tow TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2000 Owner's Manual

392000 4Runner (OM35762U)
Fold- down rear seats
BEFORE FOLD- DOWN REAR SEAT
Stow the rear seat belt and buckles as
shown in the illustration.
This prevents the belt and buckles from
falling out when you fold the seatback.
NOTICE
The seat belt and buckles must be
stowed before you fold the seatback.
1. Swing the bottom cushion up by
pulling the lock release strap, and
remove the head restraint.
It is hinged at the front edge, so just lift
it up.
If desired, each bottom cushion may be
swung up separately.2. Store the head restraints in the head
restraint retaining holes in the bot-
tom cushion.
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402000 4Runner (OM35762U)
3. Unlock the seatback and fold it
down.
This will enlarge the luggage compartment
as far as the raised seat cushion. See
Luggage stowage precautionsº in Section
2 for precautions in loading luggage.
If desired, each seatback may be folded
separately.
CAUTION
When returning the seats to their
original position:

Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.

Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback.
Failure to do so will prevent seat
belt from operating properly. Be
certain to replace the head re-
straints.

Make sure the bottom cushion is
securely locked by trying to pull up
the edge of the cushion near the
lock release straps.

Do not forget to pull out the buckle
of the side seatbelts and center
seatbelt and arranged them in their
proper position and are ready to
use.
Head restraints
Front
Rear
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462000 4Runner (OM35762U)
To release the belt, press the buckle- re-
lease button.The rear seat belt and buckles can be
stowed when not in use.
Seat belt and buckles must be stowed
before you fold the seat back. (See Fold
down rear seatsº in this section.)
ÐSeat belt extender
If your seat belt cannot be fastened se-
curely because it is not long enough, a
personalized seat belt extender is avail-
able from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer so
that the dealer can order the proper re-
quired length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-
er measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is available
at your Toyota dealer.
ÐStowing rear seat belt
and buckles
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742000 4Runner (OM35762U)
This model sold in Canada is provided
with a bracket set in the glove box, de-
signed for use with any of the 2 anchor
locations shown in the illustration.
If your child restraint system does not
provide any of the necessary parts, ask
your Toyota dealer. (See ÐChild restraint
systemº.)
Tilt steering wheel
To change the steering wheel angle,
hold the steering wheel, pull the lock
release lever toward you, tilt the steer-
ing wheel to the desired angle and re-
turn the lever to its original position.
When the steering wheel is in a low posi-
tion, it will spring up as you release the
lock release lever.
CAUTION

Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving.

After adjusting the steering wheel,
try moving it up and down to make
sure it is locked in position.
Outside rear view mirrorsÐ
Adjust the mirror so that you can see
the side of your vehicle in the mirror.
Be careful when judging the size or dis-
tance of any object seen in the outside
rear view mirror on the passenger 's side.
It is a convex mirror with a curved sur-
face. Any object seen in a convex mirror
will look smaller and farther away than
when seen in a flat mirror.
On some models, when you push the
back window defogger switch, the heater
panels in the outside rear view mirrors will
quickly clear the surface. To turn on the
back window defogger, see Back window
and outside rear view mirror defoggersº in
Section 1- 4.
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842000 4Runner (OM35762U)
Ignition switch light
For easy access to the ignition switch,
the ignition switch light comes on when
the driver's door is opened.
The light remains on for some time after
driver 's door is closed.To turn on the windshield wipers, move
the lever to the desired setting.
The key must be in the ONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Slow
Position 3Fast
The INT TIMEº band lets you adjust the
wiping time interval when the wiper lever
is in the intermittent position (position 1).
Twist the band upward to increase the
time between sweeps, and downward to
decrease it.To squirt washer fluid, pull the lever
toward you.
If the windshield wipers are off, they will
operate a couple of times after the washer
squirts.
For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see Adding washer fluidº in Section 7- 3.
In freezing weather, warm the windshield
with the defroster before using the washer.
This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which
can block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the wind-
shield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
Windshield wipers and
washer (intermittent type)
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852000 4Runner (OM35762U)
To turn on the windshield wipers, move
the lever to the desired setting.
The key must be in the ONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Slow
Position 2Fast
For a single sweep of the windshield,
push the lever up and release it.
To squirt washer fluid, pull the lever
toward you.
For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see Adding washer fluidº in Section 7- 3.In freezing weather, warm the windshield
with the defroster before using the washer.
This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which
can block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the wind-
shield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
Back window wiper and washer
To turn on the back window wiper, twist
the lever knob upward.
The key must be in the ONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Normal
To squirt washer fluid on the back window,
twist the knob upward or downward as far
as it will go (position 3 or 4). The knob
automatically returns from these positions
after you release it.
For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see Adding washer fluidº in Section 7- 3.
Windshield wipers and
washer (mist type)
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892000 4Runner (OM35762U)

Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop- and- go traffic.

Towing a trailer.
NOTICE

Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.

Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See If your ve-
hicle overheatsº in Section 4.
Tachometer
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm (revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and overrevving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Odometer and two trip meters
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. OdometerÐShows the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip metersÐShow two different
distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.
3. Trip meter reset knobÐResets the two
trip meters to zero, and also change
the meter display.
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982000 4Runner (OM35762U)
(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either a third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The O/D OFFº indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The O/D OFFº indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will be on automatically.Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be applied because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise controlº in this section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How
to start the engineº in Section 3. The
transmission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
When the lever is in the Dº position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push the overdrive switch. The O/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the 2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and stronger engine braking will
be enabled.
3RZ- FE engine
112 km/h (69 mph)
5VZ- FE engine
119 km/h (73 mph)
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992000 4Runner (OM35762U)
Shift into the Lº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
When the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
3RZ- FE engine
54 km/h (33 mph)
5VZ- FE engine
58 km/h (36 mph)
Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking is not applied because the cruise
control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise controlº in this section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using 2º and Lº positions
The 2º and Lº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in 2º or Lº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in Dº.
With the selector lever in 2º, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in Lº, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE

Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
2º 120 km/h (74 mph). . . . . . . . . . . .
Lº 65 km/h (40 mph). . . . . . . . . . . .

Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
2º or Lº position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, Dº position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(f) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with
your foot, shift the selector lever to the
Rº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(g) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to
securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down,
shift the selector lever to the Pº posi-
tion.
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1002000 4Runner (OM35762U)
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into Pº position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(h) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. It
can cause the transmission to over-
heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(i) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock the vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the ve-
hicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes un-
stuck, causing injury or damage to
nearby people or objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.

Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reverse
gear.

Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.

If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
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