ESP LEXUS SC300 1999 Owner's Manual

MAINTENANCE
310
MAINTENANCE
REQUIREMENTS
Your Lexus vehicle has been designed to have fewer
maintenance requirements with longer service intervals to
save both your time and money. However, each regular
maintenance as well as day±to±day care is more important
than ever before to ensure smooth, trouble±free, safe, and
economical driving.
It is the owner's responsibility to make sure the specified
maintenance, including general maintenance services, is
performed. Note that both the new vehicle and emission
control system warranties specify that proper maintenance
and care must be performed. See the Owner's Guide,
Owner's Manual Supplement or Warranty Booklet for
complete warranty information.
General maintenance
General maintenance items are those day±to±day care
practices that are important to your vehicle for proper
operation. It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that the
general maintenance items are performed regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done either by yourself or
your Lexus dealer.
Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed in the ºOwner's
Manual Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº are those
required to be serviced at regular intervals.

INTRODUCTION
324
DO±IT±YOURSELF SERVICEPRECAUTIONS
If you perform maintenance yourself, be sure to follow the
correct procedure given in this Section.
You should be aware that improper or incomplete servicing
may result in operating problems.
Performing do±it±yourself maintenance during the warranty
period may affect your warranty coverage. Read the separate
Lexus Warranty statement for details and suggestions.
This Section gives instructions only for those items that are
relatively easy for an owner to perform. As explained in
Section 5, there are still a number of items that must be
performed by a qualified technician with special tools.
For information on tools and parts for do±it±yourself
maintenance, see ºParts and toolsº.
Utmost care should be taken when working on your vehicle
to prevent accidental injury. Here are a few precautions that
you should be especially careful to observe:
CAUTION

When the engine is running, keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from the moving fan and engine drive belt.
(Removing rings, watches, and ties is advisable.)

CHASSIS
367
Uniform tire quality grading
This information has been prepared in accordance with
regulations issued by the National Highway T raffic Safety
Administration of the U.S. Department of
Transportation. It provides the purchasers and/or
prospective purchasers of Lexus vehicles with
information on uniform tire quality grading.
Your Lexus dealer will help answer any questions you may
have as you read this information.
DOT quality grades ± All passenger vehicle tires must
conform to Federal Safety Requirements in addition to
these grades. These quality grades are molded on the
sidewall. Treadwear
± The treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1 ± 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of th eir use, however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B, C ± The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C, and they represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor traction
performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, C ± The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C
corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum

BODY
406
PROTECTING YOUR VEHICLEFROM CORROSION
Proper care of your Lexus can help ensure long±term
corrosion prevention.
The most common causes of corrosion to your vehicle are:

The accumulation of road salt, dirt and moisture in
hard±to±reach areas under the vehicle.

Chipping of paint or undercoating caused by minor
accidents or by stones and gravel.
The following conditions will cause or accelerate
corrosion of your vehicle, so it is important to keep your
vehicle, particularly the underside, as clean as possible
and to repair any damage to paint or protective coatings
as soon as possible.

The presence of road salt or dust control chemicals, salt in
the air near the sea coast, industrial air pollution.

High humidity, especially at temperatures just above
freezing point.

Certain parts of your vehicle are wet or damp for an
extended period of time, even though other parts of the
vehicle are dry.

Components of the vehicle which are prevented from
quick±drying due to lack of proper ventilation are exposed
to high temperature. To help prevent corrosion on your Lexus, follow these
guidelines:
Keep your vehicle clean by regular washing.
In addition,
observe the following points.

If you drive on salted roads in the winter or if you live near
the ocean, you should hose off the undercarriage at least
once a month to minimize corrosion.

High pressure water or steam is effective for cleaning the
vehicle's underside and wheel housings. Pay particular
attention to these areas as it is difficult to see all the mud
and dirt. It will do more harm than good to simply wet the
mud and debris without removing them. The lower edge
of doors, rocker panels and frame members have drain
holes which should not be allowed to clog with dirt as
trapped water in these areas can cause corrosion.

Wash the underside of the vehicle thoroughly when winter
is over.
See ºWashing and waxingº for more tips.
Check the condition of your vehicle's paint and trim. If
you find any chips or scratches in the paint, touch them up
immediately to prevent corrosion from starting. If the chips
or scratches have gone through the bare metal, have a
qualified body shop make the repair.

BODY
408Aluminum wheels:
Use only a mild soap or neutral
detergent.
Urethane bumpers and side moldings: Wash carefully. Do
not scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper and side
molding faces are soft.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or cleaners that are
marked safe for painted surfaces.
NOTICE
Do not use gasoline or strong solvents, which may be
toxic or cause damage.
3. Rinse thoroughly ± dried soap can cause streaking. In hot
weather you may need to rinse each section right after you
wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a clean soft
cotton towel. Do not rub or press hard ± you might scratch the
paint.
Automatic car wash
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the antenna, make sure it is
retracted before driving your vehicle through an
automatic car wash.
Your vehicle may be washed in an automatic car wash, but
remember that the paint can be scratched by some type of
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the washing process
itself. Scratching reduces paint durability and gloss,
especially on darker colors. The manager of the car wash
should be able to advise you whether the process is safe for
the paint on your vehicle.
Waxing your Lexus
Polishing and waxing is recommended to maintain the
original beauty of your Lexus' finish.
Once a month or if the vehicle does not repel water well, apply
wax.
1. Always wash and dry the vehicle before you begin waxing,
even if you are using a combined cleaner and wax.
2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If the finish has
become extremely weathered, use a car±cleaning polish,
followed by a separate wax. Carefully follow the
manufacturer's instructions and precautions. Be sure to
polish and wax the chrome trim as well as the paint.
3. Wax the vehicle again when water does not bead but
remains on the surface in large patches.

BODY
411


Dirt or sand adhered to the leather may damage the
treated surface and cause it to wear earlier. Remove
dirt or sand using a vacuum cleaner.

If a stain should fail to come out with a neutral
detergent, apply a cleaner that does not contain an
organic solvent.

Never use organic substances such as benzine, alcohol
or gasoline, or alkaline or acid solutions for cleaning
the leather as these could cause discoloring.

Use of a nylon brush or synthetic fiber cloth, etc. may
scratch the fine grained surface of the leather.

Mildew may develop on soiled leather upholstery. Be
especially careful to avoid oil spots. Try to keep your
upholstery always clean.

Long exposure to direct sunlight may cause the leather
surface to harden and shrink. Keep your vehicle in a
shaded area, especially in the summer.

The interior of your vehicle is apt to heat up on hot
summer days, so avoid placing on the upholstery items
made of vinyl or plastic or containing wax as these
tend to stick to leather when warm.

Improper cleaning of the leather upholstery could
result in discoloration or staining.
Synthetic Leather Areas (Dash)
The synthetic leather areas may be easily cleaned with a
mild soap or detergent and water.
First vacuum over the upholstery to remove loose dirt. Then,
using a sponge or soft cloth, apply the soap solution to the
synthetic leather. After allowing it to soak in for a few
minutes to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt and wipe off the
soap with a clean damp cloth. If all the dirt does not come off,
repeat the procedure. Commercial foaming±type cleaners are
also available which work well. Follow the manufacturer's
instructions.
NOTICE
Do not use solvent, thinner, gasoline or window cleaner
on the interior.