LEXUS RCF 2021 Owners Manual

2716-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Check the battery as follows.
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals
are not corroded and that there are no
loose connections, cracks, or loose
clamps.
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■Checking battery condition (vehi-
cles with the battery indicator)
Check the battery condition by indica-
tor color.
Blue: Good condition
Red: Not working properly.
Have the battery checked by your
Lexus dealer.
White: Charging is necessary.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Lexus dealer.
■Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces
hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. Therefore, observe the following
before recharging:
●If recharging with the battery installed on
the vehicle, be sure to disconnect the
ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on the char-
ger is off when connecting and discon-
necting the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting the bat-
tery
The engine may not start. Follow the proce-
dure below to initialize the system.
1 Shift the shift lever to P.
2 Open and close either door.
3 Restart the engine.
●Unlocking the doors using the smart
access system with pu sh-button start may
not be possible immediately after recon-
WARNING
■When filling the reservoir
Take care as brake fluid can harm your
hands and eyes and damage painted sur-
faces.If fluid gets on your hands or in your
eyes, flush the affected area with clean
water immediately.
If you still experience discomfort, see a
doctor.
NOTICE
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go
down slightly as the brake pads wear out
or when the fluid level in the accumulator
is high.
If the reservoir need s frequent refilling,
there may be a serious problem.
Battery
A
B
A
B
C

2726-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
necting the battery. If this happens, use
the wireless remote control or the
mechanical key to lock/unlock the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine switch in
ACCESSORY mode. The engine may
not start with the engine switch turned off.
However, the engine will operate nor-
mally from the second attempt.
●The engine switch mode is recorded by
the vehicle. If the battery is disconnected
and reconnected, the vehicle will return
the engine switch mode to the status it
was in before the battery was discon-
nected. Make sure to turn off the engine
before disconnecting the battery. Take
extra care when connecting the battery if
the engine switch mode prior to the bat-
tery being disconnected is unknown.
If the system will not start even after multi-
ple attempts, contact your Lexus dealer.
If any washer does not work or the
warning message appears on the
multi-information display, the washer
tank may be empty. Add washer fluid.
WARNING
■Chemicals in the battery
Batteries contain poisonous and corro-
sive sulfuric acid and may produce
hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. To reduce the risk of death or
serious injury, take the following precau-
tions while working on or near the bat-
tery:
●Do not cause sparks by touching the
battery terminals with tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match near the
battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin and
clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses when
working near the battery.
●Keep children away from the battery.
■Where to safely charge the battery
Always charge the battery in an open
area. Do not charge the battery in a
garage or closed room where there is
insufficient ventilation.
■How to recharge the battery
Only perform a slow charge (5 A or
less). The battery may explode if charged
at a quicker rate.
■Emergency measures regarding
electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean water for at
least 15 minutes and get immediate med-
ical attention. If possible, continue to
apply water with a sponge or cloth while
traveling to the nearest medical facility.
●If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thoroughly. If you
feel pain or burning, get medical atten-
tion immediately.
●If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can soak through clothing on to your
skin. Immediately take off the clothing
and follow the procedure above if neces-
sary.
●If you accidentally swallow electrolyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk.
Get emergency medical attention imme-
diately.
NOTICE
■When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the
engine is running. Also, be sure all acces-
sories are turned off.
Adding the washer fluid

2736-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
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 indicator
The 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.
WARNING
■When adding washer fluid
Do not add washer fluid when the engine
is hot or running as washer fluid contains
alcohol and may catch fire if spilled on
the engine, etc.
NOTICE
■Do not use any fluid other than
washer fluid
Do not use soapy water or engine anti-
freeze instead of washer fluid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the
vehicle’s painted surfaces, as well as
damaging the pump leading to problems
of the washer fluid not spraying.
■Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as neces-
sary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed
on the label of the washer fluid bottle.
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in accor-
dance with maintenance schedules
and treadwear.
Checking tires
A
B
C

2746-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■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 repeatedly or cannot be
properly repaired due to the size or loca-
tion of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult 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.
■Low profile tires
Compared to normal tires, the grip perfor-
mance of these tires will be lower on snow
covered or icy roads. Be sure to use snow
tires when driving on snowy and/or icy
roads and drive carefully at a speed appro-
priate for the road conditions.
■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.351)
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to
highway driving under
dry conditions. Since summer tires do not
have the same traction performance as
snow tires, summer ti res 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 recom-
mended. When installing snow 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 adequate
for driving in most winter conditions as well
as for use year-round. All season tires,
however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in
heavy or loose snow. Also, all season tires
fall short in accelerati on and handling per-
formance compared 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 instal led 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 regula-
tions for possible restrictions. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels.
(  P.204)
■If the tread on snow tires wears down
below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is
lost.

2756-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Tires cannot be rotated.
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire
pressure warning system that uses tire
pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters to detect low tire inflation pressure
before serious problems arise.
 The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can be
displayed on the multi-information
display. ( P.73)
The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.
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.
●Vehicles with a spare tire: Do not tow if
your vehicle has a spare tire installed.
●Vehicles with an emergency tire punc-
ture repair kit: Do no t tow anything if a
tire that has been repaired using the
emergency tire puncture repair kit is
installed. The load on the tire may
cause unexpected damage to the tire.
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
Tire pressure warning system

2766-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
If the tire pressure drops below a
predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a
warning light. ( P.307)
■Routine tire inflation pressure checks
The tire pressure warning system does not
replace routine tire inflation pressure
checks. Make sure to check tire inflation
pressure as part of your routine of daily
vehicle checks.
■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 tires not equipped with tire pressure 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 af fected in the fol-
lowing situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio stat ion, large display,
airport or other fac ility 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 pr essure declines rap-
idly for example when a tire has burst, the
warning may not function.
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.

2776-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
When replacing tires or wheels, tire
pressure warning valves and transmit-
ters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters 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.278)
■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.
 When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system
is initialized, the current tire inflation
WARNING
●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 medical
devices.
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.277)
Initializing the tire pressure
warning system

2786-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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 engine 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 th e tire pressure to the
specified cold tire infl ation pressure level.
The tire pressure warning system will oper-
ate based on this pressure level.
3 Turn the engine switch to IGNI-
TION ON mode.
4 Press and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light blinks slowly
3 times.
5 Wait for a few minutes with the
engine switch in IGNITION ON
mode and then turn the engine
switch off.
■Initialization procedure
●Make sure to carry ou t initialization after
adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before
carrying out initializat ion or tire inflation
pressure adjustment.
●If you have accidentally turned the engine
switch off during initialization, it is not
necessary to press the reset switch again
as initialization will restart automatically
when the engine switch has been turned
to IGNITION ON mode for the next
time.
●If you accidentally press the reset switch
when initialization is not necessary, adjust
the tire inflation pressure to the specified
level when the tires are cold, and conduct
initialization again.
■When initialization of the tire pressure
warning system has failed
Initialization ca n be completed in a few min-
utes. However, in the following cases, the
settings have not been recorded and the
system will not operate properly. If repeated
attempts to record tire inflation pressure
settings are unsuccessf ul, have the vehicle
inspected by your Lexus dealer.
●When operating the tire pressure warn-
ing reset switch, the tire pressure warning
light does not blink 3 times.
●After carrying out the initialization proce-
dure, the tire pressure warning light
blinks for 1 minute then stays on after
driving for 20 minutes.
The tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter is equipped with a unique
ID code. When replacing a tire pres-
sure warning valve and transmitter, it is
necessary to register the ID code.
WARNING
■When initializing the tire pressure
warning system
Do not operate the tire pressure warning
reset switch without fi rst adjusting the tire
inflation pressure to the specified level.
Otherwise, the tire pressure warning
light may not come on even if the tire
inflation pressure is low, or it may come
on when the tire in flation pressure is
actually normal.
Registering ID codes

2796-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Have the ID code registered by your
Lexus dealer.The recommended cold tire inflation
pressure and tire size are displayed on
the tire and loading information label.
(P.347)
Tire valve
Tire pressure gaugeTire inflation pressure
Checking the specified tire infla-
tion pressure
Inspection and adjustment pro-
cedure
A
B

2806-4. Do-it-yourself maintenance
1Remove the tire valve cap.
2 Press the tip of the tire pressure
gauge onto the tire valve.
3 Read the pressure using the gauge
gradations.
4 If the tire inflation pressure is not at
the recommended level, adjust the
pressure.
If you add too much air, press the
center of the valve to deflate.
5 After completing the tire inflation
pressure measurem ent and adjust-
ment, apply soapy water to the
valve and check for leakage.
6 Put the tire valve cap back on.
■Tire inflation pressure check interval
You should check tire inflation pressure
every two weeks, or at least once a month.
Do not forget to check the spare.
■Effects of incorrect tire inflation pres-
sure
Driving with incorrect ti re inflation pressure
may result in the following:
●Reduced fuel economy
●Reduced driving comfort and poor han-
dling
●Reduced tire life due to wear
●Reduced safety
●Damage to the drivetrain
If a tire needs frequent inflating, have it
checked by your Lexus dealer.
■Instructions for checking tire inflation
pressure
When checking tire inflation pressure,
observe the following:
●Check only when the tires are cold.
If your vehicle has been parked for at least
3 hours or has not been driven for more
than 1 mile or 1.5 km, you will get an accu-
rate cold tire inflat ion pressure reading.
●Always use a tire pressure gauge.
It is difficult to judge if a tire is properly
inflated based only on its appearance.
●It is normal for the ti re inflation pressure
to be higher after driving as heat is gen-
erated in the tire. Do not reduce tire infla-
tion pressure after driving.
●Never exceed the vehicle capacity
weight.
Passengers and luggage weight should be
placed so that the vehicle is balanced.
WARNING
■Proper inflation is critical to save tire
performance
Keep your tires properly inflated.
If the tires are not properly inflated, the
following conditions may occur which
could lead to an accident resulting in
death or serious injury:
●Excessive wear
●Uneven wear
●Poor handling
●Possibility of blowouts resulting from
overheated tires
●Air leaking from between tire and
wheel
●Wheel deformation and/or tire dam-
age
●Greater possibility of tire damage
while driving (due to road hazards,
expansion joints, sharp edges on the
road, etc.)
NOTICE
■When inspecting and adjusting tire
inflation pressure
Be sure to put the tire valve caps back on.
If a valve cap is not installed, dirt or mois-
ture may get into the valve and cause an
air leak, resulting in decreased tire infla-
tion pressure.