tire Lexus ES350 2009 Owner's Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
1
1Before drivingAdjusting and operating features such as door locks, mir-
rors, and steering column.
2When drivingDriving, stopping and safe-driving information.
3Interior featuresAir conditioning and audio systems, as well as other interior
features for a comfortable driving experience.
4Maintenance
and careCleaning and protecting your vehicle, performing do-it-your-
self maintenance, and maintenance information.
5When trouble
arisesWhat to do if the vehicle needs to be towed, gets a flat tire,
or is involved in an accident.
6Vehicle
specificationsDetailed vehicle information.
7For ownersReporting safety defects for U.S. owners and seat belt in-
structions for Canadian owners
IndexAlphabetical listing of information contained in this manual.

TABLE OF CONTENTSIndex
ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
4
3-4. Using the interior lightsInterior lights list............................ 253
• Interior lights ............................... 255
• Personal lights ............................ 255
3-5. Using the storage features List of storage features............... 256
• Glove box..................................... 256
• Console box ................................ 257
• Overhead console.................... 259
• Cup holders................................ 260
• Auxiliary box ............................... 262
3-6. Other interior features Sun visors......................................... 263
Vanity mirror .................................. 264
Clock ................................................. 265
Ashtray ............................................. 266
Cigarette lighter ........................... 267
Power outlet .................................. 268
Seat heaters .................................... 269
Seat heaters and ventilators ..... 271
Armrest ............................................ 273
Rear sunshade ............................... 274
Extended trunk.............................. 276
Floor mat.......................................... 277
Trunk features................................ 278
Garage door opener................. 280
Compass......................................... 286 4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......................... 292
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior............................ 295
4-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements .... 298
General maintenance ............... 300
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs ..................................... 303
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions ................................. 304
Hood................................................. 308
Positioning a floor jack.............. 309
Engine compartment..................... 311
Tires ................................................... 326
Tire inflation pressure................. 334
Wheels............................................. 338
Air conditioning filter................. 340
Electronic key battery ................ 342
Checking and replacing fuses ................................................ 344
Headlight aim................................. 352
Light bulbs ....................................... 354
4Maintenance and care

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
5
5-1. Essential informationEmergency flashers..................... 364
If your vehicle needs to be towed.............................................. 365
If you think something is wrong .............................................. 371
Fuel pump shut off system ........ 372
Event data recorder.................... 373
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds... ...... 375
If a warning message is displayed...................................... 386
If you have a flat tire..................... 397
If the engine will not start .......... 407
If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P ............................. 409
If you lose your keys ..................... 410
If the electronic key does not operate properly .......................... 411
If the vehicle battery is discharged .................................... 413
If your vehicle overheats ............ 416
If the vehicle becomes stuck .... 419 6-1. Specifications
Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.)..................... 422
Fuel information............................ 432
Tire information ............................ 435
6-2. Customization Customizable features .............. 447
6-3. Initialization Items to initialize ........................... 452
Reporting safety defects for U.S. owners........................... 454
Seat belt instructions for Canadian owners
(in French) .................................... 455
Abbreviation list ................................... 458
Alphabetical index............................... 460
What to do if... ....................................... 470
5When trouble arises6Vehicle specifications
7For owners
Index

ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
7
Tires
●Rotation
● Replacement
● Inflation pressure
P. 326
P. 397
P. 429
Tail lights P. 135
Side marker lights P. 135
Trunk P. 41
Rear window defogger P. 195
Doors P. 37
Fuel filler door P. 67
Turn signal lights P. 122

ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
12
Pictorial indexInstrument panel
Headlight switch Turn signal lever Fog light switch P. 135
P. 122
P. 138Gauges and meters P. 125
Multi-information display P. 131
Windshield wipers and
washer switch
P. 139
Engine (ignition) switch P. 116
Trunk opener main switch P. 41
Glove box P. 256
Tilt and telescopic steering control switch P. 56
Parking brake pedal P. 123
Audio remote control switches P. 223
Hood lock release lever P. 308
Tire pressure warning reset switch P. 328
Adaptive front lighting system cancel switch∗ P. 136
Tire pressure warning select switch P. 329
Horn P. 124

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be especially
slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended to
observe:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 600 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake sys-
tem needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Lexus dealer perform the bed-
ding down.
■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability of the
correct fuel. (→P. 4 2 4 )
■Normal characteristics after turning off the engine
Approximately five hours after the engine is turned off, you may hear sound coming
from under the vehicle for several minutes. This is the sound of a fuel evaporation
leakage check and, it does not indicate a malfunction.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
CAUTION
●Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The power steering and brake booster systems will not operate properly if the
engine is not running.
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a
steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effec-
tiveness. (→P. 1 1 9 )
●When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing an accident.
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside
rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents that may
result in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their bodies are
not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do
not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability
tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and
possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on
your vehicle are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-shifting
or down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from
functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in an accident.
■When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or serious injury.

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2-1. Driving procedures
ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
NOTICE
■While driving the vehicle
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress accelerator and brake pedals together
to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always put the shift lever in P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or the
vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for a long
time.
Doing so may damage the power steering pump
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damag-
ing the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have your Lexus dealer check and replace the brake pads as soon as possible.
The rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
that of the brake discs are exceeded.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually press the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Replace a flat tire with a new one. ( →P. 400)

136
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
AFS (vehicles with discharge headlights)AFS (Adaptive Front lighting System) improves visibility at intersections
and on curves by automatically adjusting the direction of light axis of the
headlights according to vehicle speed and the degree of the tire angle
that are controlled by steering input.
Operates at speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
■ Deactivating AFS
Turn the switch OFF to deactivate
AFS.
OFF
ON
■Daytime running light system
To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers, the headlights turn on automati-
cally (at a reduced intensity) whenever the engine is started and the parking brake
is released. Daytime running lights are not designed for use at night.
■Headlight control sensor
The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything
that blocks the sensor is affixed to the wind-
shield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detecting
the level of ambient light and may cause the
automatic headlight control system to mal-
function.

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2-4. Using other driving systems
ES350_U_(L/O_0808)
■Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, brake assist, VSC and TRAC systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the engine is
started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indicate that
a malfunction has occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are operat-
ing. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
CAUTION
Any of the following conditions may result in an accident which could cause death or
serious injury:
■The ABS does not operate effectively when
●The limits of tire gripping performance have been exceeded.
●The vehicle hydroplanes while driving at high speed on the wet or slick road.
■Stopping distance when the ABS is operating will exceed that of normal condi-
tions
The ABS is not designed to shorten the vehicle’s stopping distance. Always main-
tain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you in the following situations.
●When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
●When driving with tire chains
●When driving over bumps in the road
●When driving over roads with potholes or roads with uneven roads
■TRAC may not operate effectively when
Directional control and power may not be achievable while driving on slippery road
surfaces, even if the TRAC system is operating.
Do not drive the vehicle in conditions where stability and power may be lost.