check engine lexus LFA 2012 Technical Information / LEXUS 2012 LFA OWNERS MANUAL (OM77006U)

TABLE OF CONTENTSIndex
4
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenanceDo-it-yourself service precautions .................................. 247
Hood................................................. 250
Positioning a floor jack............... 253
Engine compartment.................. 256
Adding washer fluid .................... 264
Battery .............................................. 265
Tires ................................................... 270
Tire inflation pressure ................. 277
Wheels............................................... 281
Air conditioning filter ................. 283
Wireless remote control battery ........................................... 285
Checking and replacing fuses ................................................ 287
Light bulbs ....................................... 299 5-1. Essential information
Emergency flashers.................... 302
If your vehicle needs to be towed ...................................... 303
If you think something is wrong ............................................ 308
Fuel pump shut off system ....... 309
Event data recorder ..................... 310
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer
sounds... ......................................... 312
If a warning message is displayed ....................................... 322
If you have a flat tire..................... 332
If the engine will not start .......... 343
If you lose your keys/ wireless remote control
transmitter .................................... 344
If the parking brake cannot be released .................................. 345
If the vehicle battery is discharged .................................. 348
If your vehicle ov erheats ............ 351
If the vehicle becomes stuck................................................ 354
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an
emergency .................................. 355
5When trouble arises

15
For your information
Main Owner’s Manual
Please note that this manual applies to all models and explains all equipment, includ-
ing options. Therefore, you may find some explanations for equipment not installed
on your vehicle.
All specifications provided in this manual are current at the time of printing. How-
ever, because of the Lexus policy of continual product improvement, we reserve the
right to make changes at any time without notice.
Depending on specifications, the vehicle sh own in the illustration may differ from
your vehicle in terms of color and equipment.
Noise from under vehicle after turning off the engine
Approximately five hours after the engine is turned off, you may hear sound coming
from under the vehicle for several minutes. This is the sound of a fuel evaporation
leakage check and, it does not indicate a malfunction.
Installation of a mobile two-way radio system
As the installation of a mobile two-way radio system in your vehicle could affect
electronic systems such as the multiport fuel injection system/sequential multiport
fuel injection system, anti-lock brake syst em, SRS airbag system and seat belt pre-
tensioner system, be sure to check with your Lexus dealer for precautionary mea-
sures or special instructions regarding installation.
Grounding of the LFA
Since the LFA is composed of CFRP (Carbo n Fiber Reinforced Plastics) body parts,
the body cannot be used as a ground terminal. As such, this vehicle has specialized
ground terminals. Consult with your Lexus dealer for the locations of the special-
ized ground terminals available for this vehicle. Do not use any portion other than
the specialized ground terminals for grounding, as doing so may cause a fire hazard.

88
2-1.Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driving:
■Starting the engine
 P. 9 8
■ Driving
With the brake pedal depressed, select 1st gear. ( P. 1 0 2 )
Check that “D1” or “1” is displayed on the gear indicator.
Release the parking brake. ( P. 113)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accel-
erator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■ Stopping
Depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, select
Neutral. ( P. 1 0 3 )
■Parking the vehicle
Depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 113)
Select 1st gear or Reverse. ( P. 1 0 2 )
Check that “D1”, “1” or “R” is displayed on the gear indicator.
Turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK” position to stop the
engine.
Check that “D1” or “R” is no long er displayed on the gear indicator.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your person.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
STEP2
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

91
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■When parking the vehicle
P. 1 1 0
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. ( P. 3 6 0 )
CAUTION
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator
pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerato r pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may le ad to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your bo dy around, leading to a difficulty in
operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle
only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the rear hatch is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause
driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or a serious health hazard.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer immediately.
●Do not select Neutral while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause insufficient engine braking, resulting in an accident.
●Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The power steering system will not operate properly if the engine is not running.
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a
steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effec-
tiveness.

92
2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside
rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents, resulting
in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all occupants’ arms, heads and other body parts are not out-
side the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steer ing may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehi cle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-shifting
and down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a pudd le, lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from
functioning properly. If the brakes on on ly one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be af fected, resulting in an accident.
■When operating the paddle shift switches/reverse selector switch
Do not operate the paddle shift switches or reverse selector switch with the accel-
erator pedal depressed and Neutral selected.
Doing so may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause
an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■If a brake pad wear warning message is displayed
Have your Lexus dealer check and replac e the brake pads as soon as possible.
The disc damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
Moderate levels of the brake pad and disc wear allow enhanced braking power. As
a result, the discs may wear more quickly than conventional brake discs. Therefore,
when replacing the brake pads, Lexus recommends that you also have the thick-
ness of the discs measured.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
those of the brake discs are exceeded.

93
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
• If the vehicle is in any gear other than Neutral the vehicle may accelerate sud-denly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
• Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if flammable material is
nearby.
• Racing the engine may emit loud noise, and possibly cause a nuisance, espe- cially after just starting the engine. This is because the structure of the exhaust
pipes cause the sound emitted from the exhaust to be louder than usual for
approximately 1 minute after the engine is started.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and
check that exhaust fumes do no t enter the vehicle interior.
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused by the
vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal and securely
apply the parking brake as needed.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in the vehi-
cle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of
the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle's electrical com-
ponents.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a place such
as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when luggage is loaded
or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to the wind shield or windows. Do not place contain-
ers such as air fresheners on the instru ment panel or dashboard. Adhesive discs
or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehicle.

95
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated ar ea, stop the engine. In a closed area, such
as a garage, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead to
death or a serious health hazard.
●The exhaust system should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or crack
caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be sure to
have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your Lexus dealer. Failure to do so
may allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicl e, resulting in death or a serious health
hazard.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. If you take a nap with the engine on, you may acciden-
tally depress the accelerator and an accident or fire may occur due to engine over-
heating. In addition, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases
may enter the vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking the vehicle
●Be especially careful if the brakes are wet, such as when driving on wet or snowy
roads or immediately after washing the vehicle. When the brakes are wet, their
efficiency may be reduced and the vehicle may brake unevenly to the left or right.
The efficiency of the parking brake may also be reduced.
●The brake system consists of 3 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the systems
fails, the others will still operate. In th is case, the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual and the braking distance will increase. If this happens, do
not continue to drive the vehicle. If the brake system warning light (red indicator)
comes on together with the buzzer sound while driving, immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and contact your Lexus dealer.

97
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to
have your Lexus dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil an d fluid used for the engine, transmission,
differential, etc.
●Lubrication problems of bearings, joints, etc.

100
2-1. Driving procedures
■If the engine does not start
●Repeat the procedure again. If the engine does not start after a few tries, the
“ENGINE START” switch may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected
by your Lexus dealer.
●Check to make sure that the brake pedal is firmly depressed and that “N” is dis-
played in the gear indicator. (If the brake pedal is not depressed or “N” is not
displayed, the engine will not start.)
●The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. ( P. 5 3 )
●In order to protect the engine, the engine may not start when the engine coolant
temperature or the engine oil temperature is below -13 F (-25C). In that case,
a buzzer will sound and “Temp low Engine cannot be started” will be shown on
the meter. ( P. 3 2 7 )
■When the steering lock cannot be released
■Key reminder function
A buzzer sounds if the driver’s door is opened while the ignition switch is in the
“LOCK” or “ACC” position to remind you to remove the key.
■After reconnecting the battery
If the gear indicator is not displayed when an attempt is made to start the engine,
the engine is not yet ready to start. Depr ess the brake pedal for several seconds and
wait for the gear indicator to appear.
When starting the engine, the ignition switch
may seem stuck in the “LOCK” position. To
free it, turn the key while turning the steering
wheel slightly left and right.

101
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not press the accelera-
tor pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident, resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution when driving
Do not turn the ignition switch to the “LOCK” position while driving. An accident
may result if the engine is stopped while driving.
If you must turn the engine off while the vehicle is moving (due to an emergency),
turn the ignition switch on ly to the “ACC” position. (P. 355)
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the ignition switch in the “A CC” or “ON” position for long periods of
time without the engine running.
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have the engine
checked immediately.