1992 Lexus ES300 brake light

STARTING AND DRIVING
99 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
Set
Unlock
Release
To set: Pull up the lever.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly, press the thumb
button, then lower the lever.
Before leaving your vehicle, firmly apply the parking brake.
CAUTION:
Before driving, be sure the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder light is off.
HOW TO START THE ENGINE
Before cranking
1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3.Manual transmission: Press the clutch pedal to the floor
and shift the transmission into neutral. Hold the clutch pedal to
the floor until the engine is started. A starter safety device will
prevent the starter from operating if the clutch pedal is not fully
depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the selector lever in “P”. If you
need to restart the engine while the vehicle is moving, put the
selector lever n “N”. A starter safety device will prevent the
starter from operating if the selector lever is in any drive
position.
4.Automatic transmission only: Depress the brake pedal
and hold it to the floor until you are ready to drive off.
Starting the engine
Before starting the engine, be sure to follow the instructions in
“Before cranking”.
Normal starting procedure
The electronic fuel injection system in your engine
automatically controls the proper air-fuel mixture for starting.
You can start a cold or hot engine as follows:

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
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
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.

STARTING AND DRIVING
111
Avoid high speeds on wet roads. The anti-lock brake system
cannot eliminate the risk of aquaplaning.
Anti-lock brake system failure warning light
This warning light in the instrument cluster warns that there is
a problem somewhere in your anti-lock brake system.
Even if the anti-lock brake system should fail, the brake system
operates conventionally but without anti-lock function. Have
your vehicle checked by your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible.
Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
The parking brake of your vehicle utilizes a drum-it-disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake system reeds
bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Lexus dealer perform the bedding-down as follows:
1. Drive the vehicle at about 50 km/h (30 mph) on a safe, level
and dry road.
2. With the parking brake release button pushed in, pull on the
lever with 88 N (9 kgf, 20 lb) of force.
3. Drive the vehicle for about 400 m (1 /4 mile) in this condition.
4. Repeat this procedure 2 or 3 times.
BRAKE PAD WEAR LIMIT
INDICATORS
The brake pad wear limit indicators on your disc brakes
give a warning noise when the brake pads are worn to
where replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise while driving, have
the brake pads checked and replaced by your Lexus dealer as
soon as possible. Expensive rotor damage can result it the
pads are not replaced when necessary.