2021 LEXUS LS500 maintenance

LS500_U
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Pictorial indexSearch by illustration
For safety
and securityMake sure to read through them
(Main topics: Child seat, theft deterrent system)
Vehicle status
information and
indicatorsReading driving-related information
(Main topics: Meters, multi-information display)
Before drivingOpening and closing the doors and windows,
adjustment before driving
(Main topics: Keys, doors, seats)
DrivingOperations and advice which are necessary for driving
(Main topics: Starting engine, refueling)
Interior featuresUsage of the interior features
(Main topics: Air conditioner, storage features)
Maintenance
and careCaring for your vehicle and maintenance procedures
(Main topics: Interior and exterior, light bulbs)
When trouble
arisesWhat to do in case of malfunction and emergency
(Main topics: Battery discharge, flat tire)
Vehicle
specificationsVehicle specifications, customizable features
(Main topics: Fuel, oil, tire inflation pressure)
For ownersReporting safety defects for U.S. owners, seat belt, SRS
airbag and headlight aim in structions for Canadian
owners
IndexSearch by symptom
Search alphabetically

4TABLE OF CONTENTS
Trunk features................................349
5-6. Using the other interior features Other interior features .............. 352
Garage door opener.................. 360
6-1. Maintenance and care Cleaning and protecting the vehi-cle exterior ................................... 368
Cleaning and protecting the vehi- cle interior ..................................... 371
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ..... 374
General maintenance ................ 375
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs ............ 378
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions........................................................... 379
Hood................................................... 381
Positioning a floor jack................ 381
Engine compartment.................. 383
Battery ............................................... 391
Tires ................................................... 393
Replacing the tire ......................... 402
Tire inflation pressure ................. 406
Wheels.............................................. 407
Air conditioning filter..................409
Electronic key battery ................. 410
Checking and replacing fuses ............................................................ 412
Headlight aim.................................. 415
Light bulbs ........................................ 4167-1. Essential information
Emergency flashers ..................... 418
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency ............................. 418
If the vehicle is trapped in rising water ............................................... 419
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed............................................................ 421
If you think something is wrong .......................................................... 425
Fuel pump shut off system ........ 426
If a warning light turns on or a warn- ing buzzer sounds...................... 427
If a warning messa ge is displayed
.......................................................... 436
If you have a flat tire .................... 438
If the engine will not start .......... 439
If you lose your keys...................... 441
If the fuel filler door cannot be opened ............................................ 441
If the electronic key does not oper- ate properly .................................. 442
If the vehicle battery is discharged .......................................................... 444
If your vehicle overheats ........... 449
If the vehicle becomes stuck ... 452
8-1. Specifications Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.) ................................................. 456
Fuel information .

........................... 465
6Maintenance and care
7When trouble arises
8Vehicle specifications

641-4. Theft deterrent system
1-4.Theft deterrent system
The indicator light flashes after the
engine switch has been turned off to
indicate that the system is operating.
The indicator light stops flashing after
the engine switch has been turned to ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON
mode to indicate that the system has
been canceled.
■System maintenance
The vehicle has a maintenance-free type
engine immobilizer system.
■Conditions that may cause the system to
malfunction
●If the grip portion of the key is in contact
with a metallic object
●If the key is in close proximity to or touch-
ing a key to the security system (key with
a built-in transponder chip) of another
vehicle
■Certification for the en gine immobilizer system
Engine immobilizer system
The vehicle’s keys have built-in tran-
sponder chips that prevent the
engine from starting if a key has not
been previously registered in the
vehicle’s on-board computer.
Never leave the keys inside the
vehicle when you leave the vehicle.
This system is designed to help pre-
vent vehicle theft but does not
guarantee absolute security
against all vehicle thefts.
Operating the system

661-4. Theft deterrent system
■Items to check before locking the
vehicle
To prevent unexpected triggering of
the alarm and vehicle theft, make sure
of the following:
 Nobody is in the vehicle.
 The windows, moon roof (if
equipped) and panoramic moon
roof (if equipped) are closed before
the alarm is set.
 No valuables or other personal
items are left in the vehicle.
■Setting
Close the doors, trunk and hood, and
lock all the doors. The system will be
set automatically after 30 seconds.
The indicator light changes from being on
to flashing when the system is set.
■Deactivating or stopping
Do one of the following to deactivate
or stop the alarms:
 Except for Canada: Unlock the
doors.
 Except for Canada: Open the trunk.
 For Canada: Unlock the doors or
open the trunk using the entry func-
tion or wireless remote control.
 Turn the engine switch to ACCES-
SORY or IGNITION ON mode, or
start the engine. (The alarm will be
deactivated or stopped after a few
seconds.)
■System maintenance
The vehicle has a maintenance-free type
alarm system.
■Triggering of the alarm
The alarm may be triggered in the following
situations:
(Stopping the alarm deactivates the alarm
system.)
●For Canada: The doors are unlocked
using the mechanical key.
Alarm
The alarm uses light and sound to
give an alert when an intrusion is
detected.
The alarm is triggered in the follow-
ing situations when the alarm is set:
 Except for Canada: A locked
door or trunk is unlocked or
opened in any way other than
using the entry function, wireless
remote control or mechanical
key. (The doors will lock again
automatically.)
 For Canada: A locked door or
trunk is unlocked or opened in
any way other than using the
entry function or wireless remote
control. (The door s will lock again
automatically.)
 The hood is opened.
Setting/deactivating/stopping
the alarm system

367
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Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
.6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehi-cle exterior ................................ 368
Cleaning and protecting the vehi- cle interior .................................. 371
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements .. 374
General maintenance ............. 375
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs ......... 378
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions........................................................ 379
Hood................................................ 381
Positioning a floor jack............. 381
Engine compartment............... 383
Battery ............................................ 391
Tires ................................................ 393
Replacing the tire ...................... 402
Tire inflation pressure .............. 406
Wheels........................................... 407
Air conditioning filter...............409
Electronic key battery .............. 410
Checking and replacing fuses ......................................................... 412
Headlight aim............................... 415
Light bulbs ..................................... 416

3686-1. 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 trunk opener and closer (if equipped)
Start washing from the front of the vehicle.
Extend the mirrors before driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes
may scratch the vehicle surface, parts
(wheel, etc.) and harm your vehicle’s
paint.
●When it is necessar y to set the engine
switch to ACCESSORY mode with the
shift position held in N, refer to P.184.
■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)
■Wheels and wheel ornaments
●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

3696-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
■Brake caliper coating (F SPORT mod-
els)
●When using detergent, use neutral deter-
gent. Do not use hard brushes or abra-
sive cleaners, as they will damage the
coating.
●Do not use detergent on the brake cali-
pers when they are hot.
●Wash detergent off immediately after
use.
■Bumpers and side moldings
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Front side windows water-repellent
coating (if equipped)
●The following precautions can extend the
effectiveness of the water-repellent coat-
ing.
• Remove any dirt, etc. from the front side
windows regularly.
• Do not allow dirt and dust to accumulate on the windows for a long period.
Clean the windows with a soft, damp
cloth as soon as possible.
• Do not use wax or glass cleaners that
contain abrasives when cleaning the win-
dows.
• Do not use any metallic objects to
remove condensation build up.
●When the water-repellent performance
has become insufficie nt, the coating can
be repaired. Contact your Lexus dealer.
■Plated portions
If dirt cannot be removed, clean the parts as
follows:
●Use a soft cloth dampened with an
approximately 5% solution of neutral
detergent and water to clean the dirt off.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to
remove any remaining moisture.
●To remove oily deposits, use alcohol wet
wipes or a similar product.
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the
engine compartment. Doing so may
cause the electrical components, etc. to
catch fire.
■When cleaning the windshield
Set the wiper switch to off.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate unexpectedly in the fol-
lowing situations, and may result in hands
being caught or other serious injuries
and cause damage to the wiper blades.
Off
AUTO
●When the upper part of the windshield
where the raindrop sensor is located is
touched by hand
●When a wet rag or similar is held close
to the raindrop sensor
●If something bumps against the wind-
shield
●If you directly touch the raindrop sen-
sor body or if something bumps into
the raindrop sensor
■Precautions regarding the exhaust
pipes and rear bumper diffusers
Exhaust gases cause the exhaust pipes
and rear bumper diffusers to become
quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not
to touch the pipes and diffusers until they
have cooled sufficiently, as touching hot
exhaust pipes and rear bumper diffusers
can cause burns.
A
B

3706-1. Maintenance and care
WARNING
■Precaution regarding the front
bumper (vehicles with Lexus Safety
System + A)
If the paint of the fr ont bumper is chipped
or scratched, the Le xus Safety System +
A may not function correctly. If this
occurs, consult your Lexus dealer.
■Precaution regarding the rear
bumper
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped
or scratched, the fo llowing systems may
not function correctly. If this occurs, con-
sult your Lexus dealer.
●Lexus Safety System + A (if equipped)
●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 chipped 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
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
spray the camera or its surrounding
area directly with a high pressure
washer. Shock applied from high pres-
sure water may cause the device to not
operate normally.
●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.