2004 Lexus GX470 ESP

STARTING AND DRIVING
397
(c) Using the 3º, 2º and Lº positions
The 3º, 2º and Lº positions are used for strong engine braking
as described previously.
With the selector lever in 3º, 2º or Lº, you can start the vehicle
in motion as with the lever in Dº.
With the selector lever in 3º or 2º, the vehicle will start in f\
irst
gear and automatically shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in Lº, the transmission is engaged in
first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to over-rev the engine. Watch the tachometer to keep engine rpm from going into thered zone. The approximate maximum allowablespeed for each position is given below for yourreference:
Transmission Transfer Lº Hº
3º 53 km/h (33 mph) 136 km/h (85 mph) 2º 36 km/h (22 mph) 93 km/h (58 mph)Lº 21 km/h (13 mph) 54 km/h (33 mph)
Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long time in the 3º, 2º or Lº position. This may causesevere automatic transmission damage from
overheating. To prevent such damage, 4º positionshould be used in hill climbing or hard towing.

STARTING AND DRIVING
432
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the anti-lock brake system:
Although the anti-lock brake system assists in
providing vehicle control, it is still important to drive
with all due care and maintain a moderate speed and
safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, because
there are limits to the vehicle stability and effectiveness
of steering wheel operation even with the anti-lock
brake system on.
If tire grip performance exceeds its capability, or if
hydroplaning occurs during high speed driving in the
rain, the anti-lock brake system does not provide
vehicle control.
Anti-lock brake system is not designed to shorten the
stopping distance: Always drive at a moderate speed
and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of
you. Compared with vehicles without an anti-lock
brake system, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:
 Driving on rough, gravel or snow-covered roads.
 Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving over the steps such as the joints on the road.
 Driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or
has other differences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at appropriate
pressure: The anti-lock brake system detects vehicle
speeds using the speed sensors for respective wheels'
turning speeds. The use of tires other than specified
may fail to detect the accurate turning speed resulting
in a longer stopping distance.

STARTING AND DRIVING
440
NOTICE:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with
the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of
the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide rea-
sonable protection against harmful interference in a residen-
tial installation. This equipment generates, uses and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used
in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful in-
terference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interfer-
ence to radio or television reception, which can be deter-
mined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is en-
couraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of
the following measures:
 Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
 Increase the separation between the equipment and re-
ceiver.
 Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit dif ferent
from that to which the receiver is connected.
 Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician
for help.
FCC WARNING:
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by
the party responsible for compliance could void the
user's authority to operate the equipment.

DRIVING TIPS
453
OFF-ROAD DRIVINGPRECAUTIONS
When driving your vehicle off-road, please observe the
following precautions to ensure your driving enjoyment and to
help prevent the closure of areas to off-road vehicles.
a. Drive your vehicle only in areas where of f-road vehicles are
permitted to travel.
b. Respect private property. Get owner's permission before
entering private property.
c. Do not enter areas that are closed. Honor gates, barriers
and signs that restrict travel.
d. Stay on established roads. When conditions are wet,
driving techniques should be changed or travel delayed to
prevent damage to roads.
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining to driving your
vehicle off-road, consult the following organizations.
 State and Local Parks and Recreation Departments
 State Motor Vehicle Bureau
 Recreational Vehicle Clubs
 U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
CAUTION
Always observe the following precautions to minimize
the risk of serious personal injury or damage to your
vehicle:
Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take
unnecessary risks by driving in dangerous places.
 Do not grip the steering wheel spokes when driving
off-road. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure
your hands. Keep both hands and especially your
thumbs on the outside of the rim.
 Always check your brakes for effectiveness
immediately after driving in sand, mud, water or
snow.
 After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand,
rivers, etc., check that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or trapped on the
underbody. Clear off any such matter from the
underbody. If the vehicle is used with these materials
trapped or adhering to the underbody, a breakdown
or fire could occur.
 In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a person wearing
a seat belt. Therefore, the driver and all passengers
should fasten their seat belts whenever the vehicle is
moving.

DRIVING TIPS
468
Tires
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are properly inflated. Adjust
the tire inflation pressure to the recommended cold tire
inflation pressure indicated below.
Tire inflation pressure: 220 kPa (2.2 kgf/cm
2 or bar, 32 psi)
 The trailer tires should be inflated to the pressure
recommended by the trailer manufacturer in respect to the
total trailer weight.
Trailer lights
Your vehicle is equipped with a wire harness stored in the rear
end underbody. Use either of them to connect and operate the
trailer lights. However, the trailer lights must comply with
federal, state/provincial and local regulations. See your local
recreational vehicle dealer or rental agency for the correct type
of wiring and relays for your trailer. Check for correct operation
of the turn signals and stop lights each time you hitch up. Direct
splicing may damage your vehicle's electrical system and
cause a malfunction of your lights.
Break-in schedule
Lexus recommends that you do not tow a trailer with a new
vehicle or a vehicle with any new power train component
(engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearing, etc.) for the
first 800 km (500 miles) of driving.
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
Maintenanceº.
 Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after
approximately 1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.

DRIVING TIPS
470
Trailer towing tips
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will handle differently
than when not towing. The three main causes of
vehicle-trailer 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 wheel 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. 
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. Transmission
must be 4º position.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
486
IF YOU CANNOT INCREASEENGINE SPEED
If engine speed does not increase when the accelerator pedal
is depressed, there may be a problem somewhere in the
electronic throttle control system.
At this time, vibration may occur. However, if you depress the
accelerator pedal more firmly and slowly, you can drive your
vehicle at low speeds. Have your vehicle checked by your
Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic throttle control system
is corrected during low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and the ignition key is
turned to ACCº or LOCKº position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erroneous pedal
operation.
IF YOUR VEHICLE OVERHEATS
If your engine coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, if you experience a loss of power, or if you
hear a loud knocking or pinging noise, the engine has
probably overheated.
When the engine overheats
Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle and turn on your
emergency flashers. Put the transmission in Pº and apply the
parking brake.
A: If steam is coming from your engine:
Turn off the engine. Leave the hood closed until there is no sign
of steam or coolant. Your engine could have been seriously
damaged already. Call your Lexus dealer for assistance.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep the hood closed until
there is no steam. Escaping steam or coolant is sign of
very high pressure.

IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
495
NOTICE
Tighten the spare tire clamp bolt to hold thespare wheel carrier by the hook securely.
Vehicles with kinetic dynamic suspensionsystem Ð Make sure that the spare tire does
not interfere with the suspension componentswhen the spare tire is stowed. If interference
occurs, the suspension system will bedamaged.