2003 Lexus IS 300 Owners Manual - Page 263

STARTING AND DRIVING TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (Without vehicle skid control system) The traction control system automatically help control the spinning of the rear wheels which may occur when accelerating on slippery road surfaces, thus assisting driver control the driving power of the rear wheels. When you turn the ignition switch on, the traction control system always turns on automatically, and the slip indicator light will come on. The indicator lights will go off after a few seconds. SV31036 SV31037 You can turn off the traction control system by pushing the "TRAC OFF" switch. The "TRAC OFF" indicator/warning light will then come on. Pushing the "TRAC OFF" switch a second time turns the system back on and extinguishes the "TRAC OFF" indicator/warning light. You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle is started. This means that the traction control system is in the self-check mode, and does not indicate malfunction. When the traction control system is operating, you may feel vibration of your vehicle, caused by operation of the brakes. This indicates the system is functioning properly. When getting the vehicle out of mud or new snow, etc. the traction control system will help operate to prevent the wheels from spinning. "Slip indicator light Leave the system on during ordinary driving so that it can operate when needed. When traction control is applied, the slip indicator light blinks. 246 2003 IS300 from Aug. '02 Prod. (OM53439U)