lexus LFA 2012 Owner's Manual / LEXUS 2012 LFA OWNERS MANUAL (OM77006U)

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4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
■Automatic car washes
Do not use automatic car washes as they may scratch the vehicle body and damage
the paint.
■High pressure car washes
●Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity of the
windows or rear hatch.
●Before car wash, check that the fuel filler door on your vehicle is closed prop-
erly.
■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.
■Cleaning the rear quarter glass
As the rear quarter glasses are made of polycarbonate, follow the procedure
below.
Remove dust and dirt on the surface with plenty of water.
Clean the surface using a mild soap or neutral detergent.
Rinse it with adequate water.
■Cleaner precaution
Do not use abrasive cleaners.
■Outside rear view mirror rain-clearing coating
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.
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4-1. Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the engine compartment. Doing so may cause
the electrical components etc. to catch fire.
■To prevent burns
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to
touch the hood grilles, bezels in the radiator
grilles, or exhaust pipes and surrounding area
until they have cooled sufficiently, as these
components may cause burns.

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Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■Application of coatings to the vehicle body
Do not apply any kind of coating to the vehicle body as doing so may damage the
paint or reduce its durability.
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and components (alu-
minum wheels etc.)
Observe the following precautions:
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the paint
surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron
powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with 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.
For the Matte Black, pay attent ion to the following as well:
●If anything is spilled on a painted surface, wipe it off as soon as possible.
If spilled washer fluid or alkaline fluids are left as is, the paint in the affected area
may deteriorate, causing blemishing.
●Do not wax or apply coating to the vehicle.
Doing so may cause a change in the body surface's texture or irregularities in the
paint.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■When washing the vehicle
Observe the following precautions to prevent damage to the exhaust system:
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
●Do not apply wax on the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
●Do not flush water over or into the hood
grilles (especially the arrowed portion in
the illustration).
●Do not flush water over or into the exhaust
pipes and surrounding area or the bezels in
the radiator grilles until they have cooled
sufficiently.

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Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■Rear quarter glass
As the rear quarter glass is made of polycarbonate and easily damaged, observe
the following precautions:
●When cleaning the rear quarter glass:
• Do not use wax, window cl eaner or abrasive cleaner.
• Do not touch glass surface with anything hard or sharp.
• Do not use window scraper or deicer.
●Do not attach stickers or apply water repellent coating to the rear quarter glass.
Contact with glue or other agents ma y cause the glass to become cloudy or
blemished.
■Air inlets
■Rear quarter fin (if equipped)
Do not insert foreign objects into the air inlets
as doing so may damage the body or radiator
components. Should an object become
lodged in an air inlet, do not attempt to take it
out. Instead, contact your Lexus dealer.
Do not apply force to the rear quarter fin
such as by pressing on it as doing so may
cause damage.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■When using high pressure car washes
Do not aim the head of the nozzle at the hood
grilles or radiator grilles.
Doing so may negatively affect the engine or
cause a malfunction in the electric cooling fan
motors that may result in overheating.

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Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior
The following procedures will help protect your vehicle's interior and keep it
in top condition:
■Protecting the vehicle interior
Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty surfaces with
a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
■ Cleaning the plastic areas and the satin-finish metal accent areas
●Wipe dirty surfaces with a dampened soft cloth or synthetic cham-
ois.
● Wipe away any remaining moisture with a soft, dry cloth.
■ Cleaning the CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) areas
●Wipe dirty surfaces with a dampened soft cloth or synthetic cham-
ois.
● Wipe away any remaining moisture with a soft, dry cloth.
Do not rub the matte painted surfaces strongly as doing so may damage
the surface or cause it to shine.
■Cleaning the leather areas
●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
● Wipe off any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened with
diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool detergent.
●Wring out any excess water from th e cloth and thoroughly wipe off
all remaining traces of detergent.
● Wipe the surface with a dry, so ft cloth to remove any remaining
moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded and ventilated area.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
■Cleaning the artificial leather (Alcantara®) areas
● Brush the surfaces using a soft brush.
Do not brush hard as doing so may cause damage.
●Wipe the surfaces clean with a soft cloth that has been dampened in
cold or lukewarm water and squeezed out.
● Allow the artificial leather (Alcantara
®) to dry in a shaded and venti-
lated area.
■Caring for leather areas
Lexus recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a year to main-
tain the quality of the vehicle’s interior.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. Use a sponge or
brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlappin g circles. Do not use water. Wipe dirty
surfaces and let them dry. Excellent results are obtained by keeping the carpet as
dry as possible.
■Seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge. Also check the
belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
■Cleaning the partition glass
As the partition glass is made of polycarbonate, follow the procedure below.
Remove dust with a soft, dampened cloth.
Clean the surface using a mild soap or neutral detergent.
Remove residual soap or detergent with a dampened cloth.
Wipe away any remaining moisture with a soft, dry cloth.
STEP1
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STEP1STEP3
STEP1STEP4

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Maintenance and care
CAUTION
■Water in the vehicle
●Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehicle.
Doing so may cause electrical components etc. to malfunction or catch fire.
●Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle interior wet.
(  P. 6 3 )
An electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or not function prop-
erly, resulting in death or serious injury.
■Cleaning the interior (especially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel may reflect off the
windshield, obstructing the driver's view and leading to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
■Cleaning the leather areas of the instrument panel
Do not use any protective agents (coating s etc). Doing so may cause the instrument
panel to reflect onto the windshield, obstructing the front view and possibly causing
an accident.

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4-1. Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use the following agents, as they may discolor the vehicle interior or cause
streaks or damage to painted surfaces:
• Organic solvents such as benzene, thinner, gasoline or alcohol
• Alkaline or acidic detergent, dye, or bleach
●Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel's or other interior
part’s painted surface may be damaged.
■Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of leather
surfaces:
●Remove any dust or dirt from leather surfaces immediately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
●Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or containing wax on the upholstery, as
they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats up significantly.
■Floor mats
Do not wash the mats with water as doing so may damage the leather.
■Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems may be damaged if water comes into contact with electrical com-
ponents such as the audio system above or under the floor of the vehicle.
■Pa r t i t i o n g l a s s
As the partition glass is made of polyca rbonate and easily damaged, observe the
following precautions:
●When cleaning the partition glass:
• Do not use wax, window cl eaner or abrasive cleaner.
• Do not touch glass surface with anything hard or sharp.
●Do not attach stickers to the partition glass.
Contact with glue or other agents ma y cause the glass to become cloudy or
blemished.