2008 Lexus GX470 Media

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2-2. Instrument cluster
2
When driving
CAUTION
■If a safety system warning light does not come on
Should a safety system light such as ABS and the SRS airbag warning light not
come on when you turn the engine switch to the “ON” position, this could mean
that these systems are not available to help protect you in an accident, which could
result in death or serious injury. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer
immediately if this occurs.
■Warning lights
Warning lights inform the driver of malfunctions in the indicated
vehicle’s systems. ( →P. 381)
*: These lights turn on when the engine switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion to indicate that a system check is being performed. They will turn off
after the engine is running, or afte r a few seconds. There may be a mal-
function in a system if the lights do not come on, or turn off. Have the
vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.
(U.S.A.)(Canada)(U.S.A.)(Canada)
(if equipped)(U.S.A.)(Canada)
*******
*****
**

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2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
■Daytime running light system
To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers, the headlights turn on automati-
cally (at a reduced intensity) whenever the engine is started and the parking brake
is released. Daytime running lights are not designed for use at night.
■Headlight control sensor
■Automatic light off system
The headlights and tail lights turn off 30 seconds after a door is opened or closed if
the engine switch is turned to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position while the headlights
are turned on. (The lights turn off immediately if the “LOCK” button on the key is
pressed after all doors are locked.)
To turn the lights on again, turn the engine switch to the “ON” position, or turn the
light switch “OFF” once and then back to the or position.
■Customization that can be configured at Lexus dealer
Settings (e.g. light sensor sensitivity) can be changed.
(Customizable features →P. 4 3 6 )
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the lights on longer than necessary when the engine is not running.
The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything
that blocks the sensor is affixed to the wind-
shield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detecting
the level of ambient light and may cause the
automatic headlight system to malfunction.

144
2-4. Using other driving systems
■Cruise control can be set when
●The shift lever is in “D” or “4”.
●Vehicle speed is between approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) and 125 mph
(200 km/h).
■Accelerating
The vehicle can be accelerated normally. After acceleration, the set speed
resumes.
■Automatic cruise control cancelation
The set speed is automatically canceled in any of the following situations.
●Actual vehicle speed falls more than 10 mph (16 km/h) below the preset vehicle
speed
●Actual vehicle speed is below 25 mph (40 km/h)
●VSC is activated
■If the cruise control indicator light flashes
Turn the “ON-OFF” button off once, and then reactivate the system.
If the cruise control speed cannot be set or if the cruise control cancels immediately
after being activated, there may be a malfunction in the cruise control system. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Lexus dealer.

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2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
■If the vehicle height does not change
If the area around the rear suspension is coated with ice, or the undercarriage has
come into contact with the road surface, the rear height control suspension will not
operate. In this case, the indicator lights will change as follows:
●The current mode indicator light will turn off, and the target mode indicator light
will begin flashing.
●The target mode indicator light will turn off, and the original mode indicator light
will be lit once more. (The vehicle height does not change.)
If the rear height control air suspension cannot be operated even after removing
the ice or progressing to a smooth driving surface, turn off and restart the engine.
■ Parking and stopping tips
●If you immediately stop the engine after off-road driving, or park the vehicle for
a long time, the vehicle height may gradually lower. When parking, make sure
there is nothing under the vehicle that may come in contact with the underbody.
The vehicle will return to the set height when the engine is started.
●The vehicle height may change as the temperature changes when the engine is
stopped. The vehicle will return to the set height when the engine is started.
■When lowering the vehicle
Even if the engine is stopped while the vehicle height is being lowered, operation
will continue for up to 25 seconds. If any of the side doors or the back door is
opened within this 25 seconds, operation will continue for a further 15 seconds.
■ Rear height control failure warning
●If a malfunction occurs in the rear height control air suspension, normal mode is
automatically selected.
The height control “OFF” indicator will blink, and the vehicle height control can-
not be activated until the malfunction is corrected. Have the vehicle checked at
your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
●If the height control “OFF” indicator lig ht does not come on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position, there is a malfunction in the rear height
control air suspension. You can continue normal driving, however have the vehi-
cle checked by your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.

166
2-5. Driving information
CAUTION
■Off-road driving precautions
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.
●When driving off-road or in rugged terrain, 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 damage 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.

176
2-5. Driving information
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before driving the
vehicle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropriate to the
prevailing weather conditions.
■Pre-winter preparations
●Use fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside tempera-
tures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Washer fluid
● Have a service technician inspect the level and specific gravity of
battery electrolyte.
● Have the vehicle fitted with four snow tires or purchase a set of
tire chains for the rear tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same size and brand, and that chains match
the size of the tires.
■ Before driving the vehicle
Perform the following according to the driving conditions.
●Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is fro-
zen. Pour warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice. Wipe
away the water immediately to prevent it from freezing.
● To ensure proper operation of the climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents in
front of the windshield.
● Remove any ice that has accumulated on the vehicle chassis.
● Periodically check for and remove any excess ice or snow that
may have accumulated in the wheel well or on the brakes.

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2-5. Driving information
●Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than the
vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by making a
larger than normal turning radius.
● Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely affect handling of your
vehicle and trailer, causing sway. Periodically check the rear to prepare
for being passed by large trucks or buses, which may cause your vehi-
cle and trailer to sway. If swaying occurs, firmly grip the steering wheel,
reduce speed immediately but gradually, and steer straight ahead.
Never increase speed. If you make no extreme correction with the
steering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
● Take care 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 shift range position
must be in “4”.
● Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over 85°F [30°C] when driving up a
long or steep grade. 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. (
→P. 4 0 8 )

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3-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger
■Using the automatic mode
Fan speed is adjusted automatically in accordance with the temperature setting and
ambient conditions. As a result, the following may occur.
●The system may switch automatically to recirculated mode when the coolest
temperature setting is selected in summer.
●Immediately after the switch is pressed, the fan may stop for a while until warm
or cool air is ready to flow.
●Cool air may flow to the area around the upper body when the heater is on.
■Using the system in recirculated air mode
The windows will fog up more easily if the recirculated air mode is used for an
extended period.
■Window defogger feature
Recirculated air mode may automatically switch to
(outside air) mode in situ-
ations where the windows need to be defogged.
■Outside temperature approaches 32 °F (0 °C).
The air conditioning system may not operate even when is pressed.
■When the indicator light on flashes
Press
and turn off the air conditioning system before turning it on once more.
There may be a problem in the air conditioning system if the indicator light contin-
ues to flash. Turn the air conditioning system off and have it inspected by your Lexus
dealer.