Lexus ES300 (2002 year). Manual - part 79

BODY ELECTRICAL – AIR CONDITIONING

BE-24

211BE20

Side Defroster

Center Defroster

Side Defroster

Fresh Air

B

A

Recirc. Air

F

I

G

H

R

Q

P

Blower Motor

Evaporator

Heater Core

J

K

O

N

L

M

Rear 
Register

Side Register

Footwell 
Register 
Duct

Rear 
Register

Rear 
Footwell 
Register 
Duct

Center 
Register

Footwell 
Register 
Duct

Side Register

To 
Driver Side

To Front 
Passenger Side

C

D E

E’ D’

C’

187BE23

187BE41

187BE28

187BE27

187BE26

187BE25

187BE24

4. Mode Position and Damper Operation

 Function of Main Damper 



Control

Damper

Control Position

Damper

Position

Operation

Air Inlet
Control

FRESH

A

Brings in fresh air.

Control
Damper

RECIRC

B

Recirculates internal air.

Air Mix Control
Damper
(Left/Right
Independent
Control)

MAX COLD – MAX HOT
TEMP. SETTING
{18

C (65F) – 32C (85F)}

E 

 D 
 C

E’ 

 D’ 
 C’

Varies the mixture ratio of the fresh air
and the recirculation air in order to
regulate the temperature continuously
from HOT to COLD.

DEF

F, K, L, O, R

Defrosts the windshield through the center
defroster, side defroster, and side register.

Mode

FOOT / DEF

G, K, L, O, Q

Defrosts the windshield through the
center defroster, side defroster, and side
register, while air is also blown out from
the front and rear foot well register ducts.

Mode
Control
Damper

FOOT

H, K, L, O, P

Air blows out of the front and rear foot
well register ducts, and side register. In
addition, air blows out slightly from the
center defroster and side defroster.

BI-LEVEL

I, J, M, N, P

Air blows out of the center registers, side
registers, and foot well register ducts.

FACE

I, J, M, N, R

Air blows out of the center registers, and
side register.

BODY ELECTRICAL – AIR CONDITIONING

BE-25

211BE21

E

E

E

E

E

B

A

A

B

D

D

D

D

C

187BE24

187BE25

187BE26

187BE27

187BE28

5. Air Outlets and Air Volume Rations

A

B

C

D

E

Air Outlet Mode

Center

Face

Side

Face

Rear
Face

Foot

Defroster

FACE







—

—

BI-LEVEL









—

FOOT

—



—





FOOT / DEF

—



—





DEF

—



—

—



The size of the circle 

 indicates the proportion of airflow volume.

BODY ELECTRICAL – ACCESSORIES

BE-68

211BE45

Inside Rear View Mirror

Surrounding Light Detection
Sensor (No.1 Sensor)

Rear Light Detection
Sensor (No.1 Sensor)

Mode Select Switch

LED

LH Outside Rear
View Mirror
(EC Element)

RH Outside Rear
View Mirror
(EC Element)

211BE46

EC Mirror Cell

Mode Select Switch

Rear Light
Detection Sensor
(No.2 Sensor)

LED

Outside Rear
View Mirror

Surrounding Light
Detection Sensor
(No.1 Sensor)

Outside Rear
View Mirror

AUTOMATIC GLARE-RESISTANT EC MIRROR

1. General

An automatic glare-resistant EC (electrochromic) mirror have been adopted for the inside and outside rear
view mirrors as standard equipment. This system uses 2 sensors that are attached onto the inside rear view
mirror to detect the difference between the intensity of light entering the inside rear view mirror from the rear
of the vehicle, and of the light surrounding the vehicle. 
During nighttime driving, if a large difference in intensity exists between the surrounding light and the light
entering the inside rear view mirror from the headlights of the vehicle driving behind, this system automati-
cally reduce the reflection rate of the inside rear view mirror and thus dampens the glare on the mirror.
The reflection rate of the outside rear view mirrors varies in accordance with the change in the reflection rate
of the inside rear view mirror.

 System Diagram 



2. Function of Components

BODY ELECTRICAL – ACCESSORIES

BE-69

189BE55

189BE56

Glass

Electrochromic Elements

Rear
Light

Bright

Dark

Glare
Resistance

No-Glare
Resistant

Dark

Bright

Surrounding Light

Fig. 1

Components

Function

Surrounding Light Detection
Sensor(No.1 Sensor)

Detects the intensity of the light surrounding the vehicle.

Rear Light Detection Sensor
(No.2 Sensor)

Detects the intensity of the light entering the inside rear view mirror
from behind the vehicle.

LED

Turns on to inform the driver that the mirror control mode is operating
in the AUTO mode.

Mode Select Switch

Selects the inside and outside rear view mirror control to AUTO or
DAY mode.

(MIRROR)

AUTO Mode

Two sensors are used to steplessly adjust the reflection rate of the inside
rear view mirror between 70 

 7%, and of the outside rear view mirror

between 50 

 12%.

DAY Mode

Fixes the reflection rate of the inside rear view mirror to 70% and of
the outside rear view mirror to 50%.

EC Mirror Cell

Varies the refection rate of the mirror through the function of EC
elements.

3. Construction

EC Mirror Cell

An EC mirror cell consists of 2 layers of glass
which sandwich the EC elements in the middle.
The EC elements control coloring and discolor-
ing characteristics through their electro-chemi-
cal oxidation reduce reaction. These characteris-
tics are utilized to electronically vary the
mirror’s reflection rate.

4. Operation

General

The EC mirror system provides 2 types of con-
trol modes, the AUTO and DAY modes, which
can be selected using the mode select switch.
In the AUTO mode, the system switches (Fig. 1)
the inside rear view mirror’s glare resistant and
non-glare resistant functions in accordance with
the difference in intensity between the surround-
ing and rear lights and automatically varies the
reflection rate of the inside and outside rear view
mirrors.
When the mode select switch is fixed to the DAY
mode, the reflection rate of the inside and outside
rear view mirrors are fixed to maximum reflec-
tion (DAY mode) regardless of the intensity of
the surrounding or rear light. This system, when
selected to the AUTO mode, is activated only
when the ignition switch is ON.