engine coolant TOYOTA T100 1998 Owners Manual

T100(U)
4
1. Engine coolant temperature gauge
2. Service reminder indicators or indicator lights
3. Trip meter 4. Odometer
5. Speedometer
6. Fuel gauge
7. Trip meter reset knob
Instrument cluster overview
Without tachometer

T100(U)5
1. Engine coolant temperature gauge
2. Oil pressure gauge
3. Tachometer
4. Service reminder indicators or indicatorlights 5. Odometer
6. Speedometer
7. Trip meter
8. Voltmeter
9. Low fuel level warning light
10. Fuel gauge 11. Trip meter reset knob

With tachometer

T100(U)57
Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS—
Chapter 1
−5
Gauges, Meters
and Service reminder indicators
Fuel gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge
Oil pressure gauge
Volt m et er
Tachometer
Odometer and trip meter
Service reminder indicators and
warning buzzers
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
It is a good idea to keep the tank over
1/4 full.
The needle moves when braking, acceler-
ating or making turns. This is caused by
the fuel moving in the tank.
If the fuel level approaches ”E” or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible.
If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately. The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the fuel gauge
needle may fluctuate.
Fuel gauge
(without tachometer)

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58
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
It is a good idea to keep the tank over
1/4 full.
This fuel gauge has a non-return type
needle which remains at the last indicated
position when the ignition switch is turned
off.
If the fuel level approaches ”E” or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible.
If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately. The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the fuel gauge
needle may fluctuate or the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature when the ignition switch is
on. The engine operating temperature
will vary with changes in weather and
engine load.
If the needle points to the red zone or
higher, stop your vehicle and allow the
engine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop-and-go traffic.
Towing a trailer.
Fuel gauge
(with tachometer)
Engine coolant
temperature gauge

T100(U)59
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 overheats” in Part 4.
Oil pressure gauge
The oil pressure gauge indicates engine
oil pressure when the ignition is on.
Check it while driving to make sure
that the needle is in the proper range.
If the oil pressure should stay below the
normal range, pull off the road to a safe
place and stop the engine immediately.
Call a Toyota dealer or qualified repair
shop for assistance.
Oil pressure may not build up when the
oil level is too low. The oil pressure
gauge is not designed to indicate oil level,
and the oil level must be checked using
the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the oil
pressure below the normal range until
the cause is fixed–it may ruin the en-
gine.

T100(U)67
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ”P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ”ON” position and selector lever
pulled toward you).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ”How to start the engine” in Part 3. The
transmission must be in ”P” or ”N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to ”D”.
In ”D” position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for running conditions such as normal
cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving.
Two-wheel drive models–If the engine
coolant temperature is low, the transmis-
sion will not shift into the overdrive gear
even with the overdrive switch on. Four-wheel drive models–If the engine
coolant temperature is low and the vehicle
is travelling at low speed or when the
four-wheel drive control lever is in ”L4”
(four-wheel drive, low range), the trans-
mission will not shift into the overdrive
gear even with the overdrive switch on.
(See ”Four-wheel drive system” in this
Chapter for information of the four-wheel
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.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows: Turn off the overdrive switch. The ”O/D
OFF” indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the ”2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and more powerful engine brak-
ing will be obtained.
Tw o −wheel drive models—
3RZ −FE engine.....112 km/h (70 mph)
5VZ −FE engine.....117 km/h (73 mph)
Four −wheel drive models—
—Four −wheel drive control lever
in ”H2” and ”H4”.....112 km/h (70 mph)
—Four −wheel drive control lever
in ”L4”.....38 km/h (24 mph)
Shift into the ”L” 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 ap-
plied.
Tw o −wheel drive models—
3RZ −FE engine.....54 km/h (34 mph)
5VZ −FE engine.....56 km/h (35 mph)
Four −wheel drive models—
—Four −wheel drive control lever
in ”H2” and ”H4”.....54 km/h (34 mph)
—Four −wheel drive control lever
in ”L4”.....10 km/h (6 mph)

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138
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.
Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking effi-
ciency, do not use fifth gear (manual
transmission) or overdrive (automatic
transmission).
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over30°C [85 °F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to ”If
your vehicle overheats” in Part 4 of
this manual.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in ”P” (automatic)
or in first or reverse (manual). Avoid
parking on a slope with a trailer, but
if it cannot be avoided, do so only
after performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold. 2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into first or reverse (manual) or ”P” (automatic) and turn off the
engine.
When restarting out after parking on a
slope: 1. With the transmission in ”P” position (automatic) or the clutch pedal de-
pressed (manual), start the engine.
(With an automatic transmission, be
sure to keep the brake pedal de-
pressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot brake on automatic transmission ve-
hicles) and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blo cks. Stop and ap-
ply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.

T100(U)145
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably over-heated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in ”P”
(automatic) or neutral (manual) and ap-
ply 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 subsides 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.
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 broken or thecoolant is leaking, stop the engine im-
mediately. Call a Toyota dealer for as-
sistance.
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 depressed.
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 radiator
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 temperaturehas cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.

T100(U)
168
Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the ”FULL” and ”LOW” lines on the see-
through reservoir when the engine is cold.
See Chapter 7
−2 for additional information
when the engine is cold.
Battery electrolyte level
Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower lev-
el lines on the case. Add only distilled
water when replenishing. See Chapter 7 −3
for additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
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 addi-
tional information.
Power steering fluid level
Check the level on the dipstick. The level
should be in the ”HOT” or ”COLD” 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 immedi-
ately. (See engine exhaust cautions in
Part 2.)
Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip-offs that
indicate service is needed. Some impor-
tant clues are as follows:
Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and
have the exhaust system checked im-
mediately.)
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 suspension
movement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
Engine coolant temperature continually
higher than normal
Does your vehicle need
repairing?

T100(U)
172 1. Brake fluid reservoir
2. Fuse block
3. Battery
4. Engine coolant reservoir
5. Engine oil level dipstick
6. Power steering fluid reservoir
7. Engine oil filler cap
8. Windshield washer fluid tank
Engine compartment overview (3RZ
−FE engine)