flat tire LEXUS RX350 2015 User Guide

Maintenance and care
4
6494-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior............. 650
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle interior .............. 653
4-2. Maintenance
Maintenance
requirements ........................ 656
General maintenance .......... 659
Emission inspection and
maintenance (I/M)
programs................................ 663 4-3. Do-it-yourself
maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions ........................... 664
Hood ........................................... 667
Positioning a floor jack ......... 668
Engine compartment ............ 670
Tires............................................ 684
Tire inflation pressure........... 693
Wheels ....................................... 697
Air conditioning filter ........... 699
Electronic key battery........... 701
Checking and replacing
fuses ........................................ 703
Headlight aim ........................... 716
Light bulbs ................................. 719

6624-2. Maintenance
Vehicle exterior Items Check points
Doors • Do the doors operate smoothly?
Engine hood • Does the engine hood lock system
work properly?
Fluid leaks • There should not be any signs of
fluid leakage after the vehicle has
been parked.
Ti r e s • Is the tire inflation pressure cor-
rect?
• 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 deforma-
tion.
• The wiper blades should clear the
windshield/rear window without
streaking or skipping.
CAUTION
■
If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before performing
maintenance checks.

6654-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care Items Pa r t s a n d t o o l s
Engine oil level (  P. 6 74 ) • “Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or
equivalent
•Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding
engine oil)
Fuses (  P. 7 0 3 ) • Fuse with same amperage rating as
original
Tire inflation pressure (  P. 6 9 3 ) • Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source
Headlight aim (  P. 7 1 6 ) • Phillips-head screwdriver
Radiator and condenser (  P. 6 7 8 )

Wa s h e r f l u i d (  P. 6 8 3 ) • Water or washer fluid containing
antifreeze (for winter use)
• Funnel (used only for adding water
or washer fluid)

6854-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and trans-
mitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning va lves and transmitters are installed,
new tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID codes must be regis-
tered in the tire pressure warning co mputer and the tire pressure warning
system must be initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmit-
ter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. (  P. 6 8 7 )
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■ 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
travelling speed or load weight
● When changing the tire size
When the tire pressure warning sy stem is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.■ The tire pressure warning system
Your Lexus is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and tr ansmitters to detec t low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise. (  P. 74 7 )

6864-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■ How to initialize the tire pressure warning system
Park the vehicle in a safe plac e and turn the “ENGINE START
STOP” switch off. While the vehicle is moving, initialization is not performed.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified co ld tire inflation
pressure level. (  P. 815)Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire inflation
pressure level. The tire pressure warning system will operate based on
this pressure level.
Turn the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to IGNITION ON
mode.
Press and hold the tire pressure
warning reset switch until the tire
pressure warning light blinks
slowly 3 times.
Wait for a few minutes in “ENG INE START STOP” switch to on,
and then turn the “ENGINE START STOP” switch off.STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5

6874-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a unique
ID code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and transmitter, it
is necessary to register the ID code. Ha ve the ID code registered by your
Lexus dealer. ■
When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if: ●
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
location of a cut or other damage.
If you are not sure, consult with your Lexus dealer.■
Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure warn ing valve and transmitter is not registered,
the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After driving for about 20
minutes, the tire pressure warning light blin ks for 1 minute and stays on to indicate a
system malfunction.■
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.■
If the tread on snow tires wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost.■
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.

6884-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■
Maximum load of tire
Check that the number given by dividing the maximum load by 1.10 of the replace-
ment tire is greater than 1 /2 of the Gr oss Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) of either
the front axle or the rear axle, whichever is greater.
■
Tire types
1 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 perfor-
mance 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, be sure to replace all four tires.
2 All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to be ade-
quate for driving in most winter conditions , as well as for use year round. All sea-
son tires, however, do not have adequa te traction performance compared with
snow tires in heavy or loos e snow. Also, all season tires fall short in acceleration
and handling performance compared with summer tires in highway driving.
3Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or ic y roads, we recommend using snow tires.
If you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, construction and load capac-
ity as the originally installed tires. Since your vehicle has radial tires as original
equipment, 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. 3 0 2 )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. 8 2 1 )

6894-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care ■
The initialization operation ●
Make sure to carry out initialization af ter adjusting the tire inflation pressure.
Also, make sure the tires are cold before carrying out initialization or tire infla-
tion pressure adjustment.●
If you have accidentally turned the “ENGINE START STOP” switch off during
initialization, it is not necessary to pres s the reset switch again as initialization
will restart automatically when the “ENGINE START STOP” 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 th e specified level when the tires are cold,
and conduct initialization again.■
When the initialization of the tire pressure warning system has failed
Initialization can be completed in a few minutes. 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 unsuccessful, have
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer. ●
When operating the tire pressure warnin g reset switch, the tire pressure warn-
ing light does not blink 3 times. ●
After carrying out the initialization proc edure, the tire pressure warning light
blinks for 1 minute then stays on after driving for 20 minutes.

6914-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care CAUTION■
Tire pressure warning system operation
The tire pressure warning system may not provide warning immediately if a tire
bursts or if sudden air leakage occurs.■
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 we ll as dangerous handling characteristics,
which may lead to an accident resu lting in death or serious injury.●
Do not mix tires of different makes, mode ls or tread patterns. Also, do not mix
tires of remarkably different treadwear.●
Do not use tire sizes other th an 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 compact spare tire installed.■
When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not push the tire pressure warning reset switch without first 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 inflation pressure is actually normal.

6924-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
NOTICE■
Repairing or replacing tires, wheels, ti re pressure warning valves, transmitters
and tire valve caps ●
When removing or fitting the wheels, tires or the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitter, contact your Lexus dealer as the tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters may be damage d if not handled correctly.●
When replacing tire valve caps, do not us e tire valve caps other than those speci-
fied. 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 so on as possible. Make sure to replace the
tire pressure warning valve and transmitter when replacing the tire. (  P. 685)■
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, driv ing on rough roads may cause damage to the
tires themselves, as well as the vehicle’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.