3306-1. Maintenance and care
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
6-1.Maintenance and care
Working from top to bottom, liber-
ally apply water to the vehicle body,
wheel wells and underside of the
vehicle to remove any dirt and dust.
Wash the vehicle body using a
sponge or soft cloth, such as a
chamois.
For hard-to-remove marks, use car
wash soap and rinse thoroughly with
water.
Wipe away any water.
Wax the vehicle when the water-
proof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface,
apply wax when the vehicle body is cool.
■Self-restoring coat
The vehicle body has a self-restoring coat-
ing that is resistant to small surface
scratches caused in a car wash etc.
●The coating lasts for 5 to 8 years from
when the vehicle is delivered from the
plant.
●The restoration time differs depending on
the depth of the scratch and outside tem-
perature. The restoration time may
become shorter when the coating is
warmed by applying warm water.
●Deep scratches caused by keys, coins,
etc. cannot be restored.
●Do not use wax that contain abrasives.
■Automatic car washes
●Before washing the vehicle:
• Fold the mirrors
• Turn off the power back door (if equipped)
Start washing from the front of the vehicle.
Extend the mirrors before driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes
may scratch the vehicl e surface and harm
your vehicle’s paint.
●Rear spoiler may not be washable in
some automatic car washes. There may
also be an increased risk of damage to
vehicle.
■High pressure car washes
As water may enter the cabin, do not bring
the nozzle tip near the gaps around the
doors or perimeter of the windows, or spray
these areas continuously.
■Note for a smart access system with
push-button start
●If the door handle becomes wet while the
electronic key is within the effective
range, the door may lock and unlock
repeatedly. In that case, follow the follow-
ing correction procedures to wash the
vehicle:
• Place the electronic key in a location 6 ft.
(2 m) or more away from the vehicle.
(Take care to ensure that the key is not
stolen.)
• Set the electronic key to battery-saving mode to disable the smart access system
with push-button start. ( P.127)
■Aluminum wheels
●Remove any dirt immediately by using a
neutral detergent.
●Wash detergent off with water immedi-
ately after use.
●To protect the paint from damage, make
sure to observe the following precau-
tions.
• Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergent
• Do not use hard brushes
• Do not use detergent on the wheels when
they are hot, such as after driving or park-
ing in hot weather
Cleaning and protecting the
vehicle exterior
Perform cleaning in a manner
appropriate to each component
and its material.
Cleaning instructions
3326-1. Maintenance and care
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and
corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately 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, in sect droppings or
bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron
powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chip ped 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
substances 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 pas-
senger side. When returning the wipers
to their original position, do so from the
passenger side first.
■When using an automatic car wash
(vehicles with rain-sensing windshield
wipers)
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate and the wiper blades
may be damaged.
■When using a high pressure car wash
●When washing the vehicle, do not let
water of the high pressure washer hit
directly or the vicinity of the camera.
Due to the shock from the high pres-
sure water, it is possible the device may
not operate as normal.
●Do not bring the nozzle tip close to
boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following
parts. The parts may be damaged if
they come into contact with high-pres-
sure water.
• Traction related parts
•Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at least 11.9
in. (30 cm) away from the vehicle
body. Otherwise resin section, such as
moldings and bumpers, may be
deformed and damaged. Also, do not
continuously hold the nozzle in the
same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of the
windshield continuously. If water
enters the air conditioning system
intake located near the lower part of
the windshield, the air conditioning
system may not operate correctly.
3396-2. Maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
6
Maintenance and care
Luggage compartment
ItemsCheck points
12-volt batteryCheck the connections.
( P.352)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator
pedal
The accelerator pedal
should move smoothly
(without uneven pedal
effort or catching).
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal
move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate clear-
ance from the floor?
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount
of free play?
Brakes
•The vehicle should not pull to one side when the
brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too close to the
floor when the brakes
are applied.
Head
restraintsDo the head restraints
move smoothly and lock
securely?
Hybrid trans-
mission “Park”
mechanismWhen parked on a slope
and the shift lever is in P, is
the vehicle securely
stopped?
Indica-
tors/buzzersDo the indicators and
buzzers function properly?
LightsDo all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake switch operate nor-
mally?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is
on, is the vehicle
securely stopped?
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts oper-ate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
SeatsDo the seat controls oper-
ate properly?
Steering
wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correct amount
of free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds coming
from the steering wheel.
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
DoorsDo the doors operate
smoothly?
Engine hoodDoes 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
3406-2. Maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
The OBD system determines that a
problem exists somewhere in the emis-
sion control system. Your vehicle may
not pass the I/M test and may need to
be repaired. Contact your Lexus
dealer to service the vehicle.
When the 12-volt battery is discon-
nected or discharged
Readiness codes that are set during
ordinary driving are erased.
Also, depending on your driving
habits, the readiness codes may not
be completely set.
When the fuel tank cap is loose
The malfunction indicator lamp
comes on indicating a temporary
malfunction and your vehicle may
not pass the I/M test.
Tires
• Is the tire inflation pres-
sure 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
wipers/rear
window wiper
•The wiper blades should not show any signs of
cracking, splitting, wear,
contamination or defor-
mation.
•The wiper blades should clear the wind-
shield/rear window with-
out streaking or
skipping.
ItemsCheck pointsEmission inspection and
maintenance (I/M) pro-
grams
Some states have vehicle emission
inspection programs which include
OBD (On Board Diagnostics)
checks. The OBD system monitors
the operation of the emission con-
trol system.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on
Your vehicle may not pass the
I/M test in the following situa-
tions:
3566-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_enroads 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 insta lled 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.277)
■If the tread on snow tires wears down
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.
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.
WARNING
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
parts of the drive train 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 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
■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.
■If tire inflation pressure of each tire
becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
Tire rotation
3576-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
6
Maintenance and care
Front
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 warning light.
( P.392)
The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
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.
■Situations in which the tire pressure
warning system may not operate prop-
erly
●In the following cases, the tire pressure
warning system may not operate prop-
erly.
• 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 the 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 extremely
higher than the specified level.
• If wheel without the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warn- ing valves and transmitters is not regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning
computer.
●Performance may be af fected in the fol-
lowing situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio stat ion, large display,
airport or other fac ility that generates
strong radio waves or electrical noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular
phone, cordless phone or other wireless
communication device
●When the vehicle is parked, the time
taken for the warning to start or go off
could be extended.
●When tire inflation pr essure declines rap-
idly for example when a tire has burst, the
warning may not function.
Tire pressure warning system
A
3606-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
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. Have tire pressure warn-
ing valve and transmitter ID codes reg-
WARNING
■Caution regarding interference with
electronic devices
●People with implantable cardiac pace-
makers, cardiac resynchronization
therapy-pacemakers or implantable
cardioverter defibrillators should not
come within 17.7 in. (450 mm) of the
tire pressure warning system initiators.
The radio waves may affect the opera-
tion of such devices.
●Users of any electrical medical device
other than implantable cardiac pace-
makers, cardiac resynchronization
therapy-pacemakers or implantable
cardioverter defibrillators should con-
sult the manufacturer of the device for
information about its operation under
the influence of radio waves.
Radio waves could have unexpected
effects on the operation of such medi-
cal devices.
Installing tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters
3616-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manual_USA_M78530_en
6
Maintenance and care
istered by your Lexus dealer.
( P.362)
■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.■The tire pressure warning system
must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
When adjusting the tire inflation
pressure.
When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when changing
traveling speed.
When rotating the tires.
When changing the tire.
When the tire pressure warning system
is initialized, the current 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
turn the power switch off.
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 the 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 Turn the power switch to ON
mode.
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing 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.
■To avoid damage to the tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters
When a tire is repaired with liquid seal-
ants, the tire pressu re warning valve and
transmitter may not operate properly. If a
liquid sealant is used , contact your Lexus
dealer or other qualified service shop as
soon as possible. After use of liquid seal-
ant, make sure to re place the tire pres-
sure warning valve and transmitter when
repairing or replacing the tire. ( P.357,
366)
Initializing the tire pressure
warning system