steevr

Today, my wife took our GX to the Lexus dealer for the complimentary car wash they do. When the car wash guys were cleaning the interior, they must have hit the axle lock button on the console.

My wife made the drive home (about 2 1/2 miles) with the axle locked on dry pavement. When she got home, she asked me about the "VSC Off" light being on. I also asked her if the light for the axle lock was on and she said yes.

I'm hoping she didn't do any damage. Did this ever happen to anyone else?

rjfiore1

I doubt that it did any damage, especially 2.5miles. The truck may have bucked a bit on sharp turns, though. I'm thinking that we have a pretty heavy-duty powertrain!

Kbach

iTrader: (1)

I don't think you can lock the axles in unless your in low range.

ShakMan

OK. I am curious, but where is the axle lock just in case I dont hit that by accident

steevr

It's the button next to the seat heaters on the center console.

Gohawks63

It looks like a diagram of the four wheels.

Ignore the periods since I can't seem to embed spaces.

|---------|
......|
......x
......|
|---------|

<VENOM>

So she drove it home in 4x4 50/50 front to rear and not AWD, long as she made no tight turns which she would have felt it's fine, don't sweat it.

Go back to Lexus and see if you can get a free oil change

Knicksfan

Same thing happened to me when I went for the seat warmers and hit that buttone by accident. I called Lexus and the procedure for resetting is very easy (of course I forgot) - something like drive for 10 yards in reverse and then go forward and it turns itself off (assuming of course the switch is in the correct position).

No harm done.

steevr

Cool, thanks.

I turned the button off in the garage upon startup. I noticed the light didn't go out right away. After I backed down the driveway, the light finally went off.

looknow12

Yes you can. It won't cause any damage, just excessive wear. But 2.5 miles is nothing. If you were to put a 1000 miles on it, it could do some harm.

<VENOM>

Thats all the tension/friction that was built up, when you play with it in snow you will see how it goes in and out

Nothing but some extra tire wear

Kash

yeah i wouldnt worry.. i'm supprized she couldnt tell.. when the center diff is locked the truck seems heavyer.. i did try it in my driveway.. it makes a weird cluck when it disables.. i wonder if thats just me or all of em do that...

Triplenet

I did this at the car wash also, while cleaning with the damp rag as I rode thru the wash. Truck didn't want to turn the corner as I left.!!

I doubt it hurt anything except some tire wear. If I forget to unlock any of my Toyotas (5 speed) after using 4wd, none of them like to turn, resulting in severe tire skip.

Bob

<VENOM>

thats reminds me of that Jeep commercial where a girl imagines going offroad when she goes into the car wash