sensor Lexus ES300 2003 Owner's Manuals (in English)

SWITCHES
28
HEADLIGHT SWITCH(U.S.A.)
“AUTO” position
The headlights and all other lights automatically turn on
depending on the darkness of the surroundings when the
ignition key is in the “ON” position.*
NOTE:
* The sensitivity of the automatic light control sensor can be
changed.
Ask your Lexus dealer for details.
To turn on the lights manually, 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. When
the headlights are on, the headlight indicator lights up in
the instrument cluster.
With the knob in the “AUTO” position, there may be a case
that the headlights do not turn on immediately, even when
the vehicle enters a dark place such as a tunnel or parking
lot according to lighting conditions. In this case, we
recommend you to twist the knob manually to the second
clickstop to turn on the headlights immediately.
When the headlight switch is turned to the first or second
clickstop, the brightness of the instrument cluster will be
reduced slightly unless the instrument panel light control dial
is turned fully up.
“DRL OFF” position
The daytime running light (DRL) system does not work
when the knob is set in this position.
For details, see the following “Daytime Running Light (DRL)
System”.

SWITCHES
29
The automatic light control sensor is on the 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.
When the headlights are on, they automatically turn off about
30 seconds after any door or trunk lid is opened and closed
with the ignition key turned to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position\
.*
If you want to turn off the lights immediately, push the “LOCK”
button on the wireless remote control key twice. The lights also
can be turned off immediately by pushing the “LOCK” button
on the wireless remote control key with all the doors locked and
the trunk lid closed.NOTE:
* The time before turning off the lights can be changed.
Ask your Lexus dealer for details. To turn on the lights again, turn the ignition key to the “ON”
position, or twist the knob on the end of lever to the “AUTO”
position and then twist the k
nob until the first or second
clickstop.
If you are going to park for over one week, make sure the knob
is in the “AUTO” or “DRL OFF” position.
Daytime Running Light (DRL) System
When the knob is set in the “AUTO” position, the headlights
turn on at reduced intensity when the parking brake is released
with the engine started. They will not go off until the ignition
switch is turned off.
The headlights will automatically adjust to full intensity and/or
turn on the other lights dependi ng on the darkness of the
surroundings.
To turn on the other exterior lights and instrument panel lights,
twist the knob to the first clickstop.
Twist the knob to the second clickstop to turn on the headlights
to full intensity for driving at night.
To cancel the DRL system, twist the knob to the “DRL OFF”
position.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being discharged, do not
leave the lights on longer than necessary when the
engine is not running.

SWITCHES
30
Automatic headlight leveling system
(vehicles with discharge headlight only)
Vehicle position changes according to loading condition,
passengers getting on and off, vehicle acceleration and
deceleration, etc. However, as the headlight beam level is
always maintained automatically by the system at the proper
level, your headlights do not dazzle other road users.
If this system fails, the warning light in the instrument cluster
comes on. If this occurs, have your vehicle checked by your
Lexus dealer.
If you replace the rear suspension and/or the vehicle height
changes, contact your Lexus dealer to check the automatic
headlight leveling system and headlight beam level.
HEADLIGHT SWITCH(Canada)
To turn the lights on, twist the knob on the end of the lever.
FIRST CLICKST OP: Only the parking, tail, license plate, side
marker and instrument panel lights turn on.
SECOND CLICKSTOP: Headlights also turn on.
THIRD CLICKSTOP (“AUTO”): The headlights and all other
lights automatically turn on depending on the darkness of the
surroundings.*
NOTE:
* The sensitivity of the automatic light control sensor can be
changed.
Ask your Lexus dealer for details.

SWITCHES
31
With
the knob in the “AUTO” position, there may be a case
that the headlights do not turn on immediately, even when
the vehicle enters a dark place such as a tunnel or parking
lot according to lighting conditions. In this case, we
recommend you to twist the knob manually to the second
clickstop to turn on the headlights immediately.
When the tail lights are on, the tail light indicator lights up in the
instrument cluster.
When the headlight switch is turned to the first or second
clickstop, the brightness of the instrument cluster will be
reduced slightly unless the instrument panel light control dial
is turned fully up.
The automatic light control sensor is on the 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.
When the headlights are on, they automatically turn off about
30 seconds after any door or trunk lid is opened and closed
with the ignition key turned to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position\
.*
If you want to turn off the lights immediately, push the “LOCK”
button on the wireless remote control key twice. The lights also
can be turned off immediately by pushing the “LOCK” button
on the wireless remote control key with all the doors locked and
the trunk lid closed.
NOTE:
* The time before turning off the lights can be changed.
Ask your Lexus dealer for details.

SWITCHES
36
Raindrop detection type
 1Automatic control adjuster 2Washer on
To turn the wipers on, move the lever down until you reach
the desired speed setting.
The ignition switch must be in the “ON” position.
There are 3 settings:
“AUTO” position: Automatic operation
“LO” position: Low speed operation
“HI” position: High speed operation Automatic operation
The wiper speed is determined by the amount of raindrops
and sunlight detected by the automatic wiper control
sensor.
Twist the automatic control adjuster in the “–” direction to
lower the sensitivity, and the “+” direction to boost the
sensitivity.
The sensor is on the inside of the windshield as shown above.
Even if the wiper lever is in the “AUTO”
position, the system will
switch to intermittent operations in the following conditions:
 When the windshield gets extremely cold (at less than
–10 C or 14 F)
 When the system malfunctions
However, when the windshield gets extremely hot (at more
than 90C or 194F), the wipers do not operate even if the
wiper lever is in the “AUTO” position.

SWITCHES
37
When
the ignition switch is turned off with the wiper lever in the
“AUTO” position, and then the ignition switch is turned on
again, the automatic operation may not work even if raindrops
are on the windshield.
In this case, move the lever to another position and return it to
the “AUTO” position again.
CAUTION
Be careful not to get your fingers caught between the
wipers and windshield.
When the wiper lever is in the “AUTO” position with the
ignition switch on, the wipers could operate
automatically in the following cases:
 If you touch the upper center of the windshield
adjacent to the sensor.
 If you wipe the upper center of the windshield
(adjacent to which the sensor is located) with a towel.
 If the windshield vibrates.
 If you touch the sensor.
NOTICE
Do not apply detergent to or wet the automatic wiper
control sensor when cleaning the inside of the
windshield.
To make the washer squirt, pull the lever toward you and
release it.
Also, the wipers will automatically operate a couple of times
after the washer squirts even with the lever in the “OFF”
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 “Adding
washer fluid” on page 348.
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.
When waxing your vehicle, make sure that the washer nozzles
do not become blocked. 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.

Finish
GAUGES, METERS AND SERVICE REMINDER INDICATORS
53
(c) Front Passenger’s Seat Belt ReminderLight
This light reminds you to buckle up the front passenger’s seat
belt.
Once the ignition key is tur ned to the “ON” position, the
reminder light flashes if a front passenger sits in the front
passenger seat and does not fasten the seat belt. Unless the
front passenger fastens the belt, the light keeps flashing.
If luggage load is placed on the front passenger seat,
depending on its weight and how it is placed on the seat,
built−in sensors in the seat cushion may detect the pressure,
causing the reminder light to come on.
(d) SRS Warning Light
This light comes on when the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position. It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the SRS airbags and seat belt pretensioners are
operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, front airbag sensors, side and curtain shield airbag
sensor assemblies, curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies,
driver’s seat position sensor, driver’s seat belt buckle switch,
front seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflators, warning light,
interconnecting wiring and power sources. 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.
 When the ignition switch is turned to the “ON” position, the
light does not come on, remains on or flashes.
 The light comes on or starts flashing while driving.
If the light stays on, it indicates that the driver and front
passenger airbags fail. If the light flashes, the side and curtain
shield airbags and/or seat belt pretensioners fail.
(e) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, stop the vehicle, turn off the
engine, and check for the cause. Look first at the engine drive
belt.
 If it is loose or broken, the generator will not charge the
battery properly.
 If the belt is O.K., there is a problem somewhere in the
charging system.
The engine ignition will continue to operate, however, until the
battery is discharged. Turn off the air conditioning, blower,
radio, etc., and drive directly to the nearest Lexus dealer or
repair shop.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
103
INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR
Adjust the mirror so that you can just see the rear of your
vehicle in the mirror.
Pushing the “MIRROR” switch changes the mode
between AUTO and DAY.
The indicator comes on when the AUTO mode is selected.
DAY mode: The mirror surface is normal.
AUTO mode: If the mirror detects light from the headlights
of the vehicle behind you, the mirror surface darkens
slightly to reduce the reflected light.
When the inside rear view mirror surface changes, the outside
rear view mirror surfaces will also become darker.
When the ignition key is inserted and turned on, the inside rear
view mirror always turns on in the AUTO mode. When the outside air temperature is low, it may take a little
longer for the mirror to darken in response to the detection of
headlights.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause the
driver to mishandle the vehicle
and an accident may occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.
To ensure correct functioning of an antiglare mirror
sensor located on the back side of the mirror, do not touch
or cover the sensor with your finger or a piece of cloth, etc.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
105
Your vehicle is out of the set zone. Refer to the “Calibrating the
compass” in this section to set the zone number.
The compass works to calibrate the direction automatically
while the vehicle is in motion, if deviation is small.
For additional precision or for complete calibrating, see
“Calibrating the compass” below.
If the direction is not indicated or the system does not operate
properly, contact your Lexus dealer.

Compass sensor
NOTICE
Do not put magnets or a metal object on or near the
inside rear view mirror of the vehicle. Doing so may
cause malfunction of the compass sensor in the mirror.
Calibrating the compass (deviation calibration)
The direction display on the compass deviates from the true
direction determined by the earth’s magnetic field. The angle
of deviation varies according to the geographic position of the
vehicle.
To adjust this deviation, stop the vehicle, then push and hold
the “COMP” switch until the zone number appears on the
display. Then push the “COM P” switch, referring to the
following map to select the number of the zone where the
vehicle is.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
11 4
Front seat belt pretensioners
The driver and front passenger’s seat belt pretensioners
are designed to be activated in response to a severe
frontal impact.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock of a severe frontal
impact, the front seat belts are quickly drawn back in by the
retractors so that the belts snugly restrain the front seat
occupants.
The front seat belt pretensioners are activated even with no
passenger in the front seat.
This indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to
the “ON” position. It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the front seat belt pretensioners are operating
properly.
This warning light system monitors the airbag sensor
assembly, front airbag sensors, side and curtain shield airbag
sensor assemblies, curtain shield airbag sensor assemblies,
driver’s seat position sensor, driver’s seat belt buckle switch,
front seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflators, warning light,
interconnecting wiring and power sources. (For details, see
“Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers” on page 50
for instructions.)