1997 Lexus ES300 Starting And Driving

STARTING AND DRIVING
135

OnOff
2. Set the overdriving pattern switch to the ON
position.
Always set the overdrive switch to the ON position to
improve fuel economy and quiet driving. (See ª(b) Using
engine brakingº and ª(f) Good driving practiceº for
exceptions.)

Brake pedalªDº (Drive) position
3. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift
the selector lever to ªDº.
CAUTION!
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
4. 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 a low speed, the transmission will not shift into
the overdrive gear even with the overdrive switch on.

STARTING AND DRIVING
136In ªDº position, 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 ª(b) Using engine brakingº.
(b) Using engine braking
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 ªDº position.) The ªO/D OFFº
indicator light in the instrument cluster will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the third gear and
engine braking will be obtained.
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission, engine braking will not be
applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. If
you need to decrease the vehicle speed, see page 142.
Shift into the ª2º position. The transmission will
downshift to the second gear when the vehicle speed is
lower than 122 km/h (76 mph) and more powerful
engine braking will be obtained.

STARTING AND DRIVING
137 Shift into the ªLº position. The transmission will
downshift to the first gear when the vehicle speed is
lower than 55 km/h (34 mph) 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 and skid.
(c) Using the ª2º and ªLº positions
The ª2º and ªLº positions are used for strong engine braking
as described previously.
With the selector lever in ª2º or ªLº, you can start the vehicle
in motion as with the lever in ªDº.
With the selector lever in ª2º, the vehicle will start in the first
gear and automatically shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ªLº, 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 position is given below
for your reference:
Transmission Transfer
ª2º 128 km/h (80 mph)
ªLº 70 km/h (43 mph)
Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for
a long time in the ª2º or ªLº position. This may
cause severe automatic transmission damage
from overheating. To prevent such damage, ªDº
position should be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.

STARTING AND DRIVING
138
(d) Backing up

Brake pedalªRº (Reverse) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the ªRº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
(e) Parking

Brake pedalParking brake pedal
ªPº (Park) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Depress the parking brake fully to securely apply the
parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the ªPº position.
CAUTION!
While the vehicle is moving, never attempt to move
the selector lever into ªPº under any circumstances.
Serious mechanical damage and loss of vehicle
control may result.

STARTING AND DRIVING
139
(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.
(g) Rocking your vehicle in stuck
CAUTION
If you rock your vehicle to make it out when it
becomes stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., first check
that there is no physical object or people around the
vehicle. During operation, the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backward, causing injury or damage
to nearby people or objects.!
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the following
precautions to prevent damage to the transmission
and other parts.
Do not depress the accelerator pedal while
shifting the selector lever or before the
transmission is completely shifted to forward or
reverse gear.
Do not race the engine and avoid spinning the
wheels
If your vehicle remains stuck after rocking the
vehicle several times, consider other ways such as
towing.

STARTING AND DRIVING
140
(h) If you cannot shift the selector lever out of
ªPº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from ªPº position even
thought the brake pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see ªIf you cannot shift
automatic transmission selector leverº on page 177.
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 great speed change will occur so it is better to drive
without the cruise control.
CAUTION!
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. If the vehicle speed is too fast in relation
to the cruise control set speed, cancel the cruise
control then downshift the transmission to use
engine braking to slow down.

STARTING AND DRIVING
141
Turning on the system
To operate the cruise control, push the main switch. Thus
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 off.
CAUTION!
To avoid accidental cruise control engagements,
keep the main switch off when not using the cruise
control.
Setting at a desired speed
The transmission must be in ªDº before you set the cruise
control speed.
Bring your vehicle to the desired speed, push the control
lever downward in the ªSET/COASTº 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 for accelerator pedal, the vehicle will return to the
speed set prior to the acceleration.

STARTING AND DRIVING
142
Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by either of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever i the ªCANCELº direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph), the
preset speed will be automatically cancelled.
If the vehicle speed tops 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
Pressing the control lever upward in the ªRES/ACCº
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 ªRES/ACCº direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to accelerate the vehicle
and then press the control lever downward in the
ªSET/COASTº direction.
Resetting to a slower speed
Press the control lever downward in the ªSET/COASTº
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 ªSET/COASTº direction
quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to depress the brake
pedal and then press the control lever downward in the
ªSET/COASTº direction.
Even if you turn off the overdriveswitch with the cruise
control on, engine braking will not be applied because the
cruise control is not cancelled. To decrease the vehicle
speed, reset to a slower speed with the cruise control lever
or depress the brake pedal. If you use the brake pedal, cruise
control is cancelled.
Resuming the preset speed
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling the control lever
or by depressing the brake pedal, pushing the lever up in the
ªRES/ACCº direction will restore the speed set prior to
cancellation. However, once the vehicle speed falls below
about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset speed will not be
resumed.