2002 Lexus ES300 brake

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(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 backward as it becomes unstuck,
causing injury or damage to nearby people or objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the following
precautions to prevent damage to the transmission and
other parts.
 Do not depress the accelerator pedal while shifting
the selector lever or before the transmission is
completely shifted to forward or reverse gear.
 Do not race the engine and avoid spinning the
wheels.
 If your vehicle remains stuck after rocking the vehicle
several times, consider other ways such as towing.
(h) If you cannot shift the selector lever
If you cannot shift the selector lever even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock override button. For
instructions, see “If you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” on page 276.

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Setting operation
Each function is described below.
1Setting at a desired speed
The transmission must be in “D” before you set the cruise
control speed.
Bring the vehicle to the desired speed, press the control lever
downward in the “SET/COAST” direction and release it. This
sets the vehicle at that speed. Now you may take your foot off
the accelerator pedal. If you need acceleration for example,
when passing depress the accelerator pedal enough for the
vehicle to exceed the set speed. When you release the
accelerator pedal, the vehicle will return to the speed set prior
to the acceleration.
2 Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by either of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever in the “CANCEL” direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph), the
preset speed will be automatically cancelled.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10 mph) below the preset
speed, the preset speed will also automatically be cancelled.
If the preset speed automatically cancels out for other than
these reasons, have your vehicle checked by your Lexus
dealer at the earliest opportunity.
3 Resetting to a faster speed
Press the control lever upward in the “RES/ACC” direction and
hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained.
While the lever is held upward, the vehicle will gradually gain
speed.
When the difference between the actual ve hicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can be
increased 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever upward in the “RES/ACC” direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to accelerate the vehicle
and then press the control lever downward in the
“SET/COAST” direction.

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4Resetting to a slower speed
Press the control lever down ward in the “SET/COAST”
direction and hold it. Release the lever when the desired
speed is attained. While the lever is held downward, the
vehicle speed will gradually decrease.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can be
lowered 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever downward in the “SET/COAST” direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to depress the brake pedal
and then press the control lever downward in the
“SET/COAST” direction.
Even if you turn off the overdrive switch with the cruise control
on, engine braking will not be applied because the cruise
control is not cancelled. To decrease the vehicle speed, reset
to a slower speed with the cruise control lever or depress the
brake pedal. If you use the brake pedal, cruise control is
cancelled.
5 Resuming the preset speed
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling the control lever or
by depressing the brake pedal, pushing the lever up in the
“RES/ACC” direction will restore the speed set prior to
cancellation. However, once the vehicle speed falls below
about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset speed will not be resumed.
Cruise control failure warning
If the “CRUISE” indicator light in the instrument cluster flashes
when using the cruise control , push the main switch to turn the
system off and then push it again to turn it on.
If any of the following conditions then occurs, there is some
trouble in the cruise control system. Contact your Lexus dealer
and have your Lexus inspected.
 The indicator light does not come on.
 The indicator light flashes again.
 The indicator light goes out after it comes on.

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Normal driving mode
Slip indicator light
Leave the system on during the ordinary driving so that it
can operate when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle is
started. This means that the traction control system is in the
selfcheck mode, but does not indicate a malfunction.
When the traction control system is operating, the following
conditions occur:
 The system controls the spinning of the front wheels. At this
time, the slip indicator light blinks.
 You may feel vibration or noise in your vehicle, caused by
operation of the brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly. The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition key is turned to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.
Traction control off mode
If your wheels get stuck in a ditch when you are driving on
a severe off road and sand, turn off the traction control
system. This system that controls engine performance
interferes with the process of freeing your wheels.
To turn off: Push “TRAC OFF” switch.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come on.
The vehicle skid control system is always activated, even if the
traction control system is turned off.
To turn on: Push “TRAC OFF” switch once again.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will go off.

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VEHICLE SKID CONTROL SYSTEM
The vehicle skid control system helps provide integrated
control of the systems such as antilock brake system,
traction control, engine control, etc. This system
automatically controls the brakes and engine to help
prevent the vehicle from skidding when cornering on a
slippery road surface or operating steering wheel
abruptly.
The system will activate when your vehicle speed reaches or
exceeds 15 km/h (9 mph), and will deactivate when the vehicle
speed reduced to below 15 km/h (9 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle is
started. This means that the s ystem is in the selfcheck mode
but does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
 Do not rely excessively on the vehicle skid control
system. Even if the vehicle skid control system is
operating, you must always drive carefully and
attentively to avoid serious injury. Reckless driving
will result in an unexpected accident. If the slip
indicator light blinks, sounding an alarm, special
care should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The size,
manufacture, brand and tread pattern for all 4 tires
should be the same. If you use the tires other than
specified, or different type or size, the vehicle skid
control system may not function correctly. When
replacing the tires or wheels, contact your Lexus
dealer.
 In situations where the road surface is covered with
ice or snow, your vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
Slip indicator light
If the vehicle is going to skid during driving, the slip indicator
light blinks and an alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition key is turned to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.

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“VSC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem somewhere in the
vehicle skid control system or the traction control system.
The light will come on when the ignition key is turned to “ON”
and will go off after a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, the system does not work.
However, as conventional braking operates when applied,
there is no problem to continue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:
The warning light does not come on after the ignition key is
turned to “ON”.
 The warning light remains on after the ignition key is turned
to “ON”.
 The warning light comes on while driving. The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come on when the “VSC”
warning light comes on even if the “TRAC OFF” switch is not
pushed.
BRAKE SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake system is a hydraulic
system
with two separate subsystems. If either subsystem
should fail, the other will still work. However, the pedal will be
harder to press, and your stopping distance will be longer.
Also, the brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a single brake
system. Have your brakes fixed immediately.
Brake booster
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to powerassist the
brakes. If the engine should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal pedal pressure. There
is enough reserved vacuum for one or two stops but no more!
CAUTION
 Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the pedal uses up your reserved
vacuum.

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Even if the power assist is completely lost, the brakes
will still work. But you will have to push the pedal
hard, much harder than normal. And your braking
distance will be longer.
Antilock brake system
The antilock brake system is designed to help prevent
lockup of the wheels during a sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces. This assists in providing
directional stability and steering performance of the
vehicle under these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake pedal: When the
antilock brake system function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise. In this situation, to
let the antilock brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not pump the brake in a
panic stop. This will result in reduced braking performance.
The antilock brake system becomes operative after the
vehicle has accelerated to a speed in excess of approximately
10 km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the vehicle
decelerates to a speed below approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery road surfaces such as
on the manhole cover, the steel plate under the construction,
joints in the bridge, etc. on a rainy day tends to activate the
antilock brake system. You may hear a click or motor sound in the engine
compartment for
a few seconds when the engine is started or
just after the vehicle is started. This means that the antilock
brake system is in the selfcheck mode, and does not indicate
a malfunction.
When the antilock brake system is activated, the
following conditions may occur. They do not indicate a
malfunction of the system:
 You may hear the antilock brake system operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsating and the vibrations of the vehicle
body and steering wheel. You may also hear the motor
sound in the engine compartment even after the vehicle is
stopped.
 At the end of the antilock brake system activation, the
brake pedal may move a little forward.
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the antilock brake system:
Although the antilock brake system assists in
providing vehicle control, it is still important to drive
with all due care and maintain a moderate speed and
safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, because
there are limits to the vehicle stability and effectiveness
of steering wheel operation even with the antilock
brake system on.

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If tires grip performance exceeds its capability, or if
hydroplaning occurs during high speed driving in the
rain, the antilock brake system does not provide
vehicle control.
Antilock brake system is not designed to shorten the
stopping distance: Always drive at the moderate speed
and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of
you. Compared with vehicles without an antilock
brake system, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:
 Driving on rough, gravel or snowcovered roads.
 Driving with tire chains installed.
 Driving over the steps such as the joints on the road.
 Driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or
has other differences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at appropriate
pressure: The antilock brake system detects vehicle
speeds using the speed sensors for respective wheels’
turning speeds. The use of tires other than specified
may fail to detect the accurate turning speed resulting
in a longer stopping distance.“ABS” warning light
 1 U.S.A. 2 Canada
Vehicles without vehicle skid control system—
The light comes on when the ignition key is turned to the “ON”
position. If the antilock brake system works properly, the light
turns off after a few seconds. Thereafter, if either of the
systems malfunctions, the light comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the antilock brake system does not
operate, but the brake system still operates conventionally.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the antilock brake system does not
operate so that the wheels could lock up during a sudden
braking or braking on slippery road surfaces.