tow LEXUS RC300 2021 Owner's Guide

2676-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Vehicles 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 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.
Vehicles with front and rear tires of
differing sizes
Tires cannot be rotated.
■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
WARNING
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents.
Failure to do so may cause damage to
parts of the drivetrain 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-b elted 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
■Low profile tires
Low profile tires may cause greater dam-
age than usual to the tire wheel when
sustaining impact from the road surface.
Therefore, pay attention to the following:
●Be sure to use proper tire inflation
pressure. If tires are under-inflated,
they may be damaged more severely.
●Avoid potholes, uneven pavement,
curbs and other road hazards. Failure
to do so may lead to severe tire and
wheel damage.
■If tire inflation pressure of each tire
becomes low while driving
Do not continue driving, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
■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.
Tire rotation

2696-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
warning valves and transmitters are 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
If tire position information is not correctly
displayed due to the radio wave conditions,
the display may be corrected by driving and
changing the radio wave conditions.
●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 the tires or wheels, the
tire pressure warning valve and trans-
mitters must be installed to the wheels
which will be installed to the vehicle.
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. ( P.271)
■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 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 rotating the tires.
 When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when changing
traveling speed or load weight.
 When changing the tire size.
Installing tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters
NOTICE
■Repairing or replac ing 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.269)
Initializing the tire pressure
warning system

2786-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
1Turn the engine switch off.
2 Open the fuse box cover.
Engine compartment: type A fuse
box
Push the tab in and lift the lid off.
Engine compartment: type B fuse
box
Push the tab in and lift the lid off.
Left side instrument panel
Remove the lid.
WARNING
●Do not swallow the battery. Doing so
may cause chemical burns.
●A coin battery or button battery is
used in the electronic key. If a battery is
swallowed, it may cause severe chemi-
cal burns in as little as 2 hours and may
result in death or serious injury.
●Keep away new and removed batteries
from children.
●If the cover cannot be firmly closed,
stop using the electronic key and stow
the key in the place where children
cannot reach, and then contact your
Lexus dealer.
●If you accidentally swallow a battery or
put a battery into a part of your body,
get emergency medical attention
immediately.
■To prevent battery explosion or leak-
age of flammable liquid or gas
●Replace the battery with a new battery
of the same type. If a wrong type of
battery is used, it may explode.
●Do not expose batteries to extremely
low pressure due to high altitude or
extremely high temperatures.
●Do not burn, break or cut a battery.
NOTICE
■For normal operation after replacing
the battery
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents:
●Always work with dry hands.Moisture
may cause the battery to rust.
●Do not touch or move any other com-
ponent inside the remote control.
●Do not bend either of the battery ter-
minals.
Checking and replacing
fuses
If any of the electrical components
do not operate, a fuse may have
blown. If this happens, check and
replace the fuses as necessary.
Checking and replacing fuses

2836-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
4Pull the light unit toward the rear of
the vehicle to remove it.
5 Turn the bulb base counterclock-
wise.
6 Remove the light bulb.
7 Install a new light bulb then install
the bulb base to the light unit by
inserting it and turning the bulb
base clockwise.
After installing the light bulb, turn on the
rear turn signal light to visually check that there is no light leaking from the bulb base.
8
Align the tabs and push the light
unit toward the front of the vehicle
to install it.
9 Install the 2 screws and cover.
10 Remove the protective tape.
WARNING
■Replacing light bulbs
●Turn off the lights. Do not attempt to
replace the bulb immediately after
turning off the lights. The bulbs
become very hot and may cause
burns.
●Do not touch the glass portion of the
light bulb with bare hands. When it is
unavoidable to hold the glass portion,
use and hold with a clean dry cloth to
avoid getting moisture and oils on the
bulb. Also, if the bu lb is scratched or
dropped, it may blow out or crack.

285
7
7
When trouble arises
When trouble arises
.7-1. Essential informationEmergency flashers.................. 286
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency .......................... 286
If the vehicle is trapped in rising water............................................ 287
7-2. Steps to take in an emergency If your vehicle needs to be towed........................................................ 289
If you think something is wrong ........................................................ 293
Fuel pump shut off system ..... 294
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds ....... 295
If a warning message is displayed ........................................................ 303
If you have a flat tire.................. 307
If the engine wi ll not start ........314
If you lose your keys .................. 316
If the fuel filler door cannot be opened......................................... 316
If the electronic key does not operate properly ..................... 317
If the vehicle battery is discharged ......................................................... 319
If your vehicle overheats ........ 322
If the vehicle becomes stuck ........................................................ 326

2897-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
7-2.Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs to be
towed
If towing is necessary, we recom-
mend having your vehicle towed by
your Lexus dealer or commercial
towing service, using a wheel-lift
type truck or flatbed truck.
Use a safety chain system for all
towing, and abide by all state/pro-
vincial and local laws.
If towing your vehicle with a
wheel-lift type truck from the front,
the vehicle's rear wheels and axles
must be in good conditions.
(  P.290)
If they are damaged, use a towing
dolly or flatbed truck.
If towing your vehicle with a
wheel-lift type truck, use a towing
dolly. ( P.290, 289)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
2WD models
Be sure to transport the vehicle with all
four wheels raised off the ground. If the
vehicle is towed with the tires contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and related
parts may be damaged or an accident
may occur due to a change in direction
of the vehicle.
AWD models
Be sure to transport the vehicle with all
four wheels raised off the ground. If the
vehicle is towed with the tires contacting
the ground, the driv etrain or related
parts may be damaged, the vehicle may
fly off the truck.

2907-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a problem
with your transmission. Contact your
Lexus dealer or commercial towing
service before towing.
The engine is running but the vehi-
cle does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnormal
sound.
From the front
Use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
WARNING
■While towing
●When towing using cables or chains,
avoid sudden starts, etc. which place
excessive stress on the towing eyelets,
cables or chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become dam-
aged, broken debris may hit people,
and cause serious damage.
●Do not turn the engine switch off.
There is a possibility that the steering
wheel is locked and cannot be oper-
ated.
■Installing towing eyelets to the vehi-
cle
Make sure that towing eyelets are
installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelets
may come loose during towing.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the vehicle
when towing using a wheel-lift type
truck
●Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
when the engine switch is off. The
steering lock mechanism is not strong
enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
●When raising the vehicle, ensure ade-
quate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle.
Without adequate clearance, the vehi-
cle could be damaged while being
towed.
■To prevent damage to the vehicle
when towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either
from the front or rear.
■To prevent damage to the vehicle
during emergency towing
Do not secure cables or chains to the
suspension components.
■Recreational towing (behind motor
home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to pre-
vent causing serious damage to the
AWD system and transmission. ( P.126)

Situations when it is necessary to
contact dealers before towing
Towing with a wheel-lift type
truck

2917-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the front
wheels.
When using a flat-bed truck to trans-
port the vehicle, use tire strapping
belts. Refer to the owner's manual of
the flat-bed truck for the tire strapping
method.
In order to suppress vehicle movement
during transportati on, set the parking
brake and turn the engine switch off.
If a tow truck is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using cables or chains secured to the emergency towing eye-
lets. This should only be attempted on
hard surfaced roads for at most 50
miles (80 km) at under 18 mph (30
km/h).
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer
and operate the brakes. The vehicle’s
wheels, drive train, axles, steering and
brakes must be in good condition.
To have your vehicle towed by another
vehicle, the towing eyelet must be
installed to your vehicle. Install the tow-
ing eyelet using the following proce-
dure.
1
Take out the wheel nut wrench, flat-
head screwdriver and towing eye-
let. ( P.307)
2 Remove the eyelet cover using a
flathead screwdriver.
To protect the bodywork, place a rag
between the screwdriver and the vehicle
body as shown in the illustration.
Except F SPORT models
 F SPORT models
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck to pre-
vent body damage.
Using a flatbed truck
Emergency towing
Emergency towing procedure

2927-2. Steps to take in an emergency
3Insert the towing eyelet into the
hole and tighten partially by hand.
4 Tighten down the towing eyelet
securely using a wheel nut wrench
or hard metal bar.
5 Securely attach cables or chains to
the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehi-
cle body.
6 Enter the vehicle being towed and
start the engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the
engine switch to ON. 7
Shift the shift lever to N and release
the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.138)
When the shift lever cannot be shifted:
 P.132
■While towing
If the engine is not running, the power assist
for the brakes and steering will not function,
making steering and braking more difficult.
■Wheel nut wrench
Wheel nut wrench is installed in trunk.
(  P.307)

3077-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
Stop the vehicle in a safe place on a
hard, flat surface.
 Set the parking brake.
 Shift the shift lever to P.
 Stop the engine.
 Turn on the emergency flashers.
( P.286)
Type A
Jack handle
Wheel nut wrench
Screwdriver
Towing eyelet
If you have a flat tire
Your vehicle is equipped with a
spare tire. The flat tire can be
replaced with the spare tire.
For details about tires: P.265
WARNING
■If you have a flat tire
Do not continue driving with a flat tire.
Driving even a short distance with a flat
tire can damage the tire and the wheel
beyond repair, which could result in an
accident.
Before jacking up the vehicle
Location of the spare tire, jack and tools
A
B
C
D