1998 Lexus ES300 length

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT65
Pregnant wom
an. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor
for specific recommendations. The lap belt should be worn securely and as
low as possible over the hips and not on the waist.
Injured person. Lexus recommends the use of a seat belt. Depending on the
injury, first check with your doctor for specific recommendations.
CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats properly wearing their seat
belts whenever the vehicle is moving. Otherwise, they are
much more likely to suffer serious bodily injury in the event
of sudden braking or a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe the following:
 Use the belt for only one person at a time. Do not use a
single belt for two or more people ± even children.
 Avoid reclining the seatbacks too much. The seat belts
provide maximum protection when the seatbacks are in the
upright position. (See ºAdjusting seatback angleº.)
 Be careful not to damage the belt webbing or hardware.
Take care that they do not get caught or pinched in the seat
or doors.
 Inspect the belt system periodically. Check for cuts,
fraying, and loose parts. Damaged parts should be
replaced. Do not disassemble or modify the system.
Keep the belts clean and dry. If they need cleaning, use a mild soap
solution or lukewarm water. Never use bleach, dye, or abrasive
cleaners ± they may severely weaken the belts.
 Replace the belt assembly (including bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assembly should be replaced even if
damage is not obvious.
Fastening front and rear seat belts
16E014±1
Adjust the seat as needed and sit up straight and well back in the seat. To
fasten your belt, pull it out of the retractor and insert the tab into the
buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts to your size and the seat pos\
ition.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT67
16E016

Front seat belts only
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to your size.
To raise the anchor position, push the anchor up. To lower the anchor position,
support the anchor while you push the lock release button then slide the anchor
down. After the adjustment, make sure the anchor is locked in position.
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the
center of your shoulder. The belt should be kept away from
your neck, but not falling off your shoulder. Failure to do so
could reduce the amount of protection in an accident and
cause severe injuries in a collision.
16E017±1
To release the belt, press the buckle release button and allow the belt to
retract.
If the belt does not retract smoothly, pull it out and check for kinks or twists.
Then make sure it remains untwisted as it retracts.
Seat belt extender
If the front or rear outside seat belts cannot be fastened securely beca\
use it is
not long enough, a personalized seat belt extender is available from your
Lexus dealer free of charge.
Please contact your local Lexus dealer so that the dealer can order the proper\
required length for the extender. Bring the heaviest coat you expect to wear
for proper measurement and selection of length. Additional ordering
information is available at your Lexus dealer.

DRIVING TIPS157
Trailer towing tips
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will handle differently than when not
towing. The three main causes of vehicle±trailer accidents are driver
error, excessive speed and improper trailer loading. Keep these in mind
when towing: 
Before starting out, check the operation of the lights and all vehicle±trai\
ler
connections. After driving a short distance, stop and recheck the lights and
connections. Practice turning, stopping and backing with a trailer in an
area away from traffic until you learn the feel.
 Backing with a trailer is difficult and requires practice. Grip the bottom of
the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to move the trailer to\
the
left. Move your hand to the right to move the trailer to the right. (This
procedure is generally opposite to that when backing without a trailer.)
Also, just turn the steering wheel a little at a time, avoiding sharp or
prolonged turning. Have someone guide you when backing to reduce the
risk of an accident.
 Because stopping distance may be increased, vehicle±to±vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and trailer length between you and the
vehicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in
jackknifing and loss of control. This is especially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns. The trailer could hit your vehicle in
a tight turn. Slow down before making a turn to avoid the need of sudde\
n
braking.
 Remember that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Therefore, compensate for th\
is
by making a larger than normal turning radius with your vehicle.

DRIVING TIPS
158

Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention to the rear from time to time to
prepare yourself for being passed by large trucks or buses, which may
cause your vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying happens, firmly grip the
steering wheel and reduce speed immediately but gradually. Never
increase speed. If it is necessary to reduce speed, brake slowly. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme correction with the steering or
brakes, your vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
 Be careful when passing other vehicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of your trailer
and be sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
 In order to maintain efficient engine braking and electrical charging
performance, do not use overdrive.
 Because of the added load of the trailer, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over 30C [85 F]) when going up a long or
steep gr ade with a trailer. If the engine coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air conditioning (if in use), pull your
vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot. See ºIf your vehicle overheatsº\
on page 166 of this manual.
 Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. Put the transmission in ºPº.
Avoid parking on a slope with a trailer, but if it cannot be avoided, do so
only after performing the following: 1. Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into ºPº and turn off the engine.
When restarting out after parking on a slope:
1. With the transmission in ºPº position, start the engine. Be sure to k\
eep the
brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the º2º, ºLº or ºRº position.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.
CAUTION

Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing speed
limit, whichever is lower. Because instability (swaying) of
a towing vehicle±trailer combination usually increases as
the speed increases, exceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may cause
loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden downshifts.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or too fr equently. This
could cause the brakes to overheat and result in reduced braking
efficiency.

DRIVING TIPS159
HOW TO SAVE FUEL AND MAKE YOURVEHICLE LAST LONGER
Getting more kilometer/mileage from a liter/gallon of fuel is easy ± just ta\
ke
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last longer, too. Here are some specific
tips on how to save money on both fuel and repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the correct pressure. Check the pressure
every two weeks, or at least once a month. Underinflation causes tire wear
and wastes fuel.
 Do not carry unneeded weight in your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing greater fuel consumption.
 Avoid lengthy warm±up idling. Once the engine is running smoothly,
begin driving ± but gently. Remember, however, that on cold winter days
this may take a little longer.
 Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Avoid jackrabbit starts.
 Avoid long engine idling. If you have a long wait and you are not in traf fic,
it is better to turn off the engine and start again later. 
Avoid engine overrevving. Use a gear position suitable for the road on
which you are traveling.
 Avoid continuous speeding up and slowing down. Stop±and±go driving
wastes fuel.
 Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only need to stop as little as possible or
take advantage of through streets to avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper
distance from other vehicles to avoid sudden braking. This will also reduce
wear on your brakes.
 Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams whenever possible.
 Do not rest your foot on the brake pedal. This causes needless wear,
overheating and poor fuel economy.
 Maintain a moderate speed on highways. The faster you drive, the
greater the fuel consumption. By reducing your speed, you will cut down
on fuel consumption.
 Keep the front wheels in proper alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.\
 Keep the bottom of your vehicle free from mud, etc. This not only
lessens weight but also helps prevent corrosion.

BODY233
SPECIFICATIONS
± DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHTOverall length
Overall width
Overall height
Wheelbase
Tread ± Front ± Rear
Vehicle capacity weight (occupants + luggage)
4830 mm (190.2 in.)
1790 mm (70.5 in.)
1395 mm (54.9 in.)*
2670 mm (105.1 in.)
1545 mm (60.8 in.)
1520 mm (59.8 in.)
410 kg (900 lb.)
*: Unladen vehicle
± FUEL TANK
Capacity
70 L (18.5 gal., 15.4 lmp.gal.)