle is parked without setting
the parking brake, make sure to block
the wheels.
Failure to do so may be dangerous
because it may cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly, possibly leading to
an accident.
Tire chains cannot be mounted.
Snow tires should be used instead.
To enable the windshield wipers to be
lifted when heavy snow or icy condi-
tions are expected, change the rest
position of the windshield wipers from
the retracted position below the hood
to the service position using the wiper
lever. ( P.182)
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle
Selecting tire chains
Windshield wipers
277
6
6
Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehi-cle exterior ................................ 278
Cleaning and protecting the vehi- cle interior .................................. 281
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements .. 287
General maintenance ............. 288
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs .......... 291
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions........................................................ 292
Hood............................................... 294
Positioning a floor jack............ 294
Engine compartment............... 296
12-volt battery............................. 303
Tires ................................................ 305
Replacing the tire ....................... 313
Tire inflation pressure ............... 317
Wheels............................................ 319
Air conditioning filter...............320
Electronic key battery ............. 322
Checking and replacing fuses ........................................................ 323
Headlight aim.............................. 327
Light bulbs .................................... 328
2906-2. Maintenance
Parking brake
• Move smoothly?
•When parked on a slope and the park-
ing brake is on, is the
vehicle securely
stopped?
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
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
3056-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Make sure that the 12-volt battery ter-
minals are not corroded and that there
are no loose connections, cracks, or
loose clamps.Terminals
Hold-down clamp
Check that the level is upper than the
center between the bottom of the bat-
tery lid and “LOWER LEVEL” line.
Bottom of the battery lid
“LOWER LEVEL” line
Center of and
If the fluid level is below , replace the
12-volt battery.
Check if the treadw ear indicators are
showing on the tires. Also check the
tires for uneven wear, such as excessive
wear on one side of the tread.
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.
Exterior
Checking 12-volt battery fluid
A
B
A
B
CAB
C
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accor-
dance with maintenance schedules
and treadwear.
Checking tires
A
B
C
3066-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■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.
■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 (21-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 ti res. 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.387)
■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, howeve r, 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 us ing 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.
3076-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Tires cannot be rotated.
When run-flat tires are installed, the
vehicle can be driven for a maximum of
100 miles (160 km) at a speed below
50 mph (80 km/h) after any tire goes
flat. (However, the vehicle speed may
not increase to near 50 mph [80
km/h] depending on weather or driv-
ing conditions.)
A run-flat tire has a mark on
the sidewall.
Make sure to replace the flat tire before the
vehicle has been driven for near 100 miles
(160 km). Also, do not use a repaired tire.
■Run-flat tires
●The run-flat tires are for only this vehicle.
Do not use the tires on other vehicles.
●Do not mix run-flat tires and normal tires.
●If non-genuine Lexus wheels are used, it
may be impossible to sufficiently demon-
strate the performance of run-flat tires.
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure warning system that uses tire
pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters to detect low tire 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.344)
The tire pressure detected by the
WARNING
●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.
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 (21-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:
●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
Run-flat tires
Tire pressure warning system
3096-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Tire pressure warning system certification
For vehicles sold in the U.S.A., Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico
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.312)
■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
Installing tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters