Lexus RX450h L (2022 year). Manual in english - page 21

351

6-1. Maintenance and care

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■

Brake pads and calipers

Rust may form if the vehicle is parked with 

wet brake pads or disc rotors, causing them 

to stick. Before parking the vehicle after it is 

washed, drive slowly and apply the brakes 

several times to dry the parts.

■

Bumpers

Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.

■

Front side windows 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

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.

■

Precaution regarding the rear 

bumper

If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped 

or scratched, the following systems may 

not function correctly. If this occurs, con-

sult your Lexus dealer.

●

Lexus Safety System + 2.0

●

BSM (if equipped)

A
B

352

6-1. Maintenance and care

WARNING

●

RCTA (if equipped)

●

PKSB (if equipped)

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.

■

When using an automatic car wash

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 

spray the camera or its surrounding 

area directly with a high pressure 

washer. Shock applied from high pres-

sure water may cause the device to not 

operate normally.

●

Do not spray water directly on the 

radar which is equipped behind the 

emblem. Otherwise it may cause the 

device to be damaged.

●

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 sys-

tem intake located near the lower part of 

the windshield, the air conditioning sys-

tem may not operate correctly.

●

Do not wash the underside of the vehi-

cle using a high pressure car washer.

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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 detergent 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.

NOTICE

●

Vehicles with towing package: Do not 

point the nozzle of a high pressure 

washer at the areas shown in the illus-

tration, as high pressure water may 

damage the oil cooler.

Cleaning and protecting the 
vehicle interior

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

Protecting the vehicle interior

354

6-1. Maintenance and care

WARNING

■

Water in the vehicle

●

Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehi-

cle, such as on the floor, in the hybrid 

battery (traction battery) air vents, and 

in the luggage compartment.

Doing so may cause the hybrid battery, 

electrical components, etc. to mal-

function or catch fire.

●

Do not get any of the SRS components 

or wiring in the vehicle interior wet.

(



P.30)

An electrical malfunction may cause 

the airbags to deploy or not function 

properly, resulting in death or serious 

injury.

●

Vehicles with wireless charger: Do not 

let the wireless charger (



P.330) get 

wet. Failure to do so may cause the 

charger to become hot and cause 

burns or could cause electric shock 

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 liquids, as 

they may discolor the vehicle interior 

or cause streaks or damage to painted 

surfaces:

• Center Display: Organic substances 

such as benzine or gasoline, alkaline 

solutions, and alcohol

• Seats: Alkaline solutions, organic sub-

stances such as thinner or benzine, 

and alcohol

• Other parts: Organic substances such 

as benzine or gasoline, alkaline or 

acidic solutions, dye, and bleach

●

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.212)

■

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 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.

Cleaning the leather areas

Cleaning the synthetic leather 
areas

356

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.

■

Resetting the message indicating main-

tenance is required (U.S.A. only)

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 

switch to select 

.

2

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switch, select the “Scheduled Mainte-

nance” screen and then press and hold 
the .

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 12-volt 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.

●

12-volt battery posts, terminals and 

related accessories contain lead and 

lead compounds which are known to 

cause brain damage. Wash your hands 

after handling. (



P.370)

General maintenance

Scheduled maintenance

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6-2. Maintenance

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3

Select the “Yes” and press 

.

4

A message will be displayed on the 

multi-information display when the 

reset procedure has been completed.

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 hybrid system is operating

Turn the hybrid system off and ensure 

that there is adequate ventilation before 

performing maintenance checks.

Engine compartment

Items

Check points

Brake fluid

Is the brake fluid at the 
correct level? 
(



P.369)

Engine/power 
control unit cool-
ant

Is the engine/power 
control unit coolant at 
the correct level? 
(



P.367)

Engine oil

Is the engine oil at the 
correct level? 
(



P.365)

Exhaust system

There should not be 
any fumes or strange 
sounds.

358

6-2. Maintenance

Radiator/con-
denser

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



P.368)

Washer fluid

Is there sufficient 
washer fluid? 
(



P.369)

Luggage compartment

Items

Check points

12-volt battery

Check the connec-
tions. (



P.370)

Vehicle interior

Items

Check points

Accelerator 
pedal

• The accelerator 

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

Hybrid transmis-
sion “Park” mech-
anism

• 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 appro-
priate clearance 
from the floor?

• Does the brake 

pedal have the cor-
rect 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?

Indicators/buzz-
ers

• Do  the  indicators 

and buzzers function 
properly?

Lights

• Do all the lights 

come on?

• Are the headlights 

aimed correctly? 
(



P.390)

Parking brake

• Does the parking 

brake switch oper-
ate normally?

• When parked on a 

slope and the park-
ing brake is on, is the 
vehicle securely 
stopped?

Seat belts

• Do the seat belts 

operate smoothly?

• The seat belts should 

not be damaged.

Items

Check points

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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 oper-

ate 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.

Items

Check points

Tires

• Is the tire inflation 

pressure correct?

• 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 wip-
ers/rear window 
wiper

• The wiper blades 

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

• The wiper blades 

should clear the 
windshield/rear win-
dow without streak-
ing or skipping.

Items

Check points

360

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 12-volt battery is discon-
nected or discharged

Readiness codes that are set during ordi-
nary 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

361

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

12-volt battery 
condition 
(



P.370)

• Grease
• Conventional 

wrench (for terminal 
clamp bolts)

Brake fluid level 
(



P.369)

• FMVSS No.116 DOT 

3 or SAE J1703 
brake fluid

• Rag  or  paper  towel
• Funnel (used only for 

adding brake fluid)

Engine/power 
control unit cool-
ant level 
(



P.367)

• “Toyota  Super  Long 

Life Coolant” or a 
similar high quality 
ethylene gly-
col-based non-sili-
cate, non-amine, 
non-nitrite and 
non-borate coolant 
with long-life hybrid 
organic acid tech-
nology
For the U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long 
Life Coolant” is 
pre-mixed with 50% 
coolant and 50% 
deionized water.
For Canada:
“Toyota Super Long 
Life Coolant” is 
pre-mixed with 55% 
coolant and 45% 
deionized water.

• Funnel  (used  only  for 

adding coolant)

Engine oil level 
(



P.365)

• “Toyota  Genuine 

Motor Oil” or equiv-
alent

• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel  (used  only  for 

adding engine oil)

Fuses (



P.388)

• Fuse  with  same 

amperage rating as 
original

Headlight aim 
(



P.390)

• Phillips-head screw-

driver

Items

Parts and tools

362

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

Light bulbs 
(



P.392)

• Bulb with same num-

ber and wattage rat-
ing as original

• Flathead screw-

driver

• Wrench

Radiator and con-
denser (



P.368)



Tire inflation pres-
sure (



P.380)

• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air 

source

Washer fluid 
(



P.369)

• Water or washer 

fluid containing anti-
freeze (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

●

Make sure that the “ACCESSORY” or 

“IGNITION ON” on the multi-infor-

mation display and the “READY” indi-

cator are both off.

●

Keep hands, clothing and tools away 

from the moving fan and engine drive 

belt.

●

Be careful not to touch the engine, 

power control unit, radiator, exhaust 

manifold, etc. right after driving as they 

may be hot. Oil and other fluids may 

also be hot.

Items

Parts and tools

●

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. Fuel fumes are 

flammable.

■

When working near the electric cool-

ing fan or radiator grille

Be sure the power switch is off.

With the power switch in ON mode, the 

electric cooling fans may automatically 

start to run if the air conditioning is on 

and/or the coolant temperature is high. 

(



P.368)

■

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.

363

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

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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

364

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

■

Rear

365

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

6

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Washer fluid tank (



P.369)

Brake fluid reservoir (



P.369)

Engine oil level dipstick (



P.366)

Engine coolant reservoir (



P.367)

Power control unit coolant reservoir (



P.367)

Fuse boxes (



P.388)

Radiator (



P.368)

Power control unit coolant radiator (



P.368)

Condenser (



P.368)

Electric cooling fans
Engine oil filler cap (



P.366)

■

12-volt battery



P.370

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

Engine compartment

Components

A
B
C
D

E
F

G

H

I

J

K

Checking and adding the engine 
oil

366

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

on the dipstick.

■

Checking the engine oil

1

Park the vehicle on level ground. 
After warming up the engine and 
turning off the hybrid system, 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.

5

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

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.455



Oil quantity (Low 



 Full)

1.9 qt. (1.8 L, 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.

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.

A
B
C