Lexus NX300 (2021 year). Manual in english - page 19

319

6-1. Maintenance and care

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ing in hot weather

■

Bumpers

Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.

■

Front side windows water-repellent 

coating (vehicles with water-repellent 

coating)

●

The following precautions can extend the 

effectiveness of the water-repellent coat-

ing.

• Remove any dirt, etc. from the front side 

windows regularly.

• Do not allow dirt and dust to accumulate 

on the windows for a long period.

Clean the windows with a soft, damp 

cloth as soon as possible.

• Do not use wax or glass cleaners that 

contain abrasives when cleaning the win-

dows.

• Do not use any metallic objects to 

remove condensation build up.

●

When the water-repellent performance 

has become insufficient, the coating can 

be repaired. Contact your Lexus dealer.

■

Plated portions

If dirt cannot be removed, clean the parts as 

follows:

●

Use a soft cloth dampened with an 

approximately 5% solution of neutral 

detergent and water to clean the dirt off.

●

Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to 

remove any remaining moisture.

●

To remove oily deposits, use alcohol wet 

wipes or a similar product.

WARNING

■

When washing the vehicle

Do not apply water to the inside of the 

engine compartment. Doing so may 

cause the electrical components, etc. to 

catch fire.

■

When cleaning the windshield (vehi-

cles with rain-sensing windshield wip-

ers)

Set the wiper switch to off.

If the switch is in “AUTO”, the wipers may 

operate unexpectedly in the following sit-

uations, and may result in hands being 

caught or other serious injuries and 

cause damage to the wiper blades.

Off

AUTO

●

When the upper part of the windshield 

where the raindrop sensor is located is 

touched by hand

●

When a wet rag or similar is held close 

to the raindrop sensor

●

If something bumps against the wind-

shield

●

If you directly touch the raindrop sen-

sor body or if something bumps into 

the raindrop sensor

■

Precautions regarding the exhaust 

pipe

Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipe to 

become quite hot.

When washing the vehicle, be careful not 

to touch the pipe until it has cooled suffi-

ciently, as touching a hot exhaust pipe 

can cause burns.

■

Precautions regarding the rear 

bumper with Blind Spot Monitor (if 

equipped)

If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped 

or scratched, the system may malfunc-

tion. If this occurs, consult your Lexus 

dealer.

A

B

320

6-1. Maintenance and care

NOTICE

■

To prevent paint deterioration and 

corrosion on the body and compo-

nents (aluminum wheels, etc.)

●

Wash the vehicle immediately in the 

following cases:

• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the 

paint surface

• If dead insects, insect droppings or 

bird droppings are present on the 

paint surface

• After driving in an area contaminated 

with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron 

powder or chemical substances

• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled 

with dust or mud

• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline 

are spilled on the paint surface

●

If the paint is chipped or scratched, 

have it repaired immediately.

●

To prevent the wheels from corroding, 

remove any dirt and store in a place 

with low humidity when storing the 

wheels.

■

Cleaning the exterior lights

●

Wash carefully. Do not use organic 

substances or scrub with a hard brush.

This may damage the surfaces of the 

lights.

●

Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the 

lights.

Wax may cause damage to the lenses.

■

To prevent damage to the windshield 

wiper arms

When lifting the wiper arms away from 

the windshield, pull the driver side wiper 

arm upward first, and repeat for the pas-

senger side. When returning the wipers 

to their original position, do so from the 

passenger side first.

■

When using an automatic car wash 

(vehicles with rain-sensing windshield 

wipers)

Set the wiper switch to the off position.

If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-

ers may operate and the wiper blades 

may be damaged.

■

When using a high pressure car wash

●

When washing the vehicle, do not let 

water of the high pressure washer hit 

directly or the vicinity of the camera. 

Due to the shock from the high pres-

sure water, it is possible the device may 

not operate as normal.

●

Do not bring the nozzle tip close to 

boots (rubber or resin manufactured 

cover), connectors or the following 

parts. The parts may be damaged if 

they come into contact with high-pres-

sure water.

• Traction related parts
• Steering  parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts

●

Keep the cleaning nozzle at least 11.9 

in. (30 cm) away from the vehicle 

body. Otherwise resin section, such as 

moldings and bumpers, may be 

deformed and damaged. Also, do not 

continuously hold the nozzle in the 

same place.

●

Do not spray the lower part of the 

windshield continuously. If water 

enters the air conditioning system 

intake located near the lower part of 

the windshield, the air conditioning 

system may not operate correctly.

●

Do not wash the underside of the vehi-

cle using a high pressure car washer.

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6-1. Maintenance and care

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

Remove dirt and dust using a vac-
uum cleaner. Wipe dirty surfaces 
with a cloth dampened with luke-
warm water.



If dirt cannot be removed, wipe it off 
with a soft cloth dampened with 
neutral detergent diluted to approx-
imately 1%. Wring out any excess 
water from the cloth and thoroughly 
wipe off remaining traces of deter-
gent and water.

■

Shampooing the carpets

There are several commercial foaming-type 

cleaners available. Use a sponge or brush 

to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping cir-

cles. Do not use water. Wipe dirty surfaces 

and let them dry. Excellent results are 

obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as 

possible.

■

Handling the seat belts

Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water 

using a cloth or sponge. Also check the 

belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying 

or cuts.

■

Front side windows with UV protective 

coating (vehicles with UV protective 

coating)

The front side windows have UV protective 

coating. To prevent any damage to the UV 

protective coating, observe the following:

●

If the windows are dirty, gently wipe them 

with a cloth soaked in water or lukewarm 

water as soon as possible.

NOTICE

■

When raising the windshield wiper 

arms

Make sure to hold the hook parts 

 of 

the wiper arms to raise them.
Do not hold only the wiper blades when 
raising them, or it may cause deformation 
of the wiper blades.

A

Cleaning and protecting the 
vehicle interior

Perform cleaning in a manner 
appropriate to each component 
and its material.

Protecting the vehicle interior

322

6-1. Maintenance and care

●

If the windows are very dirty, do not open 

and close them repeatedly.

WARNING

■

Water in the vehicle

●

Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehi-

cle.

Doing so may cause electrical compo-

nents, etc. to malfunction or catch fire.

●

Do not get any of the SRS components 

or wiring in the vehicle interior wet. 

(



P.32)

An electrical malfunction may cause 

the airbags to deploy or not function 

properly, resulting in death or serious 

injury.

■

Cleaning the interior (especially 

instrument panel)

Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. 

The instrument panel may reflect off the 

windshield, obstructing the driver’s view 

and leading to an accident, resulting in 

death or serious injury.

NOTICE

■

Cleaning detergents

●

Do not use the following types of 

detergent, as they may discolor the 

vehicle interior or cause streaks or 

damage to painted surfaces:

• Non-seat portions: Organic sub-

stances such as benzene or gasoline, 

alkaline or acidic solutions, dye, and 

bleach

• Seats: Alkaline or acidic solutions, 

such as thinner, benzene, and alcohol

●

Do not use polish wax or polish 

cleaner. The instrument panel’s or 

other interior part’s painted surface 

may be damaged.

■

Preventing damage to leather sur-

faces

Observe the following precautions to 

avoid damage to and deterioration of 

leather surfaces:

●

Remove any dust or dirt from leather 

surfaces immediately.

●

Do not expose the vehicle to direct 

sunlight for extended periods of time. 

Park the vehicle in the shade, espe-

cially during summer.

●

Do not place items made of vinyl, plas-

tic, or containing wax on the uphol-

stery, as they may stick to the leather 

surface if the vehicle interior heats up 

significantly.

■

Water on the floor

Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.

Vehicle systems such as the audio system 

may be damaged if water comes into 

contact with electrical components such 

as the audio system above or under the 

floor of the vehicle. Water may also 

cause the body to rust.

■

When cleaning the inside of the wind-

shield

Do not allow glass cleaner to contact the 

lens. Also, do not touch the lens. 

(



P.192)

■

Cleaning the inside of the rear win-

dow

●

Do not use glass cleaner to clean the 

rear window, as this may cause dam-

age to the rear window defogger 

heater wires or antenna. Use a cloth 

dampened with lukewarm water to 

gently wipe the window clean. Wipe 

the window in strokes running parallel 

to the heater wires or antenna.

●

Be careful not to scratch or damage 

the heater wires or antenna.

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

Remove dirt using a water-damp-
ened soft cloth or synthetic chamois.



Wipe the surface with a dry, soft 
cloth to remove any remaining 
moisture.

■

Cleaning the areas with satin-finish 

metal accents

The metal areas use a layer of real metal for 

the surface. It is necessary to clean them 

regularly. If dirty areas are left uncleaned for 

long periods of time, they may be difficult to 

clean.



Remove dirt and dust using a vac-
uum cleaner.



Wipe off any excess dirt and dust 
with a soft cloth dampened with 
diluted detergent.

Use a diluted water solution of approxi-
mately 5% neutral wool detergent.



Wring out any excess water from 
the cloth and thoroughly wipe off all 
remaining traces of detergent.



Wipe the surface with a dry, soft 
cloth to remove any remaining 
moisture. Allow the leather to dry in 
a shaded and ventilated area.

■

Caring for leather areas

Lexus recommends cleaning the interior of 

the vehicle at least twice a year to maintain 

the quality of the vehicle’s interior.



Remove dirt and dust using a vac-
uum cleaner.



Wipe it off with a soft cloth damp-
ened with neutral detergent diluted 
to approximately 1%.



Wring out any excess water from 
the cloth and thoroughly wipe off 
remaining traces of detergent and 
water.

NOTICE

■

Cleaning the front side windows

Do not use any compound or abrasive 

product (e.g., glass cleaner, detergent, 

wax) to clean the windows. It may dam-

age the coating.

Cleaning the areas with satin-fin-
ish metal accents

Cleaning the leather areas

Cleaning the synthetic leather 
areas

324

6-2. Maintenance

6-2.Maintenance

■

Repair and replacement

It is recommended that genuine Lexus parts 

be used for repairs to ensure performance 

of each system. If non-Lexus parts are used 

in replacement or if a repair shop other than 

a Lexus dealer performs repairs, confirm 

the warranty coverage.

■

Allow inspection and repairs to be per-

formed by a Lexus dealer

●

Lexus technicians are well-trained spe-

cialists and are kept up to date with the 

latest service information. They are well 

informed about the operation of all sys-

tems on your vehicle.

●

Keep a copy of the repair order. It proves 

that the maintenance that has been per-

formed is under warranty coverage. If any 

problem should arise while your vehicle is 

under warranty, your Lexus dealer will 

promptly take care of it.

General maintenance should be per-
formed on a daily basis. This can be 
done by yourself or by a Lexus dealer.

Scheduled maintenance should be 
performed at specified intervals 
according to the maintenance sched-
ule.

For details about maintenance items and 
schedules, refer to the “Warranty and Ser-
vice Guide”, “Owner’s Manual Supple-
ment” or “Scheduled Maintenance”.

■

Resetting the message indicating main-

tenance is required (Except for Can-

ada)

After the required maintenance is pre-

formed according to the maintenance 

schedule, please reset the message.

To reset the message, follow the procedures 

described below:

1

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches and select 

.

Maintenance requirements

To ensure safe and economical driv-
ing, day-to-day care and regular 
maintenance are essential. It is the 
owner’s responsibility to perform 
regular checks. Lexus recommends 
the following maintenance:

WARNING

■

If your vehicle is not properly main-

tained

Improper maintenance could result in 

serious damage to the vehicle and possi-

ble death or serious injury.

■

Handling of the battery

●

Engine exhaust, some of its constitu-

ents, and a wide variety of automobile 

components contain or emit chemicals 

known to the State of California to 

cause cancer and birth defects and 

other reproductive harm. Work in a 

well ventilated area.

●

Oils, fuels and fluids contained in vehi-

cles as well as waste produced by 

component wear contain or emit 

chemicals known to the State of Cali-

fornia to cause cancer and birth 

defects or other reproductive harm. 

Avoid exposure and wash any affected 

area immediately.

●

Battery posts, terminals and related 

accessories contain lead and lead 

compounds which are known to cause 

brain damage. Wash your hands after 

handling. (



P.338)

General maintenance

Scheduled maintenance

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6-2. Maintenance

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2

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches, select the “Vehicle Settings” 
and then press 

.

3

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches, select the “Scheduled Mainte-
nance” and then press and hold the 

.

4

Select the “Yes” and push 

.

“The Data Has Been Reset” is displayed 
on the multi-information display.

You can perform some maintenance 
procedures by yourself.
Please be aware that do-it-yourself 
maintenance may affect warranty cov-
erage.

The use of Lexus repair manuals is recom-
mended.
For details about warranty coverage, refer 
to the separate “Owner’s Guide”, “War-
ranty and Service Guide”, “Owner’s Man-
ual Supplement” or “Warranty Booklet”.

Do-it-yourself maintenance

General maintenance

Listed below are the general main-
tenance items that should be per-
formed at the intervals specified in 
the “Warranty and Service Guide” 
or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”. 
It is recommended that any prob-
lem you notice should be brought to 
the attention of your Lexus dealer 
or qualified service shop for advice.

WARNING

■

If the engine is running

Turn the engine off and ensure that there 

is adequate ventilation before perform-

ing maintenance checks.

Engine compartment

Items

Check points

Battery

Check the connections. 
(



P.338)

Brake fluid

Is the brake fluid at the 
correct level? (



P.338)

Engine/inter-
cooler coolant

Is the engine/intercooler 
coolant at the correct 
level? (



P.336)

Engine oil

Is the engine oil at the 
correct level? (



P.334)

Exhaust system

There should not be any 
fumes or strange 
sounds.

326

6-2. Maintenance

Radiator/con-
denser

The radiator and con-
denser should be free 
from foreign objects. 
(



P.337)

Washer fluid

Is there sufficient washer 
fluid? (



P.340)

Vehicle interior

Items

Check points

Accelerator 
pedal

The accelerator pedal 
should move smoothly 
(without uneven pedal 
effort or catching).

Automatic 
transmission 
“Park” mecha-
nism

When parked on a slope 
and the shift lever is in P, 
is the vehicle securely 
stopped?

Brake pedal

• Does the brake pedal 

move smoothly?

• Does the brake pedal 

have appropriate 
clearance from the 
floor?

• Does the brake pedal 

have the correct 
amount of free play?

Items

Check points

Brakes

• The vehicle should not 

pull to one side when 
the brakes are 
applied.

• The brakes should 

work effectively.

• The brake pedal 

should not feel 
spongy.

• The brake pedal 

should not get too 
close to the floor 
when the brakes are 
applied.

Head restraints

Do the head restraints 
move smoothly and lock 
securely?

Indica-
tors/buzzers

Do the indicators and 
buzzers function prop-
erly?

Lights

Do all the lights come 
on?

Parking brake

• Does the parking 

brake switch operate 
normally?

• When parked on a 

slope and the parking 
brake is on, is the vehi-
cle securely stopped?

Seat belts

• Do  the  seat  belts 

operate smoothly?

• The seat belts should 

not be damaged.

Items

Check points

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6-2. Maintenance

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Seats

Do the seat controls 
operate properly?

Steering wheel

• Does the steering 

wheel rotate 
smoothly?

• Does the steering 

wheel have the cor-
rect amount of free 
play?

• There  should  not  be 

any strange sounds 
coming from the 
steering wheel.

Vehicle exterior

Items

Check points

Doors

Do the doors operate 
smoothly?

Engine hood

Does the engine hood 
lock system work prop-
erly?

Fluid leaks

There should not be any 
signs of fluid leakage 
after the vehicle has 
been parked.

Items

Check points

Tires

• Is the tire inflation 

pressure correct?

• The tires should not be 

damaged or exces-
sively worn.

• Have the tires been 

rotated according to 
the maintenance 
schedule?

• The wheel nuts should 

not be loose.

Windshield wip-
ers/rear win-
dow wiper

• The wiper blades 

should not show any 
signs of cracking, 
splitting, wear, con-
tamination or defor-
mation.

• The wiper blades 

should clear the wind-
shield/rear window 
without streaking or 
skipping.

Items

Check points

328

6-2. Maintenance

The OBD system determines that a 
problem exists somewhere in the emis-
sion control system. Your vehicle may 
not pass the I/M test and may need to 
be repaired. Contact your Lexus 
dealer to service the vehicle.



When the battery is disconnected 
or discharged
Readiness codes that are set during 
ordinary driving are erased.
Also, depending on your driving 
habits, the readiness codes may not 
be completely set.



When the fuel tank cap is loose
The malfunction indicator lamp 
comes on indicating a temporary 
malfunction and your vehicle may 
not pass the I/M test.

The error code in the OBD system will 
not be cleared unless the vehicle is 
driven 40 or more times.

Contact your Lexus dealer to prepare 
the vehicle for re-testing.

Emission inspection and 
maintenance (I/M) pro-
grams

Some states have vehicle emission 
inspection programs which include 
OBD (On Board Diagnostics) 
checks. The OBD system monitors 
the operation of the emission con-
trol system.

If the malfunction indicator lamp 
comes on

Your vehicle may not pass the 
I/M test in the following situa-
tions:

When the malfunction indicator 
lamp still remains on after sev-
eral driving trips

If your vehicle does not pass the 
I/M test

329

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

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6-3.Do-it-yourself maintenance

Do-it-yourself service pre-
cautions

If you perform maintenance by 
yourself, be sure to follow the cor-
rect procedure as given in these 
sections.

Maintenance

Items

Parts and tools

Battery condi-
tion (



P.338)

• Warm  water
• Baking soda
• Grease
• Conventional wrench 

(for terminal clamp 
bolts)

Brake fluid level 
(



P.338)

• FMVSS  No.116  DOT 

3 or SAE J1703; 
FMVSS No.116 DOT 
4 or SAE J1704 brake 
fluid

• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for 

adding brake fluid)

Engine/inter-
cooler coolant 
level (



P.336)

• “Toyota  Super  Long 

Life Coolant” or a sim-
ilar high quality eth-
ylene glycol-based 
non-silicate, non-
amine, non-nitrite and 
non-borate coolant 
with long-life hybrid 
organic acid technol-
ogy
For the U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long 
Life Coolant” is pre-
mixed with 50% cool-
ant and 50% deion-
ized water.
For Canada:
“Toyota Super Long 
Life Coolant” is pre-
mixed with 55% cool-
ant and 45% deion-
ized water.

• Funnel (used only for 

adding coolant)

Engine oil level 
(



P.334)

• “Toyota  Genuine 

Motor Oil” or equiva-
lent

• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for 

adding engine oil)

Fuses (



P.355)

Fuse with same amper-
age rating as original

Light bulbs 
(



P.358)

Bulb with same number 
and wattage rating as 
original

Headlight aim

Phillips-head screw-
driver

Radiator and 
condenser 
(



P.337)

—

Items

Parts and tools

330

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

Tire inflation 
pressure 
(



P.349)

• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air 

source

Washer fluid 
(



P.340)

• Water or washer fluid 

containing antifreeze 
(for winter use)

• Funnel (used only for 

adding water or 
washer fluid)

WARNING

The engine compartment contains many 

mechanisms and fluids that may move 

suddenly, become hot, or become elec-

trically energized. To avoid death or seri-

ous injury, observe the following 

precautions.

■

When working on the engine com-

partment

●

Keep hands, clothing and tools away 

from the moving fan and engine drive 

belt.

●

Be careful not to touch the engine, 

radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. right 

after driving as they may be hot. Oil 

and other fluids may also be hot.

●

Do not leave anything that may burn 

easily, such as paper and rags, in the 

engine compartment.

●

Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose 

an open flame to fuel or the battery. 

Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.

●

Be extremely cautions when working 

on the battery. It contains poisonous 

and corrosive sulfuric acid.

Items

Parts and tools

■

When working near the electric cool-

ing fans or radiator grille

Be sure the engine switch is off.

With the engine switch in IGNITION 

ON mode, the electric cooling fans may 

automatically start to run if the air condi-

tioning is on and/or the coolant tempera-

ture is high. (



P.337)

■

Safety glasses

Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or 

falling material, fluid spray, etc. from get-

ting in your eyes.

NOTICE

■

If you remove the air cleaner filter

Driving with the air cleaner filter 

removed may cause excessive engine 

wear due to dirt in the air.

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e a

nd

 c

are

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

332

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

■

Rear

1

Remove the bolt   and then 
remove the cover  .

2

Raise your vehicle with a floor jack.

A

B

333

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

6

Mai
nte

na

nc

e a

nd

 c

are

Fuse box (



P.355)

Engine coolant reservoir (



P.336)

Engine oil filler cap (



P.334)

Engine oil level dipstick (



P.334)

Intercooler coolant reservoir (



P.336)

Battery (



P.338)

Brake fluid reservoir (



P.338)

Radiator (



P.337)

Condenser (



P.337)

Electric cooling fans

Washer fluid tank (



P.340)

Engine compartment

Components

A
B
C
D

E
F

G

H

I

J

K

334

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

■

Removing the engine compart-
ment cover

■

Installing the clips

1

Insert

2

Press

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.

3

Wipe the dipstick clean.

4

Reinsert the dipstick fully with its 
protruding areas (  in the illustra-
tion) pointing towards engine.

Engine compartment cover

NOTICE

■

After installing an engine compart-

ment cover

Make sure that the cover is securely 

installed in its original position.

Checking and adding the engine 
oil

A