IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
288
(d) Emergency towing
SV41032
If towing is necessary, we recommend you to have it done
by your Lexus dealer or a commercial tow truck service.
If towing service is not available in an emergency, your
vehicle may be temporarily towed by a cable or chain
secured to the emergency towing eyelet. Use extreme
caution when towing the vehicle.
NOTICE
Only use specified towing eyelet; otherwise yourvehicle may be damaged.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it and operate the
brakes. Towing in this manner may be done only on hard±surfaced
roads
for a short distance and at low speeds. Also, the wheels,
axles, drive train, steering and brakes must all be in good
condition.
CAUTION
Use extreme caution when towing the vehicle. Avoid
sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which would
place excessive stress on the emergency towing eyelet
and towing cable or chain. The eyelet and towing cable
or chain may break and cause serious injury or damage.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifically intended for use in towing vehicles. Securely fasten the cable or chainto the towing eyelet provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake and put the
transmission in neutral (manual) or ºNº (automatic). The
ignition key must be in ºACCº (engine off) or ºONº (engine
running).
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the power assist for the
brakes and steering will not work so steering and
braking will be much harder than usual.
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IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
289
IF YOU CANNOT SHIFT
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER
SV04012
If you cannot shift the selector lever, use the shift lock
button as follows:
1Turn the ignition key to ºLOCKº or ºACCº. Make sure the
parking brake is applied. Pry up the cover with a
flat±bladed screwdriver or equivalent.
SV04013
2Insert your finger, the screwdriver or equivalent into the
hole to push down the shift lock override button. You can
shift the selector lever while pushing the button.
For your safety, keep the brake pedal depressed.
Be sure to have the system checked by your Lexus dealer as
soon as possible.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)
INTRODUCTION
302
DO±IT±YOURSELF 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 ºParts and toolsº on page 303.
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 the ignition is off if you work near the electric
cooling fan or radiator grille. With the ignition on, the
electric cooling fan may automatically start to run if
the air conditioning is on and/or if the coolant
temperature is high.
Use eye protection whenever you work on or under
your vehicle where you may be exposed to flying or
falling material, fluid spray, etc.
Be extremely cautious when working on the battery.
It contains poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)
INTRODUCTION
303
NOTICE
Remember that battery and ignition cables carry high
currents or voltages. Be careful of accidentally causing a short circuit.
Before closing the engine hood, check to see that you
have not forgotten any tools, rags, etc.
Do not drive with the air cleaner removed, or excessive engine wear could result. Also backfiringcould cause a fire in the engine compartment.
Do not overfill automatic transmission fluid, or thetransmission could be damaged.
Be careful not to scratch the glass surface with thewiper frame.
PARTS AND TOOLS
Here is a list of parts and tools you will need to perform
do±it±yourself maintenance. Remember all Lexus parts are
designed in metric sizes, so your tools must be metric.
CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
ºToyota Genuine Motor Oilº or equivalent
Oil grade: API grade SL ºEnergy±Conservingº or ILSAC
multigrade engine oil. For recommended oil viscosity, see
page 317.
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding oil)
CHECKING THE ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
ºToyota Genuine Long Life Coolantº or equivalent
See ºChecking the engine coolant levelº on page 319 for
instructions.
Demineralized or distilled water
Tools:
Funnel (only for adding coolant)
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)
ENGINE
310± COOLING SYSTEM
Capacity
7.5 L (7.9 qt., 6.6 lmp.qt.)
Coolant typeºToyota Genuine Long Life Coolantº or equivalent
With ethylene±glycol type coolant for a proper corrosion protection o\
f
aluminum components
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or plain water alone.
NOTE:
ºToyota Genuine Long Life Coolantº is filled in your Lexus vehicle. In order \
to avoid technical problems, we strongly recommend using
ºToyota Genuine Long Life Coolantº or equivalent. Please contact your \
Lexus dealer for further details.
± FUEL
Fuel type
Only UNLEADED
Octane rating91 (Research octane number 96) or higher
± IGNITION SYSTEMSpark plug ± Make DENSO ± Gap
SK16R±P11
1.1 mm (0.043 in.)
± ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery ± Open voltage at 20 C (68F):
Charging rates
12.7 V Fully charged
12.3 V Half charged
11.9 V Discharged
[Voltage that is checked 20 minutes after the key is removed with all the
lights turned off]
5A max.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)
ENGINE
313
FUEL PUMP SHUT OFF SYSTEM
The fuel pump shut off system stops supplying fuel to the
engine to minimize the risk of fuel leakage when the engine
stalls or an airbag inflates upon collision. To restart the engine
after the fuel pump shut off system activates, turn the ignition
switch to ºACCº or ºLOCKº once and start it.
CAUTION
Inspect the ground under the vehicle before restarting
the engine. If you find that liquid has leaked onto the
ground, it is the fuel system has been damaged and it is
in need of repair. In this case, do not restart the engine.
FACTS ABOUT ENGINE OILCONSUMPTION
Functions of engine oil
Engine oil has the primary function of lubricating and cooling
the inside of the engine, and plays a major role in maintaining
the engine in proper working order.
Engine oil consumption
It is normal that an engine should consume some engine
oil during normal engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as follows.
Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston rings and cylinders.
A thin film of oil is left on the cylinder wall when a piston
moves downwards in the cylinder. High negative pressure
generated when the vehicle is decelerating sucks some of
this oil into the combustion chamber. This oil as well as
some part of the oil film left on the cylinder wall is burned by
the high temperature combustion gases during the
combustion process.
Oil is also used to lubricate the stems of the intake valves.
Some of this oil is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is burned along with the fuel.
High temperature exhaust gases also burn the oil used to
lubricate the exhaust valve stems.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)
CHASSIS
329
CHECKING BRAKE FLUID
SV63001
To check the fluid level, simply look at the see±through
reservoir. The level should be between the ºMAXº and
ºMINº lines on the tank.
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go down slightly as the
brake pads wear or when the fluid level in the accumulator is
high.
If the reservoir needs frequent refilling, it may indicate a
serious mechanical problem.
If the level is low, add FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703
brake fluid to the brake reservoir.
Refilling brake fluid:
1. Turn the ignition switch off.
2. Depress the brake pedal more than 40 times.
3. Remove the reservoir cap by hand. Add brake fluid up to
the ºMAXº line.If you do not follow the procedure above, the reservoir may
overflow.
Use only newly opened brake fluid. Once opened, brake fluid
absorbs
moisture from the air, and excess moisture can cause
a dangerous loss of braking efficiency.
CAUTION
Take care when filling the reservoir because brake fluid
can harm your hands or eyes and damage painted
surfaces. If fluid gets in your eyes, flush your eyes with
clean water immediately. If you still feel uncomfortable
with your eyes, go to the doctor.
NOTICE
If you spill some of the fluid, be sure to wipe it off to prevent it from damaging the parts or paintwork.
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)
ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
346
No.FUSEAMPERECIRCUIT
1 D FR P/W20Power window system
2 TAIL10Tail lights, Side marker lights,
License plate lights,
Parking lights
3 GAUGE10
Back±up lights, Power window,
Gauges and meters,
Service reminder indicators and
buzzers,
Emergency flashers,
Windshield defogger,
Outside rear view mirror
defogger
4 DOOR20Door lock system
5 PANEL7.5
Instrument panel lights,
Seat heater, Cigarette lighter,
Automatic transmission system,
Traction control system,
Rear fog light, Ashtray light
6 WASHER15Windshield washer,
Headlight cleaner
7 STARTER7.5Starting system
8 FR DEF20Windshield wiper deicer
9 A/C10Air conditioning system
10 SEAT HTR15Seat heater
11 CIG15Cigarette lighter, Power outlet
12 S/ROOF30Moon roof
No.FUSEAMPERECIRCUIT
13 ECU±IG10
Radiator fan,
Anti±lock brake system,
Moon roof, Shift lock system,
Air conditioning system,
Door lock system,
Headlight beam level control,
Theft deterrent system
14 SRS±ACC10SRS system
15 STOP15Stop lights, Shift lock system,
Anti±lock brake system
16 WIPER25Windshield wipers
17 RADIONO.210Audio, Air conditioning,
Outside rear view mirror,
Shift lock system
18 DOOR DL15Power seat system
19 DOME7.5
Interior lights, Trunk light,
Vanity lights,
Ignition switch light, Map light,
Door courtesy lights
20 FR FOG15Fog lights
21 P FR P/W20Power window system
22 PWR
OUTLET15Power outlets
23 ECU±B27.5Theft deterrent system,
Door lock system
24 D RR P/W20Power window system
25 MIR HTR15Outside rear view mirror
2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)