warning Lexus IS300 2002 Gauges, Meters And Service Reminder Indicators / LEXUS 2002 IS300 SEDAN (OM9997X) Owner's Guide

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
202
(c) Jump starting
To avoid serious personal injury and damage to your
vehicle which might result from battery explosion, acid
burns, electrical burns, or damaged electronic
components, these instructions must be followed
precisely.
If you are unsure about how to follow this procedure, we
strongly recommend that you seek help from your Lexus
dealer, Roadside Assistance or Customer Service Assistance.
(See ºForewordº.)
CAUTION
 Batteries contain sulfuric acid which is poisonous
and corrosive. Wear protective safety glasses when
jump starting, and avoid spilling acid on your skin,
clothing, or vehicle.
 If you should accidentally get acid on yourself or in
your eyes, remove any contaminated clothing and
flush the affected area with water immediately. Then
get immediate medical attention. If possible,
continue to apply water with a sponge or cloth while
en route to the medical office.
 The gas normally produced by a battery will explode
if a flame or spark is brought near. Use only
standardized jumper cables and do not smoke or
light a match while jump starting.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
NOTICE
The battery used for boosting must be 12 V. Do not jump
start unless you are sure that the booster battery iscorrect.

MAINTENANCE
224Tire rotation
Rotate the tires according to the maintenance schedule. (For
scheduled maintenance information, please refer to the
ªOwner's Manual Supplementº or ªScheduled Maintenanceº.)
See page 255 for additional information.
Fluid leaks
Check under
neath for leaking fuel, oil, water or other fluid after
the vehicle has been parked for a while. If you smell fuel fumes
or notice any leak, have the cause found and corrected
immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors, including trunk lid, operate smoothly and
all latches lock securely. Make sure the engine hood
secondary latch secures the hood when the primary latch is
released.
Vehicle interior
Items listed below should be checked regularly, e.g. while
performing periodic services, cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Lights
Make sure the headlight, stop lights, tail lights, turn signal
lights, and other lights are working. Check headlight aim.
Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers function properly. Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified free play. Be alert for changes
in steering condition, such as hard steering, excessive free
play or strange noise.
Seats
Check that all front seat controls such as seat adjusters,
seatback recliner, etc. operate smoothly. Ch
eck that the head
restraints move up and down smoothly and that the locks hold
securely in any latched position.
Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as buckles, retractors
and anchors operate properly and smoothly. Make sure the
belt webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or damaged.
Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and uneven pedal ef fort
or catching.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and the proper
clearance and free play. Check the brake booster function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do not pull to one side
when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the lever has the proper travel and that, on a safe
incline, your vehicle is held securely with only the parking
brake applied.

INTRODUCTION
230
DO±IT±YOURSELF SERVICEPRECAUTIONS
If you perform maintenance yourself, be sure to follow the
correct procedure given in this Section.
You should be aware that improper or incomplete servicing
may result in operating problems.
Performing do±it±yourself maintenance during the warranty
period may affect your warranty coverage. Read the separate
Lexus Warranty statement for details and suggestions.
This Section gives instructions only for those items that are
relatively easy for an owner to perform. As explained in
Section 5, there are still a number of items that must be
performed by a qualified technician with special tools.
For information on tools and parts for do±it±yourself
maintenance, see ºParts and toolsº on page 231.
Utmost care should be taken when working on your vehicle to
prevent accidental injury. Here are a few precautions that you
should be especially careful to observe:
CAUTION

When the engine is running, keep hands, clothing,
and tools away from the moving fan and engine drive
belt. (Removing rings, watches, and ties is
advisable.)

Right after driving, the engine compartment ± the
engine, radiator, exhaust manifold and power
steering fluid reservoir, etc. ± will be hot. So be
careful not to touch them. Oil and other fluids may
also be hot.

Do not smoke, cause sparks or allow open flames
around fuel or the battery. Their fumes are
flammable.

Do not get under your vehicle with just the body jack
supporting it. Always use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.

Be sure the ignition is off if you work near the electric
cooling fan or radiator grille. With the ignition on, the
electric cooling fan may automatically start to run if
the air conditioning is on and/or if the coolant
temperature is high.

Use eye protection whenever you work on or under
your vehicle where you may be exposed to flying or
falling material, fluid spray, etc.

Be extremely cautious when working on the battery.
It contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.

Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.

CHASSIS
258Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on
braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, C ± The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent
higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grades for this tire are established
for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
Tire selection
When replacing a tire, use only the same size and
construction as originally installed and with the same or
greater load capacity.
Using any other size or type of tire may seriously affect
handling, ride, speedometer/odometer calibration, ground
clearance, and clearance between the body and tires or snow
chains. Do not mix radial, belted, or conventional tires on your
vehicle.
Do not use tires or wheels other than the manufacturer's
recommended size.
It can cause dangerous handling characteristics, resulting in
loss of control. If you need to change from conventional tires
to radial tires or vice versa, replace them as a set.

CHASSIS
260
Chain installation
Install the chains on the rear tires as tightly as possible.
Do not use tire chains on the front tires. Retighten chains
after driving 0.5 ± 1.0 km (1/4 ± 1/2 mile).
When installing chains on your tires, carefully follow the
instructions of the chain manufacturer.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) or the chain
manufacturer's recommended speed limit,
whichever is lower.
 Drive carefully avoiding bumps, holes, and sharp
turns, which may cause the vehicle to bounce.
 Avoid sharp turns or locked±wheel braking, as use of
chains may adversely affect vehicle handling.
 When driving with chains installed, be sure to drive
carefully. slow down before entering the curves to
avoid losing control of the vehicle, it may cause an
accident.
REPLACING WHEELS
When to replace your wheels
If you have wheel damage such as bends, cracks or heavy
corrosion, the wheel should be replaced.
If you fail to replace damaged wheels, the tire may slip off the
wheel or cause loss of handling control.
Replacement with used wheels is not recommended as they
may have been subjected to rough treatment or high mileage
and could fail without warning. Also, bent wheels which have
been straightened may have hidden structural damage and
therefore should not be used. Never use an inner tube in a
leaking wheel which is designed for a tubeless tire.
Wheel selection
When replacing wheels, care should be taken to ensure
that they are equivalent to those removed in load capacity,
diameter, rim width, and offset.
Correct replacement wheels are available at your Lexus
dealer.
A wheel of a different size or type may adversely affect
handling, wheel and bearing life, brake cooling,
speedometer/odometer calibration, stopping ability, headlight
aim, bumper height, vehicle ground clearance, and tire or snow
chain clearance to the body and chassis.

ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
268
CHECKING BATTERY CONDITION
Precautions
CAUTION
BATTERY PRECAUTIONS
The battery produces flammable and explosive
hydrogen gas.
Do not cause a spark by contacting the battery
terminals with tools.
 Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.
The electrolyte contains poisonous and corrosive
sulfuric acid.
 Avoid contact with eyes, skin or clothes.
 Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
 Wear protective safety glasses when working near
the battery.
 Keep children away from the battery.
EMERGENCY MEASURES
 If electrolyte gets in your eyes, flush your eyes with
clean water for at l east 15 minutes and get immediate
medical attention. If possible, continue to apply
water with a sponge or cloth while traveling to the
medical office.
 If electrolyte gets on your skin, thoroughly wash the
contacted area. If you feel a pain or burn, get medical
attention immediately.
 If electrolyte gets on your clothes, there is a
possibility of its soaking through to your skin, so
immediately take off the exposed clothing and follow
the procedure above, if necessary.
 If you accidentally swallow electrolyte, drink a large
quantity of water or milk. Follow with milk of
magnesia, beaten raw egg or vegetable oil. Then go
immediately for emergency help.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.