LEXUS LX470 2006 Owners Manual

STARTING AND DRIVING
259
Starting the engine
Before starting the engine, be sure to follow the instructions in
“Before cranking”.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/sequential multiport fuel
injection system in your engine automatically controls the
proper air−fuel mixture for starting. You can start a cold or hot
engine as follows:
With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to
“START” position, then release it.
Engine should be warmed up by driving, not in idle. For
warming up drive with smoothly turning engine until engine
coolant temperature is within normal range.
If the engine stalls ...
Simply restart it , using the correct procedure given in normal
starting.
If the engine will not start
See “If your vehicle will not start” on page 334.
NOTICE
 Do not race a cold engine.
 If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls
frequently, have the engine checked immediately.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Your automatic transmission has a shift lock system to
minimize the possibility of incorrect operation. This
means you can only shift out of “P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed with the ignition switch in “ON”
position ( )
31x542

STARTING AND DRIVING
260
The shift position is displayed on the instrument
cluster.
P: Parking, engine starting and key removal position
R: Reverse position
N: Neutral position
D: Normal driving position (Shifting into overdrive
possible)
4: Position for engine braking (Shifting into overdrive not
possible)
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from “D” to “4”, engine braking will not be
enabled because the cruise control is not cancelled. For
the operation to decrease the vehicle speed, see page
278.
3, 2: Position for more powerful engine braking
L: Position for maximum engine braking Correct use of the automatic transmission is explained in
the following parts.
(a) Normal driving
(b) Using engine braking
(c) Using the “3”, “2” and “L” positions
(d) Backing up
(e) Parking
(f) Good driving practice
(g) Driving in “2nd STRT” (second start) mode
(h) If you cannot shift the selector lever

STARTING AND DRIVING
261
(a) Normal driving
31X006f
 1“P” (Park) position 2“N” (Neutral) position
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the
engine” on page 258.
The transmission must be in “P” or “N”. The engine will not start
in any drive position even if the ignition key is turned to
“START”.
31X007g
 1 Driving pattern selector switch
2Normal position 3Power position
2. Set the driving pattern selector switch to the “Normal”
position.
Your transmission has a driving pattern selector switch which
allows you to select either “Normal” or “Power” to suit your\
driving condition. For ordinary driving, Lexus recommends
that you use the “Normal” position to improve fuel economy.
3. For more powerful acceleration and sporty driving, use
the “Power” position.
In the “Power” position, the “ECT PWR” light in the instrument
cluster is on and the transmission is shifted up at higher vehicle
speeds and shifted down more responsively than in the
“Normal” position.

STARTING AND DRIVING
262
31X008e
 1Brake pedal 2“D” (Drive) position
4. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to “D”.
Always use the “D” position to improve fuel economy and quiet
driving. Only in this position, shifting into the overdrive gear is
possible. However, while the engine coolant temperature is
low, the transmission will not shift into the overdrive gear even
in the “D” position. (See “(b) Using engine braking” and\
“(f)
Good driving practice” for exceptions.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
5. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress
the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting.
In normal cruising, the vehicle will start in first gear and
automatically shift up to the most suitable gear. On inclines,
declines or winding roads, etc., the vehicle shifts up and down
automatically according to the running conditions to obtain the
suitable driving power and engine braking.
When the lever is in the “4” position, the automatic
transmission system will select the most suitable gear for the
running conditions such as hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
If you need to accelerate rapidly while driving, depress the
accelerator pedal to the full throttle position. This provides
more acceleration by automatically downshifting the
transmission to the next lower gear or beyond, depending on
the vehicle speed.
If engine braking is needed, such as in descending a long hill,
see “(b) Using engine braking”.

STARTING AND DRIVING
263
(b) Using engine braking
31X009f
To use the braking power of the engine, downshift the
transmission in the way described below:
1 Shift into the “4” position. The transmission will downshift
to fourth gear and engine braking will be enabled.
When the cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from “D” to “4”, engine braking will not be
enabled because the cruise control is not cancelled. If
you need to decrease the vehicle speed, see page 278.
2 Shift into the “3” position. The transmission will downshift
to third gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower
than the speed listed below and stronger engine braking
will be enabled.
Transfer “H” 129 km/h (80 mph)
“L” 51 km/h (32 mph)
3Shift into the “2” position. The transmission will downshift
to second gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes
lower than the speed listed below and more powerful
engine braking than that of “3” position will be enabled.
Transfer “H” 88 km/h (55 mph) “L” 35 km/h (22 mph)
4Shift into the “L” position. The transmission will downshift
to first gear when the vehicle speed is or becomes lower
than the speed listed below and maximum engine braking
will be enabled.
Transfer “H” 37 km/h (23 mph) “L” 14 km/h (9 mph)
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface.
The abrupt change in engine speed could cause the
vehicle to skid or spin.

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264
(c) Using the “3”, “2” and “L” positions
The “3”, “2” and “L” positions are used for strong engine
braking as described previously.
With the selector lever in “3”, “2” or “L”, you can start the vehicle
in motion as with the lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “3” or “2”, the vehicle will start in firs\
t
gear and automatically shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the transmission is engaged in
first gear.
NOTICE
 Be careful not to overrev the engine. Watch the
tachometer to keep engine rpm from going into the
red zone. The approximate maximum allowable
speed for each position is given below for your
reference:
Transmission Transfer
“L” “H”
“4” 72 km/h (45 mph) 178 km/h (111 mph)
“3” 52 km/h (32 mph) 127 km/h (79 mph)
“2” 36 km/h (22 mph) 87 km/h (54 mph)
“L” 20 km/h (12 mph) 51 km/h (32 mph)
 Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long
time in the “3”, “2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission damage from
overheating. To prevent such damage, “4” position
should be used in hill climbing or hard towing.
(d) Backing up
31X010e
 1
Brake pedal 2“R” (Reverse) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
When you are backing up, you can adjust the outside rear view
mirror on the passenger’s side down quickly. For details, see
page 195.

STARTING AND DRIVING
265
(e) Parking
31X011d
 1Brake pedal 2Parking brake lever
3“P” (Park) position
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Apply the parking brake fully.
3. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the
selector lever to the “P” position.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never attempt to move the
selector lever into “P” under any circumstances.
Serious mechanical damage and loss of vehicle control
may result.
(f) Good driving practice
 If the transmission repeatedly shifts up and down between
the fourth and overdrive gears when climbing a gentle
slope, shift the selector lever to the “4” position. Be sure to
shift the selector lever to the “D” position after climbing the
slope.
 When towing a trailer, in order to maintain efficient engine
braking and electrical charging performance, do not use
overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped
with the engine running. This prevents the vehicle from
creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or parking brake to hold the
vehicle on an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold the
vehicle using the accelerator pedal, as this can cause
the transmission to overheat.

STARTING AND DRIVING
266
(g) Driving in “2nd STRT” (second start)mode
31X012c
In the “2nd STRT” (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 “2nd STRT” mode, push the “2nd” switch. In the “2nd
STRT” mode, the “2nd STRT” indicator light comes on. To
cancel the “2nd STRT” mode, push the “2nd” switch again.
The “PWR” mode is automatically cancelled when you push
the “2nd” switch.
(h) If you cannot shift the selector lever
If you cannot shift the selector lever from “P” position even
though the brake pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instruct ions, see “If you cannot shift
automatic transmission selector lever” on page 357.
FOURWHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM
(a) Fourwheel drive control
31X013e
Use the fourwheel drive control lever and center
differential lock button to select the fo llowing transfer and
center differential modes.
The “H” and “L” 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 dif ferential 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 dif ferential lock and “VSC OFF” indicator lights come on
because the function that controls engine performance
interferes with the process of freeing your wheels.

STARTING AND DRIVING
267
NOTICE
As soon as the center differential lock switch is turned
on, the “VSC OFF” 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.
“H” (high speed position, center differential unlocked):
Lever at “H”, 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.
“H” (high speed position, center differential locked):
Lever at “H”, 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 dif ferential unlock
mode.
“N” (neutral position): Lever at “N”
No power is delivered to the wheels. The vehicle must be
stopped. “L” (low speed position, center differential unlocked):
Lever at “L”, 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 “L”
(low position, center differential locked) mode.
“L” (low speed position, center differential locked): Lever
at “L”, 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 “L”
(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.
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 control” on page 275.

STARTING AND DRIVING
268If 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 procedure” for further instructions.
Advice for driving on slippery roads in “L” (low speed
position) mode
If you shift the four
−wheel drive control lever to “L”, the
automatic transmission lever to “2” 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 “L” 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 “L” position and the
automatic transmission lever in the “L” position or the
automatic transmission lever in the “D”, “4”, “3” or “2” \
with
the transmission downshifting to the first gear
 The four− wheel drive control lever in the “L” position and the
automatic transmission lever in the “R” position
(As for the automatic transmission lever positions, see
“Automatic transmission” on page 259.)
(b) Shifting procedure
To shift between unlock and lock modes in “H”, push the
center differential lock button.
To shift between unlock and lock modes in “L”, push the
center differential lock button.
To shift between “H” and “L”, stop the vehicle, put the
transmission into “N” and move the four −wheel drive control
lever.
CAUTION
Never move the fourwheel 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 dif ferential. 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 of f 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.