wheel Lexus HS250h 2012 Repair Manual

Maintenance and care4
415
HS250h_U_75050U
4-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior.............. 416
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior .............. 420
4-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ........................ 423
General maintenance .......... 426
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs............................... 430 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions ............................ 431
Hood .......................................... 434
Positioning a floor jack ......... 435
Engine compartment ........... 437
12-volt battery ........................ 447
Tires............................................. 451
Tire inflation pressure........... 459
Wheels ...................................... 462
Air conditioning filter ........... 464
Electronic key battery........... 467
Checking and replacing fuses ........................................ 469
Light bulbs................................. 481

416
HS250h_U_75050U
4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors before washing the vehicle. Start washing from the front of the
vehicle. Make sure to extend the mirrors before driving.
●Roof antenna, rear spoiler (if equipped) may not be washable in some automatic
car washes. There may also be an increased risk of damage to vehicle.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface and
harm your vehicle’s paint.
■High pressure car washes
●Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity of the
windows.
●Before using the car wash, check that the fuel filler door on your vehicle is
closed properly.
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime condi-
tion:
●Working from top to bottom, liberally 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 thor-
oughly with water.
● Wipe away any water.
● Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.

417
4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
HS250h_U_75050U
■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. 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.)
■Aluminum wheels
●Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent. Do not use hard
brushes or abrasive cleaners. Do not use strong or harsh chemical cleaners.
Use the same mild detergent and wax as used on the paint.
●Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after driving
for long distance in the hot weather.
●Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.
■Bumpers and side moldings
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Side windows water-repellent coating
●The following precautions can extend the effectiveness of the water-repellent
coating.
• Remove any dirt, etc. from the side windows regularly.
• Do not allow dirt and dust to accumulate on the windows for a long period.Clean the windows with a soft, damp cloth as soon as possible.
• Do not use wax or glass cleaners that contain abrasives when cleaning the windows.
• Do not use any metallic objects to remove condensation build up.
●When the water-repellent performance has become insufficient, the coating
can be repaired. Contact your Lexus dealer.
■Outside rear view mirror rain-clearing coating (if equipped)
Observe the following precautions in order to retain the rain-clearing properties of
the mirrors:
●Clean the mirrors using a car shampoo or glass cleaner that does not contain
silicone or an abrasive compound, and rinse thoroughly with water.
●Allow the mirrors to be exposed to direct sunlight for 1 to 2 days.

419
4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
HS250h_U_75050U
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and components (alu-
minum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If you see coal tar or tree sap on the paint surface
• If you see dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings on the paint
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, ironpowder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled in dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place with
low humidity when storing the wheels.
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surface of the lights.
●Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■When using an automatic car wash (vehicles with rain-sensing windshield wipers)
Set the wiper switch to the off position.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers may operate and the wiper blades may
be damaged.
■High pressure car washes (vehicles with wide view front monitor system and/or
rear view monitor system)
When washing the vehicle, do not apply intensive bursts of water to the camera or
camera area. Doing so may result in the camera malfunctioning.

428
4-2. Maintenance
HS250h_U_75050U
ItemsCheck points
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake pedal move smoothly?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is on, is the vehicle
securely stopped?
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be dam-
aged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate prop-erly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correct amount of free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds coming from the steering
wheel.

429
4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
HS250h_U_75050U
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors/trunk• Do the doors and 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.
Ti r e s
• Is the tire inflation pressure cor-rect?
• 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.
CAUTION
■If the hybrid system is operating
Turn the hybrid system off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.

452
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HS250h_U_75050U
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 ID codes must be registered in the tire pressure warning computer
and the tire pressure warning system must be initialized. Have tire pres-
sure warning valve and transmitter ID codes registered by your Lexus
dealer. ( →P. 453)
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■ The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
●Vehicles with P225/45R18 91W tires: When rotating front and rear
tires which have different tire inflation pressures
● When changing the tire size
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.

454
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HS250h_U_75050U
■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, and 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 blinks for 1 minute and stays on to indicate a
system malfunction.
■Tire lif e
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.
■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.
■Low profile tires (vehicles with P225/45R18 91W 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 appropriate for road and weather conditions.

455
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
HS250h_U_75050U
■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.
■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 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.
●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.
●Snow 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 restrictions.
Snow tires should be installed on all wheels. ( →P. 2 5 8 )
■Initializing the tire pressure warning system
Initialize the system with the tire inflation pressure adjusted to the specified level.
■If the tread on snow tires wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost. 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. 5 7 2 )

458
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
HS250h_U_75050U
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 valves and
transmitters, contact your Lexus dealer as the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters 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 damage to the tire pressu re warning valves and transmitters
When a tire is repaired with liquid sealants, 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 transmitter when replacing the tire. ( →P. 4 5 2 )
■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.
■Low profile tires (vehicles with P225/45R18 91W tires)
Low profile tires may cause greater damage than usual to the tire wheel when sus-
taining 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.