2005 Lexus ES330 ECU

DRIVING TIPS
288
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 whe el 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
293
CARGO AND LUGGAGE
Stowage precautions
When stowing cargo and luggage in the vehicle,
observe the following:
Put cargo and luggage in the trunk when at all
possible. Be sure all items are secured in place.
 Be careful to keep the vehicle level. Placing the
weight as far forward as possible helps maintain
vehicle balance.
 For better fuel economy, do not carry unnecessary
weight.
CAUTION
Do not place anything on the package tray
behind the rear seatback. Such items may
be thrown about and possibly injure people
in the vehicle during sudden braking or an
accident.
Do not drive with objects left on top of the
instrument panel. They may interfere with the
driver’s field of view. Or they may move
during sharp vehicle acceleration or turning,
and impair the driver’s control of the vehicle.
In an accident they may injure the vehicle
occupants.
Capacity and distribution
Cargo capacity depends on the total weight of the
occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load capacity) – (Total weight
of occupants)
Steps for determining correct load limit
1. Locate the statement “The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX
pounds” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and
passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
307
1 Joint
2When removing the jack, turn the joint by hand
in the “contract” direction until the jack is free.
3When storing, turn the joint by hand in the
“expand” direction until the jack is firmly secured
to prevent it from flying forward during a collision
or sudden braking.
To remove the spare tire:
1Remove the spare tire cover.
2Loosen the bolt and remove it.
When storing the spare tire, place it with the inner
side of the wheel facing up. Then bolt the tire in place
and install the spare tire cover to prevent the tire from
flying forward during a collision or sudden braking.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
313
9. Lower the vehicle completely and tighten the
wheel nuts.
Turn the jack handle counterclockwise to lower the
vehicle.
Use only the wheel nut wrench to tighten the nuts.
Do not use other tools or any additional leverage other
than your hands, such as a hammer, pipe or your foot.
Make sure the wrench is securely engaged over the
nut.
Tighten each nut a little at a time in the order shown.
Repeat the process until all the nuts are tight.
CAUTION
When lowering the vehicle, make sure all
portions of your body and all other persons
around will not be injured as the vehicle is
lowered to the ground.
 Have the wheel nuts tightened with torque
wrench to 103 N·m (10.5 kgf·m, 76 ft·lbf), as
soon as possible after changing wheels.
Otherwise, the nuts may loosen and the
wheels may fall off, which could cause a
serious accident.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
314
10. After changing the wheel, check the air
pressure of the replaced tire. Stow all the tools,
jack and flat tire securely.
If the pressure of the replaced tire is low, drive slowly
to the nearest service station and fill to the correct
pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire valve cap as dirt and
moisture could get into the valve core and possibly
cause air leakage. If the cap is missing, put a new
one on as soon as possible.
This is the same procedure for changing or rotating
your tires.
CAUTION
Before driving, make sure all the tools, jack and
flat tire are securely in place in their storage
location to reduce the possibility of personal
injury during a collision or sudden braking.
IF YOUR VEHICLE BECOMESSTUCK
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.
Vehicles with traction control system — Turn off the
traction control system to become unstuck to allow the
tires to spin enough to remove the vehicle from the
obstruction. (For details, see “Traction control system”
on page 269.)
CAUTION
Do not attempt to rock the vehicle free by moving it
forward and backward 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.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
319
(c) Towing with a sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with a sling type truck, either from the front
or rear. This may cause body damage.
(d) Emergency towing
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.
To install the front towing eyelet, see “(e) Installing front towing
eyelet” on page 320.
NOTICE
 Only use specified towing eyelet; otherwise your
vehicle may be damaged.
 Never tow a vehicle from the rear with four wheels on
the ground. This may cause serious damage to the
transmission.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
320A 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 chain
to the towing eyelet provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake and put the
transmission in “N”. The ignition key must be in “ACC” (engine
off) or “ON” (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.
(e) Installing front towing eyelet
1. Remove the front towing eyelet cover on the front bumper
using a flat−bladed screwdriver. To protect the bodywork,
place a piece of rag over the cover.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
321
2. Use the front towing eyelet in the trunk. Secure it to the hole
on the bumper by turning clockwise. (For the eyelet location,
see page 306.)3. Tighten the front towing eyelet securely by a wheel nut
wrench.
CAUTION
When installing the eyelet on the vehicle, be sure to
tighten the front eyelet securely. If the eyelet is loose,
it may come off when being towed and result in death or
serious injury.