2005 Lexus ES330 trailer

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
289

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
30C [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 303.
 Always pl ace 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
2903. 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 260.)
 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.

DRIVING TIPS
292
VEHICLE LOAD LIMITS
Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating
capacity, towing capacity and cargo capacity. Follow
the load limits shown below.
Total load capacity: 410 kg (900 lb.)
Total load capacity means combined weight of
occupants, cargo and luggage. Tongue load is
included when trailer towing.
Seating capacity: Total 5 (Front 2, Rear 3)
Seating capacity means the maximum number of
occupants whose estimated average weight is 68 kg
(150 lb.) per person. Depending on the weight of
person, the seating capacity given may exceed the
total load capacity.
NOTICE
Even if the number of occupants are within the
seating capacity, do not exceed the total load
capacity.
Towing capacity: 907 kg (2000 lb.)
Towing capacity means the maximum gross trailer
weight (trailer weight plus its cargo weight) that your
vehicle is able to tow.
Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending
on the size (weight) and the number of occupants.
For details, see “Capacity and distribution” that
follows.
CAUTION
Do not apply the load more than each load limit.
That may cause not only damage to the tires,
but also deterioration to the steering ability and
braking ability, which may cause an accident.

DRIVING TIPS
294
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of
cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
“XXX” amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five
150 lb. passengers in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 – 750 (5 x 150) = 650 lbs).
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and
cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That weight may
not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
For details about trailer towing, see page 284.Example on your vehicle
1Cargo capacity
2Total load capacity
In case that 2 people with the combined weight of
166 kg (366 lb.) are riding in your vehicle with the
total load capacity of 410 kg (900 lb.), the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity will be
as follows:
410 kg – 166 kg = 244 kg.
(900 lb. – 366 lb. = 534 lb.)
From this condition, if 3 more passengers with the
combined weight of 176 kg (388 lb.) get on, the
available cargo and luggage load will be reduced as
follows:
244 kg – 176 kg = 68 kg.
(534 lb. – 388 lb. = 146 lb.)

CHASSIS
363
— TIRES AND WHEELS (type B)Tire size
P215/55R17 93V
Tire inflation pressure Recommended cold tire inflation
pressure Normal driving
Trailer towing
Front 210 kPa (2.1 kgf/cm2 or bar, 30 psi)
Rear 210 kPa (2.1 kgf/cm2 or bar, 30 psi)
For sustained high speeds above 160 km/h (99 mph), in
countries where such speeds are permitted by law, add 30
kPa (0.3 kgf/cm
2 or bar, 4 psi) to the front tires and rear
tires, but never exceed the maximum cold tire inflation
pressure molded on the tire sidewall.
Front 220 kPa (2.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar, 32 psi)
Rear 220 kPa (2.2 kgf/cm2 or bar, 32 psi)
Wheel size17  7 JJ
Wheel nut torque103 N·m (10.5 kgf·m, 76 ft·lbf)
NOTE:
For a complete information on tires (e.g. replacing tires or replacing \
wheels), see “Checking tire inflation pressure”
through “Aluminum wheel precautions” on pages 366 through 386.

BODY
410
SPECIFICATIONS
— DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHTOverall length
4855 mm (191.1 in.)
Overall width1810 mm (71.3 in.)
Overall height1455 mm (57.3 in.)*
Wheelbase2720 mm (107.1 in.)
Tread — Front — Rear1545 mm (60.8 in.)
1535 mm (60.4 in.)
Vehicle capacity weight
(occupants + luggage)410 kg (900 lb.)
Towing capacity
(trailer weight + cargo weight)907 kg (2000 lb.)
*: Unladen vehicle
— FUEL TANK
Capacity
70 L (18.5 gal., 15.4 Imp. gal.)