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GX460_OM_OM60T19U_(U)
1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid an acci-
dent, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when towing:
●Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not exceed the
posted towing speed limit.
●Lexus recommends that the vehicle-traile r speed limit is 65 mph (104 km/h)
on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exce ed this limit, the posted towing speed
limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner’s man-
ual, whichever is lowest. Instability of the towing vehicle-trailer combination
(trailer sway) increases as speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause
loss of control.
●Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires and the vehicle-trailer con-
nections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
●Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in an area
away from traffic until you become acc ustomed to the feel of the vehicle-
trailer combination.
●Reversing with a trailer attached is di fficult and requires practice. Grip the
bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to move the
trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to move the trailer to the right.
(This is generally opposite to reversing without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp
or prolonged turning. Have someone gu ide you when reversing to reduce the
risk of an accident.
●As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to-vehicle dis-
tance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of speed, allow at least
one vehicle and trailer length.
●Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, re sulting in the trailer jackknifing and
loss of vehicle control. This is especi ally true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Trailer towing tips
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194
GX460_OM_OM60T19U_(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. 568)
●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.
Trailer ball
Coupler
1
2
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198
GX460_OM_OM60T19U_(U)4-1. Before driving
WARNING
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities established by the hitch manu-
facturer. Even though the vehicle may be phys
ically 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.
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204
GX460_OM_OM60T19U_(U)4-2. Driving procedures
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resu
lting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the doors until
the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the steering lock in this cir-
cumstance may lead to an accident, re sulting in death or serious injury.
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
●If you want to stop the engine in an em ergency while driving the vehicle, press and
hold the engine switch for more than 2 seco nds, or press it briefly 3 times or more in
succession. ( P. 509)
However, do not touch the engine switch wh ile driving except in an emergency. Turn-
ing the engine off while drivin g will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but
the power assist to these systems will be lost . This will make it more difficult to steer
and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
●If the engine switch is operated while the vehicle is running, a warning message will be
shown on the multi-information display and a buzzer sounds.
●When restarting the engine after it was turn ed off while driving, shift the shift lever to
N and press the engine switch.
■When parking
Exhaust gases include harmfu l carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odor-
less. Observe the fo llowing precautions.
Failure to do so may cause exhaust gases to enter the vehicle and may lead to an acci-
dent caused by light-headedness, or may le ad to death or a serious health hazard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area or a closed area, such as a garage, stop the
engine.
●Do not leave the vehicle with the engine ru nning for a long time. If such a situation
cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and ensure that exhaust fumes
do not enter the vehicle interior.
●Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it is snowing.
If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is running, exhaust gases
may collect and enter the vehicle.
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GX460_OM_OM60T19U_(U)
2054-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
●Do not leave the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON mode for long
periods of time without the engine running.
●If the indicator on the engine switch is illu minated, the engine switch is not off. When
exiting the vehicle, always check that the engine switch is off.
●Do not stop the engine when the shift lever is in a position other than P. If the engine is
stopped in another shift lever position, the engine switch will not be turned off but
instead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY
mode, battery discharge may occur.
■When starting the engine
●Do not race a cold engine.
●If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have your vehicle checked
by your Lexus dealer immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfun ction with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operating somewhat differen tly than usual, such as the
switch sticking slightly, ther e may be a malfunction. Contact your Lexus dealer immedi-
ately.
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211
GX460_OM_OM60T19U_(U)4-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Turn signal lever
The turn signal lever can be used to show
the following intentions of the driver:
Right turn
Lane change to the right (move the
lever partway and then release it)
Lane change to the left (move the
lever partway and then release it)
Left turn
■Turn signals can be operated when
The engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode.
■If the indicator flashes faster than usual
Check that a light bulb in the front or rear turn signal lights has not burned out.
■If the turn signals stop flashing befo re a lane change has been performed
Operate the lever again.
Operating instructions
1
2
3
4
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213
GX460_OM_OM60T19U_(U)4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
4
Driving
Headlight switch
Operating the switch turn
s on the lights as follows:
The headlights can be operated manually or automatically.
Operating instructions
U.S.A.
Canada
The side marker, parking,
tail, license plate, instru-
ment panel lights, and
daytime running lights
( P. 214) turn on.
The headlights and all the
lights listed above (except
daytime running lights)
turn on.
The headlights, daytime
running lights
( P. 214)
and all the lights listed
above turn on and off auto-
matically.
Off.
1
2
3
4
(U.S.A. only)
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214
GX460_OM_OM60T19U_(U)4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
With the headlights on, push the
lever away from you to turn on the
high beams.
Pull the lever toward you to the center
position to turn the high beams off.
Pull the lever toward you and release
it to flash the high beams once.
You can flash the high beams with the
headlights on or off.
■Daytime running light system
●The daytime running lights illuminate using th
e same lights as the parking lights and illu-
minate brighter than the parking lights.
●To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers during daytime driving, the daytime
running lights turn on automatically when a ll of the following conditions are met. (The
daytime running lights are not designed for use at night.)
• The engine is running
• The parking brake is released
• The headlight switch is in the or “AUTO”* position
*: When the surroundings are bright
The daytime running lights remain on after they illuminate, even if the parking brake is
set again.
●For the U.S.A.: Daytime running lights can be turned off by operating the switch.
●Compared to turning on the headlights, the daytime running light system offers greater
durability and consumes less electricity, so it can help improve fuel economy.
■Headlight control sensor
Turning on the high beam headlights
1
2
The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything that
blocks the sensor is affixed to the windshield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detecting
the level of ambient light and may cause the
automatic headlight system to malfunction.