Lexus RX (2022 year). Manual in english — page 22

370

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

1

Pull the hood lock release lever.

The hood will pop up slightly.

2

Pull up the auxiliary catch lever and
lift the hood.

■

Front

Hood

Opening the hood

WARNING

■

Pre-driving check

Check that the hood is fully closed and

locked.

If the hood is not locked properly, it may

open while the vehicle is in motion and

cause an accident, which may result in

death or serious injury.

Positioning a floor jack

When using a floor jack, follow the
instructions in the manual provided
with the jack and perform the oper-
ation safely.
When raising your vehicle with a
floor jack, position the jack cor-
rectly. Improper placement may
damage your vehicle or cause
injury.

Location of the jack point

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■

Rear

372

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance



RX300

Intercooler coolant reservoir (



P.376)

Engine oil filler cap (



P.374)

Engine oil level dipstick (



P.373)

Engine coolant reservoir (



P.376)

Battery (



P.377)

Fuse box (



P.395)

Radiator (



P.377)

Condenser (



P.377)

Electric cooling fans
Intercooler radiator (



P.377)

Washer fluid tank (



P.379)

Engine compartment

Components

A
B
C
D

E
F

G

H

I

J

K

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

RX350/RX350L

Washer fluid tank (



P.379)

Engine oil filler cap (



P.374)

Engine oil level dipstick (



P.373)

Engine coolant reservoir (



P.376)

Battery (



P.377)

Fuse box (



P.395)

Radiator (



P.377)

Condenser (



P.377)

Electric cooling fans

With the engine at operating tempera-
ture and turned off, check the oil level
on the dipstick.

■

Checking the engine oil

1

Park the vehicle on level ground.
After warming up the engine and
turning off the engine, wait more
than 5 minutes for the oil to drain
back into the bottom of the engine.

2

Holding a rag under the end, pull
the dipstick out.

A
B
C
D

E
F

G

H

I

Checking and adding the engine
oil

374

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance



RX300



RX350/RX350L

3

Wipe the dipstick clean.

4

Reinsert the dipstick fully.

5

Holding a rag under the end, pull
the dipstick out and check the oil
level.



Flat dipstick

Low
Normal
Excessive



Non-flat dipstick

Low
Normal
Excessive

The shape of the dipstick may differ

depending on the type of vehicle or

engine.

6

Wipe the dipstick and reinsert it
fully.

■

Checking the oil type and prepar-
ing the item needed

Make sure to check the oil type and
prepare the items needed before add-
ing oil.



Engine oil selection



P.473



Oil quantity (Low



Full)

RX300: 1.5 L (1.6 qt., 1.3 Imp. qt.)
RX350/RX350L: 1.8 L (1.9 qt., 1.6
Imp. qt.)



Item
Clean funnel

■

Adding engine oil

If the oil level is below or near the low
level mark, add engine oil of the same
type as that already in the engine.

A
B
C

A
B
C

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

RX300



RX350/RX350L

1

Remove the oil filler cap by turning
it counterclockwise.

2

Add engine oil slowly, checking the
dipstick.

3

Install the oil filler cap by turning it
clockwise.

■

Engine oil consumption

A certain amount of engine oil will be con-

sumed while driving. In the following situa-

tions, oil consumption may increase, and

engine oil may need to be refilled in

between oil maintenance intervals.

●

When the engine is new, for example

directly after purchasing the vehicle or

after replacing the engine

●

If low quality oil or oil of an inappropriate

viscosity is used

●

When driving at high engine speeds or

with a heavy load, when towing, or when

driving while accelerating or decelerat-

ing frequently

●

When leaving the engine idling for a long

time, or when driving frequently through

heavy traffic

■

After changing the engine oil

The engine oil maintenance data should be

reset. Perform the following procedures:

1

Press

or

of the meter control

switch to select

on the multi-infor-

mation display.

2

Press

or

of the meter control

switch, select the “Vehicle Settings”

then “Oil Maintenance”. (To confirm
setting, press

.)

3

Select the “Yes” and press

.

4

A message is displayed on the

multi-information display.

WARNING

■

Used engine oil

●

Used engine oil contains potentially

harmful contaminants which may

cause skin disorders such as inflamma-

tion and skin cancer, so care should be

taken to avoid prolonged and

repeated contact. To remove used

engine oil from your skin, wash thor-

oughly with soap and water.

●

Dispose of used oil and filters only in a

safe and acceptable manner. Do not

dispose of used oil and filters in house-

hold trash, in sewers or onto the

ground.

Call any authorized Lexus retailer or

Lexus authorized repairer, or any relia-

ble repairer, service station or auto

parts store for information concerning

recycling or disposal.

●

Do not leave used engine oil within the

reach of children.

376

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

■

Engine coolant reservoir

The coolant level is satisfactory if it is
between the “FULL” and “LOW” lines
on the reservoir when the engine is
cold.



RX300

Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line

If the level is on or below the “LOW” line,
add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
(



P.465)



RX350/RX350L

Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line

If the level is on or below the “LOW” line,
add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
(



P.465)

■

Intercooler coolant reservoir
(RX300)

The coolant level is satisfactory if it is
between the “FULL” and “LOW” lines
on the reservoir when the engine is
cold.

Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line

If the level is on or below the “LOW” line,
add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
(



P.465)

NOTICE

■

To prevent serious engine damage

Check the oil level on a regular basis.

■

When replacing the engine oil

●

Be careful not to spill engine oil on the

vehicle components.

●

Avoid overfilling, or the engine could

be damaged.

●

Check the oil level on the dipstick

every time you refill the vehicle.

●

Be sure the engine oil filler cap is prop-

erly tightened.

Checking the coolant

A
B
C

A
B
C

A
B
C

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■

Coolant selection

Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”

or a similar high quality ethylene glycol

based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite,

and non-borate coolant with long-life

hybrid organic acid technology.
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a mix-

ture of 50% coolant and 50% deionized

water. (Minimum temperature: -35°C

[-31°F])
For more details about coolant, contact any

authorized Lexus retailer or Lexus author-

ized repairer, or any reliable repairer.

■

If the coolant level drops within a short

time of replenishing

Visually check the radiator, hoses, engine

coolant reservoir caps, drain cock and

water pump.

If you cannot find a leak, have any author-

ized Lexus retailer or Lexus authorized

repairer, or any reliable repairer, test the

cap and check for leaks in the cooling sys-

tem.

Check the radiator, condenser and
intercooler radiator and clear away
any foreign objects.
If any of the above parts are extremely
dirty or you are not sure of their condi-
tion, have your vehicle inspected by
any authorized Lexus retailer or Lexus
authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.

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.

WARNING

■

When the engine is hot

Do not remove the engine coolant reser-

voir cap, intercooler coolant reservoir

cap and radiator cap.
The cooling system may be under pres-

sure and may spray hot coolant if the cap

is removed, causing serious injuries, such

as burns.

NOTICE

■

When adding coolant

Coolant is neither plain water nor

straight antifreeze. The correct mixture

of water and antifreeze must be used to

provide proper lubrication, corrosion

protection and cooling. Be sure to read

the antifreeze or coolant label.

■

If you spill coolant

Be sure to wash it off with water to pre-

vent it from damaging parts or paint.

Checking the radiator, con-
denser and intercooler radiator
(if equipped)

WARNING

■

When the engine is hot

Do not touch the radiator or condenser

as they may be hot and cause serious

injuries, such as burns.

Battery

378

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

Terminals
Hold-down clamp

■

Checking battery fluid

Check that the level is between the
“UPPER LEVEL” and “LOWER
LEVEL” lines.

“UPPER LEVEL” line
“LOWER LEVEL” line

If the fluid level is at or below the “LOWER
LEVEL” line, add distilled water.

■

Adding distilled water

1

Remove the vent plug.

2

Add distilled water.

If the “UPPER LEVEL” line cannot be seen,

check the fluid level by looking directly at

the cell.

3

Put the vent plug back on and close
it securely.

■

Before recharging

When recharging, the battery produces

hydrogen gas which is flammable and

explosive. Therefore, observe the following

precautions 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

charger is off when connecting and dis-

connecting the charger cables to the bat-

tery.

■

After recharging/reconnecting the bat-

tery

●

The engine may not start. Follow the pro-

cedure below to initialize the system.

1

Shift the shift lever to P.

2

Open and close any of the doors.

3

Restart the engine.

●

Unlocking the doors using the smart

entry & start system may not be possible

immediately after reconnecting the bat-

tery. 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.

A
B

A
B

379

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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

switch before disconnecting the battery.

Take extra care when connecting the bat-

tery if the engine switch mode prior to the

battery being disconnected is unknown.

If the system will not start even after multiple

attempts at all the methods above, contact

any authorized Lexus retailer or Lexus

authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer.

If any washer does not work or the
warning message appears on the
multi-information display, the washer

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.

■

Emergency measures regarding

electrolyte

●

If electrolyte gets in your eyes

Flush your eyes with clean water for at

least 15 minutes and get immediate

medical 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

attention 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 nec-

essary.

●

If you accidentally swallow electrolyte

Drink a large quantity of water or milk.

Get emergency medical attention

immediately.

■

When there is insufficient battery

fluid

Do not use if there is insufficient fluid in

the battery. There is a possible danger

that the battery may explode.

NOTICE

■

When recharging the battery

Never recharge the battery while the

engine is running. Also, be sure all acces-

sories are turned off.

■

When adding distilled water

Avoid overfilling. Water spilled during

battery recharging may cause corrosion.

Washer fluid

380

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

tank may be empty. Add washer fluid.

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.

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 accord-
ance with maintenance schedules
and treadwear.

Checking tires

A
B
C

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Replace the tires if the treadwear indica-
tors are showing on a tire.

■

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 with any author-

ized Lexus retailer or Lexus authorized

repairer, or any reliable repairer.

■

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.

■

Proper storage of the spare tire

(RX350L)

As an improperly stored spare tire may

cause damage to the wire cable that holds

it, check that the spare tire is stored prop-

erly on a daily basis.

●

If the stored spare tire appears to be

slanted or rattles while driving, the spare

tire may not be properly stored. Store the

spare tire again by performing the follow-

ing tire change procedure correctly:

1

If the spare tire is slanted, the hoist

assembly may be stuck in the wheel

opening. If the spare tire rattles while

driving, it may not be fully raised. Lower

the spare tire to the ground and make

sure that the hoist assembly is perpen-

dicular to the wheel opening.

2

Raise the tire slowly and steadily until a

click is heard and the jack handle skips.

If the spare tire cannot be lowered, the wire

cable may be severed. Have the vehicle

inspected at any authorized Lexus retailer

or Lexus authorized repairer, or any reliable

repairer.

■

If the tread on snow tires wears down

below 4 mm (0.16 in.)

The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is

lost.

WARNING

■

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 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-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.

●

Vehicles with a compact spare tire: Do

not tow if your vehicle has a compact

spare tire installed.

382

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance



Vehicles with a compact spare tire
or an emergency puncture repair kit

Rotate the tires in the order shown.

To equalize tire wear and help extend tire
life, Lexus recommends that you rotate
your tires approximately at the following
intervals:

2WD models:
Every 10000 km (6000 miles)
AWD models:
Every 5000 km (3000 miles)
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.



Vehicles with a full-size spare tire

Rotate the tires in the order shown.

To equalize tire wear and help extend tire
life, Lexus recommends that you rotate
your tires approximately at the following
intervals:
2WD models:
Every 10000 km (6000 miles)
AWD models:
Every 5000 km (3000 miles)
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure
warning system after tire rotation.

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.79)

WARNING

●

Vehicles with an emergency tire punc-

ture repair kit: Do not 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

■

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.

■

If tire inflation pressure of each tire

becomes low while driving

Do not continue driving, or your tires

and/or wheels may be ruined.

Tire rotation

Tire pressure warning system

383

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The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.



If the tire pressure drops below a
predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a
warning light. (



P.419)

The illustration used is intended as an
example, and may differ from the image
that is actually displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.

■

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.

• 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 wheel without the tire pressure warning

valve and transmitter is 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 station, large display,

airport or other facility 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.

■

Warning performance of the tire pres-

sure warning system

The warning of the tire pressure warning

system will change in accordance with the

conditions under which it was initialized. For

this reason, the system may give a warning

even if the tire pressure does not reach a

low enough level, or if the pressure is higher

than the pressure that was adjusted to when

the system was initialized.

384

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

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 any authorized Lexus
retailer or Lexus authorized repairer,
or any reliable repairer. (



P.386)

■

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 10 minutes,

the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1

minute and stays on to indicate a system

malfunction.

■

The tire pressure warning system
must be initialized in the following
circumstances:



When the tire inflation pressure is
changed such as when changing
traveling 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 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.

Installing tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters

NOTICE

■

Repairing or replacing 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 any

authorized Lexus retailer or Lexus

authorized repairer, or any reliable

repairer as the tire pressure warning

valves and transmitters may be dam-

aged 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 any author-

ized Lexus retailer or Lexus authorized

repairer, or any reliable repairer or other

qualified service shop as soon as possi-

ble. After use of liquid sealant, make sure

to replace the tire pressure warning valve

and transmitter when repairing or

replacing the tire. (



P.384)

Initializing the tire pressure
warning system

385

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2

Adjust the tire inflation pressure to
the specified cold tire inflation pres-
sure level.

Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the

specified cold tire inflation 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

Select

on the multi-information

display.

5

Press

or

of the meter con-

trol switch, select the “Vehicle Set-
tings” screen and then press the

.

6

Press

or

of the meter con-

trol switch, select the “TPMS”
screen and then press and hold the

until the tire pressure warn-

ing light blinks slowly 3 times.

“- -” will be displayed for inflation pressure

of each tire on the multi-information dis-

play while the tire pressure warning system

determines the position of each tire.

7

Drive the vehicle at approximately
40 km/h (25 mph) or more for
approximately 10 to 30 minutes
until the inflation pressure of each

tire is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display.

When position of each tire is determined,

the inflation pressure of each tire will be

displayed on the multi-information display.
If tire inflation pressure becomes low

before the inflation pressure is displayed,

the tire pressure warning light will come

on.
Depending on the vehicle and driving con-

ditions, initialization may take up to

approximately 1 hour to complete.

■

Initializing the tire pressure warning sys-

tem

Initialize the system with the tire inflation

pressure adjusted to the specified level.

■

If you press the tire pressure warning

reset switch accidentally

If initialization is performed, adjust the tire

inflation pressure to the specified level and

initialize the tire pressure warning system

again.

■

Initialization procedure

●

Make sure to carry out initialization after

adjusting the tire inflation pressure.

Also, make sure the tires are cold before

carrying out initialization or tire inflation

pressure adjustment.

●

If you have accidentally turned the engine

switch off during initialization, it is not

necessary to restart the initialization

again as initialization will restart automat-

ically when the engine switch has been

turned to IGNITION ON mode for the

next time.

●

If you accidentally restart the initialization

when initialization is not necessary, adjust

the tire inflation pressure to the specified

level when the tires are cold, and conduct

initialization again.

●

While the position of each tire is being

determined and the inflation pressures

are not being displayed on the

multi-information display, if the inflation

pressure of a tire drops, the tire pressure

warning light will come on.