3476-3. 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.355)
•Warm water
•Baking soda
•Grease
• Conventional
wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Brake fluid level
(P.354)
• 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.353)
• “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.351)
•“Toyota Genuine
Motor Oil” or equiv-
alent
• Rag or paper towel
•Funnel (used only for adding engine oil)
Fuses ( P.371)
•Fuse with same
amperage rating as
original
Headlight aim
( P.372)• Phillips-head screw-
driver
ItemsParts and tools
3486-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Light bulbs
(P.374)
•Bulb with same num-
ber and wattage rat-
ing as original
•Flathead screw- driver
•Wrench
Radiator and con-
denser ( P.354)
Tire inflation pres-
sure (P.363)• Tire pressure gauge
•Compressed air
source
Washer fluid
(P.356)
• 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.354)
■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.
3516-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Washer fluid tank (P.356)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.352)
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.351)
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.353)
Battery ( P.355)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.354)
Fuse box ( P.371)
Radiator ( P.354)
Condenser ( P.354)
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
3536-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
with a heavy load, when towing, or when
driving while accelera ting or decelerat-
ing frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for a long
time, or when driving frequently through
heavy traffic
■After changing the engine oil
The engine oil maintena nce 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 is displayed on the
multi-information display.
The coolant level is satisfactory if it is
between the “FULL” and “LOW” lines
on the reservoir when the engine is
cold.
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW” line,
add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
(P.426)
■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% coolant and 50% deionized
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.
●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 re fill the vehicle.
●Be sure the engine o il filler cap is prop-
erly tightened.
Checking the coolant
A
B
C
3546-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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 temperature: -44°F
[-42°C])
For more details about coolant, contact
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 and condenser and
clear away any foreign objects. If either of the above parts is extremely
dirty or you are not sure of their condi-
tion, have your vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer.
■Checking fluid level
The brake fluid level should be
between the “MAX” and “MIN” lines
on the tank.
■Adding fluid
Make sure to check the fluid type and
prepare the necessary item.
Fluid type
FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703
brake fluid
Item
Clean funnel
■Brake fluid can absorb moisture from
the air
Excess moisture in the brake fluid can cause
a dangerous loss of braking efficiency. Use
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant reser-
voir cap and radiator cap.
The cooling system may be under pres-
sure and may spray ho t coolant if the cap
is removed, causing serious injuries, such
as burns.
NOTICE
■When adding coolant
Coolant is neither 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 damagi ng parts or paint.
Checking the radiator and con-
denser
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator or condenser
as they may be hot and cause serious
injuries, such as burns.
Checking and adding the brake
fluid
3917-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air condi-
tioning after use is normal.)
Flat-looking tires or uneven tire
wear
Engine coolant temperature gauge
needle continually points higher
than normal
Changes in exhaust sound
Excessive tire squeal when corner-
ing
Strange noises related to the sus-
pension system
Pinging or other noises related to
the engine
Engine missing, stumbling or run-
ning roughly
Appreciable loss of power
Vehicle pulls heavily to one side
when braking
Vehicle pulls heavily to one side
when driving on a level road
Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy
feeling, pedal almost touches the
floor
If you think something is
wrong
If you notice any of the following
symptoms, your vehicle probably
needs adjustment or repair. Con-
tact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible.
Visible symptoms
Audible symptoms
Operational symptoms
3937-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
■Brake system warning light
■Brake system warning light
■High coolant temperature warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminates on the multi-information display.
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds
Calmly perform the followin g actions if any of the warning lights comes on or
flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, bu t then goes off, this does not necessar-
ily indicate a malfunction in the system. However, if this continues to occur,
have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
Actions to the warning lights or warning buzzers
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(red)
(Canada)
Indicates that:
The brake fluid level is low; or
The brake system is malfunctioning
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your Lexus
dealer. Continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(yellow)
Indicates a malfunction in the electric parking brake
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine coolant temperature is too high
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place.
Handling method ( P.426)
4057-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
■If “Radar Cruise Control Unavailable” is
displayed
The dynamic radar cruise control with
full-speed range system cannot be used
temporarily. Use the system when it
becomes available again.
■If a message that indicates the malfunc-
tion of front camera is displayed
The following systems may be suspended
until the problem shown in the message is
resolved. ( P.202, 398)
●PCS (Pre-Collision system)
●LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
●Automatic High Beam
●RSA (Road Sign Assi st) (if equipped)
●Dynamic radar cruise control with
full-speed range
■If a message that indicates the malfunc-
tion of radar sensor is displayed
The following systems may be suspended
until the problem shown in the message is
resolved. ( P.202, 393)
●PCS (Pre-Collision system)
●LTA (Lane Tracing Assist)
●Dynamic radar cruise control with
full-speed range
■If “Check Fuel Cap” is displayed (if
equipped)
The fuel tank cap is no t properly installed.
Correctly install the fuel tank cap.
■If “Maintenance Required Soon” is dis-
played (U.S.A. only)
Indicates that all maintenance according to
the driven distance on the maintenance
schedule
* should be performed soon.
Comes on approximately 4500 miles
(7200 km) after the message has been
reset. If necessary, perform maintenance.
Please reset the message after the mainte-
nance is performed. ( P.342)
*: Refer to the separate “Scheduled Main-
tenance” or “Owner’s Manual Supple-
ment” for the maintenance interval
applicable to your vehicle.
■If “Maintenance Required Visit Your
Dealer” is displayed (U.S.A. only)
Indicates that all mainte nance is required to
correspond to the driven distance on the
maintenance schedule
*.
Comes on approximately 5000 miles
(8000 km) after the message has been
reset. (The indicator will not work properly
unless the message has been reset.) Per-
form the necessary maintenance. Please
reset the message after the maintenance is
performed. ( P.342)
*: Refer to the separate “Scheduled Main-
tenance” or “Owner’s Manual Supple-
ment” for the main tenance interval
applicable to your vehicle.
■If “Oil Maintenance Required Soon” is
displayed
Indicates that the engine oil should be
scheduled to be changed.
Check the engine oil and change it if neces-
sary. After changing th e engine oil, make
sure to reset the message. ( P.353)
■If “Oil Maintenance Required” is dis-
played
Indicates that the engine oil should be
changed.
Check and change the engine oil, and oil fil-
ter by your Lexus dealer. After changing the
engine oil, make sure to reset the message.
( P.353)
■If a message that indicates the need for
visiting your Lexus dealer is displayed
The system or part shown on the
multi-information displa y is malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus
dealer immediately.
■If a message that indicates the need for
referring to Owner’ s Manual is dis-
played
●“Engine Coolant Temp High” is shown on
the multi-information display, follow the
instructions. ( P.426)
●“Transmission Fluid Temp High” is shown
on the multi-informatio n display, the auto-
matic transmission fluid temperature may
be too high. Immediately stop the vehicle