Why Do People Choose Lexus?
While carefree motoring was engineered into your Lexus, it’s maintenance that ensures your Lexus retains its showroom poise.
Routine servicing at Lexus of Parramatta with genuine Lexus parts and Lexus trained technicians is the most reliable way to maintain your vehicle. But the motorist’s role in vehicle maintenance can be just as important as that of a technician. An owner’s observation of their vehicle’s performance is an important maintenance tool.
Look, Listen and Feel
Good maintenance starts with simple observation.
Your dashboard has a range of sophisticated warning systems that indicate anomalies and potential problems, both mechanical and electrical. Understanding what lights and alarms are telling us allows for immediate assessment. Your Lexus manual provides a detailed explanation of what each system’s warning means, and how you should respond. Familiarising yourself with these systems is at the heart of good maintenance.
A common example might be a temperature gauge sitting at a much higher level than you are used to. A reason is that your engine cooling system is low on water or coolant, which may be remedied by a simple top-up. However, investigation may be required by a Lexus technician to provide a diagnosis and repair.
We quickly become familiar with the way our car sounds and feels when driving in a variety of conditions. Many of us have experienced moments when there is a noise, vibration, or general feeling that something is not quite right. Trust your experience and instincts. Unusual sounds and performance are a good indicator something might be wrong.
The Benefits of Washing your Car
Having your car professionally cleaned inside and out is the gold-standard for maintaining duco and upholstery. Professional deep cleans add life and showroom appeal to the luxury aesthetics. However, regularly cleaning your Lexus yourself allows you to observe possible issues you may not come across otherwise.
A front wheel with uneven wear indicates a suspension or wheel alignment problem. Again, these are observations that require no mechanical knowledge yet contribute significantly to keeping your Lexus reliable via timely maintenance.
A great tip for duco care is to avoid parking under trees. Tree litter can be very damaging to vehicle paint. Bird droppings are worse still and if not removed can crack the clearcoat protecting your duco.
Basic Maintenance you can do at Home
There are several maintenance routines motorists can carry out in between scheduled services that keep your Lexus safe, sound, and healthy.
Keeping your tyre pressure to spec.
Driving with correct tyre pressure ensures safety, comfort, and even tyre wear. Several Lexus models have a dash-mounted tyre pressure monitoring system. This system will alert you to tyre pressure discrepancies indicating which tyre(s) require attention. Checking your tyre pressure manually is a quick process you can undertake while visiting a service station. Firstly, you will need to know the correct tyre pressure. Your vehicle’s factory tyre pressure guide is located on the door jamb near the B-Pillar. The pressure can be listed in units of PSI BAR or kPa. Check your owner’s manual if you’re unsure.
Service station air-up facilities are usually automated. Simply connect the nozzle to your tyre valve, key in the recommended pressure, and the air-up system will dispense air until the tyre is at the keyed pressure. Note the reading on the air-up system just as it starts, as it will indicate the current tyre pressure, which is handy to note. Be sure to do this for all four wheels, as it is safety-critical that tyre pressures are even in all four wheels, as well as the spare.
It is likely that your tyres will be hot if you are airing up at a service station. Your factory tyre pressure guide indicates recommended cold tyre pressures. For hot tyres, add 4 psi of air pressure above the factory recommendation.
A good tip is to keep a tyre gauge in the car. They’re easy to use, particularly digital models, and will give readings in metric and imperial units. They’re an excellent tool for doing your own regular tyre pressure safety checks, and they are small enough to leave in the car permanently.
Checking vehicle fluids
The vehicle fluid checks and top-ups that you can do yourself are engine oil, windscreen washer water, engine coolant, and transmission fluid. You can also check brake fluid and power steering fluid levels easily.
Engine oil and transmission oil are measured by removing the respective dipsticks and observing the reading. A dipstick location will be unique to your vehicle and will be identified in your owner’s manual. The top section or grab-point of a dipstick is usually painted a bright colour for easy identification.
On the bottom of the dipsticks, you will see a marked zone indicating minimum and maximum. Oil levels should fall in between these marks. For an accurate reading, you must check engine oil and transmission oil while the vehicle is switched off and on level ground. Just be aware that engines components retain heat following driving, so it is best to wait a few minutes until temperatures have settled a little before commencing checks.
To check engine oil, remove the dipstick, wipe the oil from the end, reinsert, remove, and take a reading. Should engine oil require a toping up, it is filled via a filler cap on the top of the engine.
Windscreen washer water, engine coolant, power steering fluid, and brake fluid all have convenient reservoirs with easy-to-read maximum and minimum indicators marked on the reservoir. Your owner’s manual will show you where to access each reservoir. You must maintain levels with the appropriate product for your vehicle.
Call into the service team at Lexus of Parramatta. They’ll be able to equip you with a service pack containing all the appropriate fluids for your Lexus make and model.
Routine Scheduled Servicing
A service logbook comes with your Lexus and outlines the specific types of service your vehicle will require, and at what intervals. Each time your vehicle is serviced, the technician will fill in the checklist contained in the service book. These are important details to retain, particularly for trading and resale. An impeccable service history ensures your Lexus will retain value.
Service intervals are usually every 15,000 km or 12 months. These intervals can vary slightly between models and geographic conditions. Each service has a standard list of perishable parts replacement (oil, oil filters and air filters), safety and mechanical checks. Every 45,000km (approx.) your car will have a major service where more extensive checks and replacements are undertaken.
Other typical maintenance includes wheel alignments, brake pad replacements, tyre balancing and rotation, and battery replacements. Several of these maintenance procedures are likely during a routine service, as the technician will identify the necessity.
You might also like to investigate the advantages of the Lexus owner benefits program, which includes capped service pricing.
Capped pricing provides Lexus owners with the certainty of knowing the price of logbook services going forward.
Depending on the tier of your membership, you can also enjoy the convenience of a loan car while yours is being serviced or take advantage of the pickup and drop-off service. When your car is returned, you will find the exterior washed, and the interior vacuumed.
Does your Lexus need a service? Now is an ideal time to book a post lockdown safety inspection to get a batter battery inspection and test report, check tyres and pressures, check lights, check oil levels, and a diagnostic computer check. Booking is simple, contact our service centre on 1300 568 532, or make an online booking now.
