2004 Lexus GX470 wheel

DRIVING TIPS
413
NOTICE
If driving through water, such as when crossing
shallow streams, first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the river bed for firmness. Drive
slowly and avoid deep water.
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that
water damage to the engine or other components
does not occur.
Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe
engine damage.
Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings,
causing rusting and premature failure, and may also
enter the differentials, transmission and transfer
case, reducing the gear oil's lubricating qualities.
Sand and mud that has accumulated in brake drums
and around brake discs may affect braking efficiency
and may damage brake system components.
Always perform a maintenance inspection after each
day of off-road driving that has taken you through
rough terrain, sand, mud, or water. For scheduled
maintenance information, refer to the Owner's
Manual Supplement/Scheduled Maintenanceº.

DRIVING TIPS
415 Use a washer fluid containing an antifreeze solution.
This product is available at your Lexus dealer and most auto
parts stores. Follow the manufacturer's directions for how
much to mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any other substitute
because it may damage your vehicle's paint.
Do not use your parking brake when there is a possibility
it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into Pº and block the front
wheels. Do not use the parking brake, or snow or water
accumulated in and around the parking brake mechanism may
freeze the parking brake, making it hard to release.Keep ice and snow from accumulating under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders can make steering
difficult. During bad winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving, we recommend you
carry some emergency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the vehicle are tire chains,
window scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.

DRIVING TIPS
416
DINGHY TOWINGYour vehicle is not designed to be dinghy towed (with four
wheels on the ground) behind a motorhome.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle with four wheels on the ground.
This may cause serious damage to your vehicle.

DRIVING TIPS
422
NOTICE
Do not use axle-mounted hitches as they can cause
damage to the axle housing, wheel bearings, wheels or
tires. Also, never install a hitch which may interfere with
the normal function of an Energy Absorbing Bumper.
Trailer ball
Follow these easy steps to properly determine the correct
trailer ball for your application:
1. Determine the correct trailer ball size for the trailer coupler.
Most couplers are stamped with the required trailer ball size.
The sizes you'll most likely find stamped on the coupler are:
Trailer Class
Typical Trailer Ball Size
III 2 5/16 in.
II 2 in.
I 1 7/8 in.
2. Select the appropriate trailer ball to match or exceed the
gross trailer weight rating of the trailer. The trailer ball load
rating should be printed on the top of the ball.

1Trailer ball load rating
2Ball diameter3Shank length
4Shank diameter

DRIVING TIPS
426
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.
Connecting a trailer
Stop your vehicle and a trailer in line and perform the following:
1. Put the rear height control air suspension in the LOº (low)
mode. Turn the ignition switch off or push the HEIGHT
CONTROL OFFº switch to turn off the rear height control air
suspension.
2. Connect a trailer.
3. Turn the ignition switch on or push the HEIGHT CONTROL
OFFº switch to turn on the rear height control air suspension.
Select the Nº (normal) mode with the height select switch.
Disconnecting a trailer
Stop your vehicle and a trailer in line and perform the following:
1. Put the rear height control air suspension in the LOº (low)
mode. (Make sure the vehicle height is in the LOº (low) mode
by pushing the height select switch on the º side.)
2. Turn the ignition switch off or push the HEIGHT CONTROL
OFFº switch to turn off the rear height control air suspension.
3. Set the supporting leg of a trailer on the ground and raise the
hitch by 100 mm (4 in.).
4. Turn the ignition switch on or push the HEIGHT CONTROL
OFFº switch to turn on the rear height control air suspension.
5. Wait for about 20 seconds until the rear vehicle height is
lowered by the automatic leveling function.
6. Make sure the hitch is disconnected. If not, raise the hitch
higher and repeat steps 2 through 5.

DRIVING TIPS
427 7. Move the vehicle forward in the LOº (low) mode where the
hitch does not touch anything in the Nº (normal) mode.
8. Put the rear height control air suspension in the Nº (normal)
mode.
Pre-towing 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
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.

DRIVING TIPS
428Remember 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.
Because of the added load of the trailer, your vehicle's
engine may overheat on hot days (at temperatures over
30C [85F]) 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 overheatsº on page 443.Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer
wheels when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly. Put
the transmission in Pº. 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 Pº and turn off the engine.

DRIVING TIPS
429 When restarting out after parking on a slope:
1. With the transmission in Pº position, start the engine. Be
sure to keep the brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the 3º, 2º, Lº or Rº position.
3. 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 vehicle-trailer 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 Ð 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 warm-up idling. Once the engine is
running smoothly, begin driving Ð but gently. Remember,
however, that on cold winter days this may take a little
longer.
Always keep the automatic transmission selector lever
in the Dº position when engine braking is not required.
Driving with the overdrive off will reduce the fuel economy.
(For details, see Automatic transmissionº on page 365.)
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.
Avoid engine over-revving. Use a gear position suitable
for the road on which you are traveling.