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Four-wheel drive system
Use the four-wheel drive control switch and center differential lock/unlock
switch to select the following transfer and center differential modes.
■Four-wheel drive control switch
H4 (high speed position)
Normal driving on all types of
roads.
L4 (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.
The low speed four-wheel
drive indicator will come on.
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When driving
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60E69U)
■Center differential lock/unlock switch
Lock the center differential
when your vehicle’s wheels get
stuck in a ditch or when driving
on a slippery or bumpy surface.
The center differential lock indi-
cator will come on.
Unlock the center differential
after the wheels have been
freed, or after moving to a flat,
non-slippery surface.
To unlock the center differential,
push the switch again.
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■When the center differential lock/unlock switch can be operated
The “ENGINE START STOP” switch is in IGNITION ON mode.
■The center differential lock indicator light
●The indicator light blinks while lockin g/unlocking the center differential.
●If the center differential lock indicator light blinks and the buzzer sounds when
the center differential is locked, stop the slipping or spinning and push the
switch again.
If the indicator continue to blink even if doing so, have the vehicle inspected by your
Lexus dealer as soon as possible. There may be a trouble in the four-wheel drive
system.
■Locking/unlocking the center differential
●When the four-wheel drive control switch is in L4 with the center differential
locked, VSC is automatically turned off. (The center differential lock and VSC
OFF indicator light will come on.)
●If the operation is not completed, the center differential lock indicator blinks. If
the indicator light does not turn off when unlocking the center differential, drive
straight ahead while accelerating or decelerating, or drive in reverse.
●Avoid turning suddenly while the center diff erential is locked. If you do turn sud-
denly, the difference in turning speeds between the front and rear wheels may
have a similar effect to braking, thus making driving difficult.
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When driving
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60E69U)
CAUTION
■While driving
Observe the following precautions. Failure to do so may cause an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
●Never move the four-wheel drive control switch if the wheels have lost traction.
●Do not operate the center differential lock/unlock when the vehicle is turning or
when its wheels are spinning freely off the ground.
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.
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GX460_U.S.A. (OM60E69U)
Driving assist systems
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)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface
■ Multi Terrain ABS (Anti-lock Br ake System) (vehicles with a
Multi-terrain Select system)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface, or in off-
road conditions (such as rough roads, sand and mud)
The Multi Terrain ABS operates in synchronization with the Multi-terrain
Select
■ 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 wh en swerving suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces
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GX460_U.S.A. (OM60E69U)
●Pre-collision alert braking (vehicle with driver monitor system):
• The pre-collision braking off switch is not pressed.
• The system determines that the driver is not facing forward.
• Vehicle speed is greater than about 9 mph (15 km/h).
• The speed at which your vehicle is approaching the obstacle or the vehicle running ahead of you is greate r than about 24 mph (40 km/h).
■Conditions that may trigger the system even if there is no possibility of a collision
●When there is an object by the roadside at the entrance to a curve
●When passing an oncoming vehicle on a curve
●When driving over a narrow iron bridge
●When there is a metal object on the road surface
●When driving on an uneven road surface
●When passing an oncoming vehicle on a left-turn
●When your vehicle rapidly closes on the vehicle in front
●When there is an overhead bridge, sign or billboard ahead
●When there are excessive changes in the vehicle height (when it tilts forwards
or backwards)
●When there is an abnormality in the radar sensor
●When an overhead metal object can be seen at the top of an uphill road
●When passing through an electronic toll collection gate (only in countries with
electronic toll collection)
When the system is activated in the situations described above, there is also a possi-
bility that the seat belts will retract quickly and the brakes will be applied with a force
greater than normal. When the seat belt is locked in the restricted position, stop the
vehicle in a safe place, release the seat belt and refasten it.
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When driving
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60E69U)
CAUTION
■Handling the driver monitor sensor (vehicles with driver monitor sensor)
Observe the following to ensure the driver monitor sensor can function effectively.
Failure to do so may result in a malfunction or may prevent the system from cor-
rectly determining the direction the driver is facing, resulting in an unexpected acci-
dent.
●Do not disassemble, damage, lift or pull on the sensor.
●Do not touch the sensor while driving.
●Do not wet or spill water on the sensor.
●Do not drop anything on or allow anything to hit against the sensor. Do not sub-
ject the sensor to an impact.
●Make sure that there are no scratches, dirt or stickers on the side of the sensor
that faces the driver.
●Do not place any objects in front of the side of the sensor that faces the driver or
cover the sensor.
■Determining the direction the driver is facing (vehicles with driver monitor sen-
sor)
The direction the driver is facing may not be determined correctly if the following
conditions exist:
●There is an object between the driver mo nitor sensor and the driver’s face, such
as when the sensor is blocked.
●A part of the driver’s face is covered.
●The sensor or the driver’s face is exposed to intense light such as sunlight.
●The driving posture is improper.
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GX460_U.S.A. (OM60E69U)
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 wi ll 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.
■When you drive through water
If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first check the
depth of the water and the bottom of the riverbed for firmness. Drive slowly and
avoid deep water.
■Inspection after off-road driving
●Sand and mud that has accumulated in brake drums and around brake discs may
affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system components.
●Always perform a maintenance inspection after each day of off-road driving that
has taken you through rough terrain, sand, mud, or water. For scheduled mainte-
nance information, refer to the “Warrant y and Services Guide”, “Owner’s Manual
Supplement” or “Scheduled Maintenance”.