2006 Lexus GX470 brake

STARTING AND DRIVING
353
(c) Using the “3”, “2” and “L” positions
The “3”, “2” and “L” positions are used for strong engine\
braking
as described previously.
With the selector lever in “3”, “2” or “L”, you can start the vehicle
in motion as with the lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “3” or “2”, the vehicle will start in firs\
t
gear and automatically shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the transmission is engaged in
first gear.
NOTICE
 Be careful not to overrev the engine. Watch the
tachometer to keep engine rpm from going into the
red zone. The approximate maximum allowable
speed for each position is given below for your
reference:
Transmission Transfer
“L” “H”
“3” 60 km/h (37 mph) 154 km/h (96 mph)
“2” 41 km/h (25 mph) 105 km/h (65 mph)
“L” 24 km/h (15 mph) 61 km/h (38 mph)
 Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long
time in the “3”, “2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission damage from
overheating. To prevent such damage, “4” position
should be used in hill climbing or hard towing.
(d) Backing up
1Brake pedal2“R” (Reverse) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
When the shift lever is shifted into “R” position, the outside rear
view mirrors automatically down to help backing up. For
details, see page 204.

STARTING AND DRIVING
354Vehicles with rear view monitor system —
When the selector lever is shifted into “R” position with the
ignition switch in the “ON” position, rear view monitor system
will
activate. For instructions, see “Rear view monitor system”
on page 358.
(e) Parking
1Brake pedal
2Parking brake lever
3“P” (Park) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Apply the parking brake fully.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “P” position.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never attempt to move the
selector lever into “P” under any circumstances.
Serious mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control
may result.

STARTING AND DRIVING
355
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up and down between
the fourth and overdrive gears when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “4” position. Be sure to shift the
selector lever to the “D” position after climbing the slope.
 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 cause
the transmission to overheat.
(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 lever” on page 453.
(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 STRT” switch. In
the second start mode, the “2nd STRT” indicator light comes
on. To cancel the second start mode, push the “2nd STRT”
switch once again.

STARTING AND DRIVING
364
2Cancelling the cruise control
CANCELLING THE CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control may be temporarily cancelled by the driver
or by the system itself under certain circumstances.
Temporary cancellation allows the set cruising speed to remain
in memory.
The cruise control can be temporarily cancelled by doing the
following:
 Pulling the lever in the “CANCEL” direction and releasing it
 Depressing the brake pedal
Under certain circumstances, the cruise control is temporarily
cancelled:
 When vehicle speed falls below 40 km/h (25 mph)
 When vehicle stability control is activated
When vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10 mph) below the set
speed, the cruise control is cancelled and the set speed is
erased from memory.
The “CRUISE” indicator light remains on to indicate that the
system is still in operation.
To turn the cruise control off, press the “ON−OFF” button.
Make sure the “CRUISE” indicator light is off.
If the cruise control automatically cancels out other than for the
above cases, have your vehicle checked by your Lexus dealer
at the earliest opportunity.3Resuming the cruise control
If the cruise control is temporarily cancelled, the cruising speed
can be resumed by pushing the lever up in the “+ RES”
direction.
Vehicle speed must be above 40 km/h (25 mph).
4Resetting to a faster speed
Push the control lever upward in the “+ RES” direction and hold
it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained. While
the lever is held upward, the vehicle will gradually gain speed.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can be
increased 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pushing the control
lever upward in the “+ RES” direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to accelerate the vehicle and
then push the control lever downward in the “− SET” direction.

STARTING AND DRIVING
365
5Resetting to a slower speed
Push the control lever downward in the “ − SET” direction and
hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained.
While the lever is held downward, the vehicle speed will
gradually decrease.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can be
lowered 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pushing the control
lever downward in the “ − SET” direction quickly.
However, a quicker way to reset is to depress the brake pedal
and then push the control lever downward in the “ − SET”
direction.
Even if you downshift the transmission from the “D” position to
“4” position with the cruise control on, engine braking will not
be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. To
decrease the vehicle speed, reset to a slower speed with the
cruise control lever or depress the brake pedal. If you use the
brake pedal, cruise control is cancelled.Cruise control failure warning
If the “CRUISE” indicator light flashes when using the cruise
control, press the “ON− OFF” button to turn the system off and
then press it again to turn it on.
If any of the following conditions then occurs, there is some
trouble in the cruise control system.
 The indicator light does not come on.
 The indicator light flashes again.
 The indicator light goes out after it comes on.
If this is the case, contact your Lexus dealer and have your
Lexus inspected.

STARTING AND DRIVING
373
Slip indicator light
Leave the system on during the ordinary driving so that it
can operate when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the active traction control
system is in the self−check mode, but does not indicate a
malfunction.
When the active traction control system is operating, the
following conditions occur:
 The system controls the spinning of the 4 wheels. At this
time, the slip indicator light blinks.
 You may feel vibration or noise in your vehicle, caused by
operation of the brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly. The slip indicator light comes on for a few seconds when the
ignition key is turned to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus
dealer.
The brake actuator temperature increase during continuous
operation of the following systems.

Active traction control system
 Vehicle stability control system
 Downhill assist control system
 Hill −start assist control
If the brake actuator temperature becomes too high while any
of the systems is operating, a buzzer will start to sound
intermittently to indicate that the active traction control system
can no longer operate. In this case, immediately stop your
vehicle at a safe place.
If the system continues to operate, the buzzer sound changes
from intermittent to continuous. (The continuous buzzer
sounds for about 3 seconds.) At the time, the slip indicator light
will come on and the active traction control system temporarily
stops operating in order to protect the brake actuator.
(Although the active traction control system does not operate,
there is no problem to continue your driving.) The system will
be automatically restored after a short time and the slip
indicator light goes out.

STARTING AND DRIVING
374
“VSC TRAC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem somewhere in the
following.
Active traction control system
 Vehicle stability control system
 Downhill assist control system
 Hill −start assist control
When the system is normal and the ignition key is turned to
“ON”, the warning light will come on and will go off after a few
seconds. It is not a malfunction that the warning light may stay
on for 60 seconds after the ignition key is turned to the “ON”
position. Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly may turn on the light.
It is normal if it goes out after a few seconds.
If the “VSC TRAC” warning light and slip indicator light comes
on while driving, the active traction control system does not
work. However, as normal braking operates when being
applied, there is no problem to continue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Lexus dealer:

The warning light does not come on after the ignition key is
turned to “ON”.
 The warning light remains on after the ignition key is turned
to “ON”.
 The warning light comes on while driving.

STARTING AND DRIVING
375
VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROLSYSTEM
The vehicle stability control system helps provide
integrated control of the systems such as antilock brake
system, traction control, engine control, etc. This system
automatically controls the output of the brakes or engine
to help prevent the vehicle from skidding when cornering
on a slippery road surface or operating steering wheel
abruptly.
This system activates when the vehicle speed about more than
15 km/h (9mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine compartment for a few
seconds when the engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the system is in the
self−check mode, but does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
 Do not rely excessively on the vehicle stability
control system. Even if the vehicle stability control
system is operating, you must always drive carefully
and attentively to avoid serious injury. Reckless
driving will result in an unexpected accident. If the
slip indicator light blinks and an alarm sounds,
special care should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The size,
manufacturer, brand and tread pattern for all 4 tires
should be the same. If you use the tires other than
specified, or different type or size, the vehicle
stability control system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels, contact your
Lexus dealer.
 In situations where the road surface is covered with
ice or snow, your vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
 Slip indicator light
If the vehicle is going to skid during driving, the slip indicator
light blinks and an alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.