2021 LEXUS RCF tires

239
6
6
Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
.6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehi-cle exterior ................................ 240
Cleaning and protecting the vehi- cle interior ................................. 245
6-2. Matte paint care guide (if equipped)
Basic knowledge about matte clear coat ................................... 248
Washing your vehicle ............. 252
Frequently Asked Questions ........................................................ 254
6-3. Maintenance Maintenance requirements .. 257
General maintenance ............. 258
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs .......... 261
6-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions........................................................ 262
Hood............................................... 264
Positioning a floor jack............ 265
Engine compartment............... 267
Tires ................................................ 273
Tire inflation pressure .............. 279
Wheels............................................ 281
Air conditioning filter...............282
Electronic key battery ............. 283
Checking and replacing fuses ........................................................ 285
Headlight aim.............................. 287Light bulbs....................................
288

2606-3. Maintenance
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/trunk• Do the doors/trunk operate 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
• The wiper blades should not show any
signs of cracking,
splitting, wear, con-
tamination or defor-
mation.
• The wiper blades should clear the
windshield without
streaking or skip-
ping.
ItemsCheck points

2736-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Check if the treadwear indicators are
showing on the tires. Also check the
tires for uneven wear, such as excessive
wear on one side of the tread.
Check the spare tire condition and
pressure if not rotated.
New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicator
The location of treadwear indicators is
shown by a “TWI” or “ ” mark, etc.,
molded into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indica-
tors are showing on a tire.
WARNING
■When adding washer fluid
Do not add washer fluid when the engine
is hot or running as washer fluid contains
alcohol and may catch fire if spilled on
the engine, etc.
NOTICE
■Do not use any fluid other than
washer fluid
Do not use soapy water or engine anti-
freeze instead of washer fluid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the
vehicle’s painted surfaces, as well as
damaging the pump leading to problems
of the washer fluid not spraying.
■Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as neces-
sary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed
on the label of the washer fluid bottle.
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accor-
dance with maintenance schedules
and treadwear.
Checking tires
A
B
C

2746-4. 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 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.
■Low profile tires
Compared to normal tires, the grip perfor-
mance of these tires will be lower on snow
covered or icy roads. Be sure to use snow
tires when driving on snowy and/or icy
roads and drive carefully at a speed appro-
priate for the road conditions.
■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.351)
■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
roads, we recommend using snow tires. If
you need snow tires, select tires of the
same size, construction and load capacity
as the originally instal led 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.204)
■If the tread on snow tires wears down
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.

2756-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Tires cannot be rotated.
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.
 The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( P.73)
The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
WARNING
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
parts of the drivetrain 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.
●Vehicles with a spare tire: Do not tow if
your vehicle has a spare tire installed.
●Vehicles with an emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit: Do no t tow anything if a
tire that has been repaired using the
emergency tire puncture repair kit is
installed. The load on the tire may
cause unexpected damage to the tire.
NOTICE
■Low profile tires
Low profile tires may cause greater dam-
age than usual to the tire wheel when
sustaining impact from the road surface.
Therefore, pay attention to the following:
●Be sure to use proper tire inflation
pressure. If tires are under-inflated,
they may be damaged more severely.
●Avoid potholes, uneven pavement,
curbs and other road hazards. Failure
to do so may lead to severe tire and
wheel damage.
■If tire inflation pressure of each tire
becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
■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.
Tire rotation
Tire pressure warning system

2766-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
If the tire pressure drops below a
predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a
warning light. ( P.307)
■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 tires not equipped with tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are 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
■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.

2776-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
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.278)
■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.
■The tire pressure warning system
must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
 When rotating the tires.
 When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when changing
traveling speed.
 When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system
is initialized, the current tire inflation
WARNING
●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 medical
devices.
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.
■To avoid damage to the tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters
When a tire is repaired with liquid seal-
ants, the tire pressure 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.277)
Initializing the tire pressure
warning system

2786-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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 engine 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 th e 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 engine switch to IGNI-
TION ON mode.
4 Press and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light blinks slowly
3 times.
5 Wait for a few minutes with the
engine switch in IGNITION ON
mode and then turn the engine
switch off.
■Initialization procedure
●Make sure to carry ou t initialization after
adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before
carrying out initializat ion or tire inflation
pressure adjustment.
●If you have accidentally turned the engine
switch off during initialization, it is not
necessary to press the reset switch again
as initialization will restart automatically
when the engine switch has been turned
to IGNITION ON mode for the next
time.
●If you accidentally press the reset switch
when initialization is not necessary, adjust
the tire inflation pressure to the specified
level when the tires are cold, and conduct
initialization again.
■When initialization of the tire pressure
warning system has failed
Initialization ca n be completed in a few min-
utes. However, in the following cases, the
settings have not been recorded and the
system will not operate properly. If repeated
attempts to record tire inflation pressure
settings are unsuccessf ul, have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer.
●When operating the tire pressure warn-
ing reset switch, the tire pressure warning
light does not blink 3 times.
●After carrying out the initialization proce-
dure, the tire pressure warning light
blinks for 1 minute then stays on after
driving for 20 minutes.
The tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter is equipped with a unique
ID code. When replacing a tire pres-
sure warning valve and transmitter, it is
necessary to register the ID code.
WARNING
■When initializing the tire pressure
warning system
Do not operate the tire pressure warning
reset switch without fi rst adjusting the tire
inflation pressure to the specified level.
Otherwise, the tire pressure warning
light may not come on even if the tire
inflation pressure is low, or it may come
on when the tire in flation pressure is
actually normal.
Registering ID codes