2406-1. Maintenance and care
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
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.
■Black stainless steel window moldings (F
SPORT models)
The stainless steel window moldings are
made of black oxide coated stainless steel.
When cleaning the vehicle, do not scrub the
moldings with an abrasive cleaner as their
finish may be damaged or the color may
change.
■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
●Fold the mirrors before washing the vehi-
cle. Start washing from the front of the
vehicle. Make sure to extend the mirrors
before driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes
may scratch the vehicle surface, parts
(wheel, etc.) and damage the paint.
■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 washed. (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.93)
■Wheels and wheel ornaments
●Remove any dirt immediately by using a
neutral detergent.
●Wash detergent off with water immedi-
Cleaning and protecting the
vehicle exterior
Perform cleaning in a manner
appropriate to each component
and its material.
Cleaning instructions
2496-2. Maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
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 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
2616-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
6
Maintenance and care
■Brake fluid can absorb moisture from
the air
Excess moisture in the brake fluid can cause
a dangerous loss of br aking efficiency. Use
only newly opened brake fluid.
Check the battery as follows.
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals
are not corroded and that there are no
loose connections, cracks, or loose
clamps. Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces
hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. Therefore, observe the following
before recharging:
●If recharging with th e battery installed on
the vehicle, be sure to disconnect the
ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on the char-
ger is off when connecting and discon-
necting the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting the bat-
tery
The engine may not start. Follow the proce-
dure below to initialize the system.
1 Shift the shift lever to P.
2 Open and close either door.
3 Restart the engine.
●Unlocking the doors using the smart
access system with push-button start may
not be possible immediately after recon-
necting the battery. If this happens, use
the wireless remote control or the
mechanical key to lo ck/unlock the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine switch in
ACCESSORY mode. The engine may
not start with the engine switch turned off.
However, the engine will operate nor-
mally from the second attempt.
●The engine switch mode is recorded by
the vehicle. If the battery is disconnected
and reconnected, the vehicle will return
the engine switch mode to the status it
was in before the battery was discon-
nected. Make sure to turn off the engine
before disconnecting the battery. Take
extra care when connecting the battery if
the engine switch mode prior to the bat-
tery being disconnected is unknown.
If the system will not start even after multi-
ple attempts, contact your Lexus dealer.
WARNING
■When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm your
hands and eyes and damage painted sur-
faces.If fluid gets on your hands or in your
eyes, flush the affected area with clean
water immediately.
If you still experience discomfort, see a
doctor.
NOTICE
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go
down slightly as the brake pads wear out
or when the fluid level in the accumulator
is high.
If the reservoir need s frequent refilling,
there may be a serious problem.
Battery
A
B
3147-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
Remove the cover inside the trunk and
pull the lever.
If you lose your keys
New genuine mechanical keys can
be made by your Lexus dealer using
another mechanical key and the
key number stamped on your key
number plate.
Keep the plate in a safe place such
as your wallet, not in the vehicle.
NOTICE
■When an electronic key is lost
If the electronic key remains lost, the risk
of vehicle theft increases significantly.
Visit your Lexus deal er immediately with
all remaining electronic keys and the
card key that were provided with your
vehicle.
If the fuel filler door cannot
be opened
If the fuel filler door cannot be
opened by pressing the center of
the rear edge of the fuel filler door
with the doors unlocked, the follow-
ing procedure can be used to open
the fuel filler door.
Opening the fuel filler door
3157-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
7
When trouble arises
■When the electronic key does not work
properly
●Make sure that the smart access system
with push-button start has not been deac-
tivated in the customization setting. If it is
off, turn the function on.
●Check if battery-saving mode is set. If it is
set, cancel the function. ( P.94)
■Unlocking the door
Use the mechanical key ( P.82) in
order to perform the following opera-
tions: 1
Insert the mechanical key while
pulling on the driver’s door handle.
2 Unlocking the door.
3 Remove the key, return the handle,
and then pull the handle again.
■Locking the door
1 Move the inside lock button to the
lock position.
2 Close the door.
■Opening the trunk
Turn the mechanical key clockwise to
open. ( P.57)
If the electronic key does not
operate properly
If communication between the
electronic key and vehicle is inter-
rupted ( P.94) or the electronic
key cannot be used because the
battery is depleted, the smart
access system with push-button
start and wireless remote control
cannot be used. In such cases, the
doors and trunk can be opened and
the engine can be started by follow-
ing the procedure below.
NOTICE
■In case of a smart access system with
push-button start malfunction or
other key-related problems
Take your vehicle with all the electronic
keys provided with your vehicle, includ-
ing the card key, to your Lexus dealer.
Locking and unlocking the doors
and opening the trunk
3167-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
■Key linked functions
1 Locks both side door
2 Closes the windows and moon roof (if
equipped) (turn and hold)
*
3Unlocks the door
Turning the key rearward unlocks the
driver’s door. Turning the key again unlocks
the other door.
4 Opens the windows and moon roof (if
equipped) (turn and hold)
*
*
: These settings must be customized at
your Lexus dealer.
1 Ensure that the shift lever is in P and
depress the brake pedal.
2 Touch the Lexus emblem side of the
electronic key to the engine switch.
When the electronic key is detected, a
buzzer sounds and the engine switch will
turn to IGNITION ON mode.
When the smart access system with
push-button start is deactivated in
customization setting, the engine switch
will turn to ACCESSORY mode.
3 Firmly depress the brake pedal and
check that is shown on the
multi-information display.
4 Press the engine switch.
In the event that the engine still cannot
be started, contact your Lexus dealer.
■Stopping the engine
Shift the shift lever to P and press the engine
switch as you normally do when stopping
the engine.
■Electronic key battery
As the above procedure is a temporary
measure, it is recommended that the elec-
tronic key battery be replaced immediately
when the battery is depleted. ( P.275)
■Alarm (For Canada)
Using the mechanical key to lock the doors
will not set the alarm system.
If a door is unlocked using the mechanical
WARNING
■When using the mechanical key and
operating the power windows or
moon roof
Operate the power window or moon
roof after checking to make sure that
there is no possibilit y of any passenger
having any of their bo dy parts caught in
the window or moon roof.
Also, do not allow ch ildren to operate the
mechanical key. It is possible for children
and other passengers to get caught in
the power window or moon roof.
Starting the engine
3177-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
7
When trouble arises
key when the alarm system is set, the alarm
may be triggered.
■Changing engine switch modes
Release the brake pedal and press the
engine switch in step 3 above.
The engine does not start and modes will be
changed each time the switch is pressed.
( P.127)
If you have a set of jumper (or booster)
cables and a second vehicle with a
12-volt battery, you can jump start your
vehicle by following the steps below.
1 Confirm that the electronic key is
being carried.
When connecting the jumper (or booster)
cables, depending on the situation, the
alarm may activate and doors locked.
(P.58)
2 Open the hood. ( P.253)
If the vehicle battery is dis-
charged
The following procedures may be
used to start the engine if the vehi-
cle’s battery is discharged.
You can also call your Lexus dealer
or a qualified repair shop.
Restarting the engine
3197-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
7
When trouble arises
5Open and close any of the door of
your vehicle with the engine switch
off.
6 Maintain the engine speed of the
second vehicle and start the engine
of your vehicle by turning the
engine switch to IGNITION ON
mode.
7 Once the vehicle’s engine has
started, remove the jumper cables
in the exact reverse order from
which they were connected.
Once the engine starts, have the vehi-
cle inspected at your Lexus dealer as
soon as possible.
■Starting the engine when the battery is
discharged
The engine cannot be started by push-start-
ing.
■To prevent battery discharge
●Turn off the headlights and the audio sys-
tem while the engine is off.
●Turn off any unnecessary electrical com-
ponents when the vehicle is running at a
low speed for an extended period, such
as in heavy traffic.
■Charging the battery
The electricity stored in the battery will dis-
charge gradually even when the vehicle is
not in use, due to natural discharge and the
draining effects of certain electrical appli-
ances. If the vehicle is left for a long time,
the battery may discharge, and the engine
may be unable to start. (The battery
recharges automatically during driving.)
■When recharging or replacing the bat-
tery
●In some cases, it may not be possible to
unlock the doors using the smart access
system with push-button start when the
battery is discharged. Use the wireless
remote control or the mechanical key to
lock or unlock the doors.
●The engine may not start on the first
attempt after the battery has recharged
but will start normally after the second
attempt. This is not a malfunction.
●The engine switch mode is memorized by
the vehicle. When the battery is recon-
nected, the system will return to the
mode it was in before the battery was dis-
charged. Before disconnecting the bat-
tery, turn the engine switch off.
If you are unsure wh at mode the engine
switch was in before the battery dis-
charged, be especially careful when
reconnecting the battery.
WARNING
■Avoiding battery fires or explosions
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidentally igniting the flamma-
ble gas that may be emitted from the bat-
tery:
●Make sure each jumper cable is con-
nected to the correct terminal and that
it is not unintentionally in contact with
any other than the intended terminal.
●Do not allow the other end of the
jumper cable connected to the “+” ter-
minal to come into contact with any
other parts or meta l surfaces in the
area, such as brackets or unpainted
metal.
●Do not allow the + and - clamps of the
jumper cables to come into contact
with each other.
●Do not smoke, use matches, cigarette
lighters or allow open flame near the
battery.
■Battery precautions
The battery contains poisonous and cor-
rosive acidic electrol yte, while related
parts contain lead and lead compounds.
Observe the following precautions when
handling the battery: