2008 Lexus GX470 height

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2-4. Using other driving systems
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When driving
Rear height control air suspension
The rear height control air suspension adjusts the rear vehicle height in
accordance with driving conditions. There are 3 selectable modes, “HI”
(high), “N” (normal), and “LO” (low).
■ Height control switch
“▲ ” (Up) switch
“ ▼ ” (Down) switch
“OFF” switch
Push while the vehicle is
stopped. The “OFF” indicator
light will come on, and the vehi-
cle height will be fixed in the
current mode. Push the switch
again to turn the system back
on.

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2-4. Using other driving systems
■Height control indicator lights
Height control mode indica-
tors
Height control “OFF” indica-
tor

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When driving
Vehicle height modesPress “ ▲” to step up one mode, and “ ▼” to step down one mode.
(e.g. When in the low mode, press “ ▲” once to switch to the normal
mode, and twice to switch to the high mode.)
■ “HI” (high) mode
Rear vehicle height is 1.6 in. (40 mm) higher than the normal mode
height.
This mode is suitable when driving on bumpy roads or through water.
High mode is only available when the vehicle speed is under 19 mph
(30 km/h).
■ “N” (normal) mode
The standard vehicle height. This mode is suitable for ordinary driving.
■ “LO” (low) mode
Rear vehicle height is 0.8 in. (2 0 mm) lower than the normal mode
height.
This mode allows easy access to the vehicle.
Low mode is only available when the vehicle speed is under 7 mph (12
km/h).
Conditions for changing the vehicle height mode
Some modes may not be selectable depending on the vehicle speed.
Refer to the following table.
Low modeNormal modeHigh mode
Under 7 mph (12 km/h)Ye sYe sYe s
Under 19 mph (30 km/h)NoYe sYe s
19 mph (30 km/h) or overNoYe sNo

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2-4. Using other driving systems
Height control indicator lightsIf you change the vehicle height mode, the indicator lights change as fol-
lows: • The current mode indicator light will turn off, and the selected modeindicator light will begin flashing.
• Once the change in vehicle height is complete, the selected mode indicator light will change from flashing to continuously lit.
■Operating conditions
●The engine must be running.
●Vehicle speed must be within the acceptable range for the selected mode.
■Automatic change in vehicle height
If the vehicle speed exceeds 19 mph (30 km/h) when in the high mode, or 7 mph
(12 km/h) when in the low mode, normal mode is automatically selected.
■Turning off the rear height control air suspension
●The system will remain off until the switch is pushed again, even if the engine
switch is turned off.
●Even if the rear height control air suspension is turned off, the system automati-
cally selects the normal mode if the vehicle’s speed exceeds 19 mph (30 km/h).
■Automatic leveling function
The vehicle is adjusted to a fixed height for each mode, regardless of the number of
occupants and the luggage load.

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■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.

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CAUTION
Failure to observe the following precautions may result in an accident.
■ Using the “HI” (high) mode
This mode should only be used for rough off-road conditions. Because the vehicle’s
center of gravity is higher when in the high mode, the vehicle may become unstable
when turning abruptly.
■When loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier
Do not select the “HI” (high) mode. Because the vehicle’s center of gravity is higher
when in the high mode, the vehicle may become unstable when turning abruptly
and unexpected loss of control or vehicle rollover may occur.
■When jacking up the vehicle or installing tire chains
Turn off the rear height control air suspension and stop the engine, otherwise the
vehicle height may change due to the automatic leveling function.
■ When driving through water deeper than 28 in. (700 mm)
Select the “HI” (high) mode, turn off the rear height control air suspension and drive
at 19 mph (30 km/h) or slower. Otherwise, the vehicle height may change due to
the automatic leveling function.
■If your vehicle must be towed
Put the vehicle height in the normal mode and turn off the rear height control air
suspension, otherwise the vehicle height may change due to the automatic leveling
function.
■If your vehicle becomes stuck in a ditch
Turn off the rear height control air suspension, otherwise the vehicle height may
change due to the automatic leveling function.

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NOTICE
■To avoid damage to the vehicle
●If in the low mode, the vehicle automatically shifts to the normal mode (vehicle
height is raised) when the engine is started. Take care when overhead height is
limited.
●After unloading, the vehicle height may be slightly higher than normal. Take care
when overhead height is limited.
●Before lowering the vehicle height, check that no-one is under the vehicle and
the area is free of obstructions. Also check that the underbody of the vehicle will
not touch the ground.
●Do not select the low mode when driving on bumpy roads, as the underbody of
the vehicle may contact the road surface.
■ Avoid rapid changes to the vehicle height when the vehicle is heavily loaded
As the compressor may overheat, causing the vehicle height adjustment operation
to stop.

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2-5. Driving information
Off-road precautions
Off-road vehicle feature● Specific design characteristics give it a higher center of gravity than
ordinary passenger cars. This vehicle design feature causes this type of
vehicle to be more likely to rollover. And, utility vehicles have a signifi-
cantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
● An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a better view of the
road allowing you to anticipate problems.
● It is not designed for cornering at the same speeds as ordinary passen-
ger cars any more than low-slung sports cars designed to perform sat-
isfactorily under off-road conditions. Therefore, sharp turns at
excessive speeds may cause rollover.
This vehicle belongs to the utility vehicle class, which has higher
ground clearance and narrower tread in relation to the height of its
center of gravity to make it capable of performing in a wide variety of
off-road applications.