1998 Lexus ES300 ESP

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
70
16E125±1

Side airbags
Side airbags:
In response to a severe side impact, the side airbag for the driver or front
passenger works together with the seat belt to help preventing or
reducing injury by inflating, in order to decrease the impact mainly on the
driver or front passenger's chest.
The side airbag on the passenger seat is activated even with no passenge\
r in
the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt.
CAUTION
SRS side airbags inflate with considerable force. To avoid
potential death or serious injury during inflation of a side
airbag, Lexus strongly recommends that the driver and front
passenger;
 Wear their seat belt.
 Remain properly seated with their back against the seat at
all times.
16E022
The indicator comes on when the ignition key is turned to the ºACCº o\
r
ºONº position. It goes off after about 6 seconds. This means the SRS is
operating properly.
The SRS warning light system monitors the airbag sensor assemblies,
inflators, seat belt pretensioners, warning light, interconnecting wiring and
power sources.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT71
16E023
The driver and front passenger airbags and seat belt pretensioners are
designed to activate in response to a severe frontal impact within the
shaded area between the arrows in the illustration.
There may be the case that the driver and passenger airbags and seat belt
pretensioners will not activate with such an impact in which the occupan\
t
wearing the seat belt correctly would not get serious injury.
The driver and front passenger airbags and seat belt pretensioners will wor\
k
if the severity of the impact is above the designed threshold level, compa\
rable
to an approximate 20 km/h (14 mph) collision when impacting straight i\
nto
a fixed barrier that does not move or deform.
If the severity of the impact is below the above threshold level, the driv\
er and
front passenger airbags and seat belt pretensioners may not work. However, this threshold velocity will be considerably higher if the vehicle
strikes an object, such as a parked vehicle or sign pole, which can move or
deform on impact, or if it is involved in an underride collision (e.g. a collisio\
n
in which the nose of the vehicle ºunderridesº, or goes under, the bed of a
truck).
It is possible with collision severity at the marginal level of driver and
passenger airbag sensor detection and activation that only one of your
vehicle's driver and front passenger airbags and seat belt pretensioners will
work.
For the safety of all occupants, be sure to always wear seat belts.

AIR CONDITIONING AND AUDIO
106
(a) Climate control
SETTING OPERATION ± automatic control
20E003
1. Push the ºAUTOº button.
Air flow quantity, switching of the diffusers, on±off of the air conditioning and
switching of the air intake between RECIRCULATED AIR and OUTSIDE
AIR are automatically adjusted. The operation status is shown by each
indicator.
When one of the manual control buttons is depressed while operating in
automatic mode, the operation corresponding to the button depressed is set.
Other conditions continue to be adjusted automatically.
Push the ºOFFº button to turn the air conditioning system off.To cancel the automatic control of air conditioning:
Turn the ignition switch off and then turn it on while pushing the ºAUTOº and
ºA/Cº buttons. When you push the ºAUTOº button, on±off of the air
conditioning is not controlled.
To return to the previous mode of automatic control:
Turn the ignition switch off and then turn it on while pushing the ºOFFº and
ºFRONT WINDSHIELDº buttons. When you push the ºAUTOº button,
on±off of the air conditioning is also adjusted automatically.20E004±1
2. Turn the ºTEMPº knob until the desired temperature is displayed.
The ºTEMPº knob is used to set the desired passenger compartment
temperature. The temperature of air delivered to the passenger compartment
will be controlled automatically according to the setting. The figures on the
panel indicate degrees Fahrenheit or Centigrade.

AIR CONDITIONING AND AUDIO115
(c) Your radio antenna
The wire antenna is mounted inside the rear window.
NOTICE

When cleaning the inside of the rear window, be careful not to scratch
or damage the wire antenna.
 Putting a window tint (especially, conductive or metallic type) on the
rear window may affect the reception of radio. For the installation of
the window tint, consult with your Lexus dealer.
(d) Your cassette player
When you insert a cassette, the exposed tape should be to the right.
NOTICE
Do not oil any part of the cassette player, and do not insert anything except
a cassette tape into the slot.
(e) Your automatic changer
20E016±2
If your Lexus is equipped with an automatic changer, it can play selected discs
or continuously play all the discs set in the magazine.
When you set discs into the magazine, make sure they face the correct wa\
y.
If not, the player will display ºErrº and the disc number.
NOTICE
Never try to disassemble or oil any part of the compact disc player. Do not
insert anything except a compact disc into the magazine.
The player is intended for use with 12 cm (4.7 in.) discs only.

AIR CONDITIONING AND AUDIO
120
(c) Automatic program selection
20E025±2
ºRPTº
button: The repeat feature automatically replays the current program.
Push the ºRPTº button while the program is playing. When the program ends,
it will automatically be rewound and replayed. Push the button again to\
turn
off the repeat feature.
There must be at least 4 seconds of blank space between programs for the
repeat feature to work correctly.
ºSKIPº button: The skip feature allows you to fast forward past long
stretches of blank tape. This is especially useful at the end of cassettes.
Push the ºSKIPº button. The player will automatically skip any blank
portions of 15 seconds or more and play the next program. To cancel it, push
the button once again.
20E026±1
ºSCANº button: Push the ºSCANº button. ºSCANº appears on the display.
The player will fast forward to the next program, play it for 12 seconds, a\
nd
then scan again. To select a program, push the ºSCANº button a second time.

AIR CONDITIONING AND AUDIO
128
Station swapping ± If the FM signal you are listening to is interrupted or
weakened, and there is another strong station nearby on the FM band, your
radio may tune in the second station until the original signal can be picked \
up
again.
AM
Fading
± AM broadcasts are reflected by the upper atmosphere ± especially
at night. These reflected signals can interfere with those received dir\
ectly
from the radio station, causing the radio station to sound alternately strong and\
weak.
Station interference ± When a reflected signal and a signal received directly
from a radio station are very nearly the same frequency, they can interfere with
each other, making it difficult to hear the broadcast.
Static ± AM is easily affected by external sources of electrical noise, such as
high tension power lines, lightening, or electrical motors. This results in\
static.
Caring for your cassette player and tapes
For high performance from your cassette player and tapes:
Clean the tape head and other parts regularly.
 A dirty tape head or tape path can decrease sound quality and tangle you\
r
cassette tapes. The easiest way to clean them is by using a cleaning tape.
(A wet type is recommended.) Use high±quality cassettes:

Low±quality cassette tapes can cause many problems, including poor
sound, inconsistent playing speed, and constant auto±reversing. They can
also get stuck or tangled in the cassette player.
 Do not use a cassette if it has been damaged or tangled or if its label is\
peeling off.
 Do not leave a cassette in the player if you are not listening to it, espe\
cially
if it is hot outside.
 Store cassettes in their cases and out of direct sunlight.
 Avoid using cassettes with a total playing time longer than 100 minutes (50
minutes per side). The tape used in these cassette is thin and could get stuck\
or tangled in the cassette player.

AIR CONDITIONING AND AUDIO129
Caring for your compact disc player and discs
20L037

Use only compact discs labeled as shown. The player is intended for use
with 12 cm (4.7 in.) discs only.
 Extremely high temperature can keep your compact disc player from
working. On hot days, use air conditioning to cool the vehicle interior
before you listen to a disc.
 Bumpy roads or other vibrations may make your compact disc player skip.
 If moisture gets into your compact disc player, you may not hear any sound
even though your compact disc player appears to be working. Rem ove the
magazine from the player and wait until it dries.
20L038

Correct
Wrong
 Handle compact discs carefully, especially when you set them into the
magazine. Hold them on the edge and do not bend them. Avoid getting
fingerprints on them, particularly on the shiny side.
 Dirt, scrapes, warping, pin holes, or other disc damage could cause the
player to skip or to repeat a section of a track. (To see a pin hole, hold the
disc up to the light.)
20L039
To clean a compact disc: Wipe it with a soft, lint±free cloth that has been
dampened with water. Wipe in a straight line from the center to the edge of
the disc (not in a circle). Do not use a conventional record cleaner or
anti±static device.

DRIVING TIPS
156
Brakes and safety chains
Lexus recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any
applicable federal and state/provincial regulations.
 A safety chain must always be used between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the chain for turns. The chain should
cross under the trailer tongue to prevent the tongue from dropping to
the ground in case it becomes damaged or separated. For correct
safety chain procedures, follow the hitch or trailer manufacturer's
recommendations.
CAUTION
 If the total trailer weight exceeds 450 kg (1000 lb.), trailer
brakes are required.
 Never tap into your vehicle's hydraulic system as it will
lower its braking effectiveness.
 Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely
attached to both the trailer and the vehicle. If damage
occurs to the coupling unit or hitch ball, there is possible
danger of the trailer wandering over into another lane.
Tires
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are properly inflated. Adjust the tire
pressure to the recommended cold tire pressure indicated below:
Tire pressure, kPa (kgf/cm
2 or bar, psi)
Front 220 (2.2, 32)
Rear 220 (2.2, 32)
 The trailer tires should be inflated to the pressure recommended by the
trailer manufacturer in respect to the total trailer weight.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must comply with federal, state/provincial and local
regulations. See your local recreational vehicle dealer or rental agency for
the correct type of wiring and relays for your trailer. Check for correct
operation of the turn signals and stop lights e ach time you hitch up. Direct
splicing may damage your vehicle's electrical system and cause a
malfunction of your lights.
Break±in schedule
 Lexus recommends that you do not tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train component (engine, transmission,
differential, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first 800 km (500 miles) of driving.
Maintenance
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance
due to the additional load. For this information, please refer to the
scheduled maintenance information in the ºOwner's Manual Supplement/
Maintenance Scheduleº.
 Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after
approximately 1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
Pre±towing safety check
Check that your vehicle remains level when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has an abnormal nose±up or
nose±down condition, and check for improper tongue load, overload, worn
suspension or other possible causes.
 Make sure the trailer cargo is securely loaded so that it cannot shift.
 Check that your rear view mirrors conform to any federal, state/provincial
or local regulation. If they do not, install required rear view mirrors\
appropriate for towing purposes.