2724-6. Driving tips
immediately to prevent it from
freezing.
To ensure proper operation of the
climate control system fan, remove
any snow that has accumulated on
the air inlet vents in front of the
windshield.
Check for and remove any excess
ice or snow that may have accumu-
lated on the exterior lights, vehicle’s
roof, chassis, around the tires or on
the brakes.
Remove any snow or mud from the
bottom of your shoes before getting
in the vehicle.
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a
safe distance between you and the
vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced
speed suitable to road conditions.
Park the vehicle and move the shift
lever to P without setting the park-
ing brake. The parking brake may
freeze up, preventing it from being
released. If the vehicle is parked
without setting the parking brake,
make sure to block the wheels. Fail-
ure to do so may be dangerous
because it may cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly, possibly lead-
ing to an accident.
When the parking brake is in automatic
mode, release the parking brake after shift-
ing the shift lever to P. ( P.180)
If the vehicle is parked without set-
ting the parking brake, confirm that
the shift lever cannot be moved out
of P
*.
*: The shift lever will be locked if it is
attempted to be shifted from P to any
other position with out depressing the
brake pedal. If the shift lever can be
shifted from P, ther e may be a problem
with the shift lock sy stem. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
Use the correct tire chain size when
mounting the tire chains.
Chain size is regulated for each tire
size.
Side chain (0.12 in. [3 mm] in diam-
eter)
Side chain (0.43 in. [10.8 mm] in
width)
Side chain (0.98 in. [25 mm] in
length)
Cross chain (0.15 in. [3.9 mm] in
diameter)
Cross chain (0.54 in. [13.8 mm] in
width)
Cross chain (1.00 in. [25.3 mm] in
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle
Selecting tire chains
A
B
C
D
E
F
2734-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
length)
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary depending on location and
type of road. Always check local regu-
lations before installing chains.
■Tire chain installation
Observe the following precautions when
installing and removing chains:
●Install and remove tire chains in a safe
location.
●Install tire chains on the front tires only.
Do not install tire chains on the rear tires.
●Install tire chains on fr ont tires as tightly as
possible. Retighten chains after driving
1/4 1/2 mile (0.5 1.0 km).
●Install tire chains following the instruc-
tions provided with the tire chains.
To enable the windshield wipers to be
lifted when heavy snow or icy condi-
tions are expected, change the rest
position of the windshield wipers from
the retracted position below the hood
to the service position using the wiper
lever. ( P.192)
Specific design characteristics give
it a higher center of gravity than
ordinary passenger cars. This vehi-
cle design feature causes this type
of vehicle to be more likely to
rollover. And, utility vehicles have a
significantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles.
An advantage of th e higher ground
clearance is a better view of the
road allowing you to anticipate
problems.
It is not designed for cornering at
the same speeds as ordinary pas-
senger cars any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform satisfactorily under
off-road conditions. Therefore,
sharp turns at excessive speeds may
cause the vehicle to rollover.
Regulations on the use of tire
chains
NOTICE
■Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters may not function correctly
when tire chains are fitted.
Windshield wipers
Utility vehicle precautions
This vehicle belongs to the utility
vehicle class, which has higher
ground clearance and narrower
tread in relation to the height of its
center of gravity.
Utility vehicle feature
WARNING
■Utility vehicle precautions
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of death, seri-
ous injury or damage to your vehicle:
335
6
6
Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
.6-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehi-cle exterior ................................ 336
Cleaning and protecting the vehi- cle interior ................................. 339
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements........................................................ 342
General maintenance ............. 343
Emission inspection and mainte- nance (I/M) programs ......... 346
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions........................................................ 347
Hood............................................... 349
Positioning a floor jack............ 349
Engine compartment................ 351
Tires ................................................ 357
Tire inflation pressure.............. 363
Wheels........................................... 365
Air conditioning filter...............366
Windshield wiper inserts........ 368
Electronic key battery ............. 369
Checking and replacing fuses ......................................................... 371
Headlight aim.............................. 372
Light bulbs .................................... 374
3456-2. 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
3576-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Check 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
3586-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■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 with 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.
■Proper storage of the spare tire
(RX350L)
As an improperly stored spare tire may
cause damage to the wi re cable that holds
it, check that the spare tire is stored prop-
erly on a daily basis.
●If the stored spare tire appears to be
slanted or rattles while driving, the spare
tire may not be properly stored. Store the
spare tire again by performing the follow-
ing tire change procedure correctly:
1 If the spare tire is slanted, the hoist
assembly may be stuck in the wheel
opening. If the spare tire rattles while
driving, it may not be fully raised. Lower
the spare tire to the ground and make
sure that the hoist assembly is perpen-
dicular to the wheel opening.
2 Raise the tire slowly and steadily until a
click is heard and th e jack handle skips.
If the spare tire cannot be lowered, the wire
cable may be severed. Have the vehicle inspected at your Lexus dealer.
■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.440)
■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
3596-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
roads, we recommend using 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 installed on all wheels. ( P.271)
■If the tread on snow tires wears down
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.
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.
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure warning system that uses tire
pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters to detect low ti re inflation pressure
before serious problems arise.
The tire pressure detected by the
WARNING
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
parts of the drive trai n 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
■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.
■If tire inflation pressure of each tire
becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
Tire rotation
Tire pressure warning system
3616-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
low enough level, or if the pressure is higher
than the pressure that was adjusted to when
the system was initialized.
When replacing tires or wheels, tire
pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters are installed,
new ID codes must be registered in the
tire pressure warning computer and
the tire pressure warning system must
be initialized. Have tire pressure warn-
ing valve and transmitter ID codes reg-
istered by your Lexus dealer.
( P.363)
■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 the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when changing
traveling speed.
When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when the tire size
is changed.
When rotating the tires.
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 and
turn the engine switch off.
Initialization cannot be performed while
the vehicle is moving.
2 Adjust the tire inflation pressure to
the specified cold tire inflation pres-
sure level.
Installing tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing 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 the tire valve caps are not installed,
water could enter the tire pressure
warning valves and the tire pressure
warning valves could be bound.
●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. Make sure to replace
the tire pressure warning valve and trans-
mitter when replacing the tire. ( P.361)
Initializing the tire pressure
warning system