light Lexus ES330 2006 Basic Functions In Frequent Use / OWNER'S MANUAL (OM33703U)

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CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control is designed to maintain a set cruising
speed without requiring the driver to operate the
accelerator. Cruising speed can be set to any speed above
40 km/h (25 mph).
Within the limits of the engine’s capabilities, cruising speed can
be maintained up or down grades. However, changes in
vehicle speed may occur on steeper grades.
CAUTION
 To help maintain maximum control of your vehicle,
do not use the cruise control when driving in heavy
or varying traffic, or on slippery (rainy, icy or
snowcovered) or winding roads.
 Avoid vehicle speed increases when driving
downhill. If the vehicle speed is too fast in relation to
the cruise control set speed, cancel the cruise
control then downshift the transmission to use
engine braking to slow down.
Turning the system on and off
To turn the cruise control on, press the “ON− OFF” button. The
“CRUISE” indicator light in the instrument cluster will come on
to indicate that the cruise control is operational. Pressing the
“ON−OFF” button again turns the system off.
When the system is turned off, cruising speed must be reset
when the cruise control is turned on again.
When the ignition key is turned off, the main switch is also
automatically turned off. To use the cruise control again, press
the “ON− OFF” button again to turn it on.
CAUTION
To avoid accidentally engaging the cruise control, turn
the system off when it is not in use. Make sure the
“CRUISE” indicator light is off.

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Setting operation
Each function is described below.
1Setting the cruising speed
The transmission must be in “D” or “4” before you set the
cruising speed.
Bring the vehicle to the desired speed, push the control lever
downward in the “− SET” direction and release it. This sets the
vehicle at that speed. Now you may take your foot off the
accelerator pedal. If you need acceleration — for example,
when passing — depress the accelerator pedal enough for the
vehicle to exceed the set speed. When you release the
accelerator pedal, the vehicle will return to the speed set prior
to the acceleration.
2Cancelling the cruise control
The cruise control may be temporarily cancelled by the driver
or by the system itself under certain circumstances.
Temporary cancellation allows the set cruising speed to remain
in memory.
The cruise control can be temporarily cancelled by doing the
following:
 Pulling the lever in the “CANCEL” direction and releasing it
 Depressing the brake pedal
Under certain circumstances, the cruise control is temporarily
cancelled:
 When vehicle speed falls below 40 km/h (25 mph)
 When vehicle stability control is activated
When vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10 mph) below the set
speed, the cruise control is cancelled and the set speed is
erased from memory.
The “CRUISE” indicator light remains on to indicate that the
system is still in operation.
To turn the cruise control off, press the “ON−OFF” button.
Make sure the “CRUISE” indicator light is off.
If the cruise control automatically cancels out o ther than for the
above cases, have your vehicle checked by your Lexus dealer
at the earliest opportunity.

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Cruise control failure warning
If the “CRUISE” indicator light in the instrument cluster flashes
when using the cruise control, press the ”ON−OFF” button to
turn the system off and then press it again to turn it on.
If any of the following conditions then occurs, there is some
trouble in the cruise control system. Contact your Lexus dealer
and have your Lexus inspected.
 The indicator light does not come on.
 The indicator light flashes again.
 The indicator light goes out after it comes on.
ELECTRONIC MODULATED
SUSPENSION
This electronic modulated suspension adjusts the
damping effect on the shock absorbers with the control
switch. Select one of the 4 modes which is suited to the
driving conditions with the control switch to provide good
riding comfort and stability.
1For sporty type driving such as on winding mountain
roads and high speed driving
2For moderate high speed driving
3For ordinary driving such as in the city traffic
4For driving on a bumpy road
5Soft
6Firm

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TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
The traction control system automatically helps prevent
the spinning of front wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition key is turned to “ON”, the system
automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road conditions, full traction of
the vehicle and power against front 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 may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. 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 speed for the
present road conditions.
Normal driving mode
 Slip indicator light
Leave the system on during the ordinary driving so that it
can operate when needed.
You may hear a 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 traction control system
is in the self −check mode, but does not indicate a malfunction.
When the traction control system is operating, the following
conditions occur:
 The system controls the spinning of the front wheels. At this
time, the slip indicator light blinks.
 You may feel vibration or noise in your vehicle, caused by
operation of the brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.

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cclxxivThe slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition key is turned to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.
Traction control off mode
If your wheels get stuck in a ditch when you are driving on
a severe off road and sand, turn off the traction control
system. This system that controls engine performance
interferes with the process of freeing your wheels.
To turn off: Push “TRAC OFF” switch.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come on.
The vehicle stability control system is always activated, even
if the traction control system is turned off.
To turn on: Push “TRAC OFF” switch once again.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will go off.
“TRAC OFF”
indicator light comes on for a few seconds when
the ignition key is turned to “ON”. It will come on again when
you push the “TRAC OFF” switch to turn off the system.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:
 The indicator light does not come on when the ignition key
is turned to “ON”.
 The indicator light remains on after the ignition is turned on.
 The indicator light comes on with the normal driving mode
while driving.

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“VSC” warning light
U.S.A.
Canada This light warns that there is a problem somewhere in the
traction control system or the vehicle stability control system.
The light will come on when the ignition key is turned to “ON”
and will go off after a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, the system does not work.
However, as conventional braking operates when applied,
there is no problem to continue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:

The warning light does not come on after the ignition key is
turned to “ON”.
 The warning light remains on after the ignition key is turned
to “ON”.
 The warning light comes on while driving.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come on when the “VSC”
warning light comes on even if the “TRAC OFF” switch is not
pushed.

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VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROLSYSTEM
The vehicle stability control system helps provide
integrated control of the systems such as antilock brake
system, traction control, engine control, etc. This system
automatically controls the brakes and engine to help
prevent the vehicle from skidding when cornering on a
slippery road surface or operating steering wheel
abruptly.
This system will activate when your vehicle speed reaches or
exceeds 15 km/h (9 mph), and will deactivate when the vehicle
speed reduces to below 15 km/h (9 mph).
You may hear a 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 system is in the
self−check mode but does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
 Do not rely excessively on the vehicle stability
control system. Even if the vehicle skid control
system is operating, you must always drive carefully
and attentively to avoid serious injury. Reckless
driving will result in an unexpected accident. If the
slip indicator light blinks, sounding an alarm, special
care should be taken while driving.
 Only use tires of specified size. The size,
manufacture, 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
stability control system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels, contact your
Lexus dealer.
 In situations where the road surface is covered with
ice or snow, your vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
 Slip indicator light
If the vehicle is going to skid during driving, the slip indicator
light blinks and an alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition key is turned to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.

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“VSC” warning light
U.S.A.
Canada This light warns that there is a problem somewhere in the
vehicle stability control system or the traction control system.
The light will come on when the ignition key is turned to “ON”
and will go off after a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, the system does not work.
However, as conventional braking operates when applied,
there is no problem to continue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:

The warning light does not come on after the ignition key is
turned to “ON”.
 The warning light remains on after the ignition key is turned
to “ON”.
 The warning light comes on while driving.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come on when the “VSC”
warning light comes on even if the “TRAC OFF” switch is not
pushed.

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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 increase. 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 increase.
Antilock brake system
The antilock brake system is designed to help prevent
lockup 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 a manhole cover, a steel plate at a construction site, joints
in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day tends to activate the anti− lock
brake system.

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cclxxx“ABS” warning light
1U.S.A.2Canada
Vehicles without vehicle stability control system —
The light comes on when the ignition key is turned to the “ON”
position. If the anti− lock brake system works properly, the light
turns off after a few seconds. Thereafter, if either of the
systems malfunctions, the light comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the anti−lock brake system does not
operate, but the brake system still operates conventionally.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the anti−lock brake system does not
operate so that the wheels could lock up during a sudden
braking or braking on slippery road surfaces. If either of the following conditions occurs, this indicates
a malfunction somewhere in the parts monitored by the
warning light. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.

The light does not come on when the ignition key is turned
to the “ON” position, or remains on.
 The light comes on while you are driving.
A warning light turning on briefly during operation does not
indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the “ABS” 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 antilock brake system will fail
but also the vehicle will become extremely unstable
during braking.
Vehicles with vehicle stability control system —
The light comes on when the ignition key is turned to the “ON”
position. If the anti−lock brake system and the brake assist
system work properly, the light turns off after a few seconds.
Thereafter, if either of the systems malfunctions, the light
comes on again.