2003 Lexus ES300 parking brake

Finish
GAUGES, METERS AND SERVICE REMINDER INDICATORS
58
How to check all the service reminder
indicators
(except the low fuel level warning light and low washer
fluid warning light):
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open the door.
The following service reminder indicator should come on. It
goes off when you close the door completely.
3. Turn the ignition key to “ON”.
The following service reminder indicators should come on.
or

or

w069
The following service reminder indicators go off after a few
seconds.
or
w069
The following service reminder indicator goes off after 6
seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warning buzzer does not
function as described above, have it checked by your Lexus
dealer as soon as possible.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
100
POWER ADJUSTABLE PEDALS
To adjust the position of the accelerator and brake pedals,
push the switch.
The ignition key must be in the “ON” position with the automatic
transmission selector lever in the “P” position.
To move the pedals toward the front of the vehicle: Push the
“
” side of the switch.
To move the pedals back toward you: Push the “
” side of the
switch.
The accelerator and brake pedals will move simultaneously. When you set your driving position:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Move the accelerator and brake pedals to the front most
position.
3. Adjust the seat position
and steering wheel angle properly.
(See pages 95 and 99.)
4. Move the pedals tow ard you until you can fully depress the
brake pedal.
5. After adjusting, depress the pedals a few times to get used
to the feel.
CAUTION
 Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while the
pedals are moving. It may cause racing of the engine
or sudden acceleration.
 Make sure that you can fully depress the brake pedal
before driving. Otherwise, you may not be able to
hold down the brake pedal firmly in an emergency
stop.

SECTION 3 – 1
221
STARTING AND DRIVING
Starting and driving
Three−way catalytic converter222
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Engine exhaust caution 223
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Before starting the engine 224
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Ignition switch with steering lock 225
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Parking brake 226
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. . . . . .
How to start the engine 226
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Automatic transmission 227
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Cruise control 234
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Electronic modulated suspension 237
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Traction control system 237
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Vehicle skid control system 240
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Brake system 242
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 246
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Types of tires 246
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. . . . . . .

STARTING AND DRIVING
226
PARKING BRAKE
To set: Hold the regular brake pedal down with your right
foot. Push down the parking brake pedal with your left
foot.
To release: Hold the regular brake pedal down with your
right foot and push the parking brake pedal with your left
foot. When you lift your left foot, the parking brake pedal
will follow it to the released position.
Before leaving your vehicle, firmly apply the parking brake.
CAUTION
Before driving, make sure the parking brake is fully
released and that the parking brake reminder light is off.
HOW TO START THE ENGINE
Before cranking
1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Put the selector lever in “P”. If you need to restart the engine
while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in “N”. A
starter safety device will prevent the starter from operating if
the selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it to the floor until driving
off.
Starting the engine
Before starting the engine, be sure to follow the instructions in
“Before cranking”.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/sequential multiport fuel
injection system in your engine automatically controls the
proper air −fuel mixture for starting. You can start a cold or hot
engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, crank the engine by
turning the key to “START”. Release it when the engine starts.
2. After the engine runs for about 10 seconds, you are ready
to drive.

STARTING AND DRIVING
2303. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress
the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in first gear and
automatically shift up to the most suitable gear. On inclines,
declines or
winding roads, etc., the vehicle shifts up and down
automatically according to the running conditions to obtain the
suitable driving power and engine braking.
When the lever is in the “4” 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, depress the
accelerator pedal to the full throttle position. This provides
more acceleration by auto matically downshifting the
transmission to the next lower gear or beyond, depending on
the vehicle speed.
If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill,
see “(b) Using engine braking”.
(b) Using engine braking
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the
transmission in the way described below:
1 Shift into the “4” position. The transmission will downshift
to fourth gear and engine braking will be enabled.
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from “D” to “4”, engine braking will not be
applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. If you
need to decrease the vehicle speed, see page 236.
2 Shift into the “3” position. The transmission will downshift
to third gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower
than 147 km/h (91 mph) and more powerful engine
braking will be enabled.

STARTING AND DRIVING
232
(d) Backing up
 1Brake pedal 2“R” (Reverse) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
(e) Parking
 1 Brake pedal 2Parking brake pedal
3“P” (Park) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Depress the parking brake fully to securely apply the
parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “P” position.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector lever into “P” under
any circumstances while the vehicle is moving. Serious
mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control may
result.

STARTING AND DRIVING
233
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up and down between
fourth and overdrive gears when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “4” position. Be sure to shift the
selector lever to the “D” position 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
Always use the brake pedal or the parking brake to hold
the vehicle on an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold the
vehicle using the accelerator pedal, as this can cause
the transmission to overheat.
(g) 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 284.

STARTING AND DRIVING
245
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the anti
−lock brake system, the brake
assist system, the traction control system and the vehicle skid
control system do 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 anti− lock brake system does not
operate so that the wheels could lock up during a sudden
braking or braking on slippery road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions occurs, this indicates
a malfunction somewhere in the parts monitored by the
warning light. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.
 The light does not come on when the ignition key is turned
to the “ON” position, or remains on.
 The light comes on while you are driving.
A warning light turning on briefly during operation does not
indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the “ABS” warning light remains on together with the
brake system warning light, immediately stop your
vehicle at a safe place and contact your Lexus dealer.
In this case, not only the antilock brake system will fail
but also the vehicle will become extremely unstable
during braking.
Drumindisc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum−in−disc type parking brake system.
This type of brake system needs bedding −down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking brake shoes
and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Lexus dealer perform the bedding −down.
Brake assist system (vehicles with vehicle
skid control system)
When you slam the brakes on, the brake assist system
judges as an emergency stop and provides more powerful
braking for a driver who cannot hold down the brake pedal
firmly.
When you slam the brakes on, more powerful braking will be
applied. At this time, you may hear a sound in the engine
compartment and feel the vibrations of the brake pedal. This
does not indicate a malfunction.
The brake assist 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).
For an explanation of this system’s warning light, see “ABS
warning light” on page 55.