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When driving
Four-wheel drive system
■The four-wheel drive control lever can be operated when
●The shift lever is in the “N” position, and
●The vehicle is stopped completely.
Use the four-wheel drive control lever and center differential lock/unlock
switch to select following transfer and center differential modes.
Four-wheel drive control lever“H” (high speed position)
Normal driving on all types of
roads.
“N” (neutral position)
No power is delivered to the
wheels.
“L” (low speed position)
Driving requiring maximum
power and traction such as
climbing or descending steep
hills off-road driving and hard
pulling in sand or mud, etc.
Center differential lock/unlock switchLock the center differential
when your vehicle’s wheels get
stuck in a ditch or when you are
driving on a slippy or bumpy
surface.
After the wheels are out of the
ditch or off the slippy or bumpy
surface, unlock the center dif-
ferential.
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■Advice for driving on slippery roads in “L” (low speed position)
●If you shift the four-wheel drive control lever to “L” and the shift lever to “2” while
driving in steep off-road areas, the output of the brake can be controlled effec-
tively by the active traction control system, which assists the driver to control the
driving power of 4 wheels.
●Use the “L” position of the shift lever for maximum power and traction when
your wheels get stuck or when you drive down a steep incline. In the following
cases, the output of the brake can be co ntrolled by the active traction control
system if the engine speed is un der 3,000 rpm (normally under 3,000 rpm
when the wheels get unstuck).
• The four-wheel drive control lever in the “L” position and the shift lever in the
“L” position or the shift lever in the “D”, “4”, “3” or “2” with the transmission
downshifting to first gear.
• The four-wheel drive control lever in the “L” position and the shift lever in the
“R” position.
■The center differential lock/unlock button can be operated when
●The ignition key is in the “ON” position, and
●The four-wheel drive control lever is in the “H” or “L” position.
■Locking /unlocking the center differential
●When the center differential is locked, VSC (vehicle stability control) is auto-
matically turned off. (Center differenti al lock and “VSC OFF” indicator light
come on.)
●When the operation is not completed, th e center differential lock indicator
blinks. If the indicator light does not go off when unlocking the center differen-
tial, drive straight ahead while accelerating or decelerating, or drive in reverse.
●The center differential lock system operation is not completed within 5 seconds
while the cruise control system is set, cancel the cruise control system.
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When driving
CAUTION
■While driving
Never move the four-wheel drive control lever if the wheels are slipping. Doing so
may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the center differential
●For normal driving on dry and hard surface roads, unlock the center differential.
●Unlock the center differential after the wheels are out of the ditch or off the slip-
pery or bumpy surface.
●Do not push the center differential lock/unlock button when the vehicle is corner-
ing or when its wheels are spin ning freely off the ground.
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Driving assist systems
When the VSC system is operatingIf the vehicle is in danger of slip-
ping, the slip indicator light flashes
and buzzer sounds to indicate that
the VSC systems have been
engaged.
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following systems
operate automatically in response to various driving situations. Be aware,
however, that these systems are supplementary and should not be relied
upon too heavily when operating the vehicle.
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Restrains the vehicle from slipping when driving on slick road surfaces or
in the event of sudden braking.
■BA (Brake Assist)
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed, when the system detects a panic stop situation.
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces.
■ TRAC (Active Traction Control)
Maintains drive power and prevents the 4 wheels from spinning when
starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads.
■VGRS (Variable Gear Ratio Steering)
Adjusts the wheel turning angle in accordance with the vehicle speed and
steering wheel movement.
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When driving
When the TRAC system is operatingIf the 4 wheels spin, the active trac-
tion control system indicator light
flashes to indicate that the TRAC
system have been engaged.
To disable VSC system
If the vehicle gets stuck in fresh snow or mud, VSC system may reduce
power from the engine to the wheels. You may need to turn the system off
to enable you to rock the vehicle in order to free it. Push the center differential lock/
unlock switch to turn off VSC sys-
tem.
The center differential lock and
“VSC OFF” indicator lights should
come on.
Push the switch again to turn the
system back on.
U.S.A
Canada
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■Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, BA, VSC, TRAC and VGRS systems
●A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the engine is
started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indicate that
a malfunction has occurred in any of these systems.
●Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are operat-
ing. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■VGRS is disabled in the following situations
●During stopping or the steering wheel has been moved for a long time while
driving at lower speeds.
●After the engine is restarted at less than -22°F (-30°C).
●If you disconnect the batter y with the steering wheel turned, the center position
of the steering wheel could be slightly and temporary changed. To initialize the
VGRS, drive for a short while.
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When driving
CAUTION
Any of the following conditions may result in an accident which could cause death or
serious injury:
■The ABS does not operate effectively when
●The limits of tire gripping performance have been exceeded.
●The vehicle hydroplanes while driving at high speed on the wet or slick road.
■Stopping distance when the ABS is operating on the wet or slick roads
The ABS is not designed to shorten the ve hicle’s stopping distance. Always main-
tain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you in the following situations.
●When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
●When driving with tire chains
●When driving over bumps in the road
●When driving over roads with potholes or roads with uneven roads
■TRAC may not operate effectively when
Directional control and power may not be ac hievable while driving on slippery road
surfaces, even if the TRAC is operating.
Do not drive the vehicle in conditions where stability and power may be lost.
■When the VSC is activated
The slip indicator light flashes and a warning buzzer sounds. Always drive carefully.
Reckless driving may cause an accident. Ex ercise particular care when the indica-
tor light flashes and a buzzer sounds.
■Replacing tires
Make sure that all tires are of the same size, brand, tread pattern and total load
capacity. In addition, make sure that the ti res are inflated to the specified tire pres-
sure level.
The ABS and VSC will not function correctly if different tires are fitted on the vehi-
cle.
Contact your Lexus dealer for further info rmation when replacing tires or wheels.
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When driving
CAUTION
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precautions to help minimize the risk of serious per-
sonal 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 wh en 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.
●When driving off-road or in rugged te rrain, do not drive at excessive speeds,
jump, make sharp turns, strike objects, etc. This may cause loss of control or vehi-
cle rollover causing death or serious injury. You are also risking expensive dam-
age to your vehicle’s suspension and chassis.
NOTICE
■To prevent the water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water dama ge to the engine or
other components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage.
●Water entering the automatic transmission will cause deterioration in shift quality,
locking up of your transmission accompanied by vibration, and ultimately dam-
age.
●Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and premature
failure, and may also enter the differentials, transmission and transfer case, reduc-
ing the gear oil’s lubricating qualities.