2816-2. 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/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 bolts 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
2896-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
IS500Fuse boxes ( P.310)
Battery ( P.294)
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.289)
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.292)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.290)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.294)
Washer fluid tank ( P.296)
Electric cooling fans
Condenser ( P.293)
Radiator ( P.293)
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 it off, wait more than 5 min-
utes for the oil to drain back into the
bottom of the engine.
2 Holding a rag under the end, pull
the dipstick out.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
Checking and adding the engine
oil
2906-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350 AWD/IS350/IS300 AWD
IS300
IS500
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.
■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.
IS350 AWD/IS350/IS300 AWD
A
B
C
2916-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
IS300
IS500
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.
■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.367
Oil quantity (Low Full)
1.6 qt. (1.5 L, 1.3 Imp. qt.)
Item
Clean funnel
■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
with a heavy load, or when driving while
accelerating or dece lerating frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for a long
time, or when driving frequently through
heavy traffic
■After changing the engine oil (IS350
AWD/IS350/IS300 AWD/IS300)
The engine oil maintenance data should be
reset. Perform the following procedures:
1 Press or of the meter control
switch to select on the multi-infor-
mation display.
2 Press or of the meter control
switch, select the “Vehicle Settings”
then “Oil Maintenance”. (To confirm
setting, press .)
3 Select the “Yes” and press .
4 A message will be displayed on the
multi-information display when the
reset procedure has been completed.
WARNING
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as inflamma-
tion and skin cancer, so care should be
taken to avoid prolonged and
repeated contact. To remove used
engine oil from your skin, wash thor-
oughly with soap and water.
2926-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Engine coolant reservoir
The coolant level is satisfactory if it is
between the “FULL” and “LOW” lines
on the reservoir when the engine is
cold.
IS350 AWD/IS350/IS300
IS300
IS500
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW” line,
add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
( P.357)
■Intercooler coolant reservoir
(IS300)
The coolant level is satisfactory if it is
WARNING
●Dispose of used oil and filters only in a
safe and acceptable manner. Do not
dispose of used oil and filters in house-
hold trash, in sewers or onto the
ground.
Call your Lexus dealer, service station
or auto parts store for information
concerning recycling or disposal.
●Do not leave used engine oil within the
reach of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine damage
Check the oil level on a regular basis.
■When replacing the engine oil
●Be careful not to spill engine oil on the
vehicle components.
●Avoid overfilling, or the engine could
be damaged.
●Check the oil level on the dipstick
every time you refill the vehicle.
●Be sure the engine oi l filler cap is prop-
erly tightened.
Checking the coolant
A
B
C
2936-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
between the “F” and “L” lines on the
reservoir when the engine is cold.Reservoir cap
“F” line
“L” line
If the level is on or below the “L” line, add
coolant up to the “F” line. ( P.357)
■Coolant selection
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
or a similar high qua lity ethylene glycol
based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite,
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% coolan t 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 te mperature: -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
coolant reservoir cap, 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, condenser and
intercooler radiator (if equipped) and
clear away any foreign objects.
If any of the above parts are extremely
dirty or you are not sure of their condi-
tion, have your vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer.
A
B
C
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant reser-
voir cap, intercooler coolant reservoir
cap (IS300), or coolant inlet cap.
( P.360)
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, con-
denser and intercooler radiator
(if equipped)
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator, condenser or
intercooler radiator (if equipped) as they
may be hot and cause serious injuries,
such as burns.
2966-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
If any washer does not work or the
warning message appears on the
multi-information display, the washer
tank may be empty. Add washer fluid.Check if the treadw
ear 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 side wall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indica-
tors are showing on a tire.
NOTICE
■When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the
engine is running. Also, be sure all acces-
sories are turned off.
Adding the washer fluid
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
2996-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
If this accidentally occurs, either turn the
engine switch to off and then to IGNITION
ON mode, or initialize the system after
checking that the tire pressure is properly
adjusted.
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.
If the tire pressure drops below a
predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a
warning light. ( P.333)
■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.
■Tire inflation pressure
●It may take a few minutes to display the
tire inflation pressu re after the engine
switch is turned to IGNITION ON mode.
It may also take a few minutes to display
the tire inflation pressure after inflation
pressure has b een adjusted.
●Tire inflation pressure changes with tem-
perature. The displayed values may also
be different from the values measured
using a tire pressure gauge.
■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.
• If a tire has been replaced with a tire that is not an OE (Original Equipment) tire.
• If a tire has been replaced with a tire that is not of the specified size.
• If tire chains, etc. are installed.
• 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.
• When driving near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio station,
large display, airport or other facility that
generates strong radi o waves or electri-
cal noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular
phone, cordless phone or other wireless
Tire pressure warning system