204
LX570_OM_OM60R61U_(U)4-1. Before driving
●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
●Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, an
d slow down before making a turn.
●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 wider than normal
turning radius.
●Slow down before making a turn, in crosswinds, on wet or slippery surfaces,
etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
●Take care when passing other vehicles . Passing requires considerable dis-
tance. After passing a vehicle, do not fo rget the length of your trailer, and be
sure you have plenty of room before changing lanes.
●To maintain engine braking efficien cy and charging system performance
when using engine braking, do not put the transmission in D.
If in the S mode, the transmission shift range position must be in 6 or lower.
( P. 217)
●Instability happens more fr equently when descending steep or long downhill
grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do not make sudden
downshifts while descending st eep or long downhill grades.
●Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the brakes too fre-
quently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and result in reduced braking
efficiency.
●Due to the added load of the trailer, yo ur 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 temperat ure gauge indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air conditioning (if in use), pull your vehicle off the road and
stop in a safe spot. ( P. 557)
LX570_OM_OM60R61U_(U)
2054-1. Before driving
4
Driving
●Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trailer’s wheels
when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly, and put the transmission in P.
Avoid parking on a slope, but if unavoidable, do so only after performing the
following:Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and trailer’s
wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in place, release the brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
Shift into P and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the engine.
●When restarting afte r parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the en gine. Be sure to keep the brake pedal
pressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
If the parking brake is in manual mode, release the parking brake.
( P. 226)
Release the brake pedal, and slowly pull or back away from the wheel
blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
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206
LX570_OM_OM60R61U_(U)4-1. Before driving
■Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
■Before towing
Check that the followin
g conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 571)
●Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacturer’s recommendation.
●All trailer lights work as required by law.
●All lights work each time you connect them.
●The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
●The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for improper to ngue weight, overload-
ing, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
●The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
●The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or local regula-
tions. If they do not, install rear view mirrors appropriate for towing purposes.
No matter which class of tow hitch applies, for a
more safe trailer hookup, the trailer ball setup
must be the proper height for the coupler on the
trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
1
2
LX570_OM_OM60R61U_(U)
2074-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■Driving mode select switch
The suspension can be switched for improvement in driveability. (P. 291)
■Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train components (such as an
engine, transmission, differential or wheel bearing), Lexus recommends that you do not
tow a trailer until the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can start towing.
However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the vehicle at a speed of less than
50 mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle acceleration.
■Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance due to the addi-
tional load. (See “Owner’s Guide”, “Warranty and Services Guide”, “Owner’s Manual
Supplement” or “Warranty Booklet”.)
●Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ba ll and bracket after approximately 600 miles
(1000 km) of trailer towing.
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, passing ve hicles, rough roads, etc.) can adversely
affect handling of your vehicle and trailer, causing instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wh eel. Steer straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer sway ing by turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal im mediately but very gradually to reduce
speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with the steering or brakes, your vehicle and trailer
should stabilize.
●After the trailer sw aying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer. Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appropriate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not ov erloaded after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the speed at which trailer swaying occurred is beyond
the limit of your particular vehicle-trailer combination.
Drive at a lower speed to prevent instability. Remember that swaying of the towing vehi-
cle-trailer increases as speed increases.
208
LX570_OM_OM60R61U_(U)4-1. Before driving
WARNING
■Trailer towing precautions
●To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care an
d drive the vehicle in accordance with the
trailer’s characteristics and operating condit ions. Failure to do so could cause an acci-
dent resulting in death or serious injury. Vehicle stability and braking performance are
affected by trailer st ability, brake setting and performanc e, and the hitch. Your vehicle
will handle differently when towing a trailer.
●Set the vehicle height to the “LO” mode and turn off the 4-Wheel AHC when you
connect a trailer, otherwise the vehicle height may change due to the automatic level-
ing function, and you may catch part of your body in the vehicle, resulting in an acci-
dent. ( P. 302)
■To avoid accident or injury
●Do not exceed the TWR, unbraked TWR, GCWR, GVWR or GAWR.
●If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway control device with suffi-
cient capacity is required.
●If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2268 kg), a weight distributing hitch with
sufficient capacity is required.
●Adjust the tongue weight within the approp riate range. Place heavier loads as close
to the trailer axle as possible.
●Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h), the posted towing speed limit or the speed limit
for your trailer as set forth in your trai ler owner’s manual, whichever is lowest. Slow
down sufficiently before making a turn, in crosswinds, on wet or slippery surface, etc.
to help avoid an accident. If you experien ce a vehicle-trailer instability from reducing
a certain speed, slow down and make sure you keep your vehicle speed under the
speed of which you experience the instability.
●Do not make jerky, abrupt or sharp turns.
●Do not apply the brakes suddenly as you ma y skid, resulting in jackknifing and loss of
vehicle control. This is especially true on wet or slippery surfaces.
●Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight, gross axle
weight and trailer tongue weight capacities.
●Do not use cruise control (if equipped) or dynamic radar cruise control with full-
speed range (if equipped) when trailer towing.
●Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long downhill grades. Do not
make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long downhill grades.
●Vehicle-trailer instability is more likely on steep long down hills. Before descending
steep or long downhill grades, slow down and downshift. Do not make sudden down-
shifts when descending steep or long do wnhill grades. Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the brakes too frequently. This could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in reduced braking efficiency.
LX570_OM_OM60R61U_(U)
2094-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities established by the hitch manu-
facturer. Even though the vehicle may be physically capable of towing a higher weight,
the operator must determine the maximum weight rating of the particular hitch assem-
bly and never exceed the maximum weight rating specified for the trailer-hitch.
Exceeding the maximum weight rating set by the trailer-hitch manufacturer can cause
an accident resulting in death or serious personal injuries.
■When towing a trailer
Lexus recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any applicable federal and
state/provincial regulations.
●If the gross trailer weight exceeds unbraked TWR, trailer brakes are required. Lexus
recommends trailers with brakes that conform to all applicable federal and state/pro-
vincial regulations.
●Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as this will lower the vehicle’s braking
effectiveness.
●Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both the trailer
and the vehicle. If damage occurs to the co upling unit or hitch ball, there is danger of
the trailer wandering into another lane.
NOTICE
■When installing a trailer hitch
Use only the position recommended by your Lexus dealer. Do not install the trailer
hitch on the bumper; this may cause body damage.
■Do not directly splice trailer lights
Do not directly splic e trailer lights. Directly splicin g trailer lights may damage your
vehicle’s electrical system and cause a malfunction.
234
LX570_OM_OM60R61U_(U)4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
■Camera sensor detection information
●The high beam may not be automatically
turned off in the following situations:
• When oncoming vehicles suddenly appear from a curve
• When the vehicle is cut in front of by another vehicle
• When vehicles ahead are hidden from sight due to repeated curves, road dividers or roadside trees
• When vehicles ahead appear from the faraway lane on wide road
• When vehicles ahead have no lights
●The high beam may be turned off if a vehicle ahead that is using fog lights without using
the headlights is detected.
●House lights, street lights, traffic signals, and illuminated billboards or signs may cause
the high beam to switch to the low beams, or the low beams to remain on.
●The following factors may affect the amount of time taken to turn the high beam on or
off:
• The brightness of headlights, fog lights, and tail lights of vehicles ahead
• The movement and direction of vehicles ahead
• When a vehicle ahead only has operational lights on one side
• When a vehicle ahead is a two-wheeled vehicle
• The condition of the road (gradient, cu rve, condition of the road surface etc.)
• The number of passengers and amount of luggage
●The high beam may be turned on or off when the driver does not expect it.
●Bicycles or similar objects may not be detected.
●In the situations shown below, the system may not be able to accurately detect sur-
rounding brightness levels. This may cause the low beams to remain on or the high
beams to cause problems for pedestrians, ve hicles ahead or other parties. In these
cases, manually switch between the high and low beams.
• In bad weather (rain, snow, fog, sandstorms etc.)
• The windshield is obscured by fog, mist, ice, dirt etc.
• The windshield is cracked or damaged.
• The camera sensor is deformed or dirty.
• The camera sensor temperature is extremely high.
• Surrounding brightness levels are equal to th ose of headlights, tail lights or fog lights.
• Vehicles ahead have headlights that are either switched off, dirty, are changing color,
or are not aimed properly.
• When driving through an area of intermittently changing brightness and darkness.
• When frequently and repeated ly driving ascending/descending roads, or roads with
rough, bumpy or uneven surfaces (such as stone-paved roads, gravel tracks etc.).
• When frequently and repeatedly taking curves or driving on a winding road.
• There is a highly reflective object ahead of the vehicle, such as a sign or a mirror.
• The back of a vehicle ahead is highly re flective, such as a container on a truck.
• The vehicle’s headlights are damaged or dirty.
• The vehicle is listing or tilting, due to a flat tire, a trailer being towed etc.
• The high beam and low beam are repeated ly being switched between in an abnor-
mal manner.
• The driver believes that the high beam may be causing problems or distress to other drivers or pedestrians nearby.
264
LX570_OM_OM60R61U_(U)4-5. Using the driving support systems
• When rapidly closing on an electric toll ga te barrier, parking area barrier, or other
barrier that opens and closes
• When using an automatic car wash
• When the vehicle is hit by water, sn ow, dust, etc. from a vehicle ahead
• When driving through steam or smoke
• When there are patterns or paint on the road or a wall that may be mistaken for a
vehicle or pedestrian
• When driving near an object that reflects radio waves, such as a large truck or
guardrail
• When driving near a TV tower, broadcasting station, electric power plant, or other location where strong radio waves or electrical noise may be present
■Situations in which the system may not operate properly
●In some situations such as the following, a vehicle may not be detected by the radar
sensor and camera sensor, preventing the system from operating properly:
• If an oncoming vehicle is approaching your vehicle
• If a vehicle ahead is a motorcycle or bicycle
• When approaching the side or front of a vehicle
• If a preceding vehicle has a small rear end, such as an unloaded truck • When passing under an object (billboard, etc.) at the top of an uphill road
• When driving through or under objects that may contact the vehicle, such as thick
grass, tree branches, or a banner
• If a preceding vehicle has a low rear end, such as a low bed trailer