engine TOYOTA 4RUNNER 1998 Repair Manual

4RUNNER (1998)
CAUTION
When making the connections, to
avoid serious injury, do not lean
over the battery or accidentally
let the jumper cables or clamps
touch anything except the correct
battery terminals or the ground.
5. Start your engine in the normal
way. After starting, run it at about
2000 rpm for several minutes with
the accelerator pedal lightly de-
pressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the nega-
tive cable and then the positive
cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover clothsÐthey may now con-
tain sulfuric acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharg-
ing is not apparent (for example,
lights left on), you should have it
checked. If your engine stalls while driving...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keep- ing a straight line. Move cautiously
off the road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see ºIf
your vehicle will not startº.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual.
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if
you hear a loud knocking or ping-
ing noise, the engine has probably
overheated. You should follow this
procedure... 1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle and turn on your emergen-
cy flashers. Put the transmission in
ºPº (automatic) or neutral (manual)
and apply the parking brake. Turn
off the air conditioning if it is being
used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the
engine. Wait until the steam sub-
sides before opening the hood. If
there is no coolant boiling over or
steam, leave the engine running.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury,
keep the hood closed until there
is no steam. Escaping steam or
coolant is a sign of very high
pressure.
If your engine stalls while
driving

4RUNNER (1998)
3. Visually check to see if the engine drive belt (fan belt) is broken or
loose. Look for obvious coolant
leaks from the radiator, hoses, and
under the vehicle. However, note
that water draining from the air
conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive
belts.
4. If the engine drive belt is brokenor the coolant is leaking, stop the
engine immediately. Call a Toyota
dealer for assistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there are no obvious leaks, you
may help the engine cool down
more quickly by running it at about
1500 rpm for a few minutes with
the accelerator pedal lightly de-
pressed.
6. Check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add coolant to the reservoir
while the engine is running. Fill it
about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the ra-
diator cap when the engine and
radiator are hot. Serious injury
could result from scalding hot
fluid and steam blown out under
pressure.
7. After the engine coolant tempera-ture has cooled to normal, again
check the coolant level in the res-
ervoir. If necessary, bring it up to
half full again. Serious coolant loss
indicates a leak in the system. You
should have it checked as soon as
possible at your Toyota dealer. If you have a flat tireÐ
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keep- ing a straight line. Move cautiously
off the road to a safe place well
away from the traffic. Avoid stop-
ping on the center divider of a
highway. Park on a level spot with
firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in ºPº (auto-
matic) or reverse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the ve- hicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thoroughly.
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the possi-
bility of personal injury: Follow jacking instructions.
Do not start or run the engine
while your vehicle is supported
by the jack.

4RUNNER (1998)
If towing is necessary, we recom-
mend you to have it done by your
Toyota dealer or a commercial tow
truck service.
If towing service is not available in
an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed by a cable or
chain secured to the emergency
towing hook. Use extreme caution
when towing vehicles.
A driver must be in the vehicle to
steer it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done
only on hard- surfaced roads for a
short distance and at low speeds.
Also, the wheels, axles, drive train,
steering and brakes must all be in
good condition.
CAUTION
Use extreme caution when towing
vehicles. Avoid sudden starts or
erratic driving maneuvers which
would place excessive stress on
the emergency towing hook and
towing cable or chain. The hook
and towing cable or chain may
break and cause serious injury or damage.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifi-
cally intended for use in towingvehicles. Securely fasten the cableor chain to the towing hook pro-
vided.
Before towing, release the parking
brake and put the transmission in neu-
tral (manual) or ºNº (automatic) and
the transfer in ºH2º (four- wheel drive
models). The key must be in ºACCº
(engine off) or ºONº (engine running).

4RUNNER (1998)
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual.
Before emergency towing, check
that the hook is not broken or
damaged and that the installation
bolts are not loose.
Fasten the towing cable or chain
securely to the hook.
Do not jerk the hook. Apply steady
and even force.
To avoid damaging the hook, do
not pull from the side or at a verti-
cal angle. Always pull straight ahead.CAUTION
If the emergency towing eyelet is
used to get out when your vehicle
becomes struck in mud, sand or
other condition from which the
vehicle cannot be driven out un-
der its own power, make sure to
observe the precautions men-
tioned below. Otherwise, exces-
sive stress will be put on the
eyelet and the towing cable or
chain may break, causing serious
injury or damage. If the towing vehicle can hardly
move, do not forcibly continue
the towing. Contact your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow
truck service for assistance.
Tow the vehicle as straight
ahead as possible.
Keep away from the vehicle
during towing.
ÐEmergency towing hook pr
cautions

4RUNNER (1998)
3. Insert the screwdriver or equiva-
lent into the hole to push down
the shift lock override button.
You can shift out of ºPº position
only while pushing the button.
4. Shift into ºNº position.
5. Insert the cover.
6. Start the engine. For your safety, keep the brake pedal depressed.
Be sure to have the system checked
by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. If you cannot shift automa
t
transmission selector lever
(four- wheel drive models)

4RUNNER (1998)
3. Insert your finger into the hole
to move the shift lock overdrive
lever backward. You can shift out
of ºPº position only while hold-
ing back the lever.
4. Shift into ºNº position.
5. Insert the cover.
6. Start the engine. For your safety, keep the brake pedal depressed.
Be sure to have the system checked
by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. If you lose your keys
Many Toyota dealers can make a
new key if you can give them the
key number.
See the suggestion given in ºKeysº in
Chapter 1- 2.
If your keys are locked in the vehicle
and you cannot get a duplicate, many
Toyota dealers can still open the door
for you, using their special tools. If
you must break a window to get in,
we suggest breaking the smallest side
window because it is the least expen-
sive to replace. Be extremely cautious
to avoid cuts from the glass.

4RUNNER (1998)
Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are well- trained
specialists and are kept up to date
with the latest service information
through technical bulletins, service
tips, and in- dealership training pro-
grams. They learn to work on Toyotas
before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer 's service department performs
the best job to meet the maintenance
requirements on your vehicleÐreliably
and economically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof
that all required maintenance has
been performed for warranty coverage.
And if any problems should arise with
your vehicle while under warranty,
your Toyota dealer will promptly take
care of it. Again, be sure to keep a
copy of the repair order for any ser-
vice performed on your Toyota.
What about do- it- yourself mainte- nance?
Many of the maintenance items are
easy to do yourself if you have a little
mechanical ab ility and a few basic au-
tomotive tools. Simple instructions for
how to perform them are presented in
Part 7. If you are a skilled do- it- yourself me-
chanic, the Toyota service manuals
are recommended. Please be aware
that do- it- yourself maintanance can
affect your warranty coverage. See
ºOwner 's Guideº, ºOwner 's Manual
Supplementº or ºWarranty Bookletº for
the details.
General maintenance
Listed below are the general mainte-
nance items that should be performed
as frequently as specified. In addition
to checking the items listed, if you
notice any unusual noise, smell or
vibration, you should investigate the
cause or take your vehicle to your
Toyota dealer or a qualified service
shop immediately. It is recommended
that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer
or the qualified service shop for their
advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only where ad-
equate ventilation can be obtained
if you run the engine.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be per-
formed from time to time, unless
otherwise specified.
Tire pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge ev-
ery two weeks, or at least once a
month. See Chapter 7- 2 for additional
information.

4RUNNER (1998)
Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts,
damage or excessive wear. See Chap-
ter 7- 2 for additional information.
When checking the tires, make sure
no nuts are missing, and check the
nuts for looseness. Tighten them if
necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500
miles). See Chapter 7- 2 for additional
information.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil,
water or other fluid after the vehicle
has been parked for a while. If you
smell fuel fumes or notice any leak,
have the cause found and corrected
immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including back
door operate smoothly and all latches
lock securely. Make sure the engine
hood secondary latch secures the
hood from opening when the primary
latch is released. INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be
checked regularly, e.g. while per-
forming periodic services, cleaning
the vehicle, etc.
Lights
Make sure the headlights, stop lights,
tail lights, turn signal lights, and other
lights are all working. Check headlight
aim.
Service reminder indicators and
warning buzzers
Check that all service reminder indica-
tors and warning buzzers function
properly.
Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified free-
play. Be alert for changes in steering
condition, such as hard steering or
strange noise.
Seats
Check that all seat controls such as
seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc.
operate smoothly and that all latches
lock securely in any position. Check
that the head restraint move up and
down smoothly and that the locks hold
securely in any latched position. For
folding- down rear seatbacks, swing- up
rear seat cushions and detachable
temporary third seat, check that the
latches lock securely.Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such
as buckles, retractors and anchors op-
erate properly and smoothly. Make
sure the belt webbing is not cut,
frayed, worn or damaged.
Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation
and uneven pedal effort or catching.
Clutch pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation
and that the pedal has the proper
clearance. Check the brake booster
function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes
do not pull to one side when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the lever has the proper
travel and that, on a safe incline, your
vehicle is held securely with only the
parking brake applied.

4RUNNER (1998)
Automatic transmission ºParkº mech- anism
Check the lock release button of the
selector lever for proper and smooth
operation. On a safe incline, check
that your vehicle is held securely with
the selector lever in ºPº position and
all brakes released.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be
checked from time to time, e.g.
each time when refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in
the tank. See Chapter 7- 3 for addi-
tional information.
Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is be-
tween the ºFULLº and ºLOWº lines on
the see- through reservoir when the
engine is cold. See Chapter 7- 2 for
additional information.
Battery electrolyte level
Make sure the electrolyte level of all
battery cells is between upper and
lower level lines on the case. Add
only distilled water when replenishing.
See Chapter 7- 3 for additional in-
formation. Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is cor-
rect. See Chapter 7- 2 for additional
information.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with
the engine turned off and the vehicle
parked on a level spot. See Chapter
7- 2 for additional information.
Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir.
The level should be in the ºHOTº or
ºCOLDº range depending on the fluid
temperature. See Chapter 7- 2 for
additional information.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound
of the exhaust or smell exhaust
fumes, have the cause located and
corrected immediately. (See engine ex-
haust cautions in Part 2.)
Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip- offs
that indicate service is needed. Some
important clues are as follows:
Engine missing, stumbling, or ping-
ing
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however,
water dripping from the air condi-
tioning after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This
may indicate a dangerous carbon
monoxide leak. Drive with the win-
dows open and have the exhaust
system checked immediately.)
Flat- looking tire; excessive tire
squeal when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when
driving straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspen-
sion movement
Loss of brake effectiveness;
spongy feeling brake or clutch ped-
al; pedal almost touches floor; ve-
hicle pulls to one side when brak-
ing
Engine coolant temperature continu-
ally higher than normal
Does your vehicle need
repairing?

4RUNNER (1998)
Part 7
DO- IT- YOURSELF
MAINTENANCEÐ
Chapter 7- 1 Introduction
Engine compartment overview
Fuse locations
Do- it- yourself service
precautions
P ar t s and tools