1992 Lexus ES300 instrument cluster

With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while pressing the lock release button in
(The ignition switch must be in the
“ON” position)
Shift while pressing the lock
release button in
Shift without pressing the button
Parking, engine starting
and key removal position
Reverse position
Neutral position
Normal driving position
Position for engine braking
Position for stronger engine braking
than that in “2” range
Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
Shift position indicator
Shows the selector lever position.
Shift position is also displayed
on the instrument cluster.
Overdrive switch
For selecting either a three-speed
or four-speed transmission
Selector lever
Shift lock override buttonDriving pattern selector switch
For selecting a driving pattern suitable
for existing driving conditions
ON position
(Shifting into overdrive possible)
OFF position
(Shifting into overdrive not possible)
NORMAL position
for general driving
conditions
POWER position
for powerful acceleration
STARTING AND DRIVING
101
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

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
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
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
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.