automatic transmission Lexus GX470 2004 Audio System / LEXUS 2004 GX470 FROM NOV. 2003 THROUGH DEC. 2003 PROD. (OM60A74U) User Guide

STARTING AND DRIVING
376
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 Pº position when the
brake pedal is depressed with the ignition switch in ONº
position. ()
31PY039

The shift position is displayed beside the selector lever
and 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 Dº to 4º, engine braking will not be
enabled because the cruise control is not cancelled. For
the operation to decrease the vehicle speed, see page
394.
3, 2:Position for more powerful engine braking
L:Position for maximum engine braking

STARTING AND DRIVING
377 Correct use of the automatic transmission is explained in
the following parts.
(a) Normal driving
(b) Using engine braking
(c) Using the 3º, 2º and Lº positions
(d) Backing up
(e) Parking
(f) Good driving practice
(g) If you cannot shift the selector lever
(h) Driving in second start mode
(a) Normal driving

1Pº (Park) position2Nº (Neutral) position
1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the
engineº on page 374.
The transmission must be in Pº or Nº. The engine will not start
in any drive position even if the ignition key is turned to
STARTº.

STARTING AND DRIVING
378

1Brake pedal2Dº (Drive) position
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the
selector lever to Dº.
Always use the Dº 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 Dº position. (See (b) Using engine brakingº and (f)
Good driving practiceº for exceptions.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while
shifting.
3. 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 4º 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 brakingº.

STARTING AND DRIVING
380
(c) Using the 3º, 2º and Lº positions
The 3º, 2º and Lº positions are used for strong engine braking
as described previously.
With the selector lever in 3º, 2º or Lº, you can start the vehicle
in motion as with the lever in Dº.
With the selector lever in 3º or 2º, the vehicle will start in first
gear and automatically shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in Lº, the transmission is engaged in
first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to over-rev 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
Lº Hº
3º 53 km/h (33 mph) 136 km/h (85 mph)
2º 36 km/h (22 mph) 93 km/h (58 mph)
Lº 21 km/h (13 mph) 54 km/h (33 mph)
Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long
time in the 3º, 2º or Lº position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission damage from
overheating. To prevent such damage, 4º position
should be used in hill climbing or hard towing.

STARTING AND DRIVING
384
(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 492.
(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.

STARTING AND DRIVING
386The 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 392.
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 376.)

STARTING AND DRIVING
392
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.

STARTING AND DRIVING
393
Setting operation

Each function is described below.
1Setting at a desired speed.
The transmission must be in Dº before you set the cruise
control speed.
Bring the vehicle to the desired speed, press the control lever
downward in the - SETº direction and release it. This sets the
vehicle at that speed. Now you may take your foot off the
accelerator pedal. If you need acceleration Ð for example,
when passing Ð depress the accelerator pedal enough for the
vehicle to exceed the set speed. When you release the
accelerator pedal, the vehicle will return to the speed set prior
to the acceleration.
2Cancelling the preset speed
You can cancel the preset speed by either of the following:
a. Pulling the control lever in the CANCELº direction.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph), the
preset speed will be automatically cancelled.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10 mph) below the preset
speed, the preset speed will also automatically be cancelled.
If the preset speed automatically cancels out for other than
these reasons, have your vehicle checked by your Lexus
dealer at the earliest opportunity.
3Resetting to a faster speed
Press the control lever upward in the + RESº direction and
hold it. Release the lever when the desired speed is attained.
While the lever is held upward, the vehicle will gradually gain
speed.
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
increased 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time by pressing the control
lever upward in the + RESº direction quickly within 0.6
seconds.
However, a quicker way to reset is to accelerate the vehicle and
then press the control lever downward in the - SETº direction.

DRIVING TIPS
450
Trailer lights
Your vehicle is equipped with a wire harness stored in the rear
end underbody. 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.
Break-in 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
Maintenanceº.
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 LOº (low)
mode. Turn the ignition switch off or push the HEIGHT
CONTROL OFFº 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
OFFº switch to turn on the rear height control air suspension.
Select the Nº (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 LOº (low)
mode. (Make sure the vehicle height is in the LOº (low) mode
by pushing the height select switch on the º side.)
2. Turn the ignition switch off or push the HEIGHT CONTROL
OFFº switch to turn off the rear height control air suspension.
3. 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
OFFº 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.

DRIVING TIPS
453 When restarting out after parking on a slope:
1. With the transmission in Pº position, start the engine. Be
sure to keep the brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the 3º, 2º, Lº or Rº position.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull
or back away from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply your
brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing
speed limit, whichever is lower. Because instability
(swaying) of a towing vehicle-trailer combination
usually increases as the speed increases, exceeding
72 km/h (45 mph) may cause loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before descending steep
or long downhill grades. Do not make sudden
downshifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or too
frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat
and result in reduced braking efficiency.
HOW TO SAVE FUEL AND MAKE
YOUR VEHICLE LAST LONGER
Improving fuel economy is easy Ð just take it easy. It will help
make your vehicle last longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the correct pressure. Check
the pressure every two weeks, or at least once a month.
Underinflation causes tire wear and wastes fuel.
Do not carry unneeded weight in your vehicle. Excess
weight puts a heavier load on the engine, causing greater
fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once the engine is
running smoothly, begin driving Ð but gently. Remember,
however, that on cold winter days this may take a little
longer.
Always keep the automatic transmission selector lever
in the Dº position when engine braking is not required.
Driving with the overdrive off will reduce the fuel economy.
(For details, see Automatic transmissionº on page 376.)
Accelerate slowly and smoothly. Avoid jackrabbit starts.
Avoid long engine idling. If you have a long wait and you
are not in traffic, it is better to turn off the engine and start
again later.
Avoid engine over-revving. Use a gear position suitable
for the road on which you are traveling.