349
6
6
Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
.6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehi-cle exterior ................................ 350
Cleaning and protecting the vehi- cle interior ................................. 353
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements........................................................ 356
General maintenance ............. 357
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs ......... 360
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions......................................................... 361
Hood............................................... 363
Positioning a floor jack............ 363
Engine compartment............... 365
Tires ................................................. 371
Tire inflation pressure .............. 383
Wheels........................................... 384
Air conditioning filter...............386
Windshield wiper inserts........ 388
Electronic key battery ............. 389
Checking and replacing fuses ......................................................... 391
Headlight aim.............................. 392
Light bulbs .................................... 394
3506-1. Maintenance and care
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 contains abrasives.
■Automatic car washes
●Before washing the vehicle:
• Fold the mirrors
• Turn off the power back door
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.
■When using a car wash
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 following correction
procedures to wash the vehicle:
●Place the key in a position 6 ft. (2 m) or
more separate from the vehicle while the
vehicle is being wash ed. (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.114)
■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
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
Cleaning and protecting the
vehicle exterior
Perform cleaning in a manner
appropriate to each component
and its material.
Cleaning instructions
3526-1. Maintenance and care
WARNING
●Lexus Safety System + 2.0
●BSM (if equipped)
●RCTA (if equipped)
●PKSB (if equipped)
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.
■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 sys-
tem intake located near the lower part of
the windshield, the air conditioning sys-
tem may not operate correctly.
3596-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
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• Do the doors oper-ate 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/rear window
wiper
• The wiper blades should not show any
signs of cracking,
splitting, wear, con-
tamination or defor-
mation.
• The wiper blades should clear the
windshield/rear win-
dow without streak-
ing or skipping.
ItemsCheck points
3726-3. 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 with 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.
■Proper storage of the spare tire
(RX350L)
As an improperly stored spare tire may
cause damage to the wi re cable that holds
it, check that the spare tire is stored prop-
erly on a daily basis.
●If the stored spare tire appears to be
slanted or rattles while driving, the spare
tire may not be properly stored. Store the
spare tire again by performing the follow-
ing tire change procedure correctly:
1 If the spare tire is slanted, the hoist
assembly may be stuck in the wheel
opening. If the spare tire rattles while
driving, it may not be fully raised. Lower
the spare tire to the ground and make
sure that the hoist assembly is perpen-
dicular to the wheel opening.
2 Raise the tire slowly and steadily until a
click is heard and the jack handle skips.
If the spare tire cannot be lowered, the wire
cable may be severed. Have the vehicle inspected at your Lexus dealer.
■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.461)
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed performance
tires best suited to highway driving under
dry conditions. Since summer tires do not
have the same traction performance as
snow tires, summer ti res 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 recom-
mended. 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 adequate
for driving in most winter conditions as well
as for use year-round. All season tires,
however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in
heavy or loose snow. Also, all season tires
fall short in accelerati on and handling per-
formance compared with summer tires in
highway driving.
●Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy
3736-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
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 regula-
tions for possible restrictions. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels.
( P.283)
■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.
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.
The tire pressure detected by the
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-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
■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
Tire pressure warning system
3746-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. (P.79)
The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
If the tire pressure drops below a
predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a
warning light. ( P.417)
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.
■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.
• 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
If tire position information is not correctly
displayed due to the radio wave conditions,
the display may be corrected by driving and
changing the radio wave conditions.
●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.
■Warning performance of the tire pres-
sure warning system
The warning of the tire pressure warning
system will change in accordance with the
conditions under which it was initialized. For
this reason, the system may give a warning
even if the tire pressure does not reach a
3806-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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-
istered by your Lexus dealer.
( P.382)
■Replacing 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 transmitters
NOTICE
■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.