1999 Lexus ES300 towing

GAUGES, METERS AND SERVICE REMINDER INDICATORS
53
Your vehicle may overheat during severe operating
conditions, such as:

Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
 Reducing speed or stopping after high speed driving.
 Idling for a long period with the air conditioning on in
stop±and±go traffic.
 Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in the engine
cooling system as this may cause the engine to
overheat. The thermostat is designed to control the flow of coolant to keep thetemperature of the engine within the specifiedoperating range.
Do not continue driving with an overheatedengine. See ºIf your vehicle overheatsº onpage 319.

GAUGES, METERS AND SERVICE REMINDER INDICATORS
58(n) Low fuel level Fill up tank.
warning light
(o) Key reminder buzzer Remove key.
(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light has the following two functions:
Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the parking brake is fully
released. The light should go off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
slow down and pull off the road. Then stop the vehicle
carefully. Remember that stopping distance and pedal
effort may be increased. There may be a problem
somewhere in the brake system. Check the fluid level
of the see±through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has not caused the
warning light to come on, check to see that the parking
brake is fully released.
If the brake fluid level is low ...
At a safe place, test your brakes by starting and
stopping.
 If you judge that the brakes still work adequately, drive
cautiously to your nearest dealer or shop for repairs.
 If the brakes are not working, have the vehicle towed
in for repairs. (For towing information, see page 337.)

INTERIOR EQUIPMENT
92
LUGGAGE STOWAGEPRECAUTIONS
When stowing luggage or cargo in the vehicle,
observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when at all possible.
Be sure all items are secured in place.
 Be careful to keep the vehicle level. Placing the
weight as far forward as possible helps maintain
vehicle balance.
 For better fuel economy, do not carry unnecessary
weight.
CAUTION
Do not place anything on the filler panel behind the
rear seatback. Such items may be thrown about and
possibly injure people in the vehicle during sudden
braking or an accident.
 Do not drive with objects left on top of the instrument
panel. They may interfere with the driver's field of
view. Or they may move during sharp vehicle
acceleration or turning, and impair the driver's
control of the vehicle. In an accident they may injure
the vehicle occupants.

STARTING AND DRIVING
2664. 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 traveling at low speed, the
transmission will not shift into the overdrive gear even
with the overdrive switch on.
In ºDº 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 º(b) Using engine brakingº.

STARTING AND DRIVING
269
(c) Using the º2º and ºLº positions
The º2º and ºLº positions are used for strong engine
braking as described previously.
With the selector lever in º2º or ºLº, you can start the
vehicle in motion as with the lever in ºDº.
With the selector lever in º2º, the vehicle will start in the
first gear and automatically shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ºLº, the transmission is
engaged in the first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the engine. Watch thetachometer to keep engine rpm from going intothe red zone. The approximate maximumallowable speed for each position is givenabove for your reference.
º2º 128 km/h (80 mph) . . .
ºLº 70 km/h (43 mph) . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for
a long time in the º2º or ºLº position. This maycause severe automatic transmission damagefrom overheating. To prevent such damage,
ºDº position should be used in hill climbing orhard towing.

STARTING AND DRIVING
272
(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 thetransmission to overheat. Always use the brakepedal or parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,
then you may attempt to rock the vehicle free by moving
it forward and backward. Do not attempt this procedure
if people or objects are anywhere near the vehicle.
During the rocking operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or back as it becomes un±stuck, causing
injury or damage to nearby people or objects.

STARTING AND DRIVING
273
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the followingprecautions to prevent damage to thetransmission and other parts.
Do not depress the accelerator pedal whileshifting the selector lever or before thetransmission is completely shifted to forwardor reverse gear.
Do not race the engine and avoid spinning thewheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck after rocking thevehicle several times, consider other wayssuch as towing.
(h) If you cannot shift the selector lever out of ºPº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from ºPº position
even though the brake pedal is depressed, use the shift
lock override button. For instructions, see ºIf you cannot
shift automatic transmission selector leverº on page
346.

SECTION 3 ± 2
294
STARTING AND DRIVING
Driving tips
Break±in period295
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Operation in foreign countries 295
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Tips for driving in various conditions s 295. . . . . . . . . . . .
Winter driving tips 297
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Trailer towing 299
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How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer 309