engine Lexus IS250C 2010 Do-It-Yourself Maintenance / LEXUS 2010 IS350C/250C OWNERS MANUAL (OM53A20U)

458
5-1. Essential information
Emergency flashers
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the emergency flashers on longer than necessary when the engine is
not running.
Use the emergency flashers if the vehicle malfunctions or is involved in an
accident.
Press the switch to flash all the
turn signal lights. To turn them
off, press the switch once again.

5
When trouble arises
459
5-1. Essential information
If your vehicle needs to be towed
Before towingThe following may indicate a problem with your transmission. Contact
your Lexus dealer before towing.
● The engine is running, but the vehicle will not move.
● The vehicle makes an abnormal sound.
Emergency towing
If a tow truck is not available, in an emergency your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain secured to the emergency towing
eyelet(s). This should only be attempted on hard, surfaced roads for short
distances at low speeds.
A driver must be in the vehicle to s teer and operate the brakes. The vehi-
cle’s wheels, drive train, axles, steering and brakes must be in good condi-
tion.
Towing eyelets
If towing is necessary, we recommend having your vehicle towed by your
Lexus dealer or a commercial towing se rvice, using a lift-type truck or a flat
bed truck.
Use a safety chain system for all towi ng, and abide by all state/provincial
and local laws.
If towing from the rear, the vehicle’s front wheels and axles must be in good
condition. ( P. 4 6 3 )
If they are damaged, use a to wing dolly or flat bed truck.

460
5-1. Essential information
■Emergency towing procedureRelease the parking brake.
Shift the shift lever to N.
Put the “ENGINE START STOP” switch in ACCESSORY mode or IGNI-
TION ON mode.
CAUTION
■Caution while towing
●Use extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which place excessive stress on
the emergency towing eyelets and the cables or chains. Always use caution for
the surroundings and other vehicles while towing.
●If the engine is not running, the power assi st for the brakes and steering will not
function, making steering and braking more difficult.
NOTICE
■To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission
(vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Never tow this vehicle from the front with the rear wheels on the ground.
This may cause serious dama ge to the transmission.
■When towing a vehicle without using a towing dolly
(vehicles with a manual transmission)
The “ENGINE START STOP” switch must not be OFF.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

464
5-1. Essential information
Using a flat bed truckIf your Lexus is transported by a
flat bed truck, it should be tied
down at the locations shown in the
illustration.
If you use chains or cables to tie
down your vehicle, the angles
shaded in black must be 45 .
Do not overly tighten the tie downs
or the vehicle may be damaged.
NOTICE
■To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission
(vehicles with an automatic transmission)
Never tow this vehicle from the front with the rear wheels on the ground.
■To prevent damaging the vehicle
●Do not tow the vehicle from the rear with the “ENGINE START STOP” switch
OFF.
The steering lock mechanism is not st rong enough to hold the front wheel
straight.
●When raising the vehicle from the rear, ensure adequate ground clearance for
towing at the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed from the rear.

5
When trouble arises
465
5-1. Essential information
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably needs
adjustment or repair. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
■Visible symptoms
●Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air conditioning after use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
● Engine coolant temper ature gauge needle continually points
higher than normal
■ Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the engine
■ Operational symptoms
●Engine missing, stumbling or running rough
● 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, sp ongy feeling, pedal almost touches
the floor

466
5-1. Essential information
Fuel pump shut off system
NOTICE
■Before starting the engine
Inspect the ground under the vehicle.
If you find that fuel has leaked on to the ground, the fuel system has been damaged
and is in need of repair. Do not restart the engine.
To minimize the risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls or an airbag
inflates upon collision, the fuel pump shut off system stops supplying fuel to
the engine.
Follow the procedure below to rest art the engine after the system is
activated.
Turn the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to the ACCESSORY
mode or OFF.
Restart the engine.
STEP1
STEP2

5
When trouble arises
467
5-1. Essential information
Event data recorder
In a crash or a near car crash eventThe SRS airbag sensor assembly cont ains the EDR. In a crash or a near
car crash event, this devic e may record some or all of the following infor-
mation:
● Engine speed
● Whether the brake pedal was applied or not
● Vehicle speed
● To what extent the accelerator pedal was depressed
● Position of the transmission shift lever
● Whether the driver and front passenger wore seat belts or not
● Driver's seat position
● SRS airbag deployment data
● SRS airbag system diagnostic data
● Front passenger’s occupant classification
The information abov e is intended to be used for the purpose of improv-
ing vehicle safety performance. Unlike general da ta recorders, the EDR
does not record sound data such as conversation between passengers.
Your vehicle has computers that monitor and control certain aspects of
your vehicle. These computers assist in driving and maintaining optimal
vehicle performance.
Besides storing data usef ul for troubleshooting, there is an event data
recorder (EDR) that records data in a crash or a near car crash event.

470
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Failing to investigate the cause of the following warnings may lead to the
system operating abnormally and possibly cause an accident. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Malfunction indicator lamp
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The electronic engine control system;
• The electronic throttle control system; or
• The electronic automatic transmission control system.
SRS warning lightIndicates a malfunction in:
• The SRS airbag system; or
• The seat belt pretensioner system.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
“ABS” warning lightIndicates a malfunction in:
•The ABS;
• The brake assist system.
Electric power steering system warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the EPS (Electric Power Steering)
system.
Pre-collision system warning light (if equipped)Indicates a malfunction in the pre-collision system.

474
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes such as natural air
leaks or tire inflation pressure changes caused by temperature. In this case, adjust-
ing the tire inflation pressure will turn off the warning light (after a few minutes).
■When a tires is replaced with a spare tire (vehicles with a spare tire)
The compact spare tire is not equipped wi th the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter. If a tire goes flat, the tire pressure warning light will not turn off even
though the flat tire is replaced with the spare tire. Replace the spare tire with the
repaired tire and adjust the proper tire inflation pressure. The tire pressure warning
light will turn off after a few minutes.
■If the tire pressure warning system is inoperative
The tire pressure warning system will be disabled in the following conditions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the system will work properly.)
●If tires not equipped with tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are used
●If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters is not regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning computer
●If a different set of tires has been selected using the satellite switch.
●If the tire inflation pressure is 73 psi (500 kPa, 5.1 kgf/cm2 or bar) or higher
The tire pressure warning system may be disabled in the following conditions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the system will work properly.)
●If electronic devices or facilities using similar radio wave frequencies are nearby
●If a radio set at similar frequencies is in use in the vehicle
●If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehicle, in particular around the wheels or
wheel housings
●If non-genuine Lexus wheels are used (Even if you use Lexus wheels, the tire
pressure warning system may not work properly with some types of tires.)
●If tire chains are used
■If the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1 minute frequently
If the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1 minute frequently
when the “ENGINE START STOP” switch is turned to IGNITION ON mode, have
it checked by your Lexus dealer.

478
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a warning message is displayed
Stop the vehicle immediately.A buzzer sounds and a warning message is shown on the multi-informa-
tion display. The following warnings indicate the possibility of damage to
the vehicle that may lead to an acci dent. Immediately stop the vehicle in a
safe place and contact your Lexus dealer.
MessageDetails
(Flashing)
Indicates an abnormal engine oil pressure.
The warning light may turn on if the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If a warning is shown on the multi-information display, stay calm and per-
form the following actions:
Master warning light
The master warning light also
comes on or flashes in order to
indicate that a message is cur-
rently being displayed on the
multi-information display.
Multi-information display
If any of the warning lights turns on again after performing the follow-
ing actions, contact your Lexus dealer.