Tyre pressure indicator reset

[TV10RAD]

Thank you to Steve for the courtesy of your welcoming words, as I have just joined in a month ago.

I've had my 2017 RC 300h F Sport for 6 weeks now and like it very much, it does exactly what was promised beforehand and gives me 40-55mpg in conjunction with adequate GT driving capability. We visit our daughter 95 miles away along the M4 near Reading every other weekend and it cruises beautifully at 75-80 with a lovely cabin environment and fabulous seats, very reminiscent of Recaro seats I've had in the past.

As lively mid-seventies pensioners now and without any dependants to ferry around these days, we do not need a Land Rover HSE anymore but do need something sensible and yet good to look at and and to be comfortable in. My halcyon days of Jaguar XJR, Audi S8, BMW7V8 are past us now, I can go back further to having owned a Lotus Carlton in 1994 and a Sierra Cosworth 500 in 1988, all great fun then but not appropriate today. And big bikes, 3 V-Max and an unrestricted  Hayabusa, between 1998 and 2004.

I have eventually read through the manuals and almost mastered the various detailed explanations but I am struggling with the reset of the tyre pressure indicator system. Perhaps someone can help me? This car has the OE Dunlop Sport Maxx 050 fitment running at recommended pressure plus 1 PSI.

The RC forum makes decent reading and I look forward to exchanging ideas and experiences.

[NemesisUK]

Beautiful colour on the RC, my first RC was the Sonic Red 

May I ask as to why you need to reset the TPMS? 

 

[TV10RAD]

Thank you.

When I took the car in late August I had purchased it via the internet and one of my questions was what are the tyres like and are they a full set of the same model? The sales guy sent me a video to show me around the car and said they were all the same brand and in good condition.

My wife and I fetched the car from Leicester at 13,890 miles and drove it back to South Wales via M69, M6, M42, M5 and M4, all giving clear evidence a light drift to the left at motorway speeds. Got home and looked closely at the shiny tyres to find 3 Dunlop Sort Maxx 050 original equipment plus an odd one Pirelli P7 on the nearside front. Whilst not illegal of course it is bad practice on a quality car to either, fit an odd tyre (particularly on the steering axle) or for a leading retailer to sell it without pointing it out. To cut a long story short they agreed to buy a new Dunlop and I bought another new one to make a new pair on the front. All the Dunlops front and rear were around 5mm tread depth.

The drift problem has now disappeared so I am trusting it to have good alignment, which will be checked soon when Bristol Lexus service it in December, using a 4-wheel alignment.

So my question is because of the handbook recommendation to do a reset after new fitments but can I hell as find a button to reset the system. I am reading pagre487 - 7.3 in the manual...

"■ How to initialize the tire pressure warning system Park the vehicle in a safe place and turn the power switch off. Initialization cannot be performed while the vehicle is moving. Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure level. (P. 604) Make sure to adjust the tire pressure to the specified cold tire inflation pressure level. The tire pressure warning system will operate based on this pressure level. Turn the power switch to ON mode. Press and hold the tire pressure warning reset switch until the tire pressure warning light blinks slowly 3 times. Wait for a few minutes with the power switch in ON mode and then turn the power switch off." 

There is also an illustration that shows a reset button somewhere between the underside of the steering column and the pedals but I cannot find this.

Any ideas please?

[NemesisUK]

That button is very awkward to get to.

One really has to get one's head down in the footwell and look up to the under-dash panel. The button is quite recessed as one normally doesn't have to use it. Once the TPMS system is set at the desired inflation pressure it doesn't require resetting unless one wishes to run the tyres at a different pressure, for example if one had a full load of passengers and luggage, or one was to run for extended periods at high speeds.

The RC300h only has the one recommended pressure for all situations.  

[F.A.]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new car. 
 

I’ve been using Bristol Lexus for over 10 years and the after care department are a great bunch of people. They always go out of their way to help not only myself but our other family members. I would just double check they can check your alignment though. I’ve always had to use a 3rd party as they didn’t have the equipment. This may have changed though.

[TV10RAD]

F.A. thanks

Actually I have recently spoken to After-Sales Manager Raj and he confirmed what you have said, that Bristol Lexus does not have a four-wheel alignment capability in the dealership and recommended me to use Protyre nearby, which does have the right equipment. Do you use them yourself?

I've already changed the tyres at my local dealer so it's a bit cheeky to blag an alignment without promise of any business so I'll wait for the first service due in December and get Lexus to run it round there for the alignment check, by which time I'll be clearer about the seeming condition of steer and wear apparent on the fronts by then. 

I really like this car after 8 weeks of ownership now. It is not the quickest nor the most luxurious of the many cars I've had but it so satisfying to own and drive.

 

[F.A.]

Raj is great. He always makes a big effort when our cars are in. 
I've used Protyre once for alignment on our RX450h and they did a good job, so cant complain.