2003 Lexus ES300 start car

DRIVING TIPS
253
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is suitable for the cold
weather.
See page 314 for recommended viscosity. Leaving a heavy
summer oil in your vehicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about which oil to use, call
your Lexus dealer
− they will be pleased to help.
Check the electronic ignition system for loose
connections or obvious damage.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de −icer or glycerine into the locks to keep them from
freezing.
Use a washer fluid containing an antifreeze solution.
This product is available at your Lexus dealer and most auto
parts stores. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for how
much to mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any other substitute
because it may damage your vehicle’s paint.
Do not use your parking brake when there is a possibility
it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into “P” and block the rear
wheels. Do not use the parking brake, or snow or water
accumulated in and around the parking brake mechanism may
freeze the parking brake, making it hard to release. Keep ice
and snow from accumulating under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders can make steering
difficult. During bad winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving, we recommend you
carry some emergency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the vehicle are tire chains,
window scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.

DRIVING TIPS
258
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 “Owner’s Manual Supplement/
Scheduled Maintenance”.
 Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after
approximately 1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
Pretowing 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 regulations. If they do not, install
required rear view mirrors appropriate for towing purposes.
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
vehicle −trailer 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,
vehicle −to −vehicle 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.

DRIVING TIPS
259

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. 
Because of the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s
engine may overheat on hot days (at temperatures over
30 C [85 F]) when going up a long or steep grade with a
trailer. If the engine coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air conditioning (if in
use), pull your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot.
See “If your vehicle overheats” on page 269.
 Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer
wheels when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. Put
the transmission in “P”. Avoid parking on a slope with a
trailer, but if it cannot be avoided, do so only after performing
the following:
1. Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle
and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into “P” and turn off the engine.
When restarting out after parking on a slope:
1. With the transmission in “P” position, start the engine. Be
sure to keep the brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the “3”, “2”, “L” or “R” position.

DRIVING TIPS
2603. Release the
parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull
or back away from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply your
brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.
CAUTION
 Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing
speed limit, whichever is lower. Because instability
(swaying) of a towing vehicletrailer combination
usually increases as the speed increases, exceeding
72 km/h (45 mph) may cause loss of control.
 Slow down and downshift before descending steep
or long downhill grades. Do not make sudden
downshifts.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or too
frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat
and result in reduced braking efficiency.
HOW TO SAVE FUEL AND MAKE
YOUR VEHICLE LAST LONGER
Improving fuel economy is easy − just take it easy. It will help
make your vehicle last longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and repairs:
 Keep your tires inflated at the correct pressure. Check
the pressure every two weeks, or at least once a month.
Underinflation causes tire wear and wastes fuel.
 Do not carry unneeded weight in your vehicle. Excess
weight puts a heavier load on the engine, causing greater
fuel consumption.
 Avoid lengthy warmup idling. Once the engine is
running smoothly, begin driving − but gently. Remember,
however, that on cold winter days this may take a little
longer.
 Always drive with the automatic transmission selector
lever in the “D” position when engine braking is not
required. Driving with the overdrive off will reduce the fuel
economy. (For details, see “Automatic transmission” on
page 227.)
 Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Avoid jackrabbit starts.
 Avoid long engine idling. If you have a long wait and you
are not in traffic, it is better to turn off the engine and start
again later.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
268
CAUTION
When making the connections, to avoid serious injury,
do not lean over the battery or accidentally let the
jumper cables or clamps touch anything except the
correct battery terminals or the ground.
5. Start your engine in the normal way. After starting, run it at
about 2000 rpm for several minutes with the accelerator pedal
lightly depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order:
the negative cable and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover cloths which may now
contain sulfuric acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is not apparent (for
example, lights left on), you should have it checked at your
Lexus dealer.
IF YOU CANNOT INCREASE THE ENGINE SPEED
If the engine speed does not increase with the accelerator
pedal depressed down, there may be a problem somewhere
in your electronic throttle control system.
At this time, vibration may occur. However, if you depress the
accelerator pedal more firmly and slowly, you can drive your
vehicle at low speeds. Have your vehicle checked by your
Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic throttle control system
is corrected during low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and the ignition key is
turned to “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erroneous pedal
operation.

INTRODUCTION
298
DOITYOURSELF SERVICEPRECAUTIONS
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 do −it−yourself 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 do −it −yourself
maintenance, see “Parts and tools” on page 299.
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.
 Do not get under your vehicle with just the body jack
supporting it. Always use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.
 Be sure that the ignition is off if you work near the
electric cooling fans or radiator grille. With the
ignition on, the electric cooling fans will
automatically start to run if the engine coolant
temperature is high and/or the air conditioning is on.
 Use eye protection whenever you work on or under
your vehicle where you may be exposed to flying or
falling material, fluid spray, etc.

ENGINE
309
Cleaner burning gasoline
Cleaner burning gasoline, including reformulated
gasoline that contains oxygenates such as ethanol or
MTBE is available in many areas.
Lexus recommends the use of cleaner burning gasoline and
appropriately blended reformulated gasoline. These types of
gasoline provide excellent vehicle performance, reduce
vehicle emissions, and improve air quality.
Oxygenates in gasoline
Lexus allows the use of oxygenate blended gasoline
where the oxygenate content is up to 10% ethanol or 15%
MTBE. If you use gasohol in your Lexus, be sure that it has
an octane rating no lower than 87.
Lexus does not recommend the use of gasoline containing
methanol.
Gasoline containing MMT
Some gasoline contain an octane enhancing additive
called MMT (Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese
Tricarbonyl).
Lexus does not recommend the use of gasoline that contains
MMT. If fuel containing MMT is used, your emission control
system may be adversely affected. The Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on the instrument cluster may come on. If this happens,
contact your Lexus dealer for service.
Gasoline quality
In a very few cases, you may exper ience driveability problems
caused by the particular gasoline that you are using. If you
continue to have unacceptable driveability, try changing
gasoline brands. If this does not rectify your problem, then
consult your Lexus dealer.
NOTICE
 Do not use gasohol other than stated above. It will
cause fuel system damage or vehicle performance
problems.
 If drivability problems are encountered (poor hot
starting, vaporizing, engine knock, etc.), discontinue
its use.
 Take care not to spill gasohol during refueling.
Gasohol may cause paint damage.
Fuel tank capacity
70 L (18.5 gal., 15.4 lmp. gal.)

ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
340
No.FUSEAMPERECIRCUIT
45 AM15Starting system
46 FOG15Front fog lights
47 SUN
SHADE15Rear sunshade
48 GAUGE210
Auto anti −glare inside rear
view mirror, compass, back −up
lights, automatic light control
system, automatic headlight
leveling system, cruise control
system, seat belt reminder
lights
49 PANEL10
Glove box light, console box
light, clock, outside
temperature gauge,
multi− information display,
instrument cluster lights,
instrument panel lights,
overdrive −off indicator light
50 TAIL10Tail lights, parking lights,
license plate lights
51 PWR NO.420Rear passenger’s power
window (left side)
No.FUSEAMPERECIRCUIT
52 PWR NO.220Front passenger’s door lock
system, front passenger’s
power window
53 OBD7.5On −board diagnosis system
54 SEAT
HTR20Seat heaters
55 WASHER15Windshield washer
56 FA NRLY10Electric cooling fans
57 STOP15Stop lights, high mounted stop-
light
58 FUEL
OPEN5Fuel filler door opener
59 DOOR NO.225
Multiplex communication
system (power door lock
system, auto −door locking
system, wireless remote
control system)
60 AMP25Car audio system
61 PWR NO.320Rear passenger’s power
window (right side)