engine TOYOTA SEQUOIA 2021 (in English) Repair Manual
Page 184 of 588
1844-1. Before driving
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WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always  turn  the  engine  off.  Otherwise,  if  you  accidentally  move  the  shift
lever  or depress  the accelerator  pedal, this  could  cause  an  acc ident or  fire
due  to  engine  overheating. Additionally,  if  the  vehicle  is  park ed  in  a  poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicl e, leading to
death or a serious health hazard.
■ When braking
● When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this ma y cause
one  side  of  the  vehicle  to  brake  differently  than  the  other  sid e. Also,  the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
● If the brake booster device does not operate, do not follow oth er vehicles
closely and avoid hills or shar p turns that require braking. 
In  this  case,  braking  is  still  possible,  but  the  brake  pedal  sh ould  be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance wi ll increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
● Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls. 
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems  fails,  the  other  will  still  operate.  In  this  case,  the  brake  pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking dist ance will
increase.
If  this  happens,  do  not  continue  to  drive  the  vehicle.  Have  you r  brakes
fixed immediately.
■ If the vehicle becomes stuck (4WD models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up  in the air, or
the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline com-
ponents or propel the vehicle forward or backward, causing an a ccident. 
Page 185 of 588
1854-1. Before driving
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Driving
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NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
● Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same tim e during
driving, as this may restrain the engine output.
● Do  not  use  the  accelerator  pedal  or  depress  the  accelerator  and  brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■ When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P. F ailure to do so
may  cause  the  vehicle  to  move  or  the  vehicle  may  accelerate  sud denly  if
the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■ Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
● Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and ho ld it there for
an extended period of time. 
Doing so may damage the power steering pump.
● When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possibl e to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc. 
■ If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly  and  gradually  depress  the  brake  pedal to  slow  down  the  vehi-
cle.
● It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
● The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
● The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( P. 491) 
Page 186 of 588
1864-1. Before driving
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NOTICE
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain, etc.  Doing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle:
● Engine stalling
● Short in electrical components
● Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle i s flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following:
● Brake function
● Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, trans-
mission, transfer (4WD models), differentials, etc.
● Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspe nsion joints
(where possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc . 
Page 199 of 588
1994-1. Before driving
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Driving
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Confirm that the gross trailer weight, gross combination weight, gross
vehicle weight, gross axle weight and tongue weight are all within the
limits.
■GCWR* and TWR*
*1: The model code is indicated on  the Certification Label. (P.   5 2 2 )
■Unbraked TWR*
1000 lb. (453 kg)
GCWR, TWR and Unbraked TWR
Model code*1EngineDriving 
systemGCWRTWR
USK60L-
GKTSKA
5.7L V8  (3UR- FE) 
engine
2WD
13600 lb. 
(6169 kg)7400 lb. 
(3357 kg)
USK60L- GKTLKA13500 lb. 
(6124 kg)
7200 lb. 
(3266 kg)
USK60L- GKTZKA13400 lb. 
(6078 kg)
USK65L-
GKTSKA
4WD
13600 lb. 
(6169 kg)
7100 lb. 
(3221 kg)
USK65L- GKTLKA
13500 lb. 
(6124 kg)
USK65L- GKTZKA7000 lb. 
(3175 kg)
*: These models meet the tow-vehicle trailering requirement of
SAE International per SAE J2807 
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2044-1. Before driving
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If a height control system is installed in your vehicle, you have to con-
nect and disconnect your trailer more carefully.
● Connecting
Set  the  height  control  of  electronically  modulated  air  suspensi on
system to “N” mode.
Turn off the engine, or set the electronically modulated air su spen-
sion system to  manual mode. ( P. 310)
Connect the trailer.
Restart the engine.
Press  the  height  control  mode  select  switch  to  cancel  the  manua l
mode condition that was set on step  .
Check that the “OFF” i ndicator turns off. 
Set  the  height  control  of  electronically  modulated  air  suspensi on
system to “N” mode.
● Disconnecting
Set  the  height  control  of  electronically  modulated  air  suspensi on
system to “N” mode.
Set  the  electronically  modulat ed  air  suspension  system  to  manua l
mode.
Turn off the engine.
Set  the  supporting  leg  of  the  trailer  on  the  ground  and  raise  t he
hitch by 4 in. (100 mm).
Restart the engine.
Press  the  height  control  mode  select  switch  to  cancel  the  manua l
mode condition that was set on step  . 
Check that the “OFF” i ndicator turns off.
Wait until vehicle h eight is stabilized.
Make  sure  the  hitch  is  disconnected.  If  the  hitch  does  not  disc on-
nect, raise the hitch higher  and repeat steps   through  .
Move  the  vehicle  forward  in  “LO”  mode  where  the  hitch  does  not  touch
anything in “N” mode.
Set the height control of electronically modulated air suspensi on system to
“N” mode.
Connecting  and  disconnecting  a  trailer  (vehicles  with  electroni -
cally modulated air suspension)
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2
3
4
5
2
6
1
2
3
4
5
6
2
7
8
27 
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2064-1. Before driving
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●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering  and sharp turns, and slow down before maki ng
turns.
● Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer  than
the vehicle wheels to the inside  of the turn. Compensate by mak ing
a wider than normal turning radius.
● Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slipp ery
surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
● Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider-
able  distance. After  passing  a  vehicle,  do  not  forget  the  lengt h  of
your  trailer,  and  be  sure  you  have  plenty  of  room  before  changi ng
lanes.
● To  maintain  engine  braking  efficiency  and  charging  system  perfo r-
mance  when  using  engine  braking,  do  not  put  the  transmission  in
D.
● Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or lo ng
downhill grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while  descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the bra kes
too frequently. This could cause  the brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
● Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may  over-
heat on hot days (at temperatures over 85 °F [30 °C]) when driv ing
up  a  long  or steep  grade.  If  the  engine  coolant  temperature  gau ge
indicates overheating, immediately turn off the air conditionin g (if in
use), pull your vehicle off the  road and stop in a safe spot. 
(  P. 513) 
Page 207 of 588
2074-1. Before driving
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Driving
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●Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trai ler’s
wheels  when  parking. Apply  the  parking  brake  firmly,  and  put  th e
transmission  in  P. Avoid  parking  on  a  slope,  but  if  unavoidable ,  do
so only after perform ing the following:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone  place wheel blocks  under both the vehicle’s and
trailer’s wheels.
When  the  wheel  blocks  are  in  pl ace,  release  the  brakes  slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into P and turn off the engine.
● When restarting afte r parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the engine. Be sure to keep t he
brake pedal pressed.
Shift into a forward gear.  If reversing, shift into R.
Release  the  parking  brake  and  brake  pedal,  and  slowly  pull  or
back away from the wheel bloc ks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
■ Matching trailer ball height  to trailer coupler height
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2
3
4
5
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2
3
4
No  matter  which  class  of  tow  hitch
applies,  for  a  safer  trailer  hookup,  the
trailer  ball  setup  must  be  the  proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler 
Trailer ball
STO41ADU06 
Page 208 of 588
2084-1. Before driving
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Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 529)
● Trailer  tires  are  inflated  according  to  the  trailer  manufacture r’s  recommen-
dation.
● All trailer lights work as required by law.
● All lights work each time you connect them.
● The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on  the trailer.
● The trailer is level when it is hitched. 
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for imprope r tongue weight,
overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
● The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
● The  rear  view  mirrors  conform  to  all  applicable  federal,  state/provincial  or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors ap propriate for tow-
ing purposes.
● Depress “TOW/HAUL” button (if equipped)
■ AVS (adaptive variable suspension system) (if equipped)
The suspension can be switched for improvement in drivability.  (P. 314)
■ Break-in schedule
If  your  vehicle  is  new  or  equipped  with  any  new  power  train  com ponents
(such  as  an  engine,  transmission,  differential  or  wheel  bearing ),  Toyota  rec-
ommends  that  you  do  not  tow  a  trailer  until  the  vehicle  has  bee n  driven  for
over 500 miles (800 km).
After  the  vehicle  has  been  driven  for  over  500  miles  (800  km),  you  can  start
towing. However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the veh icle at a speed
of  less  than  50  mph  (80  km/h)  when  towing  a  trailer,  and  avoid  full  throttle
acceleration.
■ Maintenance
●If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent m aintenance due
to  the  additional  load.  (See  “Scheduled  Maintenance  Guide”  or  “ Owner’s
Manual Supplement”.)
● Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after  approximately
600 miles (1000 km) of trailer towing. 
Page 214 of 588
2144-2. Driving procedures
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Engine (ignition) switch
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
  and  a  message  will  be  dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play. 
If  it  is  not  displayed,  the  engine
cannot be started.
Press  the  engine  switch  shortly
and firmly. 
When  operating  the engine  switch,
one  short,  firm  press  is  enough.  It
is  not  necessary  to  press  and  hold
the switch.
The  engine  will  crank  until  it  starts
or for up to 30 seconds, whichever
is less.
Continue  depressing  the  brake
pedal until the engine is completely
started.
The  engine  can  be  started  from
any engine switch mode.
Performing  the  following  opera tions  when  carrying  the  elec-
tronic  key  on  your  person  starts  the  engine  or  changes  engine
switch modes.
Starting the engine
1
2
3
4 
Page 215 of 588
2154-2. Driving procedures
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Driving
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Stop the vehicle.
Set the parking brake (P. 226), and shift the shift lever to P.
Press the engine switch.
Release  the  brake  pedal  and  chec k  that  the  display  on  the  instru-
ment cluster is off.
OFF
The  emergency  flashers  can  be
used.
ACC
Some  electrical  components  such
as the audio system can be used.
“ACCESSORY”  will  be  displayed
on the multi-information display.
ON
All  electrical  components  can  be
used.
“IGNITION  ON”  will  be  displayed
on the multi-information display.
*: If  the  shift  lever  is  in  a  position other  than  P  when  turning  off  the
engine,  the  engine  switch  will  be
turned to ACC, not to off.
Stopping the engine
Changing engine  switch modes
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4