1992 Lexus ES300 Starting And Driving

STARTING AND DRIVING
103
Overdrive switchOn
Off
Indicator light
4. Set the overdrive switch to the ON position.
Always set the overdrive switch to the ON position for improved
fuel economy and quiet driving. (See “(b) Using engine
braking” and “(f) Good driving practice” for exceptions.)
Accelerator
pedal
Brake pedal
“D” (Drive)
range
Selector lever
Parking brake
lever
5. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to “D”.CAUTION:
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
6. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the
accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
The vehicle will start in the first gear and automatically shift to
the most suitable gear for the running conditions, such as the
vehicle speed, hill climbing, hard towing, etc. However, while
the engine coolant temperature is low and the vehicle is
travelling at low speed, the transmission will not shift into the
overdrive gear even with the overdrive switch on.
In “D” range, 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, push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor. The transmission will
automatically downshift to the third, second or first gear,
according to the vehicle speed.
If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill,
see “(b) Using engine braking”.

STARTING AND DRIVING
104
(b) Using engine braking
Selector lever
Overdrive switch
: Shifting
“D” (Drive) range
“2” (Second) range
“L” (Low) range
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the
transmission in the way described below:

Turn off the overdrive switch. (This is effective only when
you are driving in the “D” range.) The “O/D OFF” indicator
light in the instrument cluster will come on and the
transmission will downshift to the third gear.

Shift into the “2” range. The transmission will downshift to
the second gear when the vehicle speed is 117 km/h (73
mph) or lower and more powerful engine braking will be
obtained.

Shift into the “L” range. The transmission will downshift to
the first gear when the vehicle speed is 55 km/h (34 mph)
or lower and maximum engine braking will be applied.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 the “2” and “L” ranges
The “2” and “L” ranges are used for strong engine braking as
described previously.
With the selector lever in “2” or “L”, you can start the vehicle in
motion as with the lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “2”, the vehicle will start in the first
gear and automatically shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the transmission is engaged in
the first gear.
NOTICE:

Be careful not to overrev the engine. Watch the
tachometer to keep engine rpm from going into the
red zone. The approximate maximum allowable
speed for each range is given below for your
reference:
“2” ... 117 km/h (73 mph)
“L” ... 55 km/h (34 mph)

Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long
time in the “2” or “L” range. This may cause severe
automatic transmission damage from overheating. To
prevent such damage, “D” range should be used in
hill climbing or hard towing.

STARTING AND DRIVING
105
(d) Backing up
Selector lever
“R” (Reverse)
range
Brake pedal
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “R” range.
NOTICE:
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is in motion.
(e) Parking
Selector lever
Parking brake
lever
Brake pedal
“P” (Park)
range
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the
parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “P” range.
CAUTION:
While the vehicle is in motion, never attempt to move the
selector lever into “P” under any circumstances. Serious
mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control may
result.

STARTING AND DRIVING
106
(f) Good driving practice

If the transmission repeatedly upshifts and downshifts
between the third and overdrive gears when climbing a
gentle slope, turn off the overdrive switch. Be sure to turn the
switch on immediately after climbing the slope.

When towing a trailer, in order to maintain efficient engine
braking and electrical charging performance, do not use
overdrive.
CAUTION:
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped
with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
NOTICE:
Do not hold the vehicle on an upgrade with the
accelerator pedal. This can cause the transmission to
overheat. Always use the brake pedal or parking brake.
Shift lock override button:
If you cannot shift the selector lever from the “P” range to the
other ranges with the brake pedal depressed, push the shift
lock override button. For your safety, keep the brake pedal
depressed during the operation.
Transmission failure warning
If the “O/D OFF” indicator light flashes, contact your Lexus
dealer as soon as possible. There may be trouble in the
transmission system.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION
The shift pattern is the conventional pattern shown above.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while shifting, and then
release it slowly. Do not rest your foot on the pedal while
driving, because it will cause needless wear. And do not
slightly release the pedal to hold the vehicle when stopped on
an uphill grade − use the parking brake.
Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized and upshifting or
downshifting is easy.

STARTING AND DRIVING
107 For the best compromise between fuel economy and vehicle
performance, you should upshift or downshift at the following
speeds:
gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 65 (40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72 (45)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if acceleration is needed
when you are cruising below the above downshifting speeds.
Upshifting too soon or downshifting too late will cause lugging
and, possibly, pinging. Regularly revving the engine to
maximum speed in each gear will cause excessive engine
wear and high fuel consumption.
Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower traffic, maximum
acceleration may be necessary. Make sure you observe the
following maximum allowable speeds in each gear:
gear km/h (mph)
1 52 (32)
2 83 (52)
3 127 (79)
NOTICE:
Do not downshift if you are going faster than the
maximum allowable speed for the next lower gear.Good driving practice

If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put the transmission in
neutral, release the clutch pedal momentarily, and then try
again.

When towing a trailer, in order to maintain efficient engine
braking and electrical charging performance, do not use the
fifth gear.
CAUTION:
Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface. The
abrupt change in engine speed could cause the vehicle to
spin or skid.
NOTICE:
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped before
shifting into reverse.
CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control allows you to cruise the vehicle at a
desired speed over 40 km/h (25 mph) with your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or down a gradient, within
the limits of engine performance. On steeper hills, a greater
speed change will occur so it is better to drive without the cruise
control.

STARTING AND DRIVING
108CAUTION:

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
snow-covered) or winding roads.

Avoid vehicle speed increases when driving downhill.
Use engine braking by downshifting the transmission.
Turning on the system
Control lever
Main switch
On
To operate the cruise control, push the main switch. This turns
the system on. The indicator light in the instrument cluster
shows that you can now set your desired cruising speed.
Another push on the switch will turn the system completely off.
When the ignition key is turned off, the main switch is also
automatically turned off. To use the cruise control again, push
the main switch again to turn it on.CAUTION:
To avoid accidental cruise control engagement, keep the
main switch off when not using the cruise control.
Setting at a desired speed
Control lever
Main switch
Bring the vehicle to the desired speed, press the control lever
downward in the “SET/COAST” 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, the vehicle will return to the speed set prior to the
acceleration.

STARTING AND DRIVING
109 CAUTION (for manual transmission):
While driving with the cruise control on, do not shift to
neutral without depressing the clutch pedal, as this may
cause engine racing or overrevving. If this happens,
depress the clutch pedal or turn the main switch off
immediately.
Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by:
a. Pulling the control lever in the “CANCEL” direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
c. Depressing the clutch pedal (manual transmission)
If the vehicle speed falls below 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset
speed will automatically be cancelled.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10 mph) below the preset
speed, the preset speed will also automatically be cancelled.
If the preset speed automatically cancels out for other than
these reasons, have your vehicle checked by your Lexus
dealer at the earliest opportunity.
Resetting to a faster speed
Press the control lever upward in the “RES/ACC” direction and
hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained.
While the lever is held upward, the vehicle will gradually gain
speed.When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can be
increased 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever upward in the “RES/ACC” direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to accelerate the vehicle
and then press the control lever downward in the “SET/
COAST” direction.
Resetting to a slower speed
Press the control lever downward in the “SET/COAST”
direction and hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed
is attained. While the lever is held downward, the vehicle
speed will gradually decrease.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can be
lowered 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever downward in the “SET/COAST” direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to depress the brake pedal
and then press the control lever downward in the “SET/
COAST” direction.
Resuming the preset speed
Press the control lever upward in the “RES/ACC” direction.
The vehicle will resume the speed set prior to cancellation
unless the vehicle speed is less than 40 km/h (25 mph) or is 16
km/h (10 mph) below the preset speed.

STARTING AND DRIVING
11 0
Cruise control failure warning
If the “CRUISE” indicator light in the instrument cluster flashes
five times and then goes out when using the cruise control, it
means that there is trouble in the cruise control system.
Contact your Lexus dealer.
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 be longer.
Also, the brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION:
Do not rely on 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 reserve 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 vacuum reserve.
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 be longer.
Anti-lock brake system
The anti-lock brake system is designed to prevent lock-up
of the wheels during sudden braking or braking on
slippery surfaces. This helps the vehicle remain steerable
and stable under these circumstances.
The system functions with normal pedal operation. When the
anti-lock function is in action, a pulsation of the brake pedal
may result, together with a characteristic noise. This indicates
that the system is functioning properly.
When driving with the anti-lock brake system, keep the
following in mind and adjust your driving according to the road
and traffic conditions

Even with the anti lock brake system, your vehicle still
requires a sufficient stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.

Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake
system cannot prevent accidents resulting from excessive
speeds.

On rough, gravel or snow-covered roads, etc., operation of
the anti-lock brake system may result in a longer stopping
distance than for vehicles not fitted with an anti-lock brake
system. Take this into account and reduce your speed.