seats Lexus IS300 2003 Basic Functions / LEXUS 2003 IS300 (OM53439U) Owner's Guide

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
138
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes withoutconsulting 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.
SV16061
This SRS front airbag system has an indicator to inform the
driver of operating problems. If either of the following
conditions occurs, this indicates a malfunction of the airbags.
Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible to service the
vehicle.
 When the ignition key is turned to the ºACCº or ºONº
position, the light does not come on, stays 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 airbags fail.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
139
SV16097
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible:
Any of the SRS airbags have been inflated.
 The front of the vehicle and portion of the doors (shaded in
the illustration) were involved in an accident that was not
severe enough to cause the SRS airbags to inflate. 
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.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
144
SV16074
Do not put a child restraint system on the rear seat if
it interferes with the lock mechanism of the front
seats. This may cause death or serious injury to the
child and front passenger in case of sudden braking
or a collision.
 If the driver's seat position does not allow sufficient
space for safe installation, install the child restraint
system on the rear right seat.
SV16032
1. Run the lap and shoulder belt through or around the infant
seat following the instructions provided by its manufacturer
and inserting the tab into the buckle taking care not to twist the
belt. Keep the lap portion of the belt tight.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure the tab and buckle
are locked and that the lap and shoulder portions of
the belt are not twisted.
 Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in the buckle as this
may prevent you from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
 If the seat belt does not function normally,
immediately contact your Lexus dealer. Do not use
the child restraint system until the seat belt is fixed.
It cannot protect your child from injury.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
148
SV16055

Move seat fully back
A forward±facing child restraint system should be
allowed to be put on the front passenger seat only
when it is unavoidable. Always move the seat as far
back as possible, because the force of the deploying
front passenger airbag could cause death or serious
injury to the child.
 On vehicles with side airbags and curtain shield
airbags, do not allow the child to lean over the front
door or around the front door even if the child is
seated in a child restraint system. It is dangerous if
the side and curtain shield airbags inflate, and the
impact could cause death or serious injury to the
child.
SV16075
Do not put a child restraint system on the rear seat if
it interferes with the lock mechanism of the front
seats. This may cause death or serious injury to the
child and front passenger in case of sudden braking
or a collision.
 If the driver's seat position does not allow sufficient
space for safe installation, install the child restraint
system on the rear right seat.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
156
SV16119
3. Replace the head restraint.INSTALLATION WITH CHILD RESTRAINT LOWER
ANCHORAGES
SV16100
The lower anchorages for the child restraint system
interfaced with the FMVSS225 specification are installed
in the rear seat.
The anchorages are installed in the clearance between the
seat cushion and seatback of both outside rear seats.
Child restraint system interfaced with the FMVSS225
specification
can be fixed with these anchorages. In this case,
it is not necessary to fix the child restraint system with a seat
belt on the vehicle.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
158CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM INSTALLATION
Type A:
1. Widen the clearance between the seat cushion and
seatback a little and confirm the position of the lower
anchorages below the tag in the seatback.
2. Latch the hooks of lower straps onto the anchorages
and tighten the lower straps.
Type B:
1. Widen the clearance between the seat cushion and
seatback a little and confirm the position of the lower
anchorages below the tag in the seatback.
2. Latch the buckles onto the anchorages.
If your child restraint system has a top strap, it should be
anchored.
(For the installation of the top strap, see ºUsing a top
strapº on page 153 in this section.)
For the installation details, refer to the instruction manual
equipped with each product.
CAUTION
 When using the lower anchorages for the child
restraint system, be sure that there are no irregular
objects around the anchorages or that the seat belt is
not caught.
 Push and pull the child restraint system in different
directions to be sure it is secure. Follow all the
installation instructions provided by its
manufacturer.
 Do not put a child restraint system on the rear seat if
it interferes with the lock mechanism of the front
seats. This can cause death or severe injury to the
child and front passenger in case of sudden braking
or a collision.
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COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
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SV16145
11. Replace the head restraint.
Installation with child restraint lower
anchorages
SV16117
The lower anchorages for the child restraint system
interfaced with the FMVSS225 specification are installed
in the rear seat.
The anchorages are installed in the clearance between the
seat cushion and seatback of both outside rear seats.
Child restraint system interfaced with the FMVSS225
specification can be fixed with these anchorages. In this case,
it is not necessary to fix the child restraint system with a seat
belt on the vehicle.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
173
CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM INSTALLATION
Type A:
1. Widen the clearance at the lower seatback and confirm
the position of the lower anchorages below the tag in the
seatback.
2. Latch the hooks of lower straps onto the anchorages
and tighten the lower straps.
Type B:
1. Widen the clearance at the lower seatback and confirm
the position of the lower anchorages below the tag in the
seatback.
2. Latch the buckles onto the anchorages.
If your child restraint system has a top strap, it should be
anchored.
(For the installation of the top strap, see ºUsing a top
strapº on page 159 or 164.)
For the installation details, refer to the instruction manual
equipped with each product.
CAUTION
 When using the lower anchorages for the child
restraint system, be sure that there are no irregular
objects around the anchorages or that the seat belt is
not caught.
 Push and pull the child restraint system in different
directions to be sure it is secure. Follow all the
installation instructions provided by its
manufacturer.
 Do not put a child restraint system on the rear seat if
it interferes with the lock mechanism of the front
seats. This can cause death or severe injury to the
child and front passenger in case of sudden braking
or a collision.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

AIR CONDITIONING
188
SV21015
2. Remove the cover and take out the air filter
If it is dirty, it should be replaced. To maintain the air
conditioning efficiency, replace the air filter according to the
maintenance schedule. (For scheduled maintenance
information, please refer to the ºOwner's Manual Supplement
/ Scheduled Maintenanceº.)
INFORMATION
The air filter should be installed properly in position.The use of air conditioning with the air filter removedmay cause deteriorated dustproof performance andthen affect air conditioning performance.
(d) Operating tips
 To help cool down the interior after parking in the hot sun,
drive for the first few minutes with the windows open. After
the excess heat has blown away, close the windows.
 Make sure the air inlet grilles in front of the windshield are
not blocked by leaves or other obstructions.
 If air flow control is not satisfactory, check the dashboard
vents. (See ºCenter ventsº and ºSide ventsº.)
 On humid days, do not blow cold air on the windshield. The
windshield could fog up because of the difference in air
temperature on the inside and outside of the windshield.
 Keep the area under the front seats clear to allow air to
circulate throughout the vehicle.
 On cold days, set the fan speed selector to adjust the fan
speed high for a minute to help clear the intake ducts of
snow or moisture. This can reduce the amount of fogging
on the windows.
 When driving on dusty roads, close all windows. If dust
thrown up by the vehicle is still drawn into the vehicle after
closing the windows, it is recommended that the air intake
control button be left to the OUTSIDE AIR mode and the fan
speed control dial be turned to anywhere except the ºOFFº
button.
 If following another vehicle on a dusty road, or driving in
windy and dusty conditions, it is recommended that the air
intake control button be temporarily pressed in to the
RECIRCULATED AIR m ode, which will close off the outside
passage and prevent outside air and dust from entering the
vehicle interior.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)

MAINTENANCE
294Tire rotation
Rotate the tires according to the maintenance schedule. (For
scheduled maintenance information, please refer to the
ªOwner's Manual Supplementº or ªScheduled Maintenanceº.)
See page 333 for additional information.
Fluid leaks
Check under
neath for leaking fuel, oil, water or other fluid after
the vehicle has been parked for a while. If you smell fuel fumes
or notice any leak, have the cause found and corrected
immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors, including trunk lid or back door, operate
smoothly and all latches lock securely. Make sure the engine
hood secondary latch secures the hood when the primary latch
is released.
Vehicle interior
Items listed below should be checked regularly, e.g. while
performing periodic services, cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Lights
Make sure the headlight, stop lights, tail lights, turn signal
lights, and other lights are working. Check headlight aim.
Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers function properly. Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified free play. Be alert for changes
in steering condition, such as hard steering, excessive free
play or strange noise.
Seats
Check that all front seat controls such as seat adjusters,
seatback recliner, etc. operate smoothly. Ch
eck that the head
restraints move up and down smoothly and that the locks hold
securely in any latched position. For folding±down rear
seatbacks, check that the latches lock securely.
Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as buckles, retractors
and anchors operate properly and smoothly. Make sure the
belt webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or damaged.
Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and uneven pedal ef fort
or catching.
Clutch pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and the proper
clearance and free play. Check the brake booster function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do not pull to one side
when applied.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)