Lexus ES300 2003 Owner's Manuals (in English)

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357
Check the interior of your vehicle.
Water and dirt can
accumulate under the floor mats and could cause corrosion.
Occasionally check under the mats to make sure the area is
dry. Be particularly careful when transporting chemicals,
cleansers, fertilizers, salt, etc. These should be transported in
proper containers. If a spill or leak should occur, immediately
clean and dry the area.
Keep your vehicle in a well ventilated garage or a roofed
place. Do not park your vehicle in a damp, poorly
ventilated garage. If you wash your vehicle in the garage, or
if you drive it in covered with water or snow, your garage may
be so damp it will cause corrosion. Even if your garage is
heated, a wet vehicle can corrode if the ventilation is poor.
WASHING AND WAXING
Washing your Lexus
Keep your vehicle clean by regular washing.
The following cases may cause weakness to the paint or
corrosion to the body and parts. Wash your vehicle as soon
as possible.
 When driving in a coastal area
 When driving on a road sprinkled with antifreeze
 When having coal tar, tree sap, bird droppings and carcass
of an insect
 When driving in the areas where there is a lot of smoke,
soot, dust, iron dust and chemical substance
 When the vehicle becomes remarkably dirty with dust and
mud
Handwashing your Lexus
Work in the shade and wait until the vehicle body is not hot
to the touch.
1. Rinse off loose dirt with a hose. Remove any mud or road
salt from the underside of the vehicle or in the wheel wells.
2. Wash with a mild car −wash soap, mixed according to the
manufacturer’s instructions. Use a soft cotton mitt and keep
it wet by dipping it frequently into the wash water. Do not rub
hard − let the soap and water remove the dirt.

BODY
358Plastic wheel ornaments:
The plastic wheel ornaments are
damaged easily by organic substances. If any organic
substances splashes an ornament, be sure to wash it off with
water and check if the ornament is damaged.
CAUTION
Do not attach the heavily damaged plastic wheel
ornament. It may fly off the wheel and cause accidents
while the vehicle is moving.
Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap or neutral detergent.
Urethane bumpers and side moldings: Wash carefully. Do
not scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper and side
molding faces are soft.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or cleaners that are marked
safe for painted surfaces.
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances (gasoline, kerosene,
benzine or strong solvents), which may be toxic or
cause damage.
3. Rinse thoroughly − dried soap can cause streaking. In hot
weather you may need to rinse each section right after you
wash it. 4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a clean soft
cotton
towel. Do not rub or press hard − you might scratch the
paint.
Automatic car wash
Your vehicle may be washed in an automatic car wash, but
remember that the paint can be scratched by some type of
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the washing process
itself. Scratching reduces paint durability and gloss, especially
on darker colors. The manager of the car wash should be able
to advise you whether the process is safe for the paint on your
vehicle.
Waxing your Lexus
Polishing and waxing is recommended to maintain the
original beauty of your Lexus’ finish.
Once a month or if the vehicle surface does not repel water
well, apply wax.
1. Always wash and dry the vehicle before you begin waxing,
even if you are using a combined cleaner and wax.
2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If the finish has become
extremely weathered, use a car −cleaning polish, followed by
a separate wax. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s
instructions and precautions. Be sure to polish and wax the
chrome trim as well as the paint.
3. Wax the vehicle again when water does not bead but
remains on the surface in large patches.

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359
Windshield washer nozzles:
Make sure that the nozzles do
not become blocked when wa xing. If a nozzle becomes
blocked, contact your Lexus dealer to have the vehicle
serviced.
NOTICE
If a nozzle becomes blocked, do not try to clear it with
a pin or other object. The nozzle will be damaged.
CLEANING THE INTERIOR
CAUTION
 Be careful not to splash water or spill liquid on the
floor. This may prevent the side airbags from
activating correctly, resulting in serious injury.
 Do not wash the vehicle floor with water, or allow
water to get onto the floor when cleaning the vehicle
interior or exterior. Water may get into audio
components or other electrical components above or
under the floor carpet (or mat) and cause a
malfunction; and it may cause body corrosion.
Leather Interior
The selected leather is used in your Lexus. Due to a leather
product, some parts of leather may be rough, uneven or
scratched originally.
To keep good appearance, we recommend you to clean it
periodically twice a year.
Remove dirt on the leather in the following ways:
1. Wipe it off lightly using a soft cloth (e.g. gauze) dampened
with 5% solution of neutral detergent for wool.
2. Wring water from a clean cloth and thoroughly wipe off all
traces of detergent with it.
3. Wipe off the surface of the leather with a dry soft cloth. Allow
the leather to dry in a ventilated shaded area. Excess of wet
may cause the hardening or shrinking of the leather.

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360
NOTICE
Dirt or sand adhered to the leather may damage the
treated surface and cause it to wear earlier. Remove
dirt or sand using a vacuum cleaner.
 If a stain should fail to come out with a neutral
detergent, apply a cleaner that does not contain an
organic solvent.
 Never use organic substances such as benzine,
alcohol or gasoline, or alkaline or acid solutions for
cleaning the leather as these could cause
discoloring.
 Use of a nylon brush or synthetic fiber cloth, etc. may
scratch the fine grained surface of the leather.
 Mildew may develop on soiled leather upholstery. Be
especially careful to avoid oil spots. Try to keep your
upholstery always clean.
 Long exposure to direct sunlight may cause the
leather surface to harden and shrink. Keep your
vehicle in a shaded area, especially in the summer.
 The interior of your vehicle is apt to heat up on hot
summer days, so avoid placing on the upholstery
items made of vinyl or plastic or containing wax as
these tend to stick to leather when warm.
 Improper cleaning of the leather upholstery could
result in discoloration or staining.
Synthetic Leather Areas (Dash)
The synthetic leather areas may be easily cleaned with a
mild soap or detergent and water.
First vacuum over the upholstery to remove loose dirt. Then,
using a sponge or soft cloth, apply the soap solution to the
synthetic leather. After allowing it to soak in for a few minutes
to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt and wipe off the soap with a
clean damp cloth. If all the dirt does not come off, repeat the
procedure. Commercial foaming −type cleaners are also
available which work well. Follow the manufacturer’s
instructions.
NOTICE
Do not use solvent, thinner, gasoline or window cleaner
on the interior.
Carpets, Windows and Seat Belts
Begin by vacuuming thoroughly to remove as much dirt as
possible. Several types of foam cleaners are available; some
are in aerosol cans and others are powders or liquids which
you mix with water to produce a foam. To shampoo the
carpets, use a sponge or brush to apply the foam. Rub in
overlapping circles. Do not apply water − the best results are
obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as possible. Read the
shampoo instructions and follow them closely.

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361
The seat belts may be cleaned with mild soap and water
or with lukewarm water.
Use a cloth or sponge. As you are cleaning, check the belts
for excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
NOTICE

Use a good foamtype shampoo to clean the carpets.
 Do not use dye or bleach on the belts it may weaken
them.
 Do not use the belts until they become dry.
 The windows may be cleaned with any household
window cleaner.
 Do not apply detergent to or wet the automatic wiper
control sensor when cleaning the inside of the
windshield.
 When cleaning the inside of the rear window, be
careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires or
connectors.
Air Conditioning Control Panel, Car Audio,
Instrument Panel, Console Panel, and
Switches
Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.
Soak a clean soft cloth in water or lukewarm water then lightly
wipe off any dirt.
NOTICE
 Do not use organic substances (solvents, kerosene,
alcohol, gasoline, etc.) or alkaline or acidic solutions.
These chemicals can cause discoloring, staining or
peeling of the surface.
 If you use cleaners or polishing agents, make sure
their ingredients do not include the substances
mentioned above.
 If you use a liquid car freshener , do not spill the liquid
onto the vehicle’s interior surfaces. It may contain
the ingredients mentio ned above. Immediately clean
any spill using the method mentioned above.
If you have any questions about the cleaning of your
Lexus, your local Lexus dealer will be pleased to answer
them.

SECTION 7
362
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS
FOR U.S. OWNERS
Reporting safety defects for U.S. owners
Reporting safety defects for U.S. owners363
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KEYS AND DOORS
363
REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTSFOR U.S. OWNERS
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which
could cause a crash or could cause injury or death,
you should immediately inform the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
addition to notifying Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.,
Inc. (Toll −free: 1 −800− 25−LEXUS).
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open
an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect
exists in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. However, NHTSA cannot
become involved in individual problems between
you, your dealer, or Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.,
Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may either call the Auto
Safety Hotline toll− free at 1−800−424−9393 (or
366−0123 in Washington, D.C. area) or write to:
NHTSA, U.S. Department of Transportation,
Washington, D.C. 20590. You can also obtain
other information about motor vehicle safety from
the Hotline.