towing Lexus GX460 2013 Owner's Guide

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2-5. Driving information
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When driving
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●After the trailer swaying 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 overloaded 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
vehicle-trailer increases as speed increases.
CAUTION
■Trailer towing precautions
●To tow a trailer safely, use extreme care and drive the vehicle in accordance with
the trailer’s characteristics and operating conditions. Failure to do so could cause
an accident resulting in death or serious injury. Vehicle stability and braking per-
formance are affected by trailer stability, brake setting and performance, and the
hitch. Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer.
●Set the vehicle height to the LO mode and turn off the rear height control air sus-
pension when you connect a trailer, otherwise the vehicle height may change due
to the automatic leveling function, and you may catch part of your body in the
vehicle, resulting in an accident.
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2-5. Driving information
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CAUTION
■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
sufficient 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 appropriate 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 trailer 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 experience a vehicle-trailer instabil-
ity from reducing a certain speed, slow down and make sure you keep your vehi-
cle 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 may 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 when 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 descend-
ing steep or long downhill grades, slow down and downshift. Do not make sudden
downshifts when descending steep or long downhill 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.
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2-5. Driving information
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When driving
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CAUTION
■Hitch
Trailer hitch assemblies have different weight capacities established by the hitch
manufacturer. Even though the vehicle may be physically capable of towing a
higher weight, the operator must determine the maximum weight rating of the par-
ticular hitch assembly and never exceed the maximum weight rating specified for
the trailer-hitch. Exceeding the maximum weight rating set by the trailer-hitch man-
ufacturer 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/provincial regulations.
●Never tap into your vehicle’s hydraulic system, as this will lower the vehicle’s brak-
ing effectiveness.
●Never tow a trailer without using a safety chain securely attached to both the
trailer and the vehicle. If damage occurs to the coupling 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 splice trailer lights. Directly splicing trailer lights may damage your
vehicle’s electrical system and cause a malfunction.
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2-5. Driving information
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Dinghy towing
NOTICE
■To avoid serious damage to your vehicle
Do not tow your vehicle with four wheels on the ground.
Your vehicle is not designed to be dinghy towed (with 4 wheels on the
ground) behind a motor home.
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3-6. Using the storage features
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■Removing the adapter
For second seats (vehicles without third seats)
CAUTION
■Items unsuitable for the cup holder
Do not place anything other than cups, mugs or beverage cans in the cup holders.
Other items may be thrown out of the holders in the event of sudden braking, sud-
den swerving or an accident, cause injury. If possible, cover hot drinks to prevent
burns.
■When not in use
Keep the cup holders closed. In the event of sudden braking or sudden swerving, an
accident may occur due to an occupant being struck by the open cup holders or
the items stored inside.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the rear cup holders (for second seats [vehicles with third
seat])
Stow the cup holders before stowing the armrest.
Pull up the adapter.
Cup holders
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3-7. Other interior features
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Removing the luggage coverThe luggage cover can be removed by following the procedure below. Retract the cover and release both
ends, then lift it out.
Vehicles without third seats: After
removing the luggage cover, place
it somewhere other than the pas-
senger compartment.
Stowing the luggage cover (vehicle with third seat)
Push the case while pressing the
lock release button.
Vehicles without a rear automatic
air conditioning system: Shorten
one side only.
Vehicles with a rear automatic air
conditioning system: Shorten both
sides.
Pull out the luggage cover and
hook it on the anchors.STEP2
STEP1
Lock release button
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3-7. Other interior features
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CAUTION
■When the cargo hooks are not in use
To avoid injury, always return the cargo hooks to their stowed positions.
■Caution while driving
●Keep the auxiliary box closed. In the event of sudden braking or sudden swerv-
ing, an accident may occur due to an occupant being struck by an open auxiliary
box or the items stored inside.
●Keep the both sides of the luggage cover case locked. Otherwise, the luggage
cover may fly out in case of the sudden braking, sudden serving or an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury. (vehicles without third seats)
●When stowing the luggage cover in the luggage compartment, use the luggage
cover restraining bands to secure the left and right sides of the luggage cover.
Otherwise, the luggage cover may fly out in case of the sudden braking, sudden
serving or an accident, resulting in death or serious injury. (vehicles without third
seats)
■Caution for the luggage cover
Do not allow children to climb on the luggage cover. Climbing on the luggage
cover could result in damage to the luggage cover, possibly causing death or seri-
ous injury to the child.
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3-7. Other interior features
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Interior features
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NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the luggage cover (vehicles without third seats)
●When stowing the luggage cover, do not put luggage on the luggage cover.
●Do not use the luggage cover restraining bands for anything other than securing
the luggage cover.
●Do not insert coins etc. into the area shown
in the illustration.
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3-7. Other interior features
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Interior features
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Stolen Vehicle Location
If your vehicle is stolen, Safety Connect can work with local authorities
to assist them in locating and recovering the vehicle. After filing a
police report, call the Safety Connect response center at 1-800-25-
LEXUS (1-800-255-3987) and follow the prompts for Safety Con-
nect to initiate this service.
In addition to assisting law enforcement with recovery of a stolen vehi-
cle, Safety-Connect-equipped vehicle location data may, under cer-
tain circumstances, be shared with third parties to locate your vehicle.
Further information is available at Lexus.com.
■ Emergency Assistance Button (“SOS”)
In the event of an emergency on the road, push the “SOS” button to
reach the Safety Connect response center. The answering agent will
determine your vehicle’s location, assess the emergency, and dispatch
the necessary assistance required.
If you accidentally press the “SOS” button, tell the response-center agent
that you are not experiencing an emergency.
■Enhanced Roadsi de Assistance
Enhanced Roadside Assistance adds GPS data to the already
included warranty-based Lexus roadside service.
Subscribers can press the “SOS” button to reach a Safety Connect
response-center agent, who can help with a wide range of needs, such
as: towing, flat tire, fuel delivery, etc. For a description of the Roadside
Assistance services and their limitations, please see the Safety Con-
nect Terms and Conditions, which are available at Lexus.com.
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4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
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■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will be consumed while driving. In the following situ-
ations, oil consumption may increase, and engine oil may need to be refilled in
between oil maintenance intervals.
●When the engine is new, for example directly after purchasing the vehicle or
after replacing the engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inappropriate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine speeds or with a heavy load, when towing, or when
driving while accelerating or decelerating frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for a long time, or when driving frequently
through heavy traffic
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