TOYOTA TACOMA 1998 Owners Manual

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Checking and replacing tires
Tread wear indicator
CHECKING YOUR TIRES
Check the tire tread for the tread wear
indicators. If the indicators show, re-
place the tires.
The tires on your Toyota have built-in
tread wear indicators to help you know
when the tires need replacement. When
the tread depth wears to 1.6 mm (0.06
in.) or less, the indicators will appear. If
you can see the indicators in two or more
adjacent grooves, the tire should be re-
placed. The lower the tread, the higher
the risk of skidding.
The effectiveness of snow tires is lost
if the tread wears down below 4 mm
(0.16 in.). Check the tires regularly for damage
such as cuts, splits and cracks. If any
damage is found, consult with a techni-
cian and have the tire repaired or re-
placed.
Even if the damage does not appear seri-
ous, a qualified technician should examine
the damage. Objects which have pene-
trated the tire may have caused internal
damage.
Any tires which are over six years old
must be checked by a qualified techni-
cian even if damage is not obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This also applies to the spare tire and
tires stored for future use.
REPLACING YOUR TIRES
When replacing a tire, use only the
same size and construction as original-
ly installed and with the same or great-
er load capacity.
Using any other size or type of tire may
seriously affect handling, ride, speedome-
ter/odometer calibration, ground clearance,
and clearance between the body and tires
or snow chains.CAUTION

Do not mix radial, bias belted, or
bias-ply tires on your vehicle. It can
cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of con-
trol.
Do not use tires or wheels other
than the manufacturer 's recom-
mended size.
Toyota recommends all four tires, or at
least both of the front or rear tires be
replaced at a time as a set.
See ºIf you have a flat tireº in Part 4 for
tire change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Wheels can get out
of balance with regular use and should
therefore be balanced occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the air
valve should also be replaced with a
new one.

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Rotating tires
With a spare tire of the same wheel type
as the installed tires
With a spare tire of different wheel type
from the installed tires
To equalize tire wear and help extend
tire life, Toyota recommends that you
rotate your tires approximately every
12000 km (7500 miles). However, the
most appropriate timing for tire rotation
may vary according to your driving hab-
its and road surface conditions.
See ºIf you have a flat tireº in Part 4 for
tire change procedure.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is usu-
ally caused by incorrect tire pressure, im-
proper wheel alignment, out-of-balance
wheels, or severe braking.
WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recommended
when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires.
SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select the same
size, construction and load capacity as
the original tires on your Toyota.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the rear w
heels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capab ility between the front
and rear tires which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure
to install them in the same direction when
replacing.
Installing snow tires and
chains

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CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires
incorrectly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.
TIRE CHAIN SELECTION
Use the tire chains of correct size.
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary according to location or
type of road, so always check them
before installing chains.
CHAIN INSTALLATION
Install the chains on the rear tires as
tightly as possible. Do not use tire
chains on the front tires. Retighten
chains after driving 0.5Ð1.0 km
(1/4Ð1/2 mile).
When installing chains on your tires, care-
fully follow the instructions of the chain
manufacturer.
If wheel covers are used, they will be
scratched by the chain band, so remove
the covers before putting on the chains.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) or
the chain manufacturer 's recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully avoiding bumps,
holes, and sharp turns, which may
cause the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-wheel
braking, as use of chains may ad-
versely affect vehicle handling.
Replacing wheels
WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR WHEELS
If you have wheel damage such as
bending, cracks or heavy corrosion, the
wheel should be replaced.
If you fail to replace damaged wheels, the
tire may slip off the wheel or they may
cause loss of handling control.
WHEEL SELECTION
When replacing wheels, care should be
taken to ensure that the wheels are re-
placed by ones with the same load ca-
pacity, diameter, rim width, and offset.
Correct replacement wheels are available
at your Toyota dealer.
A wheel of a different size or type may
adversely affect handling, wheel and bear-
ing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odom-
eter calibration, stopping ab ility, headlight
aim, bumper height, vehicle ground clear-
ance, and tire or snow chain clearance to
the body and chassis.

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214
Replacement with used wheels is not rec-
ommended as they may have been sub-
jected to rough treatment or high mileage
and could fail without warning. Also, bent
wheels which have been straightened may
have structural damage and therefore
should not be used. Never use an inner
tube in a leaking wheel which is designed
for a tubeless tire.
Aluminum wheel precautions
After driving your vehicle the first 1600
km (1000 miles), check that the wheel
nuts are tight.
If you have rotated, repaired, or
changed your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight after driving
1600 km (1000 miles).
When using tire chains, be careful not
to damage the aluminum wheels.
Use only the Toyota wheel nuts and
wrench designed for your aluminum
wheels.
When balancing your wheels, use only
Toyota balance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber hammer.
As with any wheel, periodically check
your aluminum wheels for damage. If
damaged, replace immediately.

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Part 7
DO-IT-YOURSELF
MAINTENANCE±
Chapter 7- 3
Electrical components
Checking battery condition
Battery recharging precautions
Checking and replacing fuses
Adding washer fluid
Replacing light bulbs
CAUTION
BATTERY PRECAUTIONS
The battery produces flammable and
explosive hydrogen gas.
Do not cause a spark from the bat-
tery with tools.
Do not smoke or light a match near
the battery.
The electrolyte contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid. Avoid contact with eyes, skin or
clothes.
Never ingest electrolyte.
Wear protective safety glasses when
working near the battery.
Keep children away from the bat-
tery.
EMERGENCY MEASURES If electrolyte gets in your eyes,
flush your eyes with clean water
immediately and get immediate
medical attention. If possible, con-
tinue to apply water with a sponge
or cloth while en route to the medi-
cal office.
If electrolyte gets on your skin,
thoroughly wash the contact area. If
you feel pain or burning, get medi-
cal attention immediately.
If electrolyte gets on your clothes,
there is a possibility of its soaking
through to your skin, so immediate-
ly take off the exposed clothing and
follow the procedure above, if nec-
essary.
If you happen to swallow electro-
lyte, drink a large quantity of water
or milk. Follow with milk of magne-
sia, beaten raw egg or vegetable
oil. Then go immediately for emer-
gency help.
Checking battery c onditionÐ
ÐPrecautions

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ÐChecking battery exterior
Ground cable
Terminals
Hold- down
clamp
Check the battery for corroded or loose
terminal connections, cracks, or loose
hold-down clamp.
a. If the battery is corroded, wash it off
with a solution of warm water and baking
soda. Coat the outside of the terminals
with grease to prevent further corrosion.
b. If the terminal connections are loose,
tighten their clamp nuts±but do not over-
tighten.
c. Tighten the hold-down clamp only
enough to keep the battery firmly in place.
Overtightening may damage the battery
case.
NOTICE
Be sure the engine and all accesso- ries are off before performing main-tenance.
When checking the battery, remove
the ground cable from the negativeterminal (º
º mark) first and rein-
stall it last.
Be careful not to cause a short cir- cuit with tools.
Take care no solution gets into thebattery when washing it.
ÐChecking battery fluid
Ty p e A
Ty p e B Red
White Clear or
Dark
Green
Blue light yellow
CHECKING BY THE HYDROMETER
Check the battery condition by the
hydrometer color. Hydrometer color
ConditionTy p e ATy p e BCondition
GREENBLUEGood
DARKWHITECharging necessary. Have
battery checked by your
Toyota dealer.
CLEAR or
LIGHT
YELLOWREDHave battery checked by
your Toyota dealer.

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Battery recharging precautions
During recharging, the battery is pro-
ducing hydrogen gas.
Therefore, before recharging:
1. If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to disconnect
the ground cable.
2. Be sure the power switch on the re- charger is off when connecting the
charger cables to the battery and when
disconnecting them.
CAUTION
Always charge the battery in an un-
confined area. Do not charge the
battery in a garage or closed room
where there is not sufficient ventila-
tion.
Only do a slow charge (5A or less).
Charging at a quicker rate is dan-
gerous. The battery may explode,
causing personal injuries.
NOTICE
Never recharge the battery while the
engine is running. Also, be sure allaccessories are turned off.
Checking and replacing fuses
Blown
Blown
Blown
Good
Good
Good
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
Ty p e C

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If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work, check the
fuses. If any of the fuses are blown,
they must be replaced.
See ºFuse locationsº in Chapter 7- 1 for
locations of the fuses.
Turn the ignition switch and inoperative
component off. Pull a suspected fuse
straight out and check it.
Determine which fuse may be causing the
problem. The lid of the fuse box shows
the name of the circuit for each fuse. See
Part 8 of this manual for the functions
controlled by each circuit. Type A fuses can be pulled out by the
pull- out tool. The location of the pull-out
tool is shown in the illustration.
If you are not sure whether the fuse has
blown, try replacing the suspected fuse
with one that you know is good.
If the fuse has blown, push a new fuse
into the clip.
Only install a fuse with the amperage rat-
ing designated on the fuse box lid.
If you do not have a spare fuse, in an
emergency you can pull out the ºCIGº,
ºRADIOº, ºDOMEº or ºA.Cº fuse, which
may be dispensable for normal driving,
and use it if its amperage rating is the
same.
If you cannot use one of the same amper-
age, use one that is lower, but as close
as possible to the rating. If the amperage
is lower than that specified, the fuse
might blow out again but this does not
indicate anything wrong. Be sure to get
the correct fuse as soon as possible and
return the substitute to its original clip.
It is a good idea to purchase a set of
spare fuses and keep them in your ve-
hicle for emergencies.
If the new fuse immediately blows out,
there is a problem with the electrical sys-
tem. Have your Toyota dealer correct it as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
Never use a fuse with a higher am-
perage rating, or any other object, in
place of a fuse. This may cause ex-
tensive damage and possibly a fire.

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Adding washer fluid
If any washer does not work, the wash-
er tank may be empty. Add washer
fluid.
You may use plain water as washer fluid.
However, in cold areas where tempera-
tures range below freezing point, use
washer fluid containing antifreeze. This
product is available at your Toyota 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 it may dam-age your vehicle's paint.
The following illustrations show how to
gain access to the bulbs. When replacing
a bulb, make sure the ignition switch and
light switch are off. Use bulbs with the
wattage ratings given in the table.
CAUTION
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas
inside and require special handling.
They can burst or shatter if scratched
or dropped. Hold a bulb only by its
plastic or metal case. Do not touch
the glass part of a bulb with barehands.
NOTICE
Only use a bulb of the listed type.
Light bulbsBulb No.WTy p e
HeadlightsHB260/55A
Parking lights1685C
Front turn signal
lights115627B
Rear turn signal
lights115627B
Stop and tail lights115727/8B
Back- up lights115627B
License plate lights1943.8C
High mounted
stop light1685C
Interior light
Normal cab
Xtra-cab
Ð Ð 5
10D
Personal lightsÐ5D
Door courtesy lightsÐ3D
Glovebox lightÐ1.4C
A: HB2 halogen bulbs
B: Single end bulbs
C: Wedge base bulbs
D: Double end bulbs
Replacing light bulbsÐ