brake Lexus GX470 2008 Driving Comfort / LEXUS 2008 GX470 (OM60D82U) User Guide

116
2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off.
Otherwise, you may accidentally move the shift lever or depress the accelerator
pedal, which could cause an accident or fire due to engine overheating. Addition-
ally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect
and enter the vehicle, leading to death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking the vehicle
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and may cause one side of
the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also the parking brake may
not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other vehicles
closely and avoid downhill or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but it will require more force on the pedal than
usual. Braking distance may also increase.
●Do not pump the brake peda l if the engine stalls.
Each push on the pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems: if one of the systems
fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual and braking distance becomes longer.
Do not drive your vehicle with only a single brake system. Have your brakes fixed
immediately.
NOTICE
■While driving the vehicle
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depr ess accelerator and brake pedals together
to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■When parking the vehicle
Always put the shift lever in “P”. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or
the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally
depressed.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for a long
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 hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indicators)
Have your Lexus dealer check and replac e the brake pads as soon as possible.
The rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
■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 press the brak e pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
●The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Replace a flat tire with a new one. ( P. 3 9 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 an d 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.

118
2-1. Driving procedures
Engine (ignition) switch
■Turning the key from “ACC” to “LOCK”
■Engine (ignition) switch
“LOCK”:
The steering wheel is locked
and the key can be removed.
“A C C ” :
Some electrical components
such as the audio system can be
used.
“ON”:
All electrical components can
be used.
“START”:
For starting the engine.
■Starting the engine
Check that the parking brake is set.
Turn off unnecessary lights and accessories.
Check that the shift lever is set in “P”.
Sit in the driver’s seat and firmly depress the brake pedal.
Turn the engine switch to the “START” position to start the
engine.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
Shift the shift lever to “P”.
Push in the key and turn to the
“LOCK” position.STEP1
STEP2

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Automatic transmission
Select a shift position appropriate for the driving conditions.
■Shifting the shift lever
While the engine switch is in the “ON” position, depress the
brake pedal and move the shift lever.
■ Shift position uses
*: To improve fuel consumption and reduce noises, set the shift lever in the
“D” position for normal driving.
Shift positionFunction
PParking the vehicle or starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*
4Position for moderate engine braking
3, 2Position for more powerful engine braking
LPosition for maximum engine braking

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■Downshifting restrictions
Keep the engine rpm from going into the red zone. The maximum allowable speed
is as follows:
■When driving with the cruise control system
The engine brake will not operate when downshifting from “D” to “4”. (P. 1 4 2 )
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from “P”
P. 4 0 3
DownshiftingTr a n s f e r p o s i t i o nMaximum speed
mph (km/h)
4 3“H”86 (139)
“L”33 (54)
3 2“H”58 (94)
“L”22 (36)
2 L“H”24 (40)
“L”9 (15)

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Parking brake
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake components over-
heating, which may affect braking performance and increase brake wear.
Sets the parking brake
Fully set the parking brake while depressing the brake pedal
Releases the parking brake
CanadaU.S.A.

136
2-3. Operating the lights and windshield wipers
■Daytime running light system
To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers, the front turn signal lights turn on
automatically whenever the engine is started and the parking brake is released.
■Headlight control sensor
■Automatic light off system
The headlights and tail lights turn off 30 seconds after a door is opened or closed if
the engine switch is turned to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position while the headlights
are turned on. (The lights turn off immedi ately if the “LOCK” button on the key is
pressed after all doors are locked.)
To turn the lights on again, turn the engine switch to the “ON” position, or turn the
light switch “OFF” once and th en back to the or position.
■Customization that can be configured at Lexus dealer
Settings (e.g. light sensor sensitivity) can be changed.
(Customizable features P. 4 3 6 )
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the lights on longer than necessary when the engine is not running.
The sensor may not function properly if an
object is placed on the sensor, or anything
that blocks the sensor is affixed to the wind-
shield.
Doing so interferes with the sensor detecting
the level of ambient light and may cause the
automatic headlight system to malfunction.

143
2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
■Adjusting the speed setting
Increase speed
Decrease speed
Hold the lever until the desired
speed setting is obtained.
Fine adjustment of the set speed
(approximately 1.0 mph [1.6 km/
h]) can be made by lightly press-
ing the lever up or down and
releasing it.
■Canceling and resuming regular acceleration
Cancel
Push the lever towards you to
cancel cruise control.
The setting is also canceled
when the brake pedal is
depressed.
Resume
To resume cruise control and
return to the set speed, push the
lever up.

158
2-4. Using other driving systems
■Operating tips
The system will operate when the shift lever is in a position other than “P”, however
to make effective use of the system it is recommended that the shift lever be shifted
to “2” or “L”.
■If the four wheel drive control lever is in “H”
The system will not operate.
■If the brake system overheats
The system will cease operation and a bu zzer will sound to alert the driver.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place. (There is no problem with continuing normal driv-
ing.)
■System malfunction
●The “DAC” indicator does not come on when the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position.
●The “DAC” indicator does not come on when the “DAC” switch is pressed.
In the above cases have your vehicle checked by your Lexus dealer.
CAUTION
■The system may not operate on the following surfaces, which may lead to an acci-
dent causing death or serious injury.
●Slippery surfaces such as wet or muddy roads
●Icy surfaces
●Unpaved roads

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2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following systems
operate automatically in response to various driving situations. Be aware,
however, that these systems are supplementary and should not be relied
upon too heavily when operating the vehicle.
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface.
■Brake Assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed, when the system detects a panic stop situation.
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning on
slippery road surfaces.
■ Active traction control
Maintains drive power and prevents the 4 wheels from spinning when
starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads.
■Hill-start assist control
Helps prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards when starting on an
incline or slippery slope. It operates for approximately 5 seconds at maxi-
mum.
■ Limited Slip Differential
Transfers drive power to the rear tires when front tires spin, and vice versa,
in order to improve traction.
■Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (if equipped)
Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System helps to significantly enhance han-
dling response by reducing roll stiffn ess of the suspension stabilizer bars
through means of a hydraulic control system.