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2636-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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6
Maintenance and care
RC300Check 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 side wall 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
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2646-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
■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
Generally, low profile tires will wear more
rapidly and tire grip performance will be
reduced on snowy and/or icy roads when
compared to standard tires. Be sure to use
snow tires or tire chains on snowy and/or icy
roads and drive carefully at a speed appro-
priate for road and weather 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.339)
■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-cov ered 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 us ing snow tires. If
you need snow tires, select tires of the
same size, construction and load capacity
as the originally installed 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 installe d on all wheels.
( P.203)
■If the tread on snow tires wears down
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.
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2656-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
6
Maintenance and care
Vehicles with front and rear tires of
the same size
Rotate the tires in the order shown.
To equalize tire wear and extend tire life,
Lexus recommends that tire rotation is car-
ried out at the same in terval as tire inspec-
tion.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.
Vehicles with front and rear tires of
differing sizes
Tires cannot be rotated.
■When rotating the tires
Make sure that the engine switch is off. If the
tires are rotated while the engine switch is in
IGNITION ON mode, the tire position
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.
●Do not tow if your vehicle has a com-
pact spare tire installed.
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
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2666-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
information will not be updated.
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. ( P.71)
The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
If the tire pressure drops below a
predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a
warning light. ( P.298)
■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.
• 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
Tire pressure warning system
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2676-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
6
Maintenance and care
warning valves and transmitters are used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warn- ing valves and transm itters is not regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning
computer.
●Performance may be affected in the fol-
lowing situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant,
gas station, radio stat ion, large display,
airport or other faci lity that generates
strong radio waves or electrical noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phon e 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 pressure declines rap-
idly for example when a tire has burst, the
warning may not function.
When replacing the tires or wheels, the
tire pressure warning valve and trans-
mitters must be installed to the wheels
which will be installed to the vehicle.
When new tire pressure warning
valves and transmitte rs are installed,
new ID codes must be registered in the
tire pressure warning computer and
the tire pressure warning system must
be initialized. ( P.269)
■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 or load weight.
When changing the tire size.
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 a tire valve cap is not installed, water
may enter the valve and cause it to
corrode, possibly leading to the valve
sticking or air to leak from the tire.
●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. Afte r 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.267)
Initializing the tire pressure
warning system
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2686-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
When the tire pressure warning system
is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pres-
sure.
■How to initialize the tire pressure
warning system
1 Park the vehicle in a safe place, turn
the engine switch off and wait 20
minutes or more.
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 Start the engine. ( P.125)
4 Press and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light blinks slowly
3 times.
Then a message will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
5 Drive straight (with occasional left
and right turns) at approximately
25 mph (40 km/h) or more for
approximately 10 to 30 minutes.
Initialization is complete when the position
of each tire is determined and the inflation pressure of each tire is displayed on the
multi-information display.
■Initialization procedure
●Make sure to carry out initialization after
adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before
carrying out initialization 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.
●While the position of each tire is being
determined and the inflation pressures
are not being displayed on the
multi-information display, if the inflation
pressure of a tire drops, the tire pressure
warning light will come on.
■If the tire pressure warning system is not
initialized properly
●In the following situations, initialization
may take longer than usual to be com-
pleted or may not be possible. (Usually,
the vehicle will need to be driven for
approximately 10 to 30 minutes to com-
plete initialization.) If initialization is not
complete after drivin g approximately 30
minutes, continue driving for a while.
• If the vehicle is driven on an unpaved road, it may take longer to complete ini-
tialization.
• If the vehicle is backed up while perform- ing initialization, data collected during ini-
tialization will be cleared and it will take
longer than normal to complete.
• If the vehicle is driven in heavy traffic or another situation where other vehicles
are driven close by, it may take time for
the system to recognize the tire pressure
warning valve and transmitters of your
vehicle over those of other vehicles.
If initialization is not complete after driving
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2696-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
6
Maintenance and care
for approximately 1 hour, park the vehicle in
a safe place for approximately 20 minutes
and then drive the vehicle again.
●In the following situations, initialization
will not be started or was not completed
properly and the system will not operate
properly. Perform the initialization proce-
dure again.
• If, when attempting to start initialization, the tire pressure warning light does not
blink 3 times.
• If, when the vehicle has been driven for about 20 minutes after performing ini-
tialization, the tire pressure warning light
blinks for approximately 1 minute and
then illuminates.
●If initialization cannot be completed after
performing the above procedure, con-
tact your Lexus dealer.
Every tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter has a unique ID code.
When replacing a tire pressure warn-
ing valve and transmitter, it is necessary
to register the ID codes.
1 Park the vehicle in a safe place, turn
the engine switch off, wait 20 min-
utes or more, and then start the
engine.
2 Start the engine. ( P.125) 3
Press the tire pressure warning
reset switch 3 times quickly.
The tire pressure warning light will blink
slowly 3 times.
Sensor registration mode will be entered
and ID codes registration will begin.
A message will be displayed on the
multi-information display and “- -” will be
displayed for the tire inflation pressure of
each tire.
After this, the tire pr essure warning light
will blink for 1 minute and then illuminate.
4 Wait approximately 2 minutes.
If the ID codes are already registered, the
tire pressure warning light will turn off.
If the tire pressure warning light
turns off
5 Initialize the tire pressure warning
system. ( P.267)
If the tire pressure warning light
does not turn off
5 Drive at approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h) or more until the tire
pressure warning light turns off.
6 Initialize the tire pressure warning
system. ( P.268)
■When registering ID codes
●Before performing ID code registration,
make sure that no wheels with tire pres-
sure warning valve and transmitters
installed are near the vehicle.
WARNING
■When initializing the tire pressure
warning system
Do not operate the ti re pressure warning
reset switch without first 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 inflation pressure is
actually normal.
Registering ID codes
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2706-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RC350/RC300 Owner's Manual
●Make sure to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after registering the ID
codes. If the system is initialized before
registering the ID codes, the initialized
values will be invalid.
●As the tires will be warm when registra-
tion is completed, make sure to allow the
tires to cool before performing initializa-
tion.
■Canceling ID code registration
●To cancel ID code registration after it has
been started, turn th e engine switch off
before driving the vehicle.
If the vehicle is driven after ID code regis-
tration is started, to cancel registration,
perform the ID code registration start
procedure again and turn the engine
switch off before driving.
●If ID code registration has been canceled,
the tire pressure warning light will blink
for approximately 1 minute when the
engine switch is tu rned to IGNITION
ON mode and then illuminate. The tire
pressure warning system will be opera-
tional when the tire pressure warning
light turns off.
●If the warning light does not turn off even
after several minutes have elapsed, ID
code registration may not have been can-
celled correctly. To ca ncel registration,
perform the ID code registration start
procedure again and th en turn the engine
switch off before driving.
■If ID codes are not registered properly
●In the following situations, ID code regis-
tration may take longer than usual to be
completed or may not be possible. (Usu-
ally, the vehicle will need to be driven for
approximately 10 to 30 minutes to com-
plete ID code registration.)
If ID code registration is not complete
after driving for approximately 30 min-
utes, continue driving for a while.
• If the vehicle is driven on an unpaved road, it may take longer than normal to
complete registration.
• If the vehicle is backed up while perform- ing registration, data collected during
registration will be cleared, and it will take
longer than normal to complete.
• If the vehicle is driven in heavy traffic or another situation where other vehicles
are driven close by, it may take time for
the system to recognize the tire pressure
warning valve and transmitters of your
vehicle over those of other vehicles.
• If a wheel with a ti re pressure warning
valve and transmitter in stalled is inside or
near the vehicle, registration of the ID
codes for the installe d wheels may not be
possible.
If ID registration is not complete after driv-
ing for approximately 1 hour, park the vehi-
cle in a safe place for approximately 20
minutes and then perform the ID code reg-
istration procedure again.
●In the following situations, ID code regis-
tration will not be started or was not com-
pleted properly and the system will not
operate properly. Pe rform the ID code
registration procedure again.
• If, when attempting to start ID code regis- tration, the tire pressure warning light
does not blink slowly 3 times.
• If, when the vehicle has been driven for about 20 minutes after performing ID
code registration, the tire pressure warn-
ing light blinks for approximately 1 minute
and then illuminates.
●If ID code registration cannot be com-
pleted after performi ng the above proce-
dure, contact your Lexus dealer.