engine Lexus IS300 2003 Basic Functions / LEXUS 2003 IS300 (OM53439U) Workshop Manual

STARTING AND DRIVING
244
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
(With vehicle skid control system)
The traction control system automatically help control the
spinning of the rear wheels which may occur when
accelerating on slippery road surfaces, thus assisting
driver control the driving power of the rear wheels. When
you turn the ignition switch on, the traction control
system always turns on automatically, and the slip
indicator light w ill come on. The indicator lights will go off
after a few seconds.
SV31037

Slip indicator light
Leave the system on during ordinary driving so that it can
operate when needed. When traction control is applied,
the slip indicator light blinks.
SV31033
You can turn off the traction control system by pushing
the ºTRAC OFFº switch. The ºTRAC OFFº
indicator/warning light will then come on. Pushing the
ºTRAC OFFº switch a second time turns the system back
on and extinguishes the ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning
light.
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle is
started. This means that the traction control system is in the
self±check mode, and does not indicate malfunction.
When the traction control system is operating, you may feel
vibration of your vehicle, caused by operation of the brakes.
This indicates the system is functioning properly.
When getting the vehicle out of mud or new snow, etc. the
traction control system will help operate to prevent the wheels
from spinning.
If the light flashes, this indicates a malfunction in the traction
control system. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
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TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
(Without vehicle skid control system)
The traction control system automatically help control the
spinning of the rear wheels which may occur when
accelerating on slippery road surfaces, thus assisting
driver control the driving power of the rear wheels. When
you turn the ignition switch on, the traction control
system always turns on automatically, and the slip
indicator light w ill come on. The indicator lights will go off
after a few seconds.
SV31037

Slip indicator light
Leave the system on during ordinary driving so that it can
operate when needed. When traction control is applied,
the slip indicator light blinks.
SV31036
You can turn off the traction control system by pushing
the ºTRAC OFFº switch. The ºTRAC OFFº
indicator/warning light will then come on. Pushing the
ºTRAC OFFº switch a second time turns the system back
on and extinguishes the ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning
light.
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle is
started. This means that the traction control system is in the
self±check mode, and does not indicate malfunction.
When the traction control system is operating, you may feel
vibration of your vehicle, caused by operation of the brakes.
This indicates the system is functioning properly.
When getting the vehicle out of mud or new snow, etc. the
traction control system will help operate to prevent the wheels
from spinning.
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If the light flashes, this indicates a malfunction in the traction
control system. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road conditions, full traction of
the vehicle and power to the rear wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction control system is
in operation. Do not drive the vehicle under any speed
or maneuvering conditions which will cause the vehicle
to lose traction. In situations where the road surface is
covered with ice or snow, your vehicle should be fitted
with snow tires or tire chains. Always drive at an
appropriate and cautious pace.
VEHICLE SKID CONTROL SYSTEM
The vehicle skid control system helps provide integrated
control of the systems such as an anti±lock brake system,
brake assist system, traction control, engine control, etc.
This system automatically controls the output of the
brakes or engine to help prevent the vehicle from skidding
when cornering on a slippery road surface or abrupt
steering wheel operation occurs.
SV31037

Slip indicator light
If the vehicle is going to skid during driving, the slip indicator
light flashes and an alarm sounds intermittently.
The vehicle skid control activates when the vehicle speed is
about more than 15 km/h (9 mph).
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

STARTING AND DRIVING
248You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle is
started. This means that the vehicle skid control is in the
self±check mode and does not indicate a malfunction.
When
you turn the ignition switch on, this system always turns
on.
Vehicle skid control system failure warning
SV31041
These lights warn that there is a problem somewhere in the
vehicle skid control system or traction control system.
The lights will come on when the ignition key is turned to ºONº,
and will go off after a few seconds.
If the ºVSCº warning light and ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning
light come on, the vehicle skid control system and traction
control system do not work. However, as conventional braking
operates when applied, there is no problem to continue your
driving.
If any of the following conditions occurs, this indicates a
malfunction somewhere in the parts monitored by the warning
light system. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible
to service the vehicle:
 The ºVSCº warning light or ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning
light do not come on after the ignition is turned to on.
 The ºVSCº warning light and ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning
light remain on after the ignition is turned to on.
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The ºVSCº warning light and ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning
light come on while driving without pushing ºTRAC OFFº
switch.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the vehicle skid control
system. Even if the vehicle skid control system is
operating, you must always drive carefully and atten-
tively to avoid serious injury. Reckless driving will
result in an unexpected accident. If the slip indicator
light flashes, sounding an alarm, special care should
be taken while driving.
 Only use tires of specified size. The size, manufac-
turer, brand and tread pattern for all 4 tires should be
the same. If you use the tires other than specified, or
different type or size, the vehicle skid control system
may not function correctly. When replacing the tires
or wheels, contact your Lexus dealer.
ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM
The electronic throttle control system always maintains
appropriate engine output in relation to the accelerator
opening in all driving conditions.
SV31038
You can select the snow mode by pushing the ºSNOWº
switch. The ºSNOWº indicator light will come on.
Snow mode: Decreases the engine output to minimize rear
wheel spinning on snowcovered or slippery roads.
To return to the normal mode, push the ºSNOWº switch again.
The ºSNOWº indicator light will go off.
When you turn the ignition switch off in the snow mode, the
mode automatically changes to the normal mode.
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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 drive your vehicle with only 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 reserved 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 reserved
vacuum.
 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 automatically
help prevent lock±up of the wheels during a sudden
braking or braking on slippery road surfaces. This assists
in providing directional stability and steering
performance of the vehicle under these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake pedal: When the
anti±lock brake system function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise. In this situation, to
let the anti±lock brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not pump the brake in a
panic stop. This will result in reduced braking performance.
The anti±lock brake system becomes operative after the
vehicle has accelerated to a speed in excess of approximately
10 km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the vehicle
decelerates to a speed below approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery road surfaces such as
on the manhole cover, the steel plate under the construction,
joints in the bridge, etc. on a rainy day tends to activate the
anti±lock brake system.
You may hear a click or motor sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the engine is started or
just after the vehicle begins to move. This means that the
anti±lock brake system is in the self±check mode, and does not
indicate a malfunction.
When the anti±lock brake system is activated, the
following conditions may occur. They do not indicate a
malfunction of the system:
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You may hear the anti±lock brake system operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsating and the vibrations of the vehicle
body and steering wheel. You may also hear the motor
sound in the engine compartment even after the vehicle is
stopped.
 At the end of the anti±lock brake system activation, the
brake pedal may move a little forward.
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the anti±lock brake system:
Although the anti±lock brake system assists in
providing vehicle control, it is still important to drive
with all due care and maintain a moderate speed and
safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, because
there are limits to the vehicle stability and effectiveness
of steering wheel operation even with the anti±lock
brake system on.
If tires grip performance exceeds its capability, or if
hydroplaning occurs during high speed driving in the
rain, the anti±lock brake system does not provide
vehicle control.
Anti±lock brake system is not designed to shorten the
stopping distance: Always drive at the moderate speed
and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of
you. Compared with vehicles without an anti±lock
brake system, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:
 Driving on rough, gravel or snow±covered roads.
 Driving with tire chains installed.
 Driving over the steps such as the joints on the road.
 Driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or
has other differences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at appropriate
pressure: The anti±lock brake system detects vehicle
speeds using the speed sensors for respective wheels'
turning speeds. The use of tires other than specified
may fail to detect the accurate turning speed resulting
in a longer stopping distance.
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CAUTION
If the ºABSº warning light remains on together with the
brake system warning light, immediately stop your
vehicle at a safe place and contact your Lexus dealer.
In this case, not only the anti±lock brake system will fail
but also the vehicle will become extremely unstable
during braking.
Drum±in±disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum±in±disc type parking brake system.
This type of brake system needs bedding±down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking brake shoes
and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Lexus dealer perform the bedding±down.
Brake assist system
When you slam the brakes on, the brake assist system
judges as an emergency stop and provides more powerful
braking for a driver who cannot hold down the brake pedal
firmly.
When you slam the brakes on, more powerful braking will be
applied. At this time, you may hear a sound in the engine
compartment and feel the vibrations of the brake pedal. This
does not indicate a malfunction.
The brake assist system becomes operative after the vehicle
has accelerated to a speed in excess of approximately 10 km/h
(6 mph). It stops operating when the vehicle decelerates to a
speed below approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).For an explanation of this system's warning light, see ºABS
warning lightº on page 50 and ºVehicle skid control system
failure warningº on page 248.
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CAUTION
Do not mix summer and all season tires on your
vehicle as this can cause dangerous handling
characteristics, resulting in loss of control.
 Do not use tires other than the manufacturer's
designated tires, and never mix tires or wheels of the
sizes different from the originals.
LIMITED±SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
Some vehicles are equipped with a limited±slip differential. If
one rear wheel begins to spin, the limited±slip differential is
designed to aid traction by automatically transmitting driving
force to the other rear wheel. If you are not sure whether your
vehicle is equipped with one, you can ask your Lexus dealer.
CAUTION
Do not start or run the engine while your vehicle is
supported by a j ack. The vehicle could be driven off the
jack and could pose a danger or result in serious injury.
NOTICE
Use only a spare tire of the same size, construction and
load capacity as the original tires on your Lexusbecause damage to the limited±slip differential couldpossibly occur with another tire type.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

DRIVING TIPS
258
BREAK±IN PERIOD
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
You need not follow a break±in schedule with your new Lexus.
But following a few simple tips for the first 1600 km (1000 miles)
can add to the future economy and long life of your vehicle:

Avoid full throttle acceleration when starting and driving.

Avoid racing the engine.

Try to avoid hard stops during the first 300 km (200 miles).

Do not drive slowly with the manual transmission in a high
gear.

Do not drive for a long time at any single speed, either fast
or slow.
OPERATION IN FOREIGN
COUNTRIES
If you plan to drive your Lexus in another country ...
First, comply with the vehicle registration laws.
Second, confirm the availability of the correct fuel (unleaded
and minimum octane rating).
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)