tires LEXUS NX300h 2018 Owner's Manual

2574-6. Driving tips
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving  Use fluids that are appropriate to
the prevailing outside temperatures. •Engine oil
• Engine/power control unit coolant
•Washer fluid
 Have a service technician inspect
the condition of the 12-volt battery.
 Have the vehicle fitted with four
snow tires or purchase a set of tire
chains for the front tires *
.Ensure that all tires are the same size and
brand, and that chains match the size of the
tires. *
: Tire chains cannot be mounted on the
225/60R18 tires.
Perform the following according to the
driving conditions:
 Do not try to forcibly open a window
or move a wiper that is frozen. Pour
warm water over the frozen area to
melt the ice. Wipe away the water Winter driving tips Carry out the necessary prepara-
tions and inspections before driving
the vehicle in winter. Always drive
the vehicle in a manner appropriate
to the prevailing weather condi-
tions.
Preparation for winter
WARNING
■
Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to
reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of
vehicle control and cause death or seri-
ous injury.
●
Use tires of the specified size.
●
Maintain the recommended level of air
pressure. ●
Do not drive in excess of 75 mph (120
km/h), regardless of the type of snow
tires being used. ●
Use snow tires on all, not just some
wheels. ■
Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions to
reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle
being unable to be driven safely, and may
cause death or serious injury. ●
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit specified for the tire chains being
used, or 30 mph (50 km/h), which-
ever is lower. ●
Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces
or over potholes. ●
Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt
steering, sudden br aking and shifting
operations that cause sudden engine
braking. ●
Slow down sufficiently before entering
a curve to ensure that vehicle control is
maintained.
NOTICE■
Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow
tires from Lexus dealers or legitimate tire
retailers.
This is because the removal and attach-
ment of snow tires affects the operation
of the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters.
Before driving the vehicle

258 4-6. Driving tips
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U immediately to prevent it from
freezing.
 To ensure proper operation of the
climate control system fan, remove
any snow that has accumulated on
the air inlet vents in front of the
windshield.
 Check for and remove any excess
ice or snow that may have accumu-
lated on the exterior lights, vehicle’s
roof, chassis, around the tires or on
the brakes.
 Remove any snow or mud from the
bottom of your shoes before getting
in the vehicle.
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a
safe distance between you and the
vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced
speed suitable to road conditions.
 Park the vehicle and move the shift
lever to P without setting the park-
ing brake. The parking brake may
freeze up, preventing it from being
released. If the vehicle is parked
without setting the parking brake,
make sure to block the wheels.
Failure to do so may be dangerous
because it may cause the vehicle to
move unexpectedly, possibly lead-
ing to an accident. When the parking brake is in automatic
mode, release the parking brake after shift-
ing the shift lever to P. ( → P.177)  If the vehicle is left parked with the
brakes damp in cold temperatures,
there is a possibility of the brakes
freezing.
 If the vehicle is parked without set-
ting the parking brake, confirm that
the shift lever cannot be moved out
of P *
. *
: The shift lever will be locked if it is
attempted to be shifted from P to any
other position with out depressing the
brake pedal. If the shift lever can be
shifted from P, there may be a problem
with the shift lock system. Have the vehi-
cle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately.
Use the correct tire chain size when
mounting the tire chains. Chain size is
regulated for each tire size. 
Vehicles with 225/65R17 tires
Side chain:When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle WARNING■
When parking the vehicle
When parking the vehicle without apply-
ing the parking brake, make sure to
chock the wheels. If you do not chock the
wheels, the vehicle may move unexpect-
edly, possibly result ing in an accident.
Selecting tire chains

2594-6. Driving tips
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 4
Driving 0.12 in. (3 mm) in diameter
0.39 in. (10 mm) in width
0.98 in. (25 mm) in length
Cross chain:
0.16 in. (4 mm) in diameter
0.55 in. (14 mm) in width
0.98 in. (25 mm) in length 
Vehicles with 225/60R18 tires
Tire chains cannot be mounted on the
225/60R18 tires.
Snow tires should be used instead.
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary depending on location and
type of road. Always check local regu-
lations before installing chains. ■
Tire chain installation
Observe the following precautions when
installing and removing chains: ●
Install and remove tire chains in a safe
location.●
Install tire chains on the front tires only.
Do not install tire chains on the rear tires.●
Install tire chains on fr ont tires as tightly as
possible. Retighten chains after driving 1/
4 - 1/2 mile (0.5 - 1.0 km).
●
Install tire chains following the instruc-
tions provided with the tire chains.  Specific design characteristics give
it a higher center of gravity than
ordinary passenger cars. This vehi-
cle design feature causes this type
of vehicle to be more likely to roll-
over. Utility vehicles have a signifi-
cantly higher rollover rate than
other types of vehicles.
 It is not designed for cornering at
the same speeds as ordinary pas-
senger cars any more than low-
slung sports cars designed to per-
form satisfactorily under off-road
conditions. Therefore, sharp turns at
excessive speeds may cause roll-
over.Regulations on the use of tire
chains
NOTICE
■
Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters may not function correctly
when tire chains are fitted. A
B
C
D
E
F
Utility vehicle precautions This vehicle belongs to the utility
vehicle class, which has higher
ground clearance and narrower
tread in relation to the height of its
center of gravity.
Utility vehicle feature
WARNING
■
Utility vehicle precautions
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of death or seri-
ous injury or damage to your vehicle:
●
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person
is significantly more likely to die than a
person wearing a seat belt. Therefore,
the driver and all passengers should
always fasten their seat belts.

260 4-6. Driving tips
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U Your vehicle is not designed to be
driven off-road. However, in the event
that off-road driving cannot be
avoided, please observe the following
precautions to help avoid the areas
prohibited to vehicles.
 Drive your vehicle only in areas
where off-road vehicles are permit-
ted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before entering
private property.
 Do not enter areas that are closed. Honor gates, barriers and signs that
restrict travel.
 Stay on established roads. When
conditions are wet, driving tech-
niques should be changed or travel
delayed to prevent damage to
roads.
 Avoid driving on very steep, slippery
roads and other surfaces, such as
sand, where the tires are liable to
lose traction. Your vehicle may not
perform as well as conventional
AWD on-road vehicles on these
surfaces. ■
Additional informatio n for off-road driv-
ing 
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and
Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining
to driving your vehicle off-road, consult the
following organizations. ●
State and Local Parks and Recreation
Departments ●
State Motor Vehicle Bureau ●
Recreational Vehicle Clubs ●
U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land
ManagementWARNING●
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible.
Failure to operate this vehicle correctly
may result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover causing death or serious
injury.●
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier (if equipped ) will make the cen-
ter of the vehicle gravity higher. Avoid
high speeds, sudden starts, sharp
turns, sudden braking or abrupt
maneuvers, otherwise it may result in
loss of control or vehicle rollover due
to failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.●
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
Because of its profile and higher cen-
ter of gravity, your vehicle is more sen-
sitive to side winds than an ordinary
passenger car. Slowing down will allow
you to have better control.●
Do not drive horizontally across steep
slopes. Driving straig ht up or straight
down is preferred. Your vehicle (or any
similar off-road vehicle) can tip over
sideways much more easily than for-
ward or backward.
Off-road driving WARNING
■
Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of death or seri-
ous injury or damage to your vehicle:
●
Drive carefully when off the road. Do
not take unnecessary risks by driving in
dangerous places.
●
Do not grip the steering wheel spokes
when driving off-road. A bad bump
could jerk the wheel and injure your
hands. Keep both hands and especially
your thumbs on the outside of the rim.

313
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 6 6
Maintenance and care Maintenance and care 6-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehi-
cle exterior ................................. 314
Cleaning and protecting the vehi-
cle interior .................................. 317
6-2. Maintenance
Maintenance requirements ... 319
General maintenance ............. 320
Emission inspection and mainte-
nance (I/M) programs ......... 322
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions
........................................................ 324
Hood............................................... 325
Positioning a floor jack............ 326
Engine compartment............... 327
12-volt battery............................. 333
Tires ................................................ 336
Tire inflation pressure .............. 343
Wheels........................................... 345
Air conditioning filter............... 346
Electronic key battery ............. 347
Checking and replacing fuses
........................................................ 349
Headlight aim............................... 351
Light bulbs .................................... 353

322 6-2. Maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U The OBD system determines that a
problem exists somewhere in the emis-
sion control system. Your vehicle may
not pass the I/M test and may need to
be repaired. Contact your Lexus
dealer to service the vehicle.
 When the 12-volt battery is discon-
nected or discharged
Readiness codes that are set during
ordinary driving are erased.
Also, depending on your driving
habits, the readiness codes may not
be completely set.
 When the fuel tank cap is loose
The malfunction indicator lamp
comes on indicating a temporary
malfunction and your vehicle may
not pass the I/M test.Fluid leaks • There should not be any
signs of fluid leakage
after the vehicle has
been parked.
Tires • Is the tire inflation pres-
sure correct?
• 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.
Windshield
wipers/
rear window
wiper •The wiper blades should
not show any signs of
cracking, splitting, wear,
contamination or defor-
mation.
•The wiper blades should
clear the windshield/
rear window without
streaking or skipping.Items Check points
Emission inspection and
maintenance (I/M) pro-
grams Some states have vehicle emission
inspection programs which include
OBD (On Board Diagnostics)
checks. The OBD system monitors
the operation of the emission con-
trol system.
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on
Your vehicle may not pass the I/
M test in the following situations:

336 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U Check if the treadwear indicators are
showing on the tires. Also check the
tires for uneven wear, such as excessive
wear on one side of the tread.
Check the spare tire condition and
pressure if not rotated.
New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicatorThe location of treadwear indicators is
shown by a “TWI” or “ ” mark, etc.,
molded into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indica-
tors are showing on a tire. ■
When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if: ●
The treadwear indicators are showing on
a tire. ●
You have tire damage such as cuts, splits,
cracks deep enough to expose the fabric,
and bulges indicating internal damage. ●
A tire goes flat repe atedly or cannot be
properly repaired due to the size or loca-
tion of a cut or other damage.
If you are not sure, consult with your Lexus
dealer. ■
Tire life
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. ■
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.
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.410)
■
Tire types
●
Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed perfor-
mance tires best suited to highway driv-
ing under dry conditions. Since summer
tires do not have the same traction per-
formance 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 Replace or rotate tires in accor-
dance with maintenance schedules
and treadwear.
Checking tires
A
B
C

3376-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 6
Maintenance and care 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 condi-
tions as well as for use year-round. All
season tires, however, do not have ade-
quate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance com-
pared 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 insta lled tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equip-
ment, 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.257)■
If the tread on snow tires wears down
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.
Rotate the tires in the order shown. To equalize tire wear and extend tire life,
Lexus recommends that tire rotation is car-
ried out at the same in terval as tire inspec-
tion.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.WARNING■
When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
parts of the drive train as well as danger-
ous handling characteristics, which may
lead to an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.
●
Do not mix tires of different makes,
models or tread patterns.
Also, do not mix tires of remarkably
different treadwear.
●
Do not use tire sizes other than those
recommended by Lexus. ●
Do not mix differently constructed
tires (radial, bias-belted or bias-ply
tires). ●
Do not mix summer, all season and
snow tires. ●
Do not use tires that have been used
on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not know
how they were used previously. ●
Do not tow if your vehicle has a com-
pact spare tire installed.
NOTICE■
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 vehi-
cle’s wheels and body. ■
If tire inflation pressure of each tire
becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
Tire rotation

340 6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U ■
Situations in which the tire pressure
warning system may not operate prop-
erly●
In the following cases, the tire pressure
warning system may not operate prop-
erly.
• If non-genuine Lexus wheels are used.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is
not an OE (Original Equipment) tire.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is
not of the specified size.
• Tire chains etc. are equipped.
• An auxiliary-supported run-flat tire is
equipped.
• If a window tint that affects the radio wave
signals is installed.
• If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehi-
cle, particularly around the wheels or
wheel housings.
• If the tire inflation pressure is extremely
higher than the specified level.
• If wheel without the tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter is used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warn-
ing valves and transmitters is not regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning
computer.●
Performance may be affected in the fol-
lowing situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant,
gas station, radio stat ion, large display,
airport or other faci lity that generates
strong radio waves or electrical noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular
phone, cordless phone or other wireless
communication device
●
When the vehicle is parked, the time
taken for the warning to start or go off
could be extended.
●
When tire inflation pressure declines rap-
idly for example when a tire has burst, the warning may not function.
When replacing tires or wheels, tire WARNING■
Caution regarding interference with
electronic devices ●
People with implantable cardiac pace-
makers, cardiac resynchronization
therapy-pacemakers or implantable
cardioverter defibrillators should not
come within 17.7 in. (450 mm) of the
tire pressure warning system initiators.
The radio waves may affect the opera-
tion of such devices.
●
Users of any electrical medical device
other than implantable cardiac pace-
makers, cardiac resynchronization
therapy-pacemakers or implantable
cardioverter defibrillators should con-
sult the manufacturer of the device for
information about its operation under
the influence of radio waves.
Radio waves could have unexpected
effects on the operation of such medi-
cal devices.
Installing tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters

3416-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
LEXUS NX300h Owners Manu-
al_USA_OM78212U 6
Maintenance and care pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning
valves and transmitte rs 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 pressure warn-
ing valve and transmitter ID codes reg-
istered by your Lexus dealer.
( → P.343) ■
When replacing the 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 min-
utes, the tire pressure warning light blinks
for 1 minute and stays on to indicate a sys-
tem malfunction. ■
The tire pressure warning system
must be initialized in the following
circumstances:
 When adjusting the tire inflation
pressure
 When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when changing
traveling speed.
 When rotating the tires
 When changing the tire.
When the tire pressure warning system
is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pres-
sure. ■
How to initialize the tire pressure
warning system
1 Park the vehicle in a safe place and
turn the power switch off. Initialization cannot be performed while
the vehicle is moving.
2 Adjust the tire inflation pressure to
the specified cold tire inflation pres-
sure level.
Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the NOTICE■
Repairing or replacing tires, wheels,
tire pressure warning valves, trans-
mitters 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 warn-
ing valves and transmitters may be
damaged if not handled correctly.
●
Make sure to install the tire valve caps.
If the tire valve caps are not installed,
water could enter the tire pressure
warning valves and the tire pressure
warning valves could be bound.
●
When replacing tire valve caps, do not
use tire valve caps other than those
specified. The cap may become stuck. ■
To avoid damage to the tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters
When a tire is repaired with liquid seal-
ants, 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. After use of liquid seal-
ant, make sure to re place the tire pres-
sure warning valve and transmitter when
repairing or replacing the tire. ( → P.338,
345)
Initializing the tire pressure
warning system