
2936-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
Remove dirt using a water-damp-
ened soft cloth or synthetic chamois.
 Wipe the surface with a dry soft 
cloth to remove any remaining 
moisture.
■Cleaning the areas with satin-finish 
metal accents
The metal areas use a layer of real metal for 
the surface. It is necessary to clean them 
regularly. If dirty area s are left uncleaned for 
long periods of time, they may be difficult to 
clean.
 Remove dirt and dust using a vac-
uum cleaner.
 Wipe off any excess dirt and dust 
with a soft cloth dampened with 
diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approxi-
mately 5% neutral wool detergent.
Wring out any excess water from 
the cloth and thoroughly wipe off all 
remaining traces of detergent.
 Wipe the surface with a dry soft 
NOTICE
■When cleaning the air intake vents
When cleaning the air intake vents, make 
sure to only use a vacuum to suck out 
dust and clogs. If a compressed air blow 
gun, etc. is used to blow out dust and 
clogs, the dust or clogs may be pushed 
into the air intake ve nts, which may affect 
the performance of the hybrid battery 
(traction battery) and cause a malfunc-
tion.
■To prevent damage to the vehicle
●Do not allow water or foreign matter to 
enter the air intake vents when the 
cover is removed.
●Carefully handle the removed filters so 
that it will not be damaged.
If the filters are damaged, have them 
replaced with new filters by your Lexus 
dealer.
●Make sure to reinst all the filters and 
cover to their original positions after 
cleaning.
●Do not install anything to the air intake 
vents other than the exclusive filters for 
this vehicle or use the vehicle without 
the filters installed.
■If “Maintenance Required for Trac-
tion battery Cooling Parts See 
owner’s manual” is displayed on the 
multi-information display
If the vehicle is continuously driven with 
the warning message (indicating that 
charging/discharging  of the hybrid bat-
tery [traction battery] may become lim-
ited) displayed, the hybrid battery 
(traction battery) may malfunction. If the 
warning message is displayed, clean the 
air intake vents immediately.
Cleaning the areas  with satin-fin-
ish metal accents
Cleaning the leather areas 

3016-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Engine oil level 
( P.305)
• “Toyota Genuine Motor 
Oil” or equivalent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for  adding engine oil)
Fuses 
( P.331)•Fuse with same amper-
age rating as original
Headlight aim• Phillips-head screw-driver
Light bulbs 
( P.336)
Radiator and 
condenser 
( P.309)
Tire inflation 
pressure 
( P.325)• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source
Washer fluid 
( P.310)
• Water or washer fluid 
containing antifreeze 
(for winter use)
• Funnel (used only for  adding water or washer 
fluid)
WARNING
The engine compartment contains many 
mechanisms and fluids that may move 
suddenly, become hot, or become elec-
trically energized. To avoid death or seri-
ous injury, observe the following 
precautions.
■When working on the engine com-
partment
●LC500h: Make sure that the “IGNI-
TION ON” on the multi-information 
display and the “READY” indicator are 
both off.
●Keep hands, clothi ng and tools away 
from the moving fan and engine drive 
belt.
ItemsParts and tools●LC500: Be careful not to touch the 
engine, radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. 
right after driving as they may be hot. 
Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
LC500h: Be careful not to touch the 
engine, power control unit, radiator, 
exhaust manifold, etc. right after driv-
ing as they may be hot. Oil and other 
fluids may also be hot.
●Do not leave anything that may burn 
easily, such as paper and rags, in the 
engine compartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose 
an open flame to fuel. Fuel fumes are 
flammable.
■When working near the electric cool-
ing fan or radiator grille
Be sure the engine switch 
With the engine switch 
IGNITION ON mode 
electric cooling fan may automatically 
start to run if the air conditioning is on 
and/or the coolant temperature is high. 
(  P.309)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or 
falling material, fluid spray, etc. from get-
ting in your eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove the air cleaner filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter 
removed may cause excessive engine 
wear due to dirt in the air. 

3046-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LC500Fuse box ( P.331)
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.305)
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.308)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.306)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.309)
Washer fluid tank ( P.310)
Electric cooling fan
Condenser ( P.309)
Radiator ( P.309)
Engine compartment
Components
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I 

3056-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
LC500hEngine oil level dipstick ( P.305)
Power control unit coolant reservoir ( P.308)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.306)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.309)
Fuse boxes ( P.331)
Washer fluid tank ( P.310)
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.308)
Electric cooling fan
Condenser ( P.309)
Radiator ( P.309)
■12-volt battery
 P.311
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.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
Checking and adding the engine 
oil 

3096-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
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 
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 engine coolant, con-
tact your Lexus dealer.
■If the coolant level drops within a short 
time of replenishing
Visually check the  radiator, hoses, 
engine/power control unit coolant reservoir 
caps, 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.
WARNING
■When the engine 
hot
LC500: Do not remove the engine cool-
ant reservoir cap or th e coolant inlet cap. 
(  P.378)
The cooling system may be under pres-
sure and may spray hot coolant if the cap 
is removed, causing serious injuries, such 
as burns.
LC500h: Do not remove the 
engine/power control  unit coolant reser-
voir caps or the coolant inlet cap. 
(  P.382)
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 neithe r 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 damaging parts or paint.
Checking the radiator and con-
denser
WARNING
■When the engine 
hot
Do not touch the radiator or condenser 
as they may be hot and cause serious 
injuries, such as burns.
Checking and adding the brake 
fluid 

3607-2. Steps to take in an emergency
• “Shift system malfunction”
• “P switch malfunction”
• “Shift system unavailable”
●If any of the following messages is shown on the multi-information display, it may indicate 
a malfunction in a system or part. Immediatel y have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus 
dealer.
• “Hybrid System Malfunction” (LC500h)
•“Check Engine”
•“Hybrid Battery System  Malfunction” (LC500h)
• “Accelerator System Malfunction”
●If any of the following messages is shown on  the multi-information display, the vehicle may 
have run out of fuel. Stop the vehicle in a safe place and, if the fuel level is low, refuel the 
vehicle. ( P.65)
• “Hybrid system stopped” (LC500h)
• “Engine stopped”(LC500h)
●If any of the following messages is shown on the multi-information di splay, it may indicate 
a malfunction. Immediately stop the vehicle and contact your Lexus dealer.
• “Braking Power Low”
• “Charging System Malfunction”
• “Oil Pressure Low”
●If “Aux Battery Low” is shown,  observe the following. (LC500h)
• If the message disappears in a few minutes*
Keep the hybrid system operating for more than approximately 15 minutes to charge the 
12-volt battery.
• If the message does not disappear Refer to “If the 12-volt battery is discharged” ( P.369) to start the hybrid system
*: It is displayed for approximately 6 seconds.
●If “Battery low” is shown, the 12-volt battery  charge is insufficient. Recharge or replace the 
12-volt battery.
●If “Maintenance Required for Traction battery  Cooling Parts” is shown, the filters may be 
clogged, the air intake vents may be blocked,  or there may be a gap in the duct. There-
fore, perform the following correction procedure. (LC500h)
• If the air intake vents and filters of the hybrid battery (traction battery) are dirty, perform  the procedure on P.291 to clean them.
• If the warning message is shown  when the air intake vents and filters of the hybrid battery 
(traction battery) are not dirty, have th e vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
■If a message that indicates the need fo r visiting your Lexus dealer is shown
The system or part shown on the multi-information display is malfunctioning. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
■Warning buzzer
In some cases, the buzzer may not be heard du e to being in a noisy location or audio sound.
NOTICE
■While the engine oil level warning message is displayed
Continued engine operation with low  engine oil will damage the engine. 

3767-2. 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 
WARNING
■After recharging the 12-volt battery
Have the 12-volt battery inspected at 
your Lexus dealer as soon as possible. If 
the 12-volt battery is deteriorating, con-
tinued use may cause the 12-volt battery 
to emit a malodorous gas, which may be 
detrimental to the health of passengers.
■When exchanging the 12-volt battery
After exchanging, securely attach the 
exhaust hose and exhaust hole plug to 
the exhaust hole of the exchanged 12-
volt battery. If not properly installed, 
gases (hydrogen) may leak into the vehi-
cle interior, and there is the possible dan-
ger of the gas igniting and exploding.
NOTICE
■When handling jumper cables
When connecting the jumper cables, 
ensure that they do not become entan-
gled in the cooling fan or engine drive 
belt.
■To prevent damaging the vehicle
The exclusive jump starting terminal is to 
be used when charging the 12-volt bat-
tery from another ve hicle in an emer-
gency. It cannot be used to jump start 
another vehicle.
If your vehicle overheats 
(LC500)
The following may indicate that 
your vehicle is overheating.
 The engine coolant temperature 
gauge ( P.82) is in the red zone 
or a loss of engine power is expe-
rienced. (For example, the vehicle 
speed does not increase.)
 “Engine Coolant Temp High” is 
shown on the multi-information 
display.
 Steam comes out from under the 
hood.
Correction procedures 

3777-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
radiator core (radiator) for any 
leaks.
Radiator
Cooling fan
If a large amount of coolant leaks, immedi-
ately contact your Lexus dealer.
4The coolant level is satisfactory if it 
is between the “F” and “L” lines on 
the reservoir.
Reservoir
“F” line
“L” line
Coolant inlet cap
5 Add coolant if necessary.
Water can be used in an emergency if  coolant is unavailable.
6
Start 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 oper ate in freezing tem-
peratures.)
7 If 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.
■When adding coolant
Add coolant in accordance with the follow-
ing procedure.
1 Remove the service cover.
2 Remove the engine cover.
A
B
A
B
C
D