tires Lexus ES350 2011 Do-it-yourself maintenance

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and
treadwear.
■Checking tires
New tread
Treadwear indicator
Worn tread
The location of treadwear indi-
cators is shown by the “TWI” or
“Δ” marks, etc., molded on the
sidewall of each tire.
Check spare tire condition and
pressure if not rotated.
■Tire rotation
If equipped with full-size spare tire
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and extend
tire life, Lexus recommends that
tire rotation is carried out at the
same interval as tire inspection.
Front

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Maintenance and care
Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and trans-
mitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are installed,
new tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID codes must be regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning computer and tire pressure warning
system must be initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmit-
ter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. (→P. 397)
If equipped with compact spare tire
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and extend
tire life, Lexus recommends that
tire rotation is carried out at the
same interval as tire inspection.
■The tire pressure warning system
Your Lexus is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valve and transmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise. (→P. 4 4 7 )
Vehicles with compact spare tire: The compact spare tire is not
equipped with the tire pressure warning valve and transmitters.
Front

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Maintenance and care
Registering and selecting ID codes
■Registering ID codes
2 sets of tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID codes can be
registered. Once a second set of tires is registered at “2nd”, you can
switch between tire set settings simply by pressing the tire pressure
warning select switch.
There are 2 settings:
“MAIN” position: The ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter on the tires originally installed on the vehicle is registered.
“2nd” position: The ID code is not registered. When you replace a new
set of tires, purchase tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
from your Lexus dealer and have the new ID code registered by your
Lexus dealer.
■Selecting ID codes
When replacing tires, make sure to select the ID code set that matches
the new tire set. If the tire pressure warning select switch is set to the
wrong tire setting, the tire pressure warning system will not operate
properly. After driving for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning
light comes on after blinking for 1 minute to indicate a system malfunc-
tion.
“MAIN”
“2nd”

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to expose the
fabric or bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size or
location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Lexus dealer.
■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
minutes, the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1 minute to indi-
cate a system malfunction.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if they
have seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■If the tread wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm) on snow tires
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost.
■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. 505).

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Maintenance and care
■Tire types
1 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 perfor-
mance as snow tires, summer tires are inadequate for driving on snow-covered
or icy roads. For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires
is recommended. When installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2 All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to be ade-
quate for driving in most winter conditions, as well as for use year round. All sea-
son tires, however, do not have adequate traction performance compared with
snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Also, all season tires fall short in acceleration
and handling performance compared with summer tires in highway driving.
3Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using snow tires.
If you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, construction and load capac-
ity as the originally installed tires. Since your vehicle has radial tires as original
equipment, make sure your snow tires also have radial construction. Do not install
studded tires without first checking local regulations for possible restriction.
Snow tires should be installed on all wheels. (→P. 1 9 1 )
■Initializing the tire pressure warning system
Initialize the tire pressure warning system with the tire inflation pressure adjusted to
the specified level.
■If you push the tire pressure reset switch accidentally
If initialization is performed, adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified level
and initialize the tire pressure warning system again.
■When the initialization of the tire pressure warning system has failed
Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. However, in the following cases,
the settings have not been recorded and the system will not operate properly. If
repeated attempts to record tire inflation pressure settings are unsuccessful, have
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
●When operating the tire pressure warning reset switch, the tire pressure warning
light does not flash 3 times.
●After carrying out the initialization procedure, the tire pressure warning light
blinks for 1 minute then stays on after driving for about 20 minutes.

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Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to parts of the drive train, as well as dangerous
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-belted or bias-ply tires).
●Do not mix summer, all season and winter tires.
●Do not tow the vehicle with the compact spare tire installed.
■When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not push the tire 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.

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing tires, wheels, tire pressure warning valves, transmitters
and tire valve caps
●When removing or fitting the wheels, tires or the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter, contact your Lexus dealer as the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter may be damaged if not handled correctly.
●When replacing tire valve caps, do not use tire valve caps other than those speci-
fied. The cap may become stuck.
■To avoid damaging the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
Do not use liquid sealants on flat tires.
■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 vehicle’s wheels and body.
■If tire inflation pressures become low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires and/or wheels may be ruined.

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Maintenance and care
■Effects of incorrect tire inflation pressure
Driving with incorrect tire inflation pressure may result in the following:
●Reduced fuel efficiency
●Reduced driving comfort and tire life
●Reduced safety
●Damage to the drive train
If a tire needs frequent refilling, have it checked by your Lexus dealer.
■Instructions for checking tire inflation pressure
When checking tire inflation pressure, observe the following:
●Check only when the tires are cold.
If your vehicle has been parked for at least 3 hours and has not been driven for
more than 1 mile or 1.5 km, you will get an accurate cold tire inflation pressure
reading.
●Always use a tire pressure gauge.
The appearance of the tire can be misleading. In addition, tire inflation pressures
that are even just a few pounds off can degrade ride and handling.
●Do not bleed or reduce tire inflation pressure after driving. It is normal for the
tire inflation pressure to be higher after driving.
●Never exceed the vehicle capacity weight.
Passengers and luggage weight should be placed so that the vehicle is bal-
anced.

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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
CAUTION
■Proper inflation is critical to save tire performance
Keep your tires properly inflated. Otherwise, the following conditions may occur
and result in an accident causing death or serious injury.
●Excessive wear
●Uneven wear
●Poor handling
●Possibility of blowouts resulting from overheated tires
●Poor sealing of the tire bead
●Wheel deformation and/or tire separation
●A greater possibility of tire damage from road hazards
NOTICE
■When inspecting and adjusting tire inflation pressure
Be sure to reinstall the tire valve caps.
Without the valve caps, dirt or moisture could get into the valve and cause air leak-
age, which could result in an accident. If the caps have been lost, replace them as
soon as possible.

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Maintenance and care
Wheels
■When replacing wheels
The wheels of your Lexus are equipped with tire pressure warning valves and trans-
mitters that allow the tire pressure warning system to provide advanced warning in
the event of a loss in tire inflation pressure. Whenever wheels are replaced, the tire
pressure warning valves and transmitters must be installed. (→P. 3 9 6 )
If a wheel is bent, cracked or heavily corroded, it should be replaced. Oth-
erwise, the tire may separate from the wheel or cause loss of handling con-
trol.
■Wheel selection
When replacing wheels, care should be taken to ensure that they
are equivalent to those removed in load capacity, diameter, rim
width, and inset*.
Replacement wheels are available at your Lexus dealer.
*: Conventionally referred to as “offset”.
Lexus does not recommend using:
●Wheels of different sizes or types
●Used wheels
●Bent wheels that have been straightened
■Aluminum wheel precautions
●Use only Lexus wheel nuts and wrenches designed for use with
your aluminum wheels.
●When rotating, repairing or changing your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight after driving 1000 miles (1600 km).
●Be careful not to damage the aluminum wheels when using tire
chains.
●Use only Lexus genuine balance weights or equivalent and a
plastic or rubber hammer when balancing your wheels.