2004 Lexus GX470 engine

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377
HOW TO START THE ENGINE
Cranking hold function
Once you turn the ignition key to STARTº position and release
it, the cranking hold function continues to crank the engine in
ONº position until it starts.
The function stops cranking the engine after about 25 seconds
maximum if the engine has not started yet. When you crank
the engine again, wait a few seconds and restart it.
If you hold the key in STARTº position, the function will keep
cranking for about 30 seconds maximum.
Before cranking
1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Put the selector lever in Pº. If you need to restart the engine
while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in Nº. A
starter safety device will prevent the starter from operating if
the selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it to the floor until driving
off.
Starting the engine
Before starting the engine, be sure to follow the instructions in
Before crankingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/sequential multiport fuel
injection system in your engine automatically controls the
proper air-fuel mixture for starting. You can start a cold or hot
engine as follows:
With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to
STARTº position, then release it.
Engine should be warmed up by driving, not in idle. For
warming up, drive with smoothly turning engine until engine
coolant temperature is within normal range.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct procedure given in normal
starting.
If the engine will not start...
See If your vehicle will not startº on page 463.
NOTICE
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have the engine checked immediately.

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AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Your automatic transmission has a shift lock system to
minimize the possibility of incorrect operation. This
means you can only shift out of Pº position when the
brake pedal is depressed with the ignition switch in ONº
position. ()
31PY039

The shift position is displayed beside the selector lever
and on the instrument cluster.
P: Parking, engine starting and key removal position
R: Reverse position
N: Neutral position
D: Normal driving position (Shifting into overdrive possible)
4: Position for engine braking (Shifting into overdrive not
possible)
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from Dº to 4º, engine braking will not be
enabled because the cruise control is not cancelled. For
the operation to decrease the vehicle speed, see page
396.
3, 2: Position for more powerful engine braking
L: Position for maximum engine braking

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Correct use of the automatic transmission is explained in
the following parts.
(a) Normal driving
(b) Using engine braking
(c) Using the 3º, 2º and Lº positions
(d) Backing up
(e) Parking
(f) Good driving practice
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever
(h) Driving in second start mode
(a) Normal driving

1Pº (Park) position2Nº (Neutral) position
1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the
engineº on page 377.
The transmission must be in Pº or Nº. The engine will not start
in any drive position even if the ignition key is turned to
STARTº.

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1Brake pedal2Dº (Drive) position
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to Dº.
Always use the Dº position to improve fuel economy and quiet
driving. Only in this position, shifting into the overdrive gear is
possible. However, while the engine coolant temperature is
low, the transmission will not shift into the overdrive gear even
in the Dº position. (See (b) Using engine brakingº and (f)\
Good driving practiceº for exceptions.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress
the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in first gear and
automatically shift up to the most suitable gear. On inclines,
declines or winding roads, etc., the vehicle shifts up and down
automatically according to the running conditions to obtain the
suitable driving power and engine braking.
When the lever is in the 4º position, the automatic
transmission system will select the most suitable gear for the
running conditions such as hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
If you need to accelerate rapidly while driving, depress the
accelerator pedal to the full throttle position. This provides
more acceleration by automatically downshifting the
transmission to the next lower gear or beyond, depending on
the vehicle speed.
If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill,
see (b) Using engine brakingº.

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(b) Using engine braking
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the
transmission in the way described below:
1Shift into the 4º position. The transmission will downshift
to fourth gear and engine braking will be enabled.
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from Dº to 4º, engine braking will not be
enabled because the cruise control is not cancelled. If
you need to decrease the vehicle speed, see page 396.
2Shift into the 3º position. The transmission will downshift
to third gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower
than the speed listed below and stronger engine braking
will be enabled.
Transfer Hº 133 km/h (83 mph) Lº 52 km/h (32 mph)
3Shift into the 2º position. The transmission will downshift
to second gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes
lower than the speed listed below and more powerful
engine braking than that of 3º position will be enabled.
Transfer Hº 90 km/h (56 mph) Lº 35 km/h (22 mph)
4Shift into the Lº position. The transmission will downshift
to first gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower
than the speed listed below and maximum engine braking
will be enabled.
Transfer Hº 47 km/h (29 mph) Lº 18 km/h (11 mph)
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface.
The abrupt change in engine speed could cause the
vehicle to spin or skid.

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(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.

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When towing a trailer, in order to maintain efficient engine
braking and electrical charging performance, do not use
overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped
with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or parking brake to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold the vehicle using the accelerator pedal, as this can causethe transmission to overheat.

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(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever
If you cannot shift the selector lever even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock override button. For
instructions, see If you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector leverº on page 494.
(h) Driving in second start mode
In the second start mode, the transmission system shifts up
from second gear. Use this mode when starting your vehicle
in sand, mud, ice or snow.
To set the second start mode, push the 2nd STRTº switch. In
the second start mode, the 2nd STRTº indicator light comes
on. To cancel the second start mode, push the 2nd STRTº
switch once again.
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM
(a) Four-wheel drive control
Use the four-wheel drive control lever and center
differential lock button to select the following transfer and
center differential modes.
The Hº and Lº position of the four-wheel drive control lever
provides either lock or unlock mode of the center differential
depending on the center differential lock button position.
Use the center differential lock system if your wheels get stuck
in a ditch, or when you are driving on a slippery or bumpy
surface. When the center differential is locked, the vehicle
stability control system is automatically turned off and the
center dif ferential lock and VSC OFFº indicator lights come on
because the function that controls engine performance
interferes with the process of freeing your wheels.