2000 Lexus ES300 maintenance schedule

INTRODUCTION
ii
New vehicle warranty
Your new vehicle is covered by the following Lexus
limited warranties:

New vehicle warranty

Emission control systems warranty

Others
For further information, please refer to the ªOwner's
Guideº, ªOwner's Manual Supplementº or ªWarranty
Bookletº.
Your responsibility for maintenance
It is the owner's responsibility to make sure the specified
maintenance is performed. Section 5 of this Owner's
Manual gives details of these maintenance
requirements. Included in Section 6 is general
maintenance. For scheduled maintenance information,
please refer to the ªOwner's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Accessories, spare parts and
modification of your Lexus
A wide variety of non±genuine spare parts and
accessories for Lexus vehicles are currently available in
the market. You should know that Toyota does not
warrant these products and is not responsible for their
performance, repair, or replacement, or for any damage
they may cause to, or adverse effect they may have on, your Lexus vehicle.

AIR CONDITIONING
230On some models, the air conditioning filters are
behind the central instrument panel.
The air conditioning filter may clog after long use. The
filter may need to be replaced if the air flow of the air
conditioner
and heater experiences extreme reductions
in operating efficiency, or if the windows become to fog
up easily.
To maintain the air conditioning efficiency, inspect and
replace the air conditioning filter according to the
maintenance schedule. (For scheduled maintenance
information, please refer to the ªOwner's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.)
CAUTION
Be careful not to touch the hot heater radiator pipes.
20E208

STARTING AND DRIVING
274
To ensure that the three±way catalytic
converter and the entire emission controlsystem operate properly, your vehicle mustreceive the periodic inspections required bythe Lexus Maintenance Schedule. Forscheduled maintenance information, refer tothe ªOwner's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.ENGINE EXHAUST CAUTION

DRIVING TIPS
327
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 each 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 ªOwner'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.

DRIVING TIPS
333

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 si gnals
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 premature 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. 
Keep your vehicle tuned±up and in top shape. A
dirty air cleaner, improper valve clearance, dirty
plugs, dirty oil and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.
all lower engine performance and contribute to poor
fuel economy. For longer life of all parts and lower
operating costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under severe
conditions, see that your vehicle receives more
frequent maintenance. (For scheduled maintenance
information, please refer to the ªOwner's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.)

SECTION 5
373
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance requirements374
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General maintenance 376
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Does your vehicle need repairing? 379
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For scheduled maintenance information,
please refer to the ªOwner's ManualSupplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.

MAINTENANCE
374
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 day±to±day care is more
important than ever before to ensure smooth,
trouble±free, 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 day±to±day 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 ªOwner's
Manual Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº are those
required to be serviced at regular intervals.
For details of your maintenance schedule, read the
ªOwner's Manual Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
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 non±Lexus 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.

CHASSIS
413
SPECIFICATIONS
± AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLEFluid capacity Drain and refill
Fluid type
3.5 L (3.7 qt., 3.1 lmp. qt.)
Automatic transmission fluid Type T±IV*
*Change automatic transmission fluid only as
necessary. Generally, it is necessary to change
automatic transmission fluid only if your vehicle is driven
under one of the Special Operating Conditions listed in
your ªOwner's Manual Supplement/Maintenance
Scheduleº. When changing the automatic transmission
fluid, use only Toyota Genuine ATF Type T±IV (ATF
JWS3309 or NWS6500) to aid in assuring optimum
transaxle performance.NOTICE
Using automatic transmission fluid other than Toyota Genuine ATF Type T±IV may causedeterioration in shift quality, locking up of yourtransmission accompanied by vibration, andultimately damage the automatic transmission ofyour vehicle.