1998 Lexus LS400 ESP

DRIVING TIPS
187
Trailer towing tips
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will handle differently than
when not towing. The three main causes of vehicletrailer
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
vehicletrailer 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, vehicletovehicle
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 sudden 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 this by making a larger than normal turning radius
with your vehicle.
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. Transmission must
be in the ”4” position.

MAINTENANCE
213
MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS
Your Lexus vehicle has been designed to have fewer maintenance
requirements with longer service intervals to save both your time and
money. However, each regular maintenance as well as daytoday
care is more important than ever before to ensure smooth,
troublefree, safe, and economical driving.
It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure the specified
maintenance, including general maintenance services, is performed.
Note that both the new vehicle and emission control system
warranties specify that proper maintenance and care must be
performed. See the Owner’s Guide, Owner’s Manual Supplement
or Warranty Booklet for complete warranty information.
General maintenance
General maintenance items are those daytoday care practices that
are important to your vehicle for proper operation. It is the owner’s
responsibility to ensure that the general maintenance items are
performed regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done either by yourself or your
Lexus dealer.
Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed in the ”Owner’s Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Schedule” are those required to be
serviced at regular intervals.For details of your maintenance schedule, read the separate
”Owner ’s Manual Supplement/Maintenance Schedule”.
It is recommended that any replacement parts used for
maintenance or for the repair of the emission control system be
Lexus supplied.
The owner may elect to use nonLexus supplied parts for
replacement purposes without invalidating the emission control
system warranty. However, use of replacement parts which are
not of equivalent quality may impair the effectiveness of the
emission control systems.
You may also elect to have maintenance, replacement, or repair
of the emission control devices and system performed by any
automotive repair establishment or individual without
invalidating this warranty. See Owner’s Guide, Owner’s
Manual Supplement or Warranty Booklet for complete
warranty information.
Where to go for service?
Lexus technicians are welltrained specialists and are kept up to date
with the latest service information through technical bulletins,
service tips, and indealership training programs. They are well
informed about the operation of all the systems on your vehicle.
You can be confident that your Lexus dealer’s service department
performs the best job to meet the maintenance requirements of your
vehicle reliably and economically.

INTRODUCTION
221
DOITYOURSELF SERVICE
PRECAUTIONS
If you perform maintenance yourself, be sure to follow the
correct procedure given in this Section.
You should be aware that improper or incomplete servicing may
result in operating problems.
Performing doityourself maintenance during the warranty period
may affect your warranty coverage. Read the separate Lexus
Warranty statement for details and suggestions.
This Section gives instructions only for those items that are
relatively easy for an owner to perform. As explained in Section 5,
there are still a number of items that must be performed by a qualified
technician with special tools.
For information on tools and parts for doityourself maintenance,
see ”Parts and tools”.
Utmost care should be taken when working on your vehicle to
prevent accidental injury. Here are a few precautions that you should
be especially careful to observe:
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from the moving fan and engine drive belt.
(Removing rings, watches, and ties is advisable.)
Right after driving, the engine compartment the engine,
radiator, exhaust manifold and power steering fluid
reservoir, etc. will be hot. So be careful not to touch them.
Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or allow open flames around
fuel or the battery. Their fumes are flammable.
Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It
contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Do not get under your vehicle with just the body jack
supporting it. Always use automotive jack stands or other
solid supports.
Be sure the ignition is off if you work near the electric
cooling fan or radiator grille. With the ignition on, the
electric cooling fan may automatically start to run if the air
conditioning is on and/or if the coolant temperature is high.
Use eye protection whenever you work on or under your
vehicle where you may be exposed to flying or falling
material, fluid spray, etc.
NOTICE

CHASSIS
244
Uniform tire quality grading
This information has been prepared in accordance with
regulations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It
provides the purchasers and/or prospective purchasers of Lexus
vehicles with information on uniform tire quality grading.
Your Lexus dealer will help answer any questions you may have
as you read this information.
DOT quality grades All passenger vehicle tires must conform
to Federal Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
These quality grades are molded on the sidewall.
Treadwear The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and a half (1 1/2) times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and
climate.
Traction A, B, C The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
A, B and C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified
government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking
(straight ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering
(turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, C The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of heat
and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum required
by law.
Warning: The temperature grade of this tire established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.

BODY
270
PROTECTING YOUR VEHICLE
FROM CORROSION
Proper care of your Lexus can help ensure longterm corrosion
prevention.
The most common causes of corrosion to your vehicle are:
The accumulation of road salt, dirt and moisture in hardtoreach
areas under the vehicle.
Chipping of paint or undercoating caused by minor accidents or
by stones and gravel.
The following conditions will cause or accelerate corrosion of
your vehicle, so it is important to keep your vehicle, particularly
the underside, as clean as possible and to repair any damage to
paint or protective coatings as soon as possible.
The presence of road salt or dust control chemicals, salt in the air
near the sea coast, industrial air pollution.
High humidity, especially at temperatures just above freezing
point.
Certain parts of your vehicle are wet or damp for an extended
period of time, even though other parts of the vehicle are dry.
Components of the vehicle which are prevented from
quickdrying due to lack of proper ventilation are exposed to high
temperature.To help prevent corrosion on your Lexus, follow these
guidelines:
Keep your vehicle clean by regular washing. In addition, observe
the following points.
If you drive on salted roads in the winter or if you live near the
ocean, you should hose off the undercarriage at least once a
month to minimize corrosion.
High pressure water or steam is effective for cleaning the
vehicle’s underside and wheel housings. Pay particular attention
to these areas as it is difficult to see all the mud and dirt. It will
do more harm than good to simply wet the mud and debris without
removing them. The lower edge of doors, rocker panels and
frame members have drain holes which should not be allowed to
clog with dirt as trapped water in these areas can cause corrosion.
Wash the underside of the vehicle thoroughly when winter is over.
See ”Washing and waxing” for more tips.
Check the condition of your vehicle’s paint and trim. If you find
any chips or scratches in the paint, touch them up immediately to
prevent corrosion from starting. If the chips or scratches have gone
through the bare metal, have a qualified body shop make the repair.

BODY
272Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap or neutral detergent.
Urethane bumpers and side moldings: Wash carefully. Do not
scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper and side molding faces are
soft.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or cleaners that are marked safe
for painted surfaces.
NOTICE
Do not use gasoline or strong solvents, which may be toxic or
cause damage.
3. Rinse thoroughly dried soap can cause streaking. In hot weather
you may need to rinse each section right after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a clean soft cotton
towel. Do not rub or press hard you might scratch the paint.
Automatic car wash
Your vehicle may be washed in an automatic car wash, but remember
that the paint can be scratched by some type of brushes, unfiltered
washing water, or the washing process itself. Scratching reduces
paint durability and gloss, especially on darker colors. The manager
of the car wash should be able to advise you whether the process is
safe for the paint on your vehicle.
Waxing your Lexus
Polishing and waxing is recommended to maintain the original
beauty of your Lexus’ finish.
Once a month or if the vehicle does not repel water well, apply wax.
1. Always wash and dry the vehicle before you begin waxing, even
if you are using a combined cleaner and wax.
2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If the finish has become
extremely weathered, use a carcleaning polish, followed by a
separate wax. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions and
precautions. Be sure to polish and wax the chrome trim as well as
the paint.
3. Wax the vehicle again when water does not bead but remains on
the surface in large patches.

BODY
273
CLEANING THE INTERIOR
CAUTION
Be careful not to splash water or spill liquid on the floor.
This may prevent the side airbags from activating
correctly, resulting in serious injury.
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water, or allow water to
get onto the floor when cleaning the vehicle interior or
exterior. Water may get into audio components or other
electrical components above or under the floor carpet (or
mat) and cause a malfunction; and it may cause body
corrosion.
Leather Interior
The selected leather is used in your Lexus. Due to a leather product,
some parts of leather may be rough, uneven or scratched originally.
To keep good appearance, we recommend you to clean it
periodically twice a year.
Remove dirt on the leather in the following ways:
1. Wipe it off lightly using a soft cloth (e.g. gauze) dampened with
5% solution of neutral detergent for wool.
2. Wring water from a clean cloth and thoroughly wipe off all traces
of detergent with it.3. Wipe off the surface of the leather with a dry soft cloth. Allow
the leather to dry in a ventilated shaded area. Excess of wet may
cause the hardening or shrinking of the leather.
NOTICE
Dirt or sand adhered to the leather may damage the treated
surface and cause it to wear earlier. Remove dirt or sand
using a vacuum cleaner.
If a stain should fail to come out with a neutral detergent,
apply a cleaner that does not contain an organic solvent.
Never use organic substances such as benzine, alcohol or
gasoline, or alkaline or acid solutions for cleaning the leather
as these could cause discoloring.
Use of a nylon brush or synthetic fiber cloth, etc. may scratch
the fine grained surface of the leather.
Mildew may develop on soiled leather upholstery. Be
especially careful to avoid oil spots. Try to keep your
upholstery always clean.
Long exposure to direct sunlight may cause the leather
surface to harden and shrink. Keep your vehicle in a shaded
area, especially in the summer.
The interior of your vehicle is apt to heat up on hot summer
days, so avoid placing on the upholstery items made of vinyl
or plastic or containing wax as these tend to stick to leather
when warm.
Improper cleaning of the leather upholstery could result in
discoloration or staining.