light Lexus GX470 2004 Pictorial Index / LEXUS 2004 GX470 THROUGH OCT. 2003 PROD. OWNER'S MANUAL (OM60A46U)

STARTING AND DRIVING
363
PARKING BRAKE
To set: Pull up the lever. For better holding power, first
depress the brake pedal and hold it while setting the
parking brake.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly (
1), press the lock
release button (2), and lower the lever (3).
Before leaving your vehicle, firmly apply the parking brake. For
better holding power, first depress the brake pedal and hold it
while setting the parking brake.
CAUTION
Before driving, make sure the parking brake is fully
released and that the parking brake reminder light is off.
HOW TO START THE ENGINE
Cranking hold function
Once you turn the ignition key to STARTº position and release
it, the cranking hold function continues to crank the engine in
ONº position until it starts.
The function stops cranking the engine after about 25 seconds
maximum if the engine has not started yet. When you crank
the engine again, wait a few seconds and restart it.
If you hold the key in STARTº position, the function will keep
cranking for about 30 seconds maximum.
Before cranking
1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
3. Put the selector lever in Pº. If you need to restart the engine
while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in Nº. A
starter safety device will prevent the starter from operating if
the selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it to the floor until driving
off.

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373
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever
If you cannot shift the selector lever even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock override button. For
instructions, see If you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector leverº on page 466.
(h) Driving in second start mode
In the second start mode, the transmission system shifts up
from second gear. Use this mode when starting your vehicle
in sand, mud, ice or snow.
To set the second start mode, push the 2nd STRTº switch. In
the second start mode, the 2nd STRTº indicator light comes
on. To cancel the second start mode, push the 2nd STRTº
switch once again.
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM
(a) Four-wheel drive control
Use the four-wheel drive control lever and center
differential lock button to select the following transfer and
center differential modes.
The Hº and Lº position of the four-wheel drive control lever
provides either lock or unlock mode of the center differential
depending on the center differential lock button position.
Use the center differential lock system if your wheels get stuck
in a ditch, or when you are driving on a slippery or bumpy
surface. When the center differential is locked, the vehicle
stability control system is automatically turned off and the
center differential lock and VSC OFFº indicator lights come on
because the function that controls engine performance
interferes with the process of freeing your wheels.

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374
NOTICE
As soon as the center differential lock switch is turned
on, the VSC OFFº indicator light comes on. After the
wheels are out of the ditch or off the slippery or bumpy
surface, turn the center differential lock switch off.
Make sure the center differential lock indicator light and
vehicle stability control system off indicator light turn
off.
Hº (high speed position, center differential unlocked):
Lever at Hº, center differential lock button left out
Use this for normal driving on all types of roads, from dry
hard-surfaced roads to wet, icy or snow-covered roads. This
position gives greater economy, quietest ride, least wear and
better vehicle control.
Hº (high speed position, center differential locked): Lever
at Hº, center differential lock button pushed in
Use this for greater traction when you experience a loss of
power, such as wheel slipping, in the center differential unlock
mode.
Nº (neutral position): Lever at Nº
No power is delivered to the wheels. The vehicle must be
stopped.Lº (low speed position, center differential unlocked):
Lever at Lº, center differential lock button left out
Use this for maximum power and traction. Use this for climbing
or descending steep hills, off-road driving, and hard pulling in
sand or mud.
In this mode, the braking feeling that occurs when the wheels
are negotiating a sharp corner is further reduced than in the Lº
(low position, center differential locked) mode.
Lº (low speed position, center differential locked): Lever
at Lº, center differential lock button pushed in
Use this for maximum power and traction. Use this for hard
pulling in situations the vehicle cannot negotiate even in the Lº
(low speed position, center differential unlocked) mode. Also,
using this mode when driving down steep off-road inclines will
help contribute to increased vehicle stability.

STARTING AND DRIVING
375 The indicator light tells when the differential lock is engaged.
Note that the differential is not still locked as long as the
indicator light remains off.
When the operation is not completed, the indicator blinks. If the
indicator light does not go off when you push out the center
differential lock switch, drive straight ahead while accelerating
or decelerating, or drive in reverse.
The center differential lock system operation is not completed
within 5 seconds while the cruise control system is set, cancel
the cruise control system. To cancel the cruise control system,
see Cruise controlº on page 377.
If the indicator light does not go off when you push out the
center differential lock button, drive straight ahead while
accelerating or decelerating, or drive in reverse.
See (b) Shifting procedureº for further instructions.
Advice for driving on slippery roads in Lº (low speed
position) mode
If you shift the four-wheel drive control lever to Lº, the
automatic transmission lever to 2º when you drive in steep
off-road areas, the output of the brake can be controlled
effectively by the active traction control system, which assists
the driver to control the driving power of 4 wheels.
Use the Lº position of the automatic transmission lever for
maximum power and traction when your wheels get stuck or
when you drive down a steep incline. In the following cases,
the out put of the brake can be controlled by the active traction
control system if the engine speed is under 3,000 rpm
(normally engine speed is under 3,000 rpm when the wheels
get unstuck).The four-wheel drive control lever in the Lº position and the
automatic transmission lever in the Lº position or the
automatic transmission lever in the Dº or 2º with the
transmission downshifting to the first gear.
The four-wheel drive control lever in the Lº position and the
automatic transmission lever in the Rº position
(As for the automatic transmission lever positions, see
Automatic transmissionº on page 365.)

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376
(b) Shifting procedure
To shift between unlock and lock modes in Hº, push the
center differential lock button.
To shift between unlock and lock modes in Lº, push the
center differential lock button.
To shift between Hº and Lº, stop the vehicle, put the
transmission into Nº and move the four-wheel drive control
lever.CAUTION
Never move the four-wheel drive control lever if wheels
are slipping. Stop the slipping or spinning before
shifting.
NOTICE
For normal driving on dry and hard surface roads,
unlock the center differential. To prevent damage to the
center differential lock system, do not push the center
differential lock button when the vehicle is cornering or
when its wheels are spinning freely off the ground. If the
indicator light does not go off when unlocking the
center differential, drive straight ahead while
accelerating or decelerating, or drive in reverse.

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377
CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control allows you to cruise the vehicle at a
desired speed over about 40 km/h (25 mph) with your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or down a gradient, within
the limits of engine performance. On steeper hills, a greater
speed change will occur so it is better to drive without the cruise
control.
When the cruise control is on, the driving pattern of the
automatic transmission is fixed in the normal position,
regardless of the position of the driving pattern selector switch.
CAUTION
To help maintain maximum control of your vehicle,
do not use the cruise control when driving in heavy
or varying traffic, or on slippery (rainy, icy or
snow-covered) or winding roads.
Avoid vehicle speed increases when driving
downhill. If the vehicle speed is too fast in relation to
the cruise control set speed, cancel the cruise
control then downshift the transmission to use
engine braking to slow down.
Turning the system on
To operate the cruise control, push the main switch. This turns
the system on. The indicator light in the instrument cluster
shows that you can now set your desired cruising speed.
Another push on the switch will turn the system completely off.
When the ignition key is turned off, the main switch is also
automatically turned off. To use the cruise control again, push
the main switch again to turn it on.
CAUTION
To avoid accidental cruise control engagement, keep
the main switch off when not using the cruise control.

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379
4Resetting to a slower speed
Press the control lever downward in the - SETº direction and
hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained.
While the lever is held downward, the vehicle speed will
gradually decrease.
When the difference between the actual vehicle speed and the
set speed is less than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can be
lowered 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever downward in the - SETº direction quickly within 0.6
seconds.
However, a quicker way to reset is to depress the brake pedal
and then press the control lever downward in the - SETº
direction.
Even if you downshift the transmission from the Dº position to
4º position with the cruise control on, engine braking will not
be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. To
decrease the vehicle speed, reset to a slower speed with the
cruise control lever or depress the brake pedal. If you use the
brake pedal, cruise control is cancelled.
5Resuming the preset speed
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling the control lever or
by depressing the brake pedal, pushing the lever up in the +
RESº direction will restore the speed set prior to cancellation.
However, once the vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25
mph), the preset speed will not be resumed.
Cruise control failure warning
If the CRUISEº indicator light in the instrument cluster flashes
when using the cruise control, push the main switch to turn the
system off and then push it again to turn it on.
If any of the following conditions then occurs, there is some
trouble in the cruise control system.
The indicator light does not come on.
The indicator light flashes again.
The indicator light goes out after it comes on.
If this is the case, contact your Lexus dealer and have your
Lexus inspected.

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381
NOTICE
Use the LOº mode when the vehicle is stopped.
Otherwise, when the vehicle speed exceeds about 12
km/h (7 mph), Nº mode is selected automatically. So
be careful when you drive in any place where the
overhead height is limited.
(b) Vehicle height mode changing condition
To change the vehicle height, it is necessary to meet the
following conditions.
The engine should be running.
The height control OFFº indicator light should go off.When selecting a mode, there is a vehicle speed limit. Refer
to the following table.
Yes = The mode can be selected.
No = The mode cannot be selected.
LOº
modeNº
modeHIº
mode
Under about
12 km/h (7 mph)Ye sYe sYe s
Under about
30 km/h (19 mph)NoYe sYe s
About 30 km/h
(19 mph) or overNoYe sNo

STARTING AND DRIVING
382In the following cases, the rear height control suspension
will not operate.
The underbody of the vehicle has touched the surface on
bumpy roads.
The area around the rear suspension is coated with ice.
If the vehicle is moved to its usual location or the ice is removed
and the height select switch is pressed, the vehicle height
control cannot be operated. In this case, turn off and restart the
engine, then push the control switches.
(c) Vehicle height adjustment

1Higher2Lower
To change the mode, push the height select switch on
either side of º (higher) or º (lower).The height control indicator light indicates which mode is
selected. (See (e) Height control indicator lightº described
below.)
Selecting the HIº mode
Push the height select switch on the º side when the vehicle
speed is under about 30 km/h (19 mph).
To change the Nº mode to HIº: Push the switch once.
To change the LOº mode to HIº: Push the switch twice. It
takes about 30 seconds until the LOº mode changes to the HIº
mode.
Selecting the Nº mode
To change the HIº mode to Nº: Push the height select
switch on the º side once.
To change the LOº mode to Nº: Push the height select
switch on the º side once.
Selecting the LOº mode
Push the height select switch on the º side while the vehicle
is stopped.
To change the Nº mode to LOº: Push the switch once.
To change the HIº mode to LOº: Push the switch twice.
Even if the engine is stopped while the vehicle height is being
lowered, the operation continues for up to 25 seconds. If within
this 25 seconds, any of the side doors or the back door is
opened, operation will continue for a further 15 seconds.

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383
NOTICE
If the vehicle height is changed frequently when the
vehicle is heavily loaded, the compressor may
overheat causing the vehicle height adjustment
operation to stop.
Before you lower the vehicle height with the height
select switch, check under the vehicle to make sure
nothing to damage the vehicle or no one to be injured
is there and that the underbody of the vehicle does
not touch the ground.
After unloading, the height of a vehicle equipped with
the rear height control air suspension becomes
slightly higher than the normal vehicle height. Take
sufficient care where the overhead height is
restricted.
Do not select the LOº mode in the bumpy roads. If
the underbody of the vehicle touches the rugged
road surface, the vehicle may be damaged.