2021 LEXUS RCF maintenance

2426-1. Maintenance and care
■Brake caliper coating
●When using detergent, use neutral deter-
gent. Do not use hard brushes or abra-
sive cleaners, as they will damage the
paint.
●Do not use detergent on the brake cali-
pers when they are hot.
●Wash detergent off immediately after
use.
■Brake pads and calipers
Rust may form if the vehicle is parked with
wet brake pads or disc rotors, causing them
to stick. Before parking the vehicle after it is
washed, drive slowly and apply the brakes
several times to dry the parts.
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Side windows water- repellent coating
●The following precautions can extend the
effectiveness of the water-repellent coat-
ing.
• Remove any dirt, etc. from the side win- dows 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 (vehi-
cles with rain-sensing windshield wip-
ers)
Set the wipers to the intermittent wind-
shield wipers. (
P.143)
If AUTO mode is selected, the wipers
may operate unexpectedly in the follow-
ing situations, and may result in hands
being caught or other serious injuries
and cause damage to the wiper blades.
●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

2436-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
WARNING
■Precautions regarding the exhaust
pipes
As exhaust gases cause the exhaust
pipes to become quite hot, do not touch
the exhaust pipes while the engine is run-
ning or immediately after the engine is
turned off.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not
to touch the exhaust pipes until they have
cooled sufficiently, as touching hot
exhaust pipes can cause burns.
■Precaution regarding the rear
bumper with Blind Spot Monitor (if
equipped)
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped
or scratched, the system may malfunc-
tion. If this occurs, consult your Lexus
dealer.
NOTICE
■Application of coatings to the vehicle
body (vehicles wi th CFRP parts)
Do not apply any kind of coating to the
vehicle body as doing so may damage
the paint or reduce its durability.
■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.
■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 wipers to the intermittent wind-
shield wipers. ( P.143)
If AUTO mode is selected, the wipers
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.

2446-1. Maintenance and care
NOTICE
●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
•Suspension parts
•Steering 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 ai r conditioning sys-
tem may not operate correctly.
●Do not wash the underside of the vehi-
cle using a high pressure car washer.
●Do not point the nozzle of a high pres-
sure washer at the areas shown in the
illustration, as high pressure water may
damage the oil coolers.
■Hood vent
When washing the vehicle, do not allow a
large amount of water to enter the hood
vent at once, such as when using a
bucket, etc. or point the nozzle of a high
pressure washer at the hood vent.
Water may get inside the engine com-
partment and affect the engine and other
components.

2456-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
Remove dirt and dust using a vac-
uum cleaner. Wipe dirty surfaces
with a cloth dampened with luke-
warm water.
 If dirt cannot be removed, wipe it off
with a soft cloth dampened with
neutral detergent diluted to approx-
imately 1%.
Wring out any excess water from the cloth
and thoroughly wipe off remaining traces
of detergent and water.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type
cleaners available. Use a sponge or brush
to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping cir-
cles. Do not use water. Wipe dirty surfaces
and let them dry. Excellent results are
obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as
possible.
■Handling the seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water
using a cloth or spon ge. Also check the
belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying
or cuts.
■When cleaning the carpeted portions of
the glove box, console box, etc.
If a strong adhesive tape is used, there is a
possibility that the surface of the carpet
could be damaged.
■CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plas-
tic) parts (if equipped)
When cleaning, remove dirt using a soft moist cloth or synthetic chamois, and then
wipe the surface with a soft dry cloth to
remove any remaining moisture.
Cleaning and protecting the
vehicle interior
Perform cleaning in a manner
appropriate to each component
and its material.
Protecting the vehicle interior
WARNING
■Water in the vehicle
●Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehi-
cle.
Doing so may cause electrical compo-
nents, etc. to malfunction or catch fire.
●Do not get any of the SRS components
or wiring in the vehicle interior wet.
(  P.28)
An electrical malfunction may cause the
airbags to deploy or not function prop-
erly, resulting in death or serious injury.
■Cleaning the interior (especially
instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner.
The instrument panel may reflect off the
windshield, obstructin g the driver’s view
and leading to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use the following liquids, as
they may discolor the vehicle interior
or cause streaks or damage to painted
surfaces:
• Center Display: Organic substances such as benzine or gasoline, alkaline
solutions, and alcohol
• Seats: Alkaline solutions, organic sub- stances such as thinner or benzine,
and alcohol
• Other parts: Organic substances such as benzine or gasoline, alkaline or
acidic solutions, dye, and bleach
●Do not use polish wax or polish
cleaner. The instrument panel’s or
other interior part’s painted surface
may be damaged.

2466-1. Maintenance and care
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
cloth to remove any remaining
moisture.
Allow the leather to dry in a shaded
and ventilated area.
■Caring for leather areas
Lexus recommends cleani ng the interior of
the vehicle at least twice a year to maintain
the quality of the vehicle’s interior.
 Remove dirt and dust using a vac-
uum cleaner.
 Wipe it off with a soft cloth damp-
ened with neutral detergent diluted
to approximately 1%.
 Wring out any excess water from
the cloth and thoroughly wipe off
remaining traces of detergent and
water.
NOTICE
■Preventing damage to leather sur-
faces
Observe the following precautions to
avoid damage to and deterioration of
leather surfaces:
●Remove any dust or dirt from leather
surfaces immediately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to direct
sunlight for extended periods of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, espe-
cially during summer.
●Do not place items made of vinyl, plas-
tic, or containing wax on the uphol-
stery, as they may stick to the leather
surface if the vehicle interior heats up
significantly.
■Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system
may be damaged if water comes into
contact with electrical components such
as the audio system above or under the
floor of the vehicle. Water may also
cause the body to rust.
■When cleaning the inside of the wind-
shield
Do not allow glass cleaner to contact the
lens. Also, do not touch the lens.
(
P.153)
■Cleaning the inside of the rear win-
dow
●Do not use glass cleaner to clean the
rear window, as this may cause dam-
age to the rear window defogger
heater wires or antenna. Use a cloth
dampened with lukewarm water to
gently wipe the window clean. Wipe
the window in strokes running parallel
to the heater wires or antenna.
●Be careful not to scratch or damage
the heater wires or antenna.
Cleaning the leather areas
Cleaning the synthetic leather
areas

2476-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
Brush the surfaces using a soft
brush.
Do not brush hard as doing so may cause
damage.
Wipe the surfaces clean with a soft
cloth that has been dampened in
cold or lukewarm water and
squeezed out.
 Allow the artificial leather (Alcan-
tara
®*) to dry in a shaded and venti-
lated area.
*: Alcantara® is a registered trademark of
Alcantara S.p.A.
Cleaning the artificial leather
(Alcantara
®*) areas

2496-2. Matte paint care guide (if equipped)
6
Maintenance and care
Normal clear coat
 Cross section
Light
Clear
Base
 Enlarged surface
Matte clear coat
 Cross section
Light Matting agent
Clear
Base
 Enlarged surface
Illustrations in this manual are simpli-
fied for explanation and may not repre-
sent the actual vehicle.
Glossiness of a surface is seen by the
human eyes by a difference in the
amount of light that reflects off the sur-
face.
A surface painted with normal clear
coat is flat and smooth. As the amount
of light that reflects off the surface is
large, the vehicle body will appear
glossy.
A surface painted with a matte clear
coat is slightly uneven due to the added
matting agent. As the light shining on
an uneven surface is diffused signifi-
cantly, the amount of light reflected is
small, making the vehicle body look not
glossy, with a unique texture.
Difference between general
clear coat and matte clear coat
A
B
C
A
B
C
D

2516-2. Matte paint care guide (if equipped)
6
Maintenance and care
●Rain water, sea water, and other liquids
that may cause water stains
●Sand, pollen, volcanic ash, and other par-
ticulate matter
●Dead insects, bird droppings, etc.
●Sap, leaves, flowers, etc.
●Mud, snow, anti-freezing agents, and
other road debris
●Gasoline, engine oil, asphalt, and other
oily materials
■Do not apply a coating to the vehicle
Do not apply a coating to the vehicle body,
as it will form a film over the painted sur-
faces, filling the matte clear coat surface,
making it more flat. As a result, it will
become more glossy, possibly permanently
losing its matte properties.
Take care in order to not damage the
painted surfaces.
When minor damage occurs to a vehi-
cle with a normal clear coat, it can be
repaired by polishing it or using touch
up paint. In contrast, a matte clear coat cannot be repaired using these meth-
ods.
If these methods are used the uneven-
ness of the matte clear coat may be
removed or filled in. In either case, the
surface will become more flat, making
Repair of paint damage