tires LEXUS RX350 2016 Owner's Manual

380
RX350_U_OM48E90U 4-6. Driving tips
●
Use fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside temperatures.
•Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Washer fluid ●
Have a service technician inspect the condition of the 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 of the specified size and the same brand, and that chains
match the size of the 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 imme-
diately 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 accumulated 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.Winter driving tips Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before driving the vehi-
cle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropriate to the prevail-
ing weather conditions.
Pre-winter preparations
Before driving the vehicle

382 4-6. Driving tips
RX350_U_OM48E90U To enable the windshield wipers to be lifted when heavy snow or icy conditions
are expected, change the rest position of the windshield wipers from the
retracted position below the hood to the service position using the wiper lever.
(  P. 2 5 4 ) ■
Tire chain installation
Observe the following precautions wh en 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 front tires as tightl y as possible. Retighten chains after driving
1/4 -1/2 mile (0.5 - 1.0 km). ●
Install tire chains following the instru ctions provided with the tire chains. Windshield wipers
WA R N I N G ■
Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of ve hicle control and cause death or serious 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), whichever is lower. ●
Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes. ●
Avoid sudden acceleration, ab rupt steering, sudden bra king and shifting operations
that cause sudden engine braking. ●
Slow down sufficiently before entering a cu rve to ensure that vehicle control is main-
tained. ●
Do not use the LKA (Lane-Keeping Assist) system. (if equipped) ●
Do not use the LDA (Lane Departure Alert with steering control) system. (if
equipped)

3834-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
RX350_U_OM48E90U 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 attachment of snow tires affects the operation of the
tire pressure warning valves and transmitters. ■
Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function correctly when tire
chains are fitted.

3854-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
RX350_U_OM48E90U 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 permitted 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 co nditions are wet, driving techniques
should be changed or travel delayed to prevent damage to roads. ●
AWD models: 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 information for off-road driving 
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional informat ion 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 ManagementOff-road driving

555
7Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U 7-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior .................556
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle interior ................... 561
7-2. Maintenance
Maintenance
requirements .............................564
General maintenance ..............566
Emission inspection and
maintenance (I/M)
programs ....................................569 7-3. Do-it-yourself
maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions ................................ 570
Hood ............................................... 572
Positioning a floor jack ............. 573
Engine compartment ................ 574
Tires ..................................................584
Tire inflation pressure ............... 593
Wheels ........................................... 596
Air conditioning filter ...............598
Windshield wiper inserts ......... 601
Electronic key battery ..............603
Checking and replacing
fuses ..............................................605
Headlight aim ............................. 608
Light bulbs...................................... 610

568 7-2. Maintenance
RX350_U_OM48E90U 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 si gns of fluid leakage after
the vehicle has been parked.
Ti r e s • Is the tire inflation pressure correct?
• The tires should not be damaged or excessively
worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the mainte-
nance schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wipers/
rear window wiper • The wiper blades should no t show any signs of crack-
ing, splitting, wear, contamination or deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield/rear
window without streaking or skipping.
WA R N I N G ■
If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before performing
maintenance checks.

584 7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX350_U_OM48E90U 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
Wo r n t r e a d
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 indicators are showing on a tire.
Rotate the tires in the order shown. To equalize tire wear and extend tire life,
Lexus recommends that tire rotation is
carried out at the same interval as tire
inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.Tires Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance schedules and tread-
wear.
Checking tires
Tire rotation 1
2
3
Front

5857-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses tire pres-
sure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire inflation pressure before
serious problems arise.
◆ Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
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 warning valve
and transmitter ID codes registered by your Lexus dealer. (  P. 5 8 6 )
◆ Initializing the tire pressure warning system ■
The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the following circum-
stances: ●
When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when changing travel-
ing speed. ●
When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when the tire size is
changed. ●
When rotating the tires
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire inflation
pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.Tire pressure warning system ●
The tire pressure detected by the tire
pressure warning system can be dis-
played on the multi-information display. The illustration used is intended as an exam-
ple, and may differ from the image that is
actually displayed on the multi-information
display.●
If the tire pressure drops below a prede-
termined level, the driver is warned by a
screen display and a warning light.
(  P. 6 3 6 ) The illustration used is intended as an exam-
ple, and may differ from the image that is
actually displayed on the multi-information
display.

5877-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
RX350_U_OM48E90U ■
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 prop erly 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 warning valve and transmitter is not registered, the tire
pressure warning system will not work proper ly. After driving for about 20 minutes, the
tire pressure warning light blinks for 1 minute and stays on to indicate a system malfunc-
tion. ■
Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even if it has seldom
or never been used or damage is not obvious. ■
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.■
Maximum load of tire
Check that the maximum load of the replacem ent tire is greater than 1 /2 of the Gross
Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) of either the front axle or the rear axle, whichever 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 men-
tioned on the sidewall of the tire. (  P. 686)

588 7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
RX350_U_OM48E90U ■
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 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. ●
All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to be adequate for
driving in most winter condit ions as well as for use year-round. All season tires, how-
ever, do not have adequate traction performance compared with snow tires in heavy
or loose snow. Also, all season tires fall short in acceleration and handling perfor-
mance 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 installed tires. Since your vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make
sure your snow tires also have radial cons truction. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for possible re strictions. Snow tires should be installed
on all wheels. (  P. 3 8 0 )■
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
Initialize the system with the tire inflation pressure adjusted to the specified level. ■
If the tread on snow tires wears down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost. ■
If you press the tire pressure warning reset switch accidentally
If initialization is performed, adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified level and ini-
tialize the tire pressure warning system again.