Lexus ES350 (2023 year). Manual in english - page 18

299

6-1. Maintenance and care

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

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 synthetic leather 
areas

300

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 operations 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 vehi-

cle 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

After the required maintenance is per-

formed according to the maintenance 

schedule, please reset the message.

To reset the message, follow the procedure 

described below:

1

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches and select 

.

2

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches and select “Vehicle Settings”. 
Then press “OK”.

Maintenance requirements

To ensure safe and economical 
driving, day-to-day care and regu-
lar maintenance are essential. It is 
the owner’s responsibility to per-
form regular checks. Lexus recom-
mends 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.314)

General maintenance

Scheduled maintenance

301

6-2. Maintenance

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3

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches and select “Scheduled Mainte-
nance”. Then press “OK”.

4

Select “Yes” and press “OK”.

A message will be displayed 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 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 battery 
connections. 
(



P.314)

Brake fluid

Is the brake fluid at the 
correct level? 
(



P.314)

Engine coolant

Is the engine coolant at 
the correct level? 
(



P.313)

Engine oil

Is the engine oil at the 
correct level? 
(



P.310)

Exhaust system

There should not be 
any fumes or strange 
sounds.

302

6-2. Maintenance

Radiator/con-
denser

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



P.313)

Washer fluid

Is there sufficient 
washer fluid? 
(



P.316)

Vehicle interior

Items

Check points

Accelerator 
pedal

• The accelerator 

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

Automatic trans-
mission “Park” 
mechanism

• 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?

Parking brake

• Does the parking 

brake operate nor-
mally?

• 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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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/trunk

• Do the doors/trunk 

operate 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

• The wiper blades 

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

• The wiper blades 

should clear the 
windshield without 
streaking or skip-
ping.

Items

Check points

304

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

305

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.314)

• Grease
• Conventional wrench 

(for terminal clamp 
bolts)

Brake fluid 
level 
(



P.314)

• FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 

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

• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for 

adding brake fluid)

Engine coolant 
level 
(



P.313)

• “Toyota  Super  Long 

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

• Funnel (used only for 

adding coolant)

Engine oil level 
(



P.310)

• “Toyota  Genuine 

Motor Oil” or equiva-
lent

• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for 

adding engine oil)

Fuses 
(



P.332)

• Fuse with same amper-

age rating as original

Headlight aim

• Phillips-head screw-

driver

Light bulbs 
(



P.335)

• Bulb  with  same  number 

and wattage rating as 
original

• Flathead  screwdriver

Radiator and 
condenser 
(



P.313)



Items

Parts and tools

306

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

Tire inflation 
pressure 
(



P.325)

• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source

Washer fluid 
(



P.316)

• 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.

■

When working near the electric cool-

ing fan or radiator grille

Be sure the engine switch is off.

With the engine switch in IGNITION 

ON mode, the electric cooling fan may 

automatically start to run if the air condi-

tioning is on and/or the coolant tempera-

ture is high. (



P.313)

Items

Parts and tools

■

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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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

308

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

■

Rear



2WD models



AWD models

309

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

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

2GR-FKS engine

Fuse boxes (



P.332)

Engine oil filler cap (



P.311)

Engine oil level dipstick (



P.310)

Battery (



P.314)

Brake fluid reservoir (



P.314)

Radiator (



P.313)

Electric cooling fan

Condenser (



P.313)

Engine coolant reservoir (



P.313)

Washer fluid tank (



P.316)

Engine compartment

Components

A
B
C
D

E
F

G

H

I

J

310

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance



A25A-FKS engine

Fuse boxes (



P.332)

Engine oil filler cap (



P.311)

Engine oil level dipstick (



P.310)

Battery (



P.314)

Brake fluid reservoir (



P.314)

Radiator (



P.313)

Electric cooling fan

Condenser (



P.313)

Engine coolant reservoir (



P.313)

Washer fluid tank (



P.316)

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 it 

off, 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

J

Checking and adding the engine 
oil

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

2GR-FKS engine



A25A-FKS engine

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 items needed

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



Engine oil selection



P.386



Oil quantity (Low 



 Full)

2GR-FKS engine:
1.9 qt. (1.8 L, 1.6 Imp.qt.)
A25A-FKS engine:
1.6 qt. (1.5 L, 1.3 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.



2GR-FKS engine

A
B
C

312

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance



A25A-FKS 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.

●

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, or when driving while 

accelerating or decelerating 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

While the vehicle is stopped, press 

 of the meter control switches.

2

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches, and select 

.

3

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches, select “Vehicle Settings”, and 
then press “OK”.

4

Press 

 or 

 of the meter control 

switches, select “Oil Maintenance”, and 
then press “OK”.

5

Select “Yes” and then press “OK”.

A message will be displayed on the multi-

information display when the reset proce-

dure has been completed.

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 your Lexus dealer, service station 

or auto parts store for information 

concerning recycling or disposal.

●

Do not leave used engine oil within the 

reach of children.

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.

313

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

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

Reservoir cap

“F” line

“L” line

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



P.378)

■

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.
U.S.A.:

“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a mix-

ture of 50% coolant and 50% deionized 

water. (Minimum temperature: -31°F [-

35°C])
Canada:

“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a mix-

ture of 55% coolant and 45% deionized 

water. (Minimum temperature: -44°F [-

42°C])
For more details about engine coolant, con-

tact your Lexus dealer.

■

If the coolant level drops within a short 

time of replenishing

Visually check the radiator, hoses, engine 

coolant reservoir cap, drain cock and water 

pump. 

If you cannot find a leak, have your Lexus 

dealer test the cap and check for leaks in 

the cooling system.

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

NOTICE

●

Be sure the engine oil filler cap is prop-

erly tightened.

Checking the engine coolant

A

B

C

WARNING

■

When the engine is hot

Do not remove the engine coolant reser-

voir cap or the radiator cap. (



P.380)

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 and con-
denser

314

6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance

■

Checking fluid level

The brake fluid level should be 
between the “MAX” and “MIN” lines 
on the tank.

■

Adding fluid

Make sure to check the fluid type and 
prepare the necessary items.



Fluid type

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



Item

Clean funnel

■

Brake fluid can absorb moisture from 

the air

Excess moisture in the brake fluid can 

cause a dangerous loss of braking effi-

ciency. Use only newly opened brake fluid.

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.

Terminals

Hold-down clamp

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.

Checking and adding the brake 
fluid

WARNING

■

When filling the reservoir

Take care as brake fluid can harm your 

hands and eyes and damage painted sur-

faces.

If fluid gets on your hands or in your eyes, 

flush the affected area with clean water 

immediately.
If you still experience discomfort, see a 

doctor.

NOTICE

■

If the fluid level is low or high

It is normal for the brake fluid level to go 

down slightly as the brake pads wear out 

or when the fluid level in the accumulator 

is high.

If the reservoir needs frequent refilling, 

there may be a serious problem.

Checking the battery

A

B