steering LEXUS LX470 2007 User Guide

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1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
Observe the following precautions regarding the airbags. Failure to do so may
cause death or serious injury.
●The driver and all passengers in the vehicle must wear their seat belts properly.
The SRS airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts.
●The SRS driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and can cause death or
serious injury especially if the driver is very close to the airbag. The National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) advises:
Since the risk zone for driver airbag is th e first 2 - 3 in. (50 - 75 mm) of inflation,
placing yourself 10 in. (250 mm) from your driver airbag provides you with a
clear margin of safety. This distance is measured from the center of the steering
wheel to your breastbone. If you sit less than 10 in. (250 mm) away now, you can
change your driving position in several ways:
• Move your seat to the rear as far as you can while still reaching the pedals
comfortably.
• Slightly recline the back of the seat. Al though vehicle designs vary, many driv-
ers can achieve the 10 in. (250 mm) distance, even with the driver seat all the
way forward, simply by reclining the back of the seat somewhat. If reclining
the back of your seat makes it hard to see the road, raise yourself by using a
firm, non-slippery cushion, or raise the seat if your vehicle has that feature.
• If your steering wheel is adjustable, ti lt it downward. This points the airbag
toward your chest instead of your head and neck.
The seat should be adjusted as recommended by NHTSA above, while still main-
taining control of the foot pedals, steering wheel, and your view of the instrument
panel controls.

64
1-7. Safety information
CAUTION
■SRS airbag precautions
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the front seat as they may interfere with
inflation of the front passenger airbag.
●Do not use seat accessories which cover the parts where the SRS side airbags
inflate as they may interfere with inflation of the airbags.
●Do not strike or apply significant levels of force to the area of the SRS airbag
components shown on P. 55. Doing so ca n cause the SRS airbags to malfunction.
●Do not touch any of the component parts immediately after the SRS airbags have
deployed (inflated) as they may be hot.
●If breathing becomes difficult after the SRS airbag has deployed, open a door or
window to allow fresh air in, or leave the vehicle if it is safe to do so. Wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent skin irritation.
●If the areas where the SRS airbags are stored, such as the steering wheel pad and
front pillar garnish, are damaged or cracked, have them replaced by your Lexus
dealer.
●Do not attach anything to or lean anything
against areas such as the dashboard or
steering wheel pad. These items can
become projectiles when SRS driver and
front passenger airbags deploy.
●Do not attach anything to areas such as the
door, windshield glass, side door glass,
front, center and roof side garnish, roof
interior or assist grip.
●Do not hang coat hangers or other hard
objects on the coat hooks. All of these
items could become projectiles and seri-
ously injure or kill you, should the SRS cur-
tain shield airbag deploy.

65
1-7. Safety information
1
Before driving
Deactivating the curtain shield airbags in a vehicle rollover
ON/OFF (Pressing longer)
The RSCA OFF (roll sensing of
curtain shield airbags off)
indicator light turns on.
(Only when the ignition key is in
the “ON” position.)
CAUTION
■Modification and disposal of SRS airbag system components
Do not dispose of your vehicle or perfor m any of the following modifications with-
out consulting your Lexus dealer. The SRS airbag may malfunction or deploy
(inflate) accidentally, causing death or serious injury.
●Installation, removal, disassembly and repair of the SRS airbags
●Repairs, modifications, removal or replace ment of the steering wheel, instrument
panel, dashboard, seats or seat upholstery, front, side and rear pillars or roof side
rail
●Repairs or modifications of the front fend er, front bumper, or side of the occupant
compartment
●Installation of snow plows, winches, etc. to the front grille (bull bars, kangaroo bar
etc.)
●Modifications to the vehi cle's suspension system
●Installation of electronic devices such as mobile two-way radios or CD players
●Modifications to your vehicle for a person with a physical disability.

90
2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine running.
This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accelerator
pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal will
result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident that could result in
death or serious injury.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
●Do not let the vehicle roll backwards while the shift lever is in a driving position, or
roll forward while the shift lever is in “R”.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering perfor-
mance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
●If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and check
that the back door is closed.
Large amounts of exhaust in the vehicle can cause driver drowsiness and eventu-
ally, death. Have the cause of the problem inspected immediately.
●Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to “P”, “R” or “N” while the
vehicle is moving.
Doing so can cause significant damage to the transmission and may result in a
loss of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to “N” while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause the engine brake not to operate properly and lead to an
accident.
●Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The power steering and brake booster systems will not operate properly if the
engine is off.

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■When driving the vehicle
●Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving down a
steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose effec-
tiveness. (P. 9 9 )
●When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking brake to
prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing an accident.
●Be careful when driving on slippery surfaces, as the vehicle may spin or skid when
downshifting, rapidly accelerating, braking or turning.
●Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or outside
rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents that may
result in death or serious injury.
●Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their bodies are
not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit permits it, do
not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-speed capability
tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire failure, loss of control and
possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to determine whether the tires on
your vehicle are high-speed capability tires or not before driving at such speeds.
●If you drive through deep water over ab out 500 mm (20 in.) in depth, put the
vehicle height in the HI (High) mode with the active height select switch and then
turn off the active height control suspension by pushing the height control switch.
Drive your vehicle at 30 km/h (19 mph) or lower speed.

94
2-1. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■While driving the vehicle
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress 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.
■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 no ise (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.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads and/or
that of the brake discs are exceeded.
■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 4 6 )

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2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting the engine
]
■Turning the key from “ACC” to “LOCK”
■Ignition switch
LOCK:
The steering wheel is locked
and the key can be removed.
ACC:
Some electrical components
such as the audio system can be
used.
ON:
All electrical components can
be used.
START
■ Starting the engine
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in “P”.
Sit in the driver’s seat and firmly depress the brake pedal.
Turn the ignition key to the “START” position and start the
engine.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
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
T■Steering lock release
■ If the engine does not start
The engine immobilizer system may not have been deactivated. (P. 4 7 )
■Starting the engine using the flat key
Put the key case away when the indicator light goes out. This means the
engine immobilizer system has turned off.
Start the engine within 60 seconds after the indicator light goes off.
When starting the engine, the ignition switch
may seem stuck in the “LOCK” position. To
free it, turn the ignition key while turning the
steering wheel sightly in either direction.
Remove the flat key from its case. Insert the
key into the ignition switch. STEP1
Bring the key case close to the ignition switch
within 10 seconds as indicated by an arrow. STEP2
STEP3
STEP4

134
2-4. Using other driving systems
■If the vehicle height does not change
If the vehicle is loaded too heavily, or the undercarriage has come into contact with
the road surface, the vehicle height cannot be raised/lowered. In this case, the indi-
cator lights will change as follows:
●The current mode indicator light will turn off, and the target mode indicator light
will begin flashing.
●The target mode indicator light will turn off, and the original mode indicator light
will be lit once more. (The vehicle height does not change.)
■In the following cases AHC will not operate
●The brake pedal has been depressed for longer than 5 seconds while the vehi-
cle is stopped.
●The suspension fluid temperature is lower than -22°F (-30°C).
●Driving on bumpy roads which may cause the suspension to fully elongate.
●If the steering wheel is abruptly turned more than 3/4 of a revolution with the
center differential lock system activated.
■Cold weather operation
It may take longer for the vehicle height to change if the suspension fluid tempera-
ture drops below -5°F (-15°C).
AHC does not operate when the suspension fluid temperature drops below -22°F
(-30°C).
●In this case, the selected height mode indicator light will flash when the height
mode select switch is pressed, however the vehicle height will not change.
Once the engine has warmed the suspension fluid to within normal operating
limits, AHC will begin operating and the vehicle height will automatically
change to the selected mode.
●When the suspension fluid is around -22°F (-30°C), the vehicle height may not
be able to be raised, even if AHC is operating. In this case, push “ ▼” then “▲ ”
on the height mode select switch after further warming the engine to select the
desired vehicle height.

142
2-4. Using other driving systems
Driving assist systems
When the VSC system is operatingIf the vehicle is in danger of slip-
ping, the slip indicator light flashes
and buzzer sounds to indicate that
the VSC systems have been
engaged.
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)
Restrains the vehicle from slipping when driving on slick road surfaces or
in the event of sudden braking.
■BA (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.
■ TRAC (Active Traction Control)
Maintains drive power and prevents the 4 wheels from spinning when
starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads.
■VGRS (Variable Gear Ratio Steering)
Adjusts the wheel turning angle in accordance with the vehicle speed and
steering wheel movement.