ignition Lexus ES300 1997 Instruments And Controls: Switches

Page 2 of 12

SWITCHES
16
HEADLIGHT SWITCH
To turn the lights on, twist the knob on the end of the
lever.
FIRST CLICKSTOP: Only the parking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights turn on.
SECOND CLICKSTOP: Headlights also turn on.
THIRD CLICKSTOP (ºAUTOº): The headlights and all other
lights automatically turn on depending on the darkness of the
surroundings.
Vehicles sold in U.S.A.: When the headlights are on, the
headlight indicator lights up in the instrument cluster.
Vehicles sold in Canada: When the tail lights are on, the
tail light indicator lights up in the instrument cluster.Manually twist the knob to the second clickstop to turn
on the headlights if they are needed immediately when
entering a dark tunnel, parking structure, etc.
When the headlight is turned to the first or second clickstop,
the brightness, of the instrument cluster will be reduced
slightly unless the instrument panel light control knob is
turned fully on.
The automatic light control sensor is on top of the driver's
side instrument panel.
Do not place anything on the instrument panel, and/or do not
affix anything on the windshield to block this sensor.
The lights automatically turn off when the driver's door is
opened with the ignition key turned to the ªACCº or ªLOCKº
position. To turn them on again, turn the ignition key to the
ªONº position, or turn the headlight switch off and then twist
the knob until the first or second clickstop. If you are going
to park for over one week, make sure the headlight switch
is off.

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SWITCHES
17 Daytime Running Light System (Canada only)
The headlights turn on when the parking brake is released
with the engine started, even with the light switch in the
ªOFFº position. They will not go off until the ignition switch
is turned off.
To turn on the other exterior lights and instrument panel
lights, twist the knob to the first clickstop.
Under the daytime running light system, the headlights turn
on at reduced intensity. Twist the knob to the second
clickstop to turn to full intensity for driving at night.
When setting the knob to the third clickstop (ºAUTOº), the
headlights will automatically adjust to full intensity and/or
turn on the other lights depending on the darkness of the
surroundings. Likewise, as the surroundings become
brighter, the headlights will turn to reduced intensity,
ultimately turning off the other lights.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being discharged, do
not leave the lights on longer than necessary when
the engine is not running.
HEADLIGHT DIMMER AND TURN
SIGNAL SWITCH
For high beam, push the lever forward. Pull it back for
low beam. For the headlight flasher, pull it further back.
A blue light in the instrument cluster indicates high beam or
headlight flasher is on.
The headlight flasher works even when the headlight switch
is off.

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SWITCHES
18
For signaling turns, move the lever up or down in the
conventional manner.
The ignition key must be in the ªONº position.
The turn signal is self±canceling after a turn, but after a lane
change, you may have to cancel it by hand. You can also
signal a lane change by moving the turn signal lever partway
and holding it there. If the green light in the instrument cluster
flashes faster than normal, it indicates that the front or rear
turn signal bulb has burned out. If this indicator light does not
come on, the fuse or the indicator light itself has probably
failed.
FOG LIGHT SWITCH
To turn on the fog lights, turn the switch to the ªONº
position. The fog lights come on only when the
headlights are on low beam.

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SWITCHES
19
WINDSHIELD WIPER AND WASHER
SWITCH
 Interval adjuster Washer on
To turn the wipers on, move the lever down until you
reach the desired speed setting.
The ignition key must be in the ªONº position.
There are 3 settings:
ªINTº position: Intermittent operation
ªLOº position: Low speed operation
ªHIº position: High speed operation
Twist the interval adjuster upward to increase the
wiping time interval between sweeps, and downward to
decrease it.
The wiper lever must be in the ªINTº position.To make the washer squirt, push the button on the end
of the lever.
Also, the wipers will automatically operate a couple of times
after the washer squirts even with the lever in the ªOFFº
position.
The low washer fluid warning light in the instrument cluster
comes on when the fluid level in the tank becomes nearly
empty. For information on adding washer fluid, see ªAdding
washer fluidº on page 230.
In cold weather, warm the windshield with the defroster
before using the washer. This will help prevent icing, which
could block your vision.NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the windshield is dry. It
may scratch the glass.

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SWITCHES
21
To return the windshield wipers to retracted position,
push the connection of the wiper arm and wiper blade
downward.
NOTICE
To prevent the wiper blades from being deformed,
be sure to hold the conection of the wiper arm and
wiper blade securely.
REAR WINDOW AND OUTSIDE
REAR VIEW MIRROR DEFOGGER
SWITCH
To turn the electric rear window and outside rear view
mirror defogger on, push the switch.
The ignition key must be in the ªONº position.
The thin heater wires on the inside of the rear window and
the heater panels in the outside rear view mirrors will quickly
clear the surface. An indicator light is on when the defogger
is operating.
The system will automatically shut off when the defogger has
operated about 15 minutes.

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SWITCHES
22
CAUTION!
Since the mirror surfaces high temperatures, keep
your hands off them when the switch is on.
If further defrosting or defogging is desired, simply actuate
the switch again. When the surface has cleared, push the
switch once again to turn the defogger off. Continuous use
may cause the battery to discharge, especially during
stop±and±go driving. The defogger is not designed to dry
rain water or to melt snow.
If the outside rear view mirrors are heavily coated with ice,
use a spray de±icer before operating the switch.
NOTICE
When cleaning the inside of the rear window, be
careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires.
To prevent the battery from being discharged, do
not operate the defogger continuously longer
than necessary.
POWER WINDOW SWITCHES
For driver's window
For front passenger's window
For left rear window
For right rear window
To raise or lower the windows, use the switch on each
door. The passengers' windows can also be controlled
by the switches on the driver's door.
The ignition key must be in the ªONº position. However, even
if the ignition key is turned to the ªACCº or ªLOCKº position,
the window can be operated until any of the doors is opened
(or for about 45 seconds).

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SWITCHES
24
CAUTION!
To avoid serious personal injury, you must do the
following.
Always make sure the head, hands and other
parts of the body of all occupants are kept
completely inside the vehicle before you close the
power windows. If someone's ncek, head or
hands gets caught in a closing window, it could
result in a serious injury. When anyone closes the
power windows, be sure that they operate the
windows safely.
When small children are in the vehicle, never let
them use the power window switches without
supervision. Use the window lock switch to
prevent them from making unexpected use of the
switches.
Never leave small children alone in the vehicle,
especially with the ignition key still inserted. They
could use the power window switches and get
trapped in a window. Unattended children can
become involved in serious accidents.
EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH
To turn on the emergency flashers, push the switch.
All the turn signal lights will flash. The emergency flashers
will work with the engine running or off and with or without the
ignition key.
Turn on the emergency flashers to warn other drivers if you
must stop your vehicle where it might be a traffic hazard.
Always pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible.
The turn signal light switch will not work when the emergency
flashers are in operation.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being discharged, do
not leave the switch on longer than necessary when
the engine is not running.

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SWITCHES
25
SEAT HEATER SWITCHES
For driver's seatFor front passenger's seat
To turn on the seat heater, push the switch.
The ignition key must be in the ªONº position.
CAUTION!
Occupants must use caution when operating the
seat heater because it may make them feel too hot
or cause burns at low temperatures (erythema,
varicella). Use extra caution for:
Baby, small child, elderly person, sick person or
handicapped person
Persons who have delicate skin
Persons who are exhausted
Persons who have taken alcohol or drugs which
induce sleep (sleeping drug, cold remedy, etc.)
To prevent the seat overheating, do not use the seat
heater with a blanket, cushion, or other insulating
objects which cover the seat.
NOTICE
Do not put unevenly weighted objects on the seat
and do not stick sharp objects (needles, nails,
etc.) into the seat.
When cleaning the seats, do not use organic
substances (paint thinner, benzine, alcohol,
gasoline, etc.). They may damage the heater and
seat surface.
To prevent the battery from being discharging,
turn the switches on when the engine is running.