lights Lexus GX470 2003 Basic Functions / LEXUS 2003 GX470 (OM60A45U) Owner's Guide

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INTERIOR EQUIPMENT
66When all the doors are unlocked simultaneously using either
the key or the wireless remote control, all of the lights except
the center console spot lights will come on and remain on for
about 15 seconds before fading out.
To prevent the battery being discharged, all of the lights will
automatically turn off when the ignition key removed and the
door is left opened for about 30 minutes.
Ignition switch light, personal lights and center interior
light
The ignition switch light, personal lights and center interior light
also come on and remain on for about 15 seconds before
fading out when the ignition switch is turned to the “LOCK”
position.
Foot lights and inside door handle lights
The foot lights and inside door handle lights also come on when
the ignition switch is in the “ON” position with the selector lever
in the “P” position. When the selector lever is moved out of the
“P” position, the foot lights and inside door handle lights will be
dimmed.*
NOTE:
* The foot lights and inside door handle lights can be set to
turn off when the selector lever is moved out of the “P”
position.
Ask your Lexus dealer for details.
Center console spot lights
The center console spot lights come on when the ignition
switch is in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND ASHTRAY
Front
To use the cigarette lighter and ashtray, first push against
the cigarette lighter and ashtray covers. Then when the
cigarette lighter cover opens, press in the cigarette lighter.
After it finishes heating up, it automatically pops out ready
for use.
Do not hold the cigarette lighter pressed in.
If the engine is not running, the ignition key must be in the
“ACC” position to use the lighter.
When finished with your cigarette, thoroughly extinguish it in
the ashtray to prevent other cigarette butts from catching fire.
After using the ashtray, push it back in completely.
To remove the ashtray, press down on the lock spring plate and
pull out.

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INTERIOR EQUIPMENT
70
GLOVE BOX
 1 Unlock2 Open3 Lock
To open the glove box door, pull the lever. To lock the
glove box door, insert the master key and turn it
clockwise.
With the tail lights on, the glove box light will come on when the
glove box door is open.
CAUTION
To reduce the chance of injury in case of an accident or
a sudden stop, always keep the glove box door closed
while driving.
REAR CONSOLE BOX
To access the rear console box, push the center of the lid.
The rear console box light comes on when the tail lights are
turned on.
CAUTION
To reduce the chance of injury in case of an accident or
a sudden stop, always keep the rear console box closed
while driving.

COMFORT ADJUSTMENT
11 8
INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR
Adjust the mirror so that you can just see the rear of your
vehicle in the mirror.
Pushing the “MIRROR” switch changes the mode
between AUTO and DAY.
The indicator comes on when the AUTO mode is selected.
DAY mode: The mirror surface is normal.
AUTO mode: If the mirror detects light from the headlights
of the vehicle behind you, the mirror surface darkens
slightly to reduce the reflected light.
When the ignition key is inserted and turned on, the inside rear
view mirror always turns on in the AUTO mode. When the outside air temperature is low, it may take a little
longer for the mirror to darken in response to the detection of
headlights.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause the
driver to mishandle the vehicle
and an accident may occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.
To ensure correct functioning of an antiglare mirror
sensor located on the back side of the mirror, do not touch
or cover the sensor with your finger or a piece of cloth, etc.

THEFT DETERRENT
175
THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM
To deter theft of the vehicle, this system is designed to
sound an alarm if any of the doors or hood is forcibly
unlocked or the battery terminal is disconnected and then
reconnected while the vehicle is locked.
The alarm blows the horn intermittently and flashes the
headlights, tail lights and turn signal lights.
Further more when the center interior light switch and personal
light switch are in the “DOOR” position, the center interior light
and personal lights turn on.
 Security indicator light
Setting the system
1. Turn the ignition key to the “LOCK” position and
remove it.
The engine immobiliser system causes the indicator light to
flash.
2. Close and lock all the doors and hood using an ignition
key or wireless remote control.
If you lock them with wireless remote control, the turn signals
flash once.
The flashing indicator light will remain on when all the doors
and hood are closed and locked.
3. After 30 seconds, the indicator starts flashing and the
system is set.

STARTING AND DRIVING
302
HOW TO START THE ENGINE
Cranking hold function
Once you turn the ignition key to “START” position and release
it, the cranking hold function continues to crank the engine in
“ON” 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 “START” 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 “P”. If you need to restart the engine
while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in “N”. 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.
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:
1. With your foot off the acce lerator pedal, turn the ignition key
to “START” position, then release it.
2. After the engine runs for about 10 seconds, you are ready
to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the engine warm up for a
few minutes before driving. Do not leave the vehicle while the
engine is warming up.
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 359.
NOTICE
 Do not race a cold engine.
 If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls
frequently, have the engine checked immediately.

STARTING AND DRIVING
309
(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 lever” on page 382.
(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 STRT” switch. In
the second start mode, the “2nd STRT” indicator light comes
on. To cancel the second start mode, push the “2nd STRT”
switch once again.
FOURWHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM
(a) Fourwheel drive control
Use the fourwheel drive control lever and center
differential lock button to select the following 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 dif ferential is locked, the vehicle skid
control system is automatically turned off and the center
differential 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
319
(e) Height control indicator lights
 1 Height control indicator lights

2 Height control “OFF” indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned on, all the indicator lights
come on. Only the indicator light showing the present mode
remains on and all other lights go off after a few seconds. This
means the system operates correctly.
When you change the vehicle height mode, the indicator lights
change as follows:
When changing the vehicle height from the “N” mode to
“HI”:
1. The “N” mode indicator light goes off and the “HI” mode
indicator light blinks.
2. After the vehicle height control reaches the “HI” mode, the
“HI” mode indicator light remains on. If the underbody of the vehicle has touched the surface on
bumpy roads or the area around the rear suspension is
coated with ice, the height control suspension will not
operate and the indicator lights change as follows:
1. The present mode indicator light goes off and the selected
mode indicator light blinks.
2. The selected mode indicator light goes off. (The vehicle
height does not change.) The present mode indicator light
comes on again.
Height control “OFF” indicator light:
When the ignition
switch is turned on, this light comes on. If it goes out after a few
seconds, the rear height control air suspension operates
correctly. If you push the “HEIGHT CONTROL OFF” switch,
the rear height control air suspension is turned off. The height
control “OFF” indicator light comes on.
In the following cases, there is a problem somewhere in the
rear height control air suspension. Although there is no
problem to continue normal driving, have the rear height
control air suspension checked by your Lexus dealer as soon
as possible.
 The height control “OFF” indicator light does not come on
when the ignition switch is turned on.
 The height control “OFF” indicator light blinks.

STARTING AND DRIVING
327
If the indicator light does not come on when the switch is
pushed, contact your Lexus dealer.

Slip indicator light
With the vehicle traveling at a speed of 25 km/h (15 mph) or
less, release your foot from the accelerator or brake pedal to
activate the system. The vehicle will descend the hill at a low
speed. While the system is operating, the slip indicator light on
the instrument panel will flash and the stop lights and high
mounted stoplight will be lit.
If you push the “DAC” switch to turn the system off while it is
in operation, the system will stop operating gradually. The
downhill assist control system indicator light will flash to alert
the driver. To continue driving at a low speed, push the “DAC”
switch to turn the system on.
The slip indicator light and downhill assist control system
indicator light come on for a few seconds when the ignition key
is turned to “ON”. If any of the indicator lights does not come
on when the ignition is turned on, contact your Lexus dealer. If the system is used frequently, the brake actuator
temperature
may become too high and a buzzer will sound
intermittently.
If this happens, the downhill assist control system indicator
light will flash and a buzzer will sound intermittently. When the
temperature of the brake actuator goes down, the system will
begin to operate again. Until it restarts, the active traction
control system and hill−start assist control system will not
operate; however, the conventional brake can be operated.

DRIVING TIPS
353
Trailer lights
 Socket for trailer lights
Your vehicle is equipped with a wire harness stored in the rear
end underbody. Models with weight carrying hitch receiver are
fitted with a socket for trailer lights under the rear bumper. Use
either of them to connect and operate the trailer lights.
However, the trailer lights must comply with federal,
state/provincial and local regulations. See your local
recreational vehicle dealer or rental agency for the correct type
of wiring and relays for your trailer. Check for correct operation
of the turn signals and stop lights each time you hitch up. Direct
splicing may damage your vehicle’s electrical system and
cause a malfunction of your lights.
Breakin schedule
Lexus recommends that you do not tow a trailer with a new
vehicle or a vehicle with any new power train component
(engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearing, etc.) for the
first 800 km (500 miles) of driving.
Maintenance
 If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent
maintenance due to the additional load. For this
information, please refer to the scheduled maintenance
information in the “Owner’s Manual Supplement /
Scheduled Maintenance”.
 Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after
approximately 1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
Connecting a trailer
Stop your vehicle and a trailer in line and perform the following:
1. Put the rear height control air suspension in the “LO” (low)
mode. Turn the ignition switch off or push the “HEIGHT
CONTROL OFF” switch to turn off the rear height control air
suspension.
2. Connect a trailer.
3. Turn the ignition switch on or push the “HEIGHT CONTROL
OFF” switch to turn on the rear height control air suspension.
Select the “N” (normal) mode with the height select switch.
Disconnecting a trailer
Stop your vehicle and a trailer in line and perform the following:
1. Put the rear height control air suspension in the “LO” (low)
mode. (Make sure the vehicle height is in the “LO” (low) mode
by pushing the height select switch on the “
” side.)
2. Turn the ignition switch off or push the “HEIGHT CONTROL
OFF” switch to turn off the rear height control air suspension.

DRIVING TIPS
3543. Set the supporting leg of a trailer on the ground and raise
the hitch by 100 mm (4 in.).
4. Turn the ignition switch on or push the “HEIGHT CONTROL
OFF” switch to turn on the rear height control air suspension.
5. Wait for about 20 seconds until the rear vehicle height is
lowered by the automatic leveling function.
6. Make sure the hitch is
disconnected. If not, raise the hitch
higher and repeat steps 2 through 5.
7. Move the vehicle forward in the “LO” (low) mode where the
hitch does not touch anything in the “N” (normal) mode.
8. Put the rear height control air suspension in the “N” (normal)
mode.
Pretowing safety check
 Check that your vehicle remains level when a loaded or
unloaded trailer is hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has an
abnormal nose −up or nose− down condition, and check for
improper tongue load, overload, worn suspension or other
possible causes.
 Make sure the trailer cargo is securely loaded so that it
cannot shift.
 Check that your rear view mirrors conform to any federal,
state/provincial or local regulations. If they do not, install
required rear view mirrors appropriate for towing purposes.
Trailer towing tips
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will handle differently
than when not towing. The three main causes of
vehicletrailer accidents are driver error, excessive speed
and improper trailer loading. Keep these in mind when
towing:
 Before starting out, check the operation of the lights and all
vehicle −trailer connections. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and connections. Practice
turning, stopping and backing with a trailer in an area away
from traffic until you learn the feel.
 Backing with a trailer is difficult and requires practice. Grip
the bottom of the steering whe el 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 procedure is generally
opposite to that when backing without a trailer.) Also, just
turn the steering wheel a little at a time, avoiding sharp or
prolonged turning. Have someone guide you when backing
to reduce the risk of an accident.
 Because stopping distance may be increased,
vehicle −to−vehicle distance should be increased when
towing a trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of speed, allow
at least one vehicle and trailer length between you and the
vehicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as you may skid,
resulting in jackknifing and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns. The trailer could hit
your vehicle in a tight turn. Slow down before making a turn
to avoid the need of sudden braking.