stop start lexus LS400 1998 Audio System / LEXUS 1998 LS400 (OM50498U) Owner's Guide

DRIVING TIPS
188Because of the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine
may overheat on hot days (at temperatures over 30C [85F])
when going up a long or steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates overheating, immediately
turn off the air conditioning (if in use), pull your vehicle off the
road and stop in a safe spot. See ”If your vehicle overheats” on
page 196 of this manual.
Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer
wheels when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. Put the
transmission in ”P”. Avoid parking on a slope with a trailer, but
if it cannot be avoided, do so only after performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into ”P” and turn off the engine.When restarting out after parking on a slope:
1. With the transmission in ”P” position, start the engine. Be sure
to keep the brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the ”3”, ”2”, ”L” or ”R” position.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull or back
away from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing speed
limit, whichever is lower. Because instability (swaying) of
a towing vehicletrailer combination usually increases as
the speed increases, exceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may cause
loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long
downhill grades. Do not make sudden downshifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or too
frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and
result in reduced braking efficiency.

DRIVING TIPS
189
HOW TO SAVE FUEL AND MAKE
YOUR VEHICLE LAST LONGER
Getting more kilometer/mileage from a liter/gallon of fuel is easy
just take it easy. It will help make your vehicle last longer, too. Here
are some specific tips on how to save money on both fuel and repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the correct pressure. Check the
pressure every two weeks, or at least once a month.
Underinflation causes tire wear and wastes fuel.
Do not carry unneeded weight in your vehicle. Excess weight
puts a heavier load on the engine, causing greater fuel
consumption.
Avoid lengthy warmup idling. Once the engine is running
smoothly, begin driving but gently. Remember, however, that
on cold winter days this may take a little longer.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Avoid jackrabbit starts.
Avoid long engine idling. If you have a long wait and you are
not in traffic, it is better to turn off the engine and start again later.
Avoid engine overrevving. Use a gear position suitable for the
road on which you are traveling.
Avoid continuous speeding up and slowing down.
Stopandgo driving wastes fuel.Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking. Maintain a steady
pace. Try to time the traffic signals so you only need to stop as
little as possible or take advantage of through streets to avoid
traffic lights. Keep a proper distance from other vehicles to avoid
sudden braking. This will also reduce wear on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal. This causes needless
wear, overheating and poor fuel economy.
Maintain a moderate speed on highways. The faster you drive,
the greater the fuel consumption. By reducing your speed, you
will cut down on fuel consumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper alignment. Avoid hitting the
curb and slow down on rough roads. Improper alignment not only
causes faster tire wear but also puts an extra load on the engine,
which, in turn, wastes fuel.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free from mud, etc. This not
only lessens weight but also helps prevent corrosion.
Keep your vehicle tunedup and in top shape. A dirty air
cleaner, improper valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil and
grease, brakes not adjusted, etc. all lower engine performance and
contribute to poor fuel economy. For longer life of all parts and
lower operating costs, keep all maintenance work on schedule,
and if you often drive under severe conditions, see that your
vehicle receives more frequent maintenance. (For scheduled
maintenance information, please refer to the separate ”Owner’s
Manual Supplement/Maintenance Schedule”.)
CAUTION

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
194
(b) Starting a flooded engine
If the engine will not start, your engine may be flooded because
of repeated cranking.
If this happens, turn the key to ”START” with the accelerator pedal
held down. Continue this operation for 30 seconds and then stop
cranking. Then try starting the engine with your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
If the engine does not start after 30 seconds of cranking, release the
key, wait a few minutes and try again.
If the engine still will not start, it needs adjustment or repair. Call a
Lexus dealer. Roadside Assistance or Customer Service Assistance.
(See ”Foreword”.)
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 30 seconds at a time. This may
overheat the starter and wiring systems.
(c) Jump starting
To avoid serious personal injury and damage to your vehicle
which might result from battery explosion, acid burns, electrical
burns, or damaged electronic components, these instructions
must be followed precisely.
If you are unsure about how to follow this procedure, we strongly
recommend that you seek help from your Lexus dealer, Roadside
Assistance or Customer Service Assistance. (See ”Foreword”.).
CAUTION
Batteries contain sulfuric acid which is poisonous and
corrosive. Wear protective safety glasses when jump
starting, and avoid spilling acid on your skin, clothing, or
vehicle.
If you should accidentally get acid on yourself or in your
eyes, remove any contaminated clothing and flush the
affected area with water immediately. Then get immediate
medical attention. If possible, continue to apply water with
a sponge or cloth while en route to the medical office.
The gas normally produced by a battery will explode if a
flame or spark is brought near. Use only standardized
jumper cables and do not smoke or light a match while
jump starting.
NOTICE
The battery used for boosting must be 12 V. Do not jump start
unless you are sure that the booster battery is correct.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
196
CAUTION
When making the connections, to avoid serious injury, do not
lean over the battery or accidentally let the jumper cables or
clamps touch anything except the correct battery terminals or
the ground.
5. Start your engine in the normal way. After starting, run it at about
2000 rpm for several minutes with the accelerator pedal lightly
depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the
negative cable and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover cloths which may now
contain sulfuric acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is not apparent (for example,
lights left on), you should have it checked.
IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
If your engine coolant temperature gauge indicates overheating,
if you experience a loss of power, or if you hear a loud knocking
or pinging noise, the engine has probably overheated.
When the engine overheats
Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in ”P” and apply the parking brake.
A: If steam is coming from your engine:
Turn off the engine. Leave the hood closed until there is no sign of
steam or coolant. Your engine could have been seriously damaged
already. Call your Lexus dealer for assistance.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep the hood closed until there
is no steam. Escaping steam or coolant is sign of very high
pressure.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
197 B: If no steam is coming from your engine:
Leave the engine running and turn off the air conditioning. Check
the following.
Is the cooling fan operating?
Is the coolant in the acceptable range?
Is the engine drive belt O.K.?
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep hands and clothing away
from the moving fan and engine drive belt.
Do not attempt to remove the radiator cap when the engine
and radiator are hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown out under pressure.
If the cooling fan is not operating or the coolant is not in the
acceptable range, turn off the engine and call your Lexus dealer.
If both conditions are O.K., after the engine coolant temperature has
cooled to normal, continue driving your vehicle.
If the engine coolant temperature does not cool down, or your
vehicle overheats again, have it checked as soon as possible by your
Lexus dealer.
IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move
cautiously off the road to a safe place well away from the traffic.
Avoid stopping on the center divider of a highway. Park on a level
spot with firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in ”P”.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle on the side away from
traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thoroughly.
NOTICE
For vehicles equipped with the height control switch, be sure to
turn the ignition switch off before jacking. If this is not done, the
vehicle height adjustment function will operate, which may
cause body damage.
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe the following to reduce the
possibility of personal injury:
Follow jacking instructions.
Do not start or run the engine while your vehicle is
supported by the jack.

ENGINE
228
Improved gasolines
The American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA)
has developed a specification of improved gasolines. The AAMA
specification offers optimal fuel information for better vehicle
performance and better protection of your engine.
Lexus recommends the use of gasolines that meet the AAMA
specification, if available, for improved drivability and emission
control system.
Gasolines containing MTBE
Gasolines that contain MTBE (Methyl TertiaryButyl Ether)
are available in the market. If you use a gasoline mixed with
MTBE, make certain that it does not contain more than 15% of
MTBE.
If the use of gasolines containing MTBE causes poor drivability
and/or poor fuel economy, you should stop using them.
Gasolines containing MMT
Some gasolines contain an octaneenhancing additive called
MMT (methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl).
Lexus does not recommend the use of gasolines that contain MMT.
If fuels containing MMT are used, your emission control system may
be adversely affected. The Malfunction Indicator Lamp on the
instrument cluster may come on. If this happens, contact your Lexus
dealer for service.
Gasolines containing alcohol
Gasohol is a mixture of gasoline and ethanol. If you use gasohol
in your Lexus, be sure that it is unleaded, has an octane rating
no lower than 87 and does not contain more than 10% ethanol.
Lexus does not recommend the use of gasolines containing
methanol.
If you use gasoline containing methanol, use only gasoline meeting
the requirements above and also containing less than 5% methanol
with cosolvents and corrosion inhibitors for methanol.
NOTICE
Do not use gasohol other than stated above. It will cause fuel
system damage or vehicle performance problems.
If drivability problems are encountered (poor hot starting,
vaporizing, engine knock, etc.), discontinue its use.
Take care not to spill gasohol during refueling. Gasohol may
cause paint damage.
Fuel tank capacity
85 L (22.5 gal., 18.7 lmp.gal.)

ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
251
No.FUSEAMPERECIRCUIT
1 TURN7.5Turn signal lights
2 WIPER20Windshield wipers
3 HEATER10
Air conditioning system,
Rear window defogger, Multiport
fuel injection system/sequential
multiport fuel injection system
4 FR FOG15Fog lights
5 ECUIG10Power steering control system,
Charging system,
Vehicle skid control system
6 PWRIG15
Automatic headlight leveling
system, Moon roof,
Headlight cleaner,
Power seat switch,
Tilt and telescopic steering, Shift
lock system
7 GAUGE10
Gauges and meters, service
reminder indicators and warning
buzzers,
Backup lights,
Vehicle skid control system,
Multiport fuel injection
system/sequential multiport fuel
injection system, Automatic
transmission system
8 IGN10SRS, Multiport fuel injection
system/sequential multiport fuel
injection system
9 RR FOG7.5No circuit
10 FUEL OPN10Fuel opener system
No.FUSEAMPERECIRCUIT
11 RR CIG15Rear cigarette lighter,
Power outlet
12 FR CIG15Front cigarette lighter, SRS
13 A/C7.5Air conditioning system
14 P RR
DOOR20Rear door lock,
Rear power window
15 STOP LP25Stop lights,
High mounted stop light
16 RADIO
NO.215
Audio system,
Outside rear view mirror,
Shift lock system,
Air conditioning system
17 PANEL7.5Instrument panel lights,
Air conditioning system, Glovebox
light, Audio system
18 STARTER7.5
Starting system,
Automatic transmission system,
Multiport fuel injection
system/sequential multiport fuel
injection system
19 TAIL7.5Tail lights, Side marker lights,
License plate lights
20 STOPS7.5
Shift lock system,
Height control system, Antilock
brake system,
Vehicle skid control system
21 RR S/HTR15No circuit
22 WASHER20Windshield washer