Maintenance Lexus IS250 2015 Owner's Guide

4187-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
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.
CAUTION
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant reservoir cap or radiator cap. ( →P. 5 0 8 )
The cooling system may be under pressure and may spray hot 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 cool-
ing. Be sure to read the antifreeze or coolant label.
■If you spill coolant
Be sure to wash it off with water to prevent it from damaging parts or paint.
Radiator and condenser
CAUTION
■When the engine is hot
Do not touch the radiator or condenser as they may be hot and cause serious injuries,
such as burns.

4197-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
■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 items.
■Brake fluid can absorb moisture from the air
Excess moisture in the brake fluid can cause a dangerous loss of braking efficiency. Use
only newly opened brake fluid.
Brake fluid
Fluid typeSAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 brake fluid
Items Clean funnel
CAUTION
■When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm your hands and eyes and damage painted surfaces.
If fluid gets on your hands or in your eyes, flush the affected area with clean water
immediately.
If you still experience discomfort, see a doctor.
NOTICE
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go down slightly as the brake pads wear out or
when the fluid level in the accumulator is high.
If the reservoir needs frequent ref illing, there may be a serious problem.

4207-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
Check the battery as follows.
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals are not corroded and that there are no
loose connections, cracks, or loose clamps. Te r m i n a l s
Hold-down clamp
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive.
Therefore, observe the following before recharging:
●If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to disconnect the ground
cable.
●Make sure the power switch on the charger is off when connecting and disconnecting
the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting the battery
The engine may not start. Follow the pr ocedure below to initialize the system.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Open and close any of the doors.
Restart the engine.
●Unlocking the doors using the smart access system with push-button start may not be
possible immediately after reconnecting the battery. If this happens, use the wireless
remote control or the mechanical key to lock/unlock the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine switch in ACCESSORY mode. The engine may not
start with the engine switch turned off. However, the engine will operate normally from
the second attempt.
●The engine switch mode is recorded by the vehicle. If the battery is disconnected and
reconnected, the vehicle will return the engi ne switch mode to the status it was in
before the battery was disconnected. Make sure to turn off the engine before discon-
necting the battery. Take extra care when connecting the battery if the engine switch
mode prior to the battery being disconnected is unknown.
If the system will not start even after multiple attempts, contact your Lexus dealer.
Battery
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4217-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
CAUTION
■Chemicals in the battery
Batteries contain poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce hydrogen
gas which is flammable and explosive. To reduce the risk of death or serious injury, take
the following precautions while working on or near the battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touching the battery terminals with tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses when working near the battery.
●Keep children away from the battery.
■Where to safely charge the battery
Always charge the battery in an open area. Do not charge the battery in a garage or
closed room where there is insufficient ventilation.
■How to recharge the battery
Only perform a slow charge (5 A or less). The battery may explode if charged at a
quicker rate.
■Emergency measures regarding electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get immediate medical
attention. If possible, continue to apply water with a sponge or cloth while traveling to
the nearest medical facility.
●If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thoroughly. If you feel pain or burning, get medical attention
immediately.
●If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can soak through clothing on to your skin. Immediately take off the clothing and fol-
low the procedure above if necessary.
●If you accidentally swallow electrolyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk . Get emergency medical attention immedi-
ately.
NOTICE
■When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the engine is running. Also, be sure all accessories
are turned off.

4227-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
If any washer does not work or the
warning message appears on the multi-
information display, the washer tank
may be empty. Add washer fluid.
Washer fluid
CAUTION
■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 antifreeze instead of washer fluid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the vehicle’s painted surfaces.
■Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as necessary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed on the label of the washer fluid bottle.

4237-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
New tread
Treadwear indicator
Wo r n t r e a d
The location of treadwear indicators is
shown by the “TWI” or “∆” marks, etc.,
molded on the sidewall of each tire.
Check spare tire condition and pressure
if not rotated.
XVehicles 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
carried out at the same interval as tire
inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.
XVehicles with front and rear tires of differing sizes
Tires cannot be rotated.
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and tread-
wear.
Checking tires
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Tire rotation
Front

4247-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses tire pres-
sure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire inflation pressure before
serious problems arise.
●If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the driver is warned by
a screen display and a warning light. ( →P. 4 7 8 )
◆Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
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 initiali zed. Have tire pressure warning valve
and transmitter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. ( →P. 4 2 6 )
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following circum-
stances:
●When rotating the tires.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system
●The tire pressure detected by the tire
pressure warning system can be dis-
played on the multi-information display.

4257-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
■How to initialize the tire pressure warning systemPark the vehicle in a safe place and turn the engine switch off.
Initialization cannot be performed while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure
level. (→ P. 5 1 9 )
Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure
level. The tire pressure warning system will operate based on this pressure level.
Turn the engine switch to IGNITION ON mode.
Press and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light blinks
slowly 3 times.
Wait for a few minutes with the engine switch in IGNITION ON mode and
then turn the engine switch off.
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4267-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
◆Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and tr ansmitter is equipped with a unique ID
code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and transmitter, it is nec-
essary to register the ID code. Have the ID code registered by your Lexus
dealer.
■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 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 minu te and stays on to indicate a system malfunc-
tion.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if it has seldom
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.
■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 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.

4277-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
IS350/250_U (OM53C50U)
■Low profile tires (except 16-inch 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.
*: Tire chains cannot be mounted on the 18-inch tires. Snow tires should be used instead.
■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, whichever 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 performance 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 adequate for
driving in most winter conditions as well as for use year-round. All season tires, how-
ever, 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 perfor-
mance 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 capacity as the
originally installed tires. Since your vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make
sure your snow tires also have radial cons truction. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for possible restrictions. Snow tires should be installed
on all wheels. ( →P. 2 6 0 )
For the GAWR, see the Certification Label. For
the maximum load of the tire, see the load limit
at maximum cold tire inflation pressure men-
tioned on the sidewall of the tire. (
→P. 5 2 5 )