tow TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2001 User Guide

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1062001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
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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’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1092001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either 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 OFF” indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The “O/D OFF” 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 control—When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” in this section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How
to start the engine” in Section 3. The
transmission must be in “P” or “N”.
When the front drive control lever is in
“L4” (lowspeed position, fourwheel
drive), the driving pattern selector setting
has no effect on gear shift timing. (See
“Fourwheel drive system” in this section
for information of the front drive control
lever.)
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to “D”.
When the lever is in the “D” 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 or when
the front drive control lever is in “L4”
(lowspeed position, fourwheel drive), the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
(See “Fourwheel drive system” in this
section for information of the front drive
control lever.)
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
OFF” indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to third
gear.
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’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1112001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, “D” 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
“R” 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 fully to
securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down,
shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” 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.
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’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
11 22001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
(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.
(j) Driving in “PWR” (Power) mode
In the “PWR” mode, the transmission is
shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the “NORM”(Normal) mode
and a more powerful acceleration is
achieved. To set the “PWR” mode, push
in the driving pattern selector button. The
“PWR” mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the “NORM” mode to improve fuel
economy.
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’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1712001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Rear heater system
1. Fan Speed Selector
2. Temperature Selector
Fan speed selector
Push the switch toward “HI” or “LO”.
Temperature selector
Place the lever anywhere except the
“OFF” position.
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’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1872001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
CLOSING REAR CUP HOLDER LID
To close the rear cup holder lid, re-
place the arms and pull up the lid.
NOTICE
Be sure to replace the arms before
closing the rear cup holder lid.
Tiedown hooks
To secure your luggage, use the tie
down hooks as shown above.
See “Luggage stowage precautions” in
Section 2 for precautions in loading lug-
gage.
Luggage cover
To use the luggage cover, pull it out of
the retractor and hook it to the an-
chors.
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1892001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Offroad vehicle precautions190 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Breakin period191 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel191 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operation in foreign countries193 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Threeway catalytic converter194 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust cautions195 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Facts about engine oil consumption195 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Twin ground electrode spark plugs196 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake system197 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake pad wear limit indicators200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Luggage stowage precautions201 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your Toyota’s identification201 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theft prevention labels202 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Suspension and chassis203 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Types of tires203 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 2
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’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1912001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
When driving offroad or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and
chassis.
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar offroad ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.
Breakin period
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
breakin. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Do not drive over 88 km/h (55 mph).
Run the engine at moderate speed be-
tween 2000 and 4000 rpm.
Avoid fullthrottle starts.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first
800km (500miles).
Fuel
FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5M93
in Canada.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
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’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
2012001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Luggage stowage precautions
When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the luggage
compartment when at all possible. Be
sure all items are secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
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 lug-
gage compartment higher than the
seatbacks. Keep luggage or pack-
ages low, as close to the floor as
possible.
Do not place anything on the flat-
tened seat or it may slide forward
during braking.
Never allow anyone to ride in the
luggage compartment. It is not de-
signed for passengers. They should
ride in their seats with their seat
belts properly fastened. Otherwise,
they are much more likely to suffer
serious bodily injury, in the event
of sudden braking or a collision.
Do not place anything on the lug-
gage 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 turn-
ing, and impair 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 specified in
Section 8.
The vehicle identification number (VIN)
is the legal identifier for your vehicle.
This number is on the left top of the
instrument panel, and can be seen
through the windshield from outside.
This is the primary identification number
for your Toyota. It is used in registering
the ownership of your vehicle.
Your Toyota’s identification—
—Vehicle identification
number
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’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
2052001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the engine206 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to start the engine206 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for driving in various conditions207 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Offroad driving precautions208 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Winter driving tips210 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dinghy towing211 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer towing211 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too217 . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 3
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