weight TOYOTA 4RUNNER 1998 Owners Manual

4RUNNER (1998)
The brake pad wear limit indicators
on your disc brakes give a warning
noise when the brake pads are
worn to where replacement is re-
quired.
If you hear a squealing or scraping
noise while driving, have the brake
pads checked and replaced by your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
Expensive rotor damage can result if
the pads are not replaced when nec-
essary. Luggage stowage pr
ecau-
tions
When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the lug-
gage compartment when at all pos-
sible. Be sure all items are se-
cured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far
forward as possible helps maintain
balance.
For better fuel economy, do not
carry unneeded weight.
CAUTION
To prevent luggage or packages
from sliding forward during
braking, do not stack anything
in the luggage compartment
higher than the seatbacks. Keep
luggage or packages low, as
close to the floor as possible.
Never allow anyone to ride in
the luggage compartment. It is
not designed for passengers.
They should ride in their seats
with their seat belts properly
fastened. Otherwise, they are
much more likely to suffer seri-
ous bodily injury, in the event
of sudden braking or a colli-
sion.

4RUNNER (1998)
Do not place anything on the
filler panel or l uggage cover.
Such items may be thrown
about and possibly injure
people in the vehicle during
sudden braking or an accident.
(secure all items in a safe
place.)
Do not drive with objects left
on top of the instrument panel.
They may interfere with the
driver's field of view. Or they
may move during sharp vehicle
acceleration or turning, and im-
pair the driver's control of the
vehicle. In an accident they may
injure the vehicle occupants.
NOTICE
Do not load the vehicle beyond
the vehicle capacity weight speci-fied in Part 8.
Your Toyota's identificationÐ
ÐVehicle identification numb

4RUNNER (1998)
Use a washer fluid containing an
antifreeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyo-
ta dealer and most auto parts stores.
Follow the manufacturer 's directions
for how much to mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any other substitute because itmay damage your vehicle's paint.
Do not use your parking brake
when there is a possibility it could
freeze.
When parking, put the transmission
into ºPº (automatic) or into first or
reverse (manual) and block the rear
wheels. Do not use the parking brake,
or snow or water accumulated in and
around the parking brake mechanism
may freeze, making it hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulat-
ing under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your
fenders can make steering difficult.
During bad winter driving, stop and
check under the fenders occasionally. Depending on where you are driv-
ing, we recommend you carry some
emergency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in
the vehicle are tire chains, window
scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares,
small shovel, jumper cables, etc.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed primarily as
a passenger- and- load- carrying ve-
hicle. Towing a trailer will have an
adverse effect on handling, perfor-
mance, braking, durability and driving
economy (fuel consumption, etc.).
Your safety and satisfaction depend
on the proper use of correct equip-
ment and cautious driving habits. For
your safety and the safety of others,
you must not overload your vehicle or
trailer. Ask your local Toyota dealer
for further details before towing.
WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, gross
axle weight and trailer tongue load
are all within the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue
load can be measured with platform
scales found at a highway weighing
station, building supply company,
trucking company, junk yard, etc.

4RUNNER (1998)
CAUTION
The total trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo load)
must not exceed the following.
Exceeding this weight is dan-
gerous. If towing a trailer over
907 kg (2000 lb.), it is neces-
sary to use a sway control de-
vice with a sufficient capacity.
3RZ- FE engine 1587 kg (3500 lb.)
5VZ- FE engine 2267 kg (5000 lb.)
The gross combination weight
(sum of your vehicle weight
plus its load and the total trail-
er weight) must not exceed the
following.
Two- wheel drive models 3RZ- FE engine3447 kg (7600 lb.)
5VZ- FE engine 3992 kg (8800 lb.)
Four- wheel drive models 3RZ- FE engine3583 kg (7900 lb.)
5VZ- FE engine 4173 kg (9200 lb.)

4RUNNER (1998)
The gross vehicle weight must
not exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) indicated
on the Certification Label. The
gross vehicle weight is the sum
of weights of the unloaded ve-
hicle, driver, passengers, lug-
gage, hitch and trailer tongue
load. It also includes the weight
of any special equipment
installed on your vehicle.
The load on either the front or
rear axle resulting from dis-
tribution of the gross vehicle
weight on both axles must not
exceed the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) listed on the
Certification Label.

4RUNNER (1998)
Total trailer weight
Tongue load
Tongue load
Total trailer weight
100 9 to 11 %
The trailer cargo load should be
distributed so that the tongue
load is 9 to 11% of the total
trailer weight, not exceeding the
maximum of the following. Nev-
er load the trailer with more
weight in the back than in the
front. About 60% of the trailer
load should be in the front half
of the trailer and the remaining
40% in the rear.
3RZ- FE engine158 kg (350 lb.)
5VZ- FE engine 226 kg (500 lb.)HITCHES
Use only a weight carrying hitch
designed for the total trailer weight.
Toyota does not recommend using
a weight distribution (load equaliz-
ing) hitch.
The hitch must be bolted securely
to the vehicle frame and installed
according to the hitch manufactur-
er 's instructions.
The hitch ball and king pin should
have a light coat of grease.
Toyota recommends removing the
hitch when not towing to preventin-
jury and/or damage due to the
hitch in event of a rear end colli-
sion. After removal of the hitch,
seal the installation area to prevent
entry of exhaust fumes and mud.
NOTICE
Do not use an axle- mounting
hitch as it may cause damage tothe axle housing, wheel bearings,wheels and or tires.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS
Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any appli-
cable federal and state/provincial
regulations.

4RUNNER (1998)
A safety chain must always be
used between the towing vehicle
and the trailer. Leave sufficient
slack in the chain for turns. The
chain should cross under the
trailer tongue to prevent the
tongue from dropping to the
ground in case it becomes dam-
aged or separated. For correct
safety chain procedures, follow
the hitch or trailer manufactur-
er 's recommendations.
CAUTION
If the total trailer weight ex-
ceeds 453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer
brakes are required .
Never tap into your vehicle's
hydraulic system as it would
lower its braking effectiveness .
Never tow a trailer without us-
ing a safety chain securely atta-
ched to both the trailer and the
vehicle. If damage occurs to the
coupling unit or hitch ball,
there is danger of the trailer
wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See Chapter 7- 2
for instructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated
to the pressure recommended by
the trailer manufacturer in respect
to the total trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS Trailer lights must comply with fed-
eral, state/provincial and local re-
gulations. See your local recre-
ational vehicle dealer or rental
agency for the correct type of wir-
ing and relays for your trailer.
Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each
time you hitch up. Direct splicing
may damage your vehicle's electri-
cal system and cause a malfunc-
tion of your lights.
BREAK- IN SCHEDULE Toyota recommends that you do
not tow a trailer with a new vehicle
or a vehicle with any new power
train component (engine, transmis-
sion, differential, wheel bearing,
etc.) for the first 800 km (500
miles) of driving. MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle
will require more frequent
maintenance due to the additional
load. For this information, please
refer to the scheduled maintenance
information in the ºOwner 's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 1000 km (600 miles)
of trailer driving.
PRE- TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Check that your vehicle remains
level when a loaded or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive if
the vehicle has an abnormal nose-
up or nose- down condition, and
check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other
possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is se-
curely loaded so that it cannot
shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors
conform to any applicable federal,
state/provincial or local regulation.
If not, install the rear view mirrors
required for towing purpose.

4RUNNER (1998)
Slow down and downshift be-
fore descending steep or long
downhill grades. Do not make
sudden downshifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or too frequent-
ly. This could cause the brakes
to overheat and result in re-
duced braking efficiency.Getting more kilometers/mileage from
a liter/gallon of fuel is easyÐjust take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle
last longer, too. Here are some specif-
ic tips on how to save money on both
fuel and repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the
correct pressure. Underinflation
causes tire wear and wastes fuel.
See Chapter 7- 2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts
a heavier load on the engine, caus-
ing greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warm- up idling.
Once the engine is running smooth-
ly, begin drivingÐbut gently. Re-
member, however, that on cold win-
ter days this may take a little
longer.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into
high gear as quickly as possible.
Avoid long engine idling. If you
have a long wait and you are not
in traffic, it is better to turn off the
engine and start again later.
Avoid engine lug or overrevving.
Use a gear position suitable for the
road on which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up
and slowing down. Stop- and- go
driving wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace.
Try to time the traffic signals so
you only need to stop as little as
possible or take advantage of
through streets to avoid traffic
lights. Keep a proper distance from
other vehicles to avoid sudden
braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic
jams whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the
clutch or brake pedal. This
causes needless wear, overheating
and poor fuel economy.
Maintain a moderate speed on
highways. The faster you drive,
the greater the fuel consumption.
By reducing your speed, you will
cut down on fuel consumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb
and slow down on rough roads.
Improper alignment not only causes
faster tire wear but also puts an
extra load on the engine, which, in
turn, wastes fuel.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, to
o

4RUNNER (1998)
Keep the bottom of your vehicle
free from mud, etc. This not only
lessens weight but also helps pre-
vent corrosion.
Keep your vehicle tuned- up and
in top shape. A dirty air cleaner,
improper valve clearance, dirty
plugs, dirty oil and grease, brakes
not adjusted, etc. all lower engine
performance and contribute to poor
fuel economy. For longer life of all
parts and lower operating costs,
keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive
under severe conditions, see that
your vehicle receives more frequent
maintenance (For scheduled main-
tenance information, please refer to
the separate ºOwner 's Manual Sup-
plement/Maintenance Scheduleº).
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering
and brake booster will not func-
tion without the engine running.
Also, the emission control system
operates properly only when the
engine is running.

4RUNNER (1998)
Checking tire pressure
Keep your tire pressures at the
proper level.
The recommended cold tire pressures,
tire size and the cargo weight rating
are given in Part 8.
You should check the tire pressures
every two weeks, or at least once a
month. And do not forget the spare!
Incorrect tire pressure can reduce
tire life and make your vehicle less
safe to drive.
Low tire pressure results in excessive
wear, poor handling, reduced fuel
economy, and the possib ility of blow-
outs from overheated tires. Also, low
tire pressure can cause poor sealing
of the tire bead. If the tire pressure
is excessively low, there is the possi-
bility of w heel deformation and/or tire
separation.
High tire pressure produces a harsh
ride, handling problems, excessive
wear at the center of the tire tread,
and a greater possibility of tire dam-
age from road hazards.
If a tire frequently needs ref illing,
have it checked by your Toyota deal-
er. The following instructions for
checking tire pressure should be
observed:
The pressure should be checked
only when the tires are cold. If
your vehicle has been packed for
at least 3 hours and has not been
driven for more than 1.5 km or 1
mile since, you will get an accurate
cold tire pressure reading.
Always use a tire pressuregauge. The appearance of a tire
can be misleading. Besides, tire
pressures that are even just a few
pounds off can degrade handling
and ride.
Do not bleed or reduce tire pres-
sure after driving. It is normal for
the tire pressure to be higher after
driving.
Never exceed the vehicle capac-
ity weight. The passenger and lug-
gage weight should be located so
that the vehicle is balanced.
Be sure to reinstall the tire infla-
tion valve caps. Without the valve
caps, dirt or moisture could get
into the valve core and cause air
leakage. If the caps have been
lost, have new ones put on as
soon as possible. Checking and replacing tires