2021 LEXUS RX350 Owners Manual

3536-2. 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

3546-2. Maintenance
The OBD system determines that a
problem exists somewhere in the emis-
sion control system. Your vehicle may
not pass the I/M test and may need to
be repaired. Contact your Lexus
dealer to service the vehicle.
When the battery is disconnected
or discharged
Readiness codes that are set during ordi-
nary driving are erased.
Also, depending on your driving habits, the
readiness codes may not be completely
set.
When the fuel tank cap is loose
The malfunction indicator lamp comes on
indicating a temporary malfunction and
your vehicle may not pass the I/M test.
The error code in the OBD system will
not be cleared unless the vehicle is
driven 40 or more times.
Contact your Lexus dealer to prepare
the vehicle for re-testing.
Emission inspection and
maintenance (I/M) pro-
grams
Some states have vehicle emission
inspection programs which include
OBD (On Board Diagnostics)
checks. The OBD system monitors
the operation of the emission con-
trol system.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on
Your vehicle may not pass the
I/M test in the following situa-
tions:
When the malfunction indicator
lamp still remains on after sev-
eral driving trips
If your vehicle does not pass the
I/M test

3556-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
6-3.Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service pre-
cautions
If you perform maintenance by
yourself, be sure to follow the cor-
rect procedure as given in these
sections.
Maintenance
ItemsParts and tools
Battery condition
( P.363)
•Warm water
• Baking soda
•Grease
• Conventional
wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Brake fluid level
( P.362)
• FMVSS No.116 DOT
3 or SAE J1703
brake fluid
•Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake fluid)
Engine coolant
level ( P.361)
•“Toyota Super Long
Life Coolant” or a
similar high quality
ethylene gly-
col-based non-sili-
cate, non-amine,
non-nitrite and
non-borate coolant
with long-life hybrid
organic acid tech-
nology
For the U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long
Life Coolant” is
pre-mixed with 50%
coolant and 50%
deionized water.
For Canada:
“Toyota Super Long
Life Coolant” is
pre-mixed with 55%
coolant and 45%
deionized water.
•Funnel (used only for adding engine cool-
ant)
Engine oil level
( P.359)
•“Toyota Genuine
Motor Oil” or equiv-
alent
• Rag or paper towel
•Funnel (used only for adding engine oil)
Fuses ( P.381)
•Fuse with same
amperage rating as
original
Headlight aim
( P.382)• Phillips-head screw-
driver
ItemsParts and tools

3566-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Light bulbs
( P.384)
•Bulb with same num-
ber and wattage rat-
ing as original
•Flathead screw- driver
•Wrench
Radiator and con-
denser ( P.362)
Tire inflation pres-
sure (P.373)• Tire pressure gauge
•Compressed air
source
Washer fluid
( P.364)
• Water or washer
fluid containing anti-
freeze (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
●Keep hands, clothi ng and tools away
from the moving fan and engine drive
belt.
●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.
●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 or the battery.
Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.
ItemsParts and tools●Be extremely cautious when working
on the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.
■When working near the electric cool-
ing fan or radiator grille
Be sure the engine switch is off.
With the engine switch in IGNITION
ON mode, the electric cooling fan may
automatically start to run if the air condi-
tioning is on and/or the coolant tempera-
ture is high. ( P.362)
■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.

3576-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
1Pull the hood lock release lever.
The hood will pop up slightly.
2Pull up the auxiliary catch lever and
lift the hood.■Front
Hood
Opening the hood
WARNING
■Pre-driving check
Check that the hood is fully closed and
locked.
If the hood is not locked properly, it may
open while the vehicle is in motion and
cause an accident, which may result in
death or serious injury.
Positioning a floor jack
When using a floor jack, follow the
instructions in the manual provided
with the jack and perform the oper-
ation safely.
When raising your vehicle with a
floor jack, position the jack cor-
rectly. Improper placement may
damage your vehicle or cause
injury.
Location of the jack point

3586-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Rear

3596-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Washer fluid tank (P.364)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.360)
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.359)
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.361)
Battery ( P.363)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.362)
Fuse box ( P.381)
Radiator ( P.362)
Condenser ( P.362)
Electric cooling fans
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.
After warming up the engine and
turning off the engine, wait more
Engine compartment
Components
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
Checking and adding the engine
oil

3606-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
than 5 minutes for the oil to drain
back into the bottom of the engine.
2 Holding a rag under the end, pull
the dipstick out.
3 Wipe the dipstick clean.
4 Reinsert the dipstick fully.
5 Holding a rag under the end, pull
the dipstick out and check the oil
level.
Low
Normal
Excessive
The shape of the dipstick may differ
depending on the type of vehicle or
engine.
6Wipe the dipstick and reinsert it
fully.
■Checking the oil type and prepar-
ing the item needed
Make sure to check the oil type and prepare the items needed before add-
ing oil.

Engine oil selection
P.445
 Oil quantity (Low  Full)
1.9 qt. (1.8 L, 1.6 Imp. qt.)
 Item
Clean funnel
■Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near the low
level mark, add engine oil of the same
type as that already in the engine.
1 Remove the oil filler cap by turning
it counterclockwise.
2 Add engine oil slowly, checking the
dipstick.
3 Install the oil filler cap by turning it
clockwise.
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will be con-
sumed while driving. In the following situa-
tions, oil consumption may increase, and
engine oil may need to be refilled in
between oil maintenance intervals.
●When the engine is new, for example
directly after purchasing the vehicle or
after replacing the engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inappropriate
viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine speeds or
A
B
C