steering Lexus IS300 2002 Electrical Components / LEXUS 2002 IS300 WAGON (OM53423U) User Guide

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
131
SS16056a
Do not allow a child to stand up or to kneel on the
front passenger seat. When the front airbag inflates
with considerable speed and force; Otherwise, the
child may be killed or seriously injured.
 Do not hold a child on your lap or in your arms. Use
a child restraint system in the rear seat. For
instructions concerning the installation of a child
restraint system, see ºChild restraintº on page 135.
SV16065
Do not put objects or your pets on or in front of the
dashboard or steering wheel pad that houses the
driver and front passenger airbag system. They
might restrict inflation or cause death or serious
injury as they are projected rearward by the force of
the deploying airbags. Likewise, the driver and front
passenger should not hold objects in their arms or on
their knees.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
133
Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts
where the side airbags inflate. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from activating correctly,
causing death or serious injury.
 Do not modify or remove any wiring. Do not modify,
remove, strike or open any components, such as the
steering wheel pad, steering wheel, column cover,
front passenger airbag cover, front seats or airbag
sensor assembly. Doing so may cause sudden SRS
front airbags inflation or disable the system, which
could result in death or serious injury.
 Do not modify or replace the seats or upholstery of
front seats with side airbags. Such changes may
disable the system or cause the side airbags to inflate
accidentally, resulting in death or serious injury.
 Do not disassemble or repair the front pillar and roof
side containing the curtain shield airbags. Such
changes may disable the system or cause the curtain
shield airbags to inflate accidentally, resulting in
death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death
or serious injury. Consult your Lexus dealer about any
repairs and modifications.NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without consulting your Lexus dealer. Such changes caninterfere with proper operation of the SRS airbagsystem in some cases.
Installation of electronic devices such as a mobiletwo±way radio, cassette tape player or compact disc
player.
Modification of the suspension system.
Modification of the front end structure and side structure of the passenger compartment.
Attachment of a grille guard (bull bar, kangaroo bar,etc.), snowplow, winches or any other equipment tothe front end.
Repairs made on or near the front fenders, front endstructure, console, steering column, steering wheel,dashboard near the front passenger airbag or frontseats.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
135

The surface of the seats with the side airbags or the pad
section of the steering wheel or front passenger airbag
cover (shaded in the illustration) is scratched, cracked, or
otherwise damaged.
 The portion of the front pillar garnish (padding) containing
the curtain shield airbags inside (shaded in the illustration)
is scratched, cracked, or otherwise damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables before contacting
your Lexus dealer.
CHILD RESTRAINT
Child restraint precautions
Lexus strongly urges the use of child restraint systems for
children small enough to use them.
The laws of all 50 states in the U.S.A. and Canada now require
the use of a child restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAE J1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint system, the child should
sit in the rear seat and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. See ºSeat beltsº on page 109 for details.
CAUTION
 For effective protection in automobile accidents and
sudden stops, a child must be properly restrained,
using a seat belt or child restraint system depending
on age and size. Holding a child in your arms is not
a substitute for a child restraint system. In an
accident, the child can be crushed against the
windshield, or between you and the vehicle's interior
if you are unrestrained.
 Lexus strongly urges use of a proper child restraint
system which conforms to the size of the child,
installed on the rear seat. According to accident
statistics, the child is safer when properly restrained
in the rear seat than in the front seat.

SECTION 3 ± 1
219
STARTING AND DRIVING
Starting and driving
Three±way catalytic converter220
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Engine exhaust caution 221
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Before starting the engine 222
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Ignition switch with steering lock 223
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Parking brake 224
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . . .
How to start the engine 225
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Automatic transmission 226
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Manual transmission 235
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Electronic controlled transmission 237
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Cruise control 237
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. . . . . .
Traction control system 240
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Vehicle skid control system 244
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Electronic throttle control system 246
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Brake system 246
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Brake pad wear indicators 250
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Types of tires 251
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. . . . . . . Limited ±slip differential
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

STARTING AND DRIVING
222
To allow proper operation of your vehicle's
ventilation system, keep the inlet grilles in front of the
windshield clear of snow, leaves, or other
obstructions.
 If you smell exhaust fumes in the vehicle, drive with
the windows open and the trunk lid or back door
closed. Have the cause immediately located and
corrected.BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
1. Check the area around the vehicle before entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, head restraint height
and steering wheel angle.
3. Adjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts.
Remember to check that the service reminder indicators
function when turning the key to ºONº, and check the fuel
gauge to see that you have sufficient fuel.

STARTING AND DRIVING
223
IGNITION SWITCH WITH STEERINGLOCK
SS31002
ºSTARTº ± Starter motor on. The key will return to the
ºONº position when released.
For starting tips, see page 225.
ºONº ± Engine on and all accessories on.
This is the normal driving position.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ºONº position if the engine
is not running. The battery will discharge and theelectronic ignition system could be damaged.
ºACCº ± Accessories such as the radio operate, but the
engine is off. If you leave the key in the ºACCº or ºLOCKº position and open
the driver's door, a buzzer will remind you to remove the key.*
NOTE: *The volume or interval of beep sound can be
changed. Ask your Lexus dealer for details.
SS31003
ºLOCKº ± Engine is off and the steering wheel is locked.
The ignition key can be removed only at this position.
Manual transmission: To turn the key from ºACCº to the
ºLOCKº position, you must push in the key.
Automatic transmission: To turn the key from ºACCº to the
ºLOCKº position you must put the transmission selector lever
in the ºPº position and you must push in the key.
Once you remove the key, the engine immobiliser system is
automatically set. See ºEngine immobiliser systemº on page
11 .

STARTING AND DRIVING
224When starting the engine, the key may seem stuck at the
ºLOCKº position. To free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering wheel slightly while
turning the key gently.
If, in an emergency, you must turn the engine off while the
vehicle is moving, turn the key only to ºACCº.
CAUTION
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the vehicle is moving, as
this will lock the steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.
PARKING BRAKE
SV31017
To set: Pull up the lever. For better holding power, first
depress the brake pedal and hold it while setting the
parking brake.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly (1) , press the lock
release button (2), and lower (3).
To remind you that the parking brake is set, the parking brake
reminder light in the instrument panel remains on until you
release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Before driving, make sure the parking brake is fully
released
and that the parking brake reminder light is off.

STARTING AND DRIVING
229
5. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress
the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in the first gear and
automatically shift up to the most suitable gear. On inclines,
declines or winding roads, etc., the vehicle shifts up and down
automatically
according to the running conditions to obtain the
suitable driving power and engine braking.
When the lever is in º3º position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear for the running
conditions such as hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
If you need to accelerate rapidly while driving, depress the
accelerator pedal to the full throttle position. This provides
more acceleration by automatically downshifting the
transmission to the next lower gear or beyond, depending on
the vehicle speed.
If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill,
see º(b) Using engine brakingº.
(b) Driving in M mode
If the change lever is shifted to M position, the shift range
position can be switched over between 5 and 2 using the
shift switch on the steering wheel instead of operating the
change lever. The first shift range position is on 5 when
the change lever is shifted to M position.
SV31024

1ºMº position
When the selector lever is put in the ºMº position, the M MODE
indicator is shown on the instrument cluster.

STARTING AND DRIVING
230
SV31028

2Downshifting on the front, Upshifting on the rear
5: Fifth rangeThe most suitable gear is selected automatically
between first and fifth gears according to the vehicle
speed or the running condition.
4: Fourth range The most suitable gear is selected automatically
between first and fourth gears according to the vehicle
speed or the running condition. 3: Third range
The most suitable gear is selected automatically
between first and third gears according to the vehicle
speed or the running condition.
Slight engine braking will be obtained on a downhill
road.
Smooth running with less shifting will be obtained on an
uphill.
2: Second range First or second gear will be selected automatically
according to the vehicle speed or the running condition.
This range is used in the case that the engine braking is
necessary.
The gear position being used is shown on the instrument
cluster.
Each time you push the switch located on the front of the
steering wheel, the transmission downshifts (from º5º) to º4º\
,
º3º and then º2º.
When you push the switch located on the back of the steering
wheel, the transmission upshifts to º3º, º4º and then º5º\
.
For the precautions on each position, see the description on
the next page.

STARTING AND DRIVING
231
Warning tone sounds twice in any of the following cases:

You attempt to downshift the transmission when it is not
possible to downshift due to the high vehicle speed.
 You attempt to downshift from º2º position.
 You attempt to upshift from º5º position.
If the ºMº indicator flashes, there is a problem somewhere
in the system. In this case, it should be noted that you
cannot downshift or upshift the transmission using the
switches on the steering wheel. Consult with your Lexus
dealer as soon as possible. The transmission works
exactly in the same way as when you put the selector lever
in the ºDº position.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface.
The abrupt change in engine speed could cause the
vehicle to spin or skid.
(c) Using engine braking
SV31023
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the
transmission in the way described below:
1Shift into the ºMº position, and you push the transmission
down shift switch. The transmission will downshift to
fourth gear and engine braking will be obtained. This is
effective only when you are driving in the ºDº position or
in fifth gear (ºMº position).
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from º5º to º4º, engine braking will not be
enabled because the cruise control is not cancelled. If
you need to decrease the vehicle speed, see page 239.
2Shift into the º3º position. The transmission will downshift
to third gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower
than the speed listed below and stronger engine braking
will be obtained.