1992 Lexus ES300 fuel

STARTING AND DRIVING
96
CATALYTIC CONVERTER
Catalytic
converter
The catalytic converter is an emission control device
installed in the exhaust system.
It looks somewhat like a muffler, but its purpose is to reduce
pollutants in the exhaust gas.
CAUTION:

Keep people and combustible materials away from the
exhaust pipe while the engine is running. The exhaust
gas is very hot.

Do not drive, idle or park your vehicle over anything
that might burn easily such as grass, leaves, paper or
rags.
NOTICE:
A large amount of unburned gas flowing into the
converter may cause it to overheat and create a fire
hazard. To prevent this and other damage, observe the
following precautions:

Use only unleaded gasoline.

Do not drive with an extremely low fuel level; running
out of gas could cause the engine to misfire, creating
an excessive load on the converter.

Do not allow the engine to run at idle speed for more
than 20 minutes.

Avoid racing the engine.

Do not push-start or pull-start your vehicle.

Do not turn off the ignition while the vehicle is
moving.

Keep your engine in good running order.
Malfunctions in the engine electrical, ignition or fuel
systems could cause an extremely high converter
temperature.

If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls
frequently, take your vehicle in for a check-up as soon
as possible. Remember, your Lexus dealer knows
your vehicle and its catalytic converter system best.

STARTING AND DRIVING
98Remember to check that the warning lights function when
turning the ignition key to “ON”, and check the fuel gauge to
see that you have sufficient fuel.
IGNITION SWITCH WITH
STEERING LOCK
“START” − Starter motor on. The ignition key will return to
the “ON” position when released.
For starting tips, see page 99.
“ON” − Engine on and all accessories on.
This is the normal driving position.
NOTICE:
Do not leave the key in the “ON” position if the engine is
not running. The battery will discharge and the ignition
system could be damaged.
“ACC” − Accessories such as the radio operate, but the
engine is off.If you leave the key in the “ACC” or “LOCK” position and open
the driver’s door, a buzzer will remind you to remove the key.
“LOCK” − Engine is off and the steering wheel is locked.
The ignition key can be removed only at this position.
You must push in the key to turn it from “ACC” to the “LOCK”
position. On vehicles with an automatic transmission, the
selector lever must be put in the “P” range before turning the
key to the “LOCK” position.
When starting the engine, the key may seem stuck at the
“LOCK” 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 in motion, turn the key only to “ACC”

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
102Correct use of the automatic transmission is explained in the
following parts.
(a) Normal driving
(b) Using engine braking
(c) Using the “2” and “L” ranges
(d) Backing up
(e) Parking
(f) Good driving practice
(a) Normal driving
Selector lever“P” (Park) range
“N” (Neutral) range
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the
engine” on page 99.
The transmission must be in “P” or “N”. The engine will not start
in “R”, “2”, “L” or “D” range even if the ignition key is turned to
“START”.
Driving pattern
selector switch
“NORM” (Normal) position
“PWR” (Power) position
Indicator light
2. Set the driving pattern selector switch to the “NORM”
position.
Your transmission has a driving pattern selector switch which
allows you to select either “NORM” or “PWR” to suit your
driving condition. For ordinary driving, Lexus recommends that
you use the “NORM” position to improve fuel economy
3. For more powerful acceleration and sporty driving, use
the “PWR” position.
In the “PWR” position, the “ECT PWR” light in the instrument
cluster is on and the transmission is shifted up at higher vehicle
speeds and shifted down more responsively than in the
“NORM” position.

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
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.