What exactly do they do? Prevent someone from taking the tires?

How do I know if they're installed? I think they're installed from the factory (if they were included)?

Where do I look to see them?

Thanks.

 

On each wheel, one of the regular lug nuts is replaced by a locking nut. In order to remove the locking lug nut, you need to use a key, which is the extra piece in the attached picture. If you have them on your car, on each wheel, you should have one of the locking lug nuts with the grooves into which the key gets inserted to be able to remove the locking lug nut.

 

OK, go out to your car and look at the wheels. You'll see 5 acorn shaped nuts that hold your wheel and tire onto the axle. Four of these nuts will look identical. One will be different and have a special groove cut into the face. This is the locking lug nut. These locking lug nuts can only be removed with a special key. You should have received this key when you bought the car. It's usually in the glove box inside a plastic envelope. Sometimes it's kept under the spare tire in the trunk. If you require any kind of service where your wheels or tires must be removed, you must present this key to the service person in order for him/her to get the wheel/tire off. If you DON'T have these locking nuts then all 5 nuts on the wheel will be identical. They came with my car in 2012 and I took them off shortly thereafter. I feel as though I don't need them and don't want to have them on and lose the key. Or, have the service person lose the key. (has happened and a big mess). They are installed on the car to prevent theft of your wheels and tires. So there you are and I hope this explanation is clear for you.

 

Would you just replace the locking lug nut with a regular one if you didn't want the pain of locking it and the keeping the key handy?

 

That's what I did. Cost about $20.00 for replacement lugs. No more worrying about being unable to remove wheels to fix a tire...

 

Then that's what I'll do. I believe my wheels have the one locking lug nut and that just seems annoying to me. I'll see if I can find somewhere to get some nice lug nuts. Maybe in a nice color too

 

Thanks for the pictures and description.

That explains it.

I then looked in the trunk, underneath the mats where the spare tire tools are. I found a locking lug nut that looks like the ones on the other wheels.

At first, I thought THIS was the key. But then re-reading your post, I think it's supposed to be a spare locking lug nut for the spare tire.

So now I'm not sure where the key is supposed to be.

It might still be in that spare tire area. I just might not be looking at the right thing. I found a card that explains the wheel locks. It's with my manual and other guides.

It said there's a few different places the key could be, usually in a pouch in that spare tire area.

If anyone else could describe where they got their key, or maybe take a picture, that would help. Thanks.

 

No, there is no spare locking lug nut for the spare tire. What you found under the spare is the key. Take it and see that it will fit onto one of the lugs on one of your wheels.

 

I don't know. You can never be too safe. I have my doughnut spare locked in my trunk, don't you?

 

What I meant to say is that Lexus gives you four (4) locking lug nuts and none for the spare. Four total for the wheels on the car. The key to unlock the locking lug nuts on the wheels is probably under the spare tire which, like you, I also keep locked in the trunk.

 

I guess my joke didn't go over as planned. I'll stick to my day job.

 

I get it Mike, I get it... LOL...

 

Thanks again everyone.

And good joke.