Lexus GX470 2008 Owner's Manual

370
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
CAUTION
■Replacing light bulbs
●Turn off the headlights. Do not attempt to replace the bulb immediately after turn-
ing off the headlights.
The bulbs become very hot and may cause burns.
●Do not touch the glass portion of the light bulb with bare hands. Hold the bulb by
the plastic or metal portion.
If the bulb is scratched or dropped it may blow out or crack.
●Fully install light bulbs and any parts used to secure them. Failing to do so may
result in heat damage, fire, or water entering the headlight unit. This may damage
the headlights or cause condensation to build up on the lens.
●Do not attempt to repair or disassemble light bulbs, connectors, electric circuits
or component parts.
Doing so may result in serious injury due to electric shock.
■To prevent damage or fire
Make sure bulbs are fully seated and locked.

When trouble arises5
371
5-1. Essential information .... 372If your vehicle needs to be towed ...................................... 372
If you think something is wrong ....................................... 377
Fuel pump shut off system ... 378
Event data recorder.............. 379
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency .................... 381
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds... ... 381
If you have a flat tire................ 391
If the engine will not start .... 402
If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P ....................... 403
If you lose your keys .............. 404
If the vehicle battery is discharged ............................ 405
If your vehicle overheats ..... 408
If the vehicle becomes stuck......................................... 410

372
5-1. Essential information
If your vehicle needs to be towed
Before towingThe following may indicate a problem with your transmission. Contact
your Lexus dealer before towing.
● The engine is running, but the vehicle will not move.
● The vehicle makes an abnormal sound.
Emergency towing
If a tow truck is not available, in an emergency your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed using a cable or chain secured to the emergency towing
eyelet. This should only attempted on hard, surfaced roads for short dis-
tances at low speeds.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes. The vehi-
cle’s wheels, drive train, axles, steer ing and brakes must be in good condi-
tion.
If towing is necessary, we recommend having your vehicle towed by your
Lexus dealer or a commercial towing se rvice, using a lift-type truck or a flat
bed truck.
Use a safety chain system for all towing, and abide by all state/provincial
and local laws.
The wheels and axle on the ground must be in good condition.
If they are damaged, use a towing dolly or flat bed truck.

5
When trouble arises
373
5-1. Essential information
Towing eyelets
■Emergency towing procedureRelease the parking brake.
Put the shift lever in “N”.
The engine switch must be in the “ACC” position (engine off) or the “ON”
position (engine on).
CAUTION
■Caution while towing
●Use extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which place excessive stress on
the emergency towing eyelet and the cable or chain.
●If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes and steering will not
function, making steering and braking more difficult.
●Put the vehicle height in the “N” (normal) mode and push the height control
“OFF” switch to turn off rear height control air suspension. Otherwise the auto-
matic leveling function may adjust the vehicle height unexpectedly, resulting in an
accident.
NOTICE
■To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission
Never tow this vehicle from the rear with four wheels on the ground.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3

374
5-1. Essential information
Towing with a sling-type truck
Towing with a wheel lift-type truckFrom front Use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
NOTICE
■To prevent body damage
Do not tow with a sling type truck, either from the front or rear.
NOTICE
■To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission
Never tow this vehicle from the front with the rear wheels on the ground.

5
When trouble arises
375
5-1. Essential information
From rearUse a towing dolly under the front
wheels.
NOTICE
■To prevent damaging the vehicle
●Do not tow the vehicle with the engine switch in the “LOCK” position.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheel
straight.
●When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at the
opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the vehicle
could be damaged while being towed.

376
5-1. Essential information
Using a flat bed truckIf your Lexus is transported by flat
bed truck, it should be tied down at
the locations shown in the illustra-
tion.
If you use chains or cables to tie
down your vehicle, the angles
shaded in black must be 45°.
Do not overly tighten the tie downs
or the vehicle may be damaged.
Front

5
When trouble arises
377
5-1. Essential information
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably needs
adjustment or repair. Contact your Lexus dealer as soon as possible.
■Visible symptoms
● Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air conditioning after use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
● Engine coolant temperature gauge needle continually points
higher than normal
■ Audible symptoms
● Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the engine
■ Operational symptoms
● Engine missing, stumbling or running rough
● Appreciable loss of power
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when driving on a level road
● Loss of brake effectiveness, sp ongy feeling, pedal almost touches
the floor

378
5-1. Essential information
Fuel pump shut off system
■Follow the procedure below to restart the engine after the system is activated.Turn the engine switch to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
Restart the engine.
NOTICE
■Before starting the engine
Inspect the ground under the vehicle.
If you find that fuel has leaked on to the ground, the fuel system has been damaged
and is in need of repair. Do not restart the engine.
To minimize the risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls or an airbag
inflates upon collision, the fuel pump shut off system stops supplying fuel to
the engine.
STEP1
STEP2

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379
5-1. Essential information
Event data recorder
In a crash or a near car crash eventThe EDR may record some or all of the following information.
● Engine speed
● Whether the brake pedal was applied or not
● Ve h i c l e s p e e d
● To what extent the accelerator pedal was depressed
● Position of the transmission shift lever
● Whether the driver and front passenger wore seat belts or not
● Driver’s seat position
● Front passenger’s occupant classification
● SRS airbag deployment data
● SRS airbag system diagnostic data
Your Lexus’ Electronic Control Unit (ECU) may contain another EDR.
There are a variety of driving situations which include activating the vehi-
cle stability control (VSC) under which the VSC EDR will record certain
information. The VSC EDR may record some or all of the following infor-
mation:
● Behavior of the vehicle
● Steering wheel angle
Your vehicle has computers that monitor and control certain aspects of
your vehicle. These computers assist in driving and maintaining optimal
vehicle performance.
Besides storing data useful for troubleshooting, there is a system to record
data in a crash or a near car crash event. This is called an Event Data
Recorder (EDR).