2004 Lexus ES330 key

STARTING AND DRIVING
268
BEFORE STARTING THE ENGINE
1. Check the area around the vehicle before entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, seat cushion angle,
seat cushion height, head restraint height and steering wheel
angle.
3. Vehicles with power adjustable pedals Ð Adjust the position
of the accelerator and brake pedals.
4. Adjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
5. Lock all doors.
6. Fasten seat belts.
Remember to check that the service reminder indicators
function when turning the key to ONº, and check the fuel
gauge to see that you have sufficient fuel.
IGNITION SWITCH WITH STEERING
LOCK
STARTº Ð Starter motor on. The key will return to the
ONº position when released.
For starting tips, see page 270.
ONº Ð Engine on and all accessories on.
This is the normal driving position.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ONº position if the engine
is not running. The battery will discharge and the
electronic ignition system could be damaged.
ACCº Ð Accessories such as the radio operate, but the
engine is off.If you leave the key in the ACCº or LOCKº position and open
the driver's door, a buzzer will remind you to remove the key.

STARTING AND DRIVING
269
LOCKº Ð Engine is off and the steering wheel is locked.
The ignition key can be removed only at this position.
To turn the ignition switch from ACCº to the LOCKº position,
you must put the transmission selector lever in the Pº position.
Once you remove the key, the engine immobilizer system is
automatically set. See Engine immobilizer systemº on page
16.
When starting the engine, the key may seem stuck at the
LOCKº position. To free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering wheel slightly while
turning the key gently.
If, in an emergency, you must turn the engine off while the
vehicle is moving, turn the key only to ACCº.
PARKING BRAKE

1U.S.A.2Canada
To set: Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot.
Push down the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
To release: Hold the 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.
To remind you that the parking brake is set, the parking brake
reminder light in the instrument panel remains on until you
release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Before driving, make sure the parking brake is fully
released and that the parking brake reminder light is off.

STARTING AND DRIVING
270
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 Pº. If you need to restart the engine
while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in Nº. 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 crankingº.
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:
With your foot off the accelerator pedal, crank the engine by
turning the key to STARTº. Release it when the engine starts.
Engine should be warmed up by driving, not in idle. For
warming up, drive with smoothly turning engine until engine
coolant temperature is within normal range.If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct procedure given in normal
starting.
If the engine will not start...
See If your vehicle will not startº on page 315.

STARTING AND DRIVING
272
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Your automatic transmission has a shift lock system to
minimize the possibility of incorrect operation. This
means you can only shift out of Pº position when the
brake pedal is depressed with the ignition switch in ONº
position. ()
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31E158

The shift position is displayed on the instrument
cluster.
P:Parking, engine starting and key removal position
R:Reverse position
N:Neutral position
D:Normal driving position (shifting into overdrive possible)
4:Position for engine braking (shifting into overdrive not
possible)
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from Dº to 4º, engine braking will not be
enabled because the cruise control is not cancelled. For
the operation to decrease the vehicle speed, see page
281.
3, 2:Position for more powerful engine braking
L:Position for maximum engine braking

STARTING AND DRIVING
273 Correct use of the automatic transmission is explained in
the following parts.
(a) Normal driving
(b) Using engine braking
(c) Using the 3º, 2º and Lº positions
(d) Backing up
(e) Parking
(f) Good driving practice
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever
(a) Normal driving

1Pº (Park) position2Nº (Neutral) position
1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the
engineº on page 270.
The transmission must be in Pº or Nº. The engine will not start
in any drive position even if the ignition key is turned to
STARTº.

STARTING AND DRIVING
280
Turning the system on
To operate the cruise control, push the main switch. This turns
the system on. The indicator light in the instrument cluster
shows that you can now set your desired cruising speed.
Another push on the switch will turn the system completely off.
When the ignition key is turned off, the main switch is also
automatically turned off. To use the cruise control again, push
the main switch again to turn it on.
CAUTION
To avoid accidental cruise control engagement, keep
the main switch off when not using the cruise control.
Setting operation

Each function is described below.
1Setting at a desired speed
The transmission must be in Dº before you set the cruise
control speed.
Bring the vehicle to the desired speed, press the control lever
downward in the SET/COASTº 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 Ð for example,
when passing Ð 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.

STARTING AND DRIVING
283
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
The traction control system automatically helps prevent
the spinning of front wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition key is turned to ONº, the system
automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road conditions, full traction of
the vehicle and power against front wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction control system is
in operation. Do not drive the vehicle under any speed
or maneuvering conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. In situations where the
road surface is covered with ice or snow, your vehicle
should be fitted with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious speed for the
present road conditions.
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
begins to move. This means that the traction control system
is in the self-check 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.

STARTING AND DRIVING
284The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition key is turned to ONº. 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 OFFº switch.
The TRAC OFFº indicator light will come on.
The vehicle stability control system is always activated, even
if the traction control system is turned off.To turn on: Push TRAC OFFº switch once again.
The TRAC OFFº indicator light will go off.
TRAC OFFº indicator light comes on for a few seconds when
the ignition key is turned to ONº. It will come on again when
you push the TRAC OFFº switch to turn off the system.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:
The indicator light does not come on when the ignition key
is turned to ONº.
The indicator light remains on after the ignition is turned on.
The indicator light comes on with the normal driving mode
while driving.