steering Lexus GX460 2012 Workshop Manual

136
1-7. Safety information
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
CAUTION
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perform any of the following modifications with-
out consulting your Lexus dealer. The SRS airbag may malfunction or deploy
(inflate) accidentally, causing death or serious injury.
●Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
●Repairs, modifications, removal or replacement of the steering wheel, instrument
panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, center and rear pillars or roof
side rail
●Repairs or modifications of the front fender, front bumper, or side of the occupant
compartment
●Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars or kangaroo
bar etc.)
●Modifications to the vehicle’s suspension system
●Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios and CD players
●Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability

169
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
Starting off on a steep uphillMake sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to
D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the windows
may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
●Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be especially
slippery.
●Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road surface, preventing
the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■Breaking in your new Lexus
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-
mended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
●For the first 600 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

171
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine running.
This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator
pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal willresult in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a difficulty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and accelerator pedals
properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, resulting in an acci-
dent.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials. The
exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot parts may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
●Do not let the vehicle roll backwards while th e shift lever is in a driving position, or
roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering perfor-
mance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the back door is closed.
Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause driver drowsiness and an acci-
dent, resulting in death or a serious heal th hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by
your Lexus dealer immediately.

172
2-1. Driving procedures
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
CAUTION
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to D while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the engine
from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is selected.
●During normal driving, do not tune off the engine. Turning the engine off while
driving 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.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop
the vehicle in the normal way: →P. 74 9
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a
steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effec-
tiveness. ( →P. 1 8 7 )
●Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside
rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents, resulting
in death or serious injury.

173
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
CAUTION
■When driving the vehicle
●Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body are not
outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do
not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability
tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and
possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on
your vehicle are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and reduce
your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
●Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-shifting
or down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make sure that
the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent the brakes from
functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in an accident.
■When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected rapid
acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in death or serious
injury.

178
2-1. Driving procedures
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
NOTICE
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for an
extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering pump.
●When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damag-
ing the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering wheel
firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( →P. 7 2 1 )
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may cause the
following serious damage to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to
have your Lexus dealer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, transmission,
transfer, differentials, etc.
●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspension joints (where
possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.

183
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
■Electronic key battery depletion
→P. 4 4
■Conditions affecting operation
→P. 3 9
■Notes for the entry function
→P. 4 1
■If the engine does not start
The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. ( →P. 115)
■Steering lock
After turning the “ENGINE START STOP” switch off and opening and closing the
doors, the steering wheel will be locked du e to the steering lock function. Operat-
ing the “ENGINE START STOP” switch again automatically cancels the steering
lock.
■When the steering lock cannot be released
The green indicator light on the “ENGINE
START STOP” switch will flash and a mes-
sage will be shown on the multi-information
display. Press the “ENGINE START STOP”
switch again while turning the steering wheel
left and right.

184
2-1. Driving procedures
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
■Steering lock motor overheating prevention
To prevent the steering lock motor from overheating, the motor may be suspended
if the engine is turned on and off repeatedly in a short period of time. In this case,
refrain from operating the engine. After about 10 seconds, the steering lock motor
will resume functioning.
■When the “ENGINE START STOP” switch indicator flashes in amber
The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by your Lexus
dealer immediately.
■If the electronic key battery is depleted
→ P. 6 4 4
CAUTION
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the acceler-
ator pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If the vehicle begins to slide due to engine failure or other circumstances, do not
lock or open the doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activa-
tion of the steering lock in this circumstance may lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
■Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle, press and
hold the “ENGINE START STOP” switch for more than 3 seconds. However, do
not touch the “ENGINE START STOP” switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. Turning the engine off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking
control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more diffi-
cult to steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it is
safe to do so.

223
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
2
When driving
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) (if equipped)AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) secures excellent visibility at inter-
sections and on curves by automatically adjusting the direction of the
light axis of the headlights according to vehicle speed and the degree of
the tire’s angle as controlled by steering input.
AFS operates at speeds of 6 mph (10 km/h) or higher.
■ Deactivating AFS
Press the menu switch.
The multi-information display will
change modes to electronic fea-
tures control mode.
Press the “ENTER” switch
upwards or downwards until
“AFS” appears.
Press the “ENTER” switch to
change to “OFF”.
The “AFS OFF” indicator will be
displayed.
Each pressing of the switch turns
“AFS” on and off.
Press the menu switch to change
to the normal display.
STEP1
STEP2

264
2-4. Using other driving systems
GX460_U.S.A. (OM60J00U)
CAUTION
■When the sensor may not be correctly detecting the vehicle ahead
Apply the brakes as necessary when any of the following types of vehicles are in
front of you.
As the sensor may not be able to correctly detect these types of vehicles, the
approach warning (→P. 257) will not be activated, and a fatal or serious accident
may result.
●Vehicles that cut in suddenly
●Vehicles traveling at low speeds
●Vehicles that are not moving
●Vehicles with small rear ends (trailers with no load on board etc.)
●Motorcycles traveling in the same lane
■Conditions under which the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control may not function
correctly
Apply the brakes as necessary in the following conditions as the radar sensor may
not be able to correctly detect vehicles ahead, and a fatal or serious accident may
result:
●When water or snow thrown up by the surrounding vehicles hinders the function-
ing of the sensor
●When your vehicle is pointing upwards (caused by a heavy load in the luggage
compartment etc.)
●When the road curves or when the lanes are narrow
●When steering wheel operation or your position in the lane is unstable
●When the vehicle ahead of you decelerates suddenly
●Excessive exhaust gas (black smoke) is coming from the vehicle ahead or other
vehicles around you, obscuring your front view
●The rear section of the vehicle ahead is extremely dirty
●The vehicle ahead has higher ground clearance