brake Lexus ES300 1994 Starting And Driving

SECTION 3 – 1
103
STARTING AND DRIVING
Starting and driving
Three-way catalytic converter104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust caution
105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Before starting the engine
105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ignition switch with steering lock106 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake107 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to start the engine107 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic transmission109 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control11 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake system11 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake pad wear limit indicators11 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Types of tires11 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

STARTING AND DRIVING
107
PARKING BRAKE
Unlock
Set
Release
To set: Pull up the lever.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly, press the thumb
button, then lower the lever.
Before leaving your vehicle, firmly apply the parking brake.
CAUTION:
Before driving, make sure the parking brake is fully
released and that the parking brake reminder light is off.
HOW TO START THE ENGINE
Before cranking
1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Put the selector lever in “P”. If you need to restart the engine
while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in “N”. A
starter safety device will prevent the starter from operating if
the selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it to the floor until you are
ready to drive off.
Starting the engine
Before starting the engine, be sure to follow the instructions in
“Before cranking”.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system / sequential multiport fuel
injection system in your engine automatically controls the
proper air-fuel mixture for starting. You can start a cold or hot
engine as follows:

STARTING AND DRIVING
With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while pressing the lock release button in
(The ignition switch must be in the
”ON” position)
Shift while pressing the lock
release button in
Shift without pressing the button
Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
Overdrive switch
For selecting either a three-speed
or four-speed transmission
ON position
(Shifting into overdrive possible)
OFF position
(Shifting into overdrive not possible)
Driving pattern selector switch
For selecting a driving pattern suitable
for existing driving conditions
NORMAL position
for general driving
conditiions
POWER position
for powerful accelerationShift position indicator
Shows the selector lever position.
Shift position is also displayed
on the instrument cluster.
Parking. engine starting
and key removal position
Reverse position
Neutral position
Normal driving position
Position for engine braking
Position for stronger engine braking
than that in ”2” position
109
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

STARTING AND DRIVING
”P” (Park) position
”N” (Neutral) position
11 0Your automatic transmission has a shift lock system to
minimize the possibility of incorrect operation. This means you
can only shift out of “P” position when the brake pedal is
depressed (with the ignition switch in “ON” position and the
lock release button pressed in.)
Correct use of the automatic transmission is explained in the
following parts.
(a) Normal driving
(b) Using engine braking
(c) Using the “2” and “L” positions
(d) Backing up
(e) Parking
(f) Good driving practice
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever out of “P” position
(h) If the “O / D OFF” indicator light flashes
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the
engine” on page 107.
The transmission must be in “P” or “N”. The engine will not start
in “R”, “2”. “L” or “D” position even if the ignition key is turned
to “START”.
”NORM” (Normal) position
”PWR” (Power) position
Indicator light
2. Set the driving pattern selector switch to the “NORM”
position.
Your transmission has a driving pattern selector switch which
allows you to select either “NORM” or “PWR” to suit your
driving condition. For ordinary driving, Lexus recommends that
you use the “NORM” position to improve fuel economy.
3. For more powerful acceleration and sporty driving, use
the “PWR” position.
In the “PWR” position, the “ECT PWR” light in the instrument
cluster is on and the transmission is shifted up at higher vehicle
speeds and shifted down more responsively than in the
“NORM” position.

STARTING AND DRIVING
Brake pedal
”D” (Drive)
position
Parking brake
lever
111
On
Off
Indicator light
4. Set the overdrive switch to the ON position.
Always set the overdrive switch to the ON position for improved
fuel economy and quiet driving. (See “(b) Using engine
braking” and “(f) Good driving practice” for exceptions.)
5. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to “D”.CAUTION:
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
6. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the
accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
The vehicle will start in the first gear and automatically shift to
the most suitable gear for the running conditions, such as the
vehicle speed, hill climbing, hard towing, etc. However, while
the engine coolant temperature is low and the vehicle is
traveling at low speed, the transmission will not shift into the
overdrive gear even with the overdrive switch on.
In “D” position, the automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for the running conditions such as hill
climbing, hard towing, etc.
If you need to accelerate rapidly while driving, push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor. The transmission will
automatically downshift to the third, second or first gear,
according to the vehicle speed.
If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill,
see “(b) Using engine braking”.

STARTING AND DRIVING
11 3
(d) Backing up
Brake pedal
”R” (Reverse)
position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “R” position.
NOTICE:
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is in motion.
(e) Parking
”P” (Park)
position
Parking brake
lever
Brake pedal
1. Bring the vehicle to e complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the
parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “P” position.
CAUTION:
While the vehicle is in motion, never attempt to move the
selector lever into “P” under any circumstances. Serious
mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control may
result.

STARTING AND DRIVING
11 4
(f) Good driving practice

If the transmission repeatedly upshifts and downshifts
between the third and overdrive gears when climbing a
gentle slope, turn off the overdrive switch. Be sure to turn the
switch on immediately after climbing the slope.

When towing a trailer, in order to maintain efficient engine
braking and electrical charging performance, do not use
overdrive.
CAUTION:
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped
with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
NOTICE:
Do not hold the vehicle on an upgrade with the
accelerator pedal. This can cause the transmission to
overheat. Always use the brake pedal or parking brake.
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever out
of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from “P” position even
though the brake pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If you cannot shill the
automatic transmission selector lever” on page 143.
(h) If the “O / D OFF” indicator light flashes
If the “O / D OFF” indicator light flashes, contact your Lexus
dealer as soon as possible. There may be trouble in the
transmission system.
CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control allows you to cruise the vehicle at a
desired speed over 40 km / h (25 mph) with your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or down a gradient, within
the limits of engine performance. On steeper hills, a greater
speed change will occur so it is better to drive without the cruise
control.
When the cruise control is on, the driving pattern of the
automatic transmission is fixed in the normal position,
regardless of the position of the selector switch.
CAUTION:

To help maintain maximum control of your vehicle, do
not use the cruise control when driving in heavy or
varying traffic, or on slippery (rainy, icy or
snow-covered) or winding roads.

Avoid vehicle speed increases when driving downhill.
Use engine braking by downshifting the transmission.

STARTING AND DRIVING
11 5
Turning on the system
To operate the cruise control, push the main switch. This turns
the system on. The indicator light in the instrument cluster
shows that you can now set your desired cruising speed.
Another push on the switch will turn the system completely off.
When the ignition key is turned off, the main switch is also
automatically turned off. To use the cruise control again, push
the main switch again to turn it on.
CAUTION:
To avoid accidental cruise control engagement, keep the
main switch off when not using the cruise control.
Setting at a desired speed
Bring the vehicle to the desired speed, press the control lever
downward in the “SET / COAST” direction and release it. This
sets the vehicle at that speed. Now you may take your foot off
the accelerator pedal. If you need acceleration − for example,
when passing − depress the accelerator pedal enough for the
vehicle to exceed the set speed. When you release the
accelerator, the vehicle will return to the speed set prior to the
acceleration.
Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by any of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever in the “CANCEL” direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.

STARTING AND DRIVING
11 6If the vehicle speed falls below 40 km / h (25 mph), the preset
speed will automatically be cancelled.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km / h (10 mph) below the preset
speed, the preset speed will also automatically be cancelled.
If the preset speed automatically cancels out for other than
these reasons, have your vehicle checked by your Lexus
dealer at the earliest opportunity.
Resetting to a faster speed
Press the control lever upward in the “RES / ACC” direction and
hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained.
While the lever is held upward, the vehicle will gradually gain
speed.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km / h (3 mph), the set speed can be
increased 1.6 km / h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever upward in the “RES / ACC” direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to accelerate the vehicle
and then press the control lever downward in the “SET /
COAST” direction.
Resetting to a slower speed
Press the control lever downward in the “SET / COAST”
direction and hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed
is attained. While the lever is held downward, the vehicle
speed will gradually decrease.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km / h (3 mph), the set speed can be
lowered 1.6 km / h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever downward in the “SET / COAST” direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to depress the brake pedal
and then press the control lever downward in the “SET /
COAST” direction.
Resuming the preset speed
Press the control lever upward in the “RES / ACC” direction.
The vehicle will resume the speed set prior to cancellation
unless the vehicle speed is less than 40 km / h (25 mph) or is
16 km / h (10 mph) below the preset speed.
Cruise control failure warning
If the “CRUISE” indicator light in the instrument cluster flashes
five times and then goes out when using the cruise control, it
means that there is trouble in the cruise control system.
Contact your Lexus dealer.

STARTING AND DRIVING
11 7
BRAKE SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake system is a hydraulic
system with two separate sub-systems. If either sub-system
should fail, the other will still work. However, the pedal will be
harder to press, and your stopping distance will be longer.
Also, the brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION:
Do not rely on a single brake system. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to power-assist the
brakes. If the engine should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal pedal pressure. There
is enough reserve vacuum for one or two stops but no more!
CAUTION:

Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls. Each
push on the pedal uses up your vacuum reserve.

Even if the power assist is completely lost, the brakes
will still work. But you will have to push the pedal
hard-much harder than normal. And your braking
distance will be longer.
Anti-lock brake system
The anti-lock brake system is designed to prevent lock-up
of the wheels during sudden braking or braking on
slippery surfaces. This helps the vehicle remain steerable
and stable under these circumstances.
The system functions with normal pedal operation. When the
anti-lock function is in action, pulsation of the brake pedal may
result, together with a characteristic noise. This indicates that
the system is functioning properly.
The anti-lock brake system comes into operation when the
vehicle is accelerating and the vehicle speed reaches
approximately 10 km / h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle is decelerating and the vehicle speed falls below
approximately 5 km / h (3 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds just after the vehicle is started. This means that the
anti-lock brake system is in the self-check mode, and does not
indicate a malfunction.
Even though the anti-lock brake system is in operation, full
stability of the vehicle cannot be maintained for certain slippery
road conditions or high speed driving when cornering. Even
with the anti-lock brake system installed, it is still important to
drive with all due care.