service TOYOTA TACOMA 1998 Owners Manual

'98 Tacoma (U)
4
1. Engine coolant temperature gauge
2. Tachometer
3. Service reminder indicators and indicator lights 4. Speedometer
5. Fuel gauge
6. Trip meter reset knob
7. Odometer and two trip meters
Instrument cluster overview
With tachometer

'98 Tacoma (U)5
1. Engine coolant temperature gauge
2. Service reminder indicators and indicator lights 3. Speedometer
4. Odometer
5. Fuel gauge

Without tachometer

'98 Tacoma (U)7
*1
: For details, see ºService reminder indicators and warning buzz -
ersº in Chapter 1- 5.
* 2
: If this light flashes, see ºCruise controlº in Chapter 1- 6.
Cruise control indicator light *
2
Rear differential lock indicator light

'98 Tacoma (U)
32
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ºACCº or
ºONº position. It goes off after about
6 seconds. This means the SRS airbags
are operating properly.
The SRS airbag warning light system
monitors the airbag sensor assembly, in-
flators, warning light, interconnecting wir-
ing and power sources. (For details, see
Service remainder indicators and warning
buzzersº in chapter 1- 5.)The SRS airbag system is designed to
activate in response to a severe frontal
impact within the shaded area between
the arrows in the illustration.
There may be the case that the SRS air-
bags will not activate with such an impact
in which the occupant wearing the seat
belt correctly would not get serious injury.
The SRS airbags will deploy if the severi-
ty of the impact is above the designed
threshold level, comparable to an approxi-
mate 20 km/h (14 mph) collision when
impacting straight into a fixed barrier that
does not move or deform.
If the severity of the impact is below the
above threshold level, the SRS airbags
may not deploy. However, this threshold velocity will be
considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or
sign pole, which can move or deform on
impact, or if it is involved in an underride
collision (e.g. a collision in which the nose
of the vehicle ºunderridesº, or goes under,
the bed of a truck).
It is possible with collision severity at the
marginal level of airbag sensor detection
and activation that only one of your ve-
hicle's two airbags will deploy.
For the safety of all occupants, be sure
to always wear seat belts.

'98 Tacoma (U)37
This SRS airbag system has a service
reminder indicator to inform the driver of
operating problems. If either of the follow-
ing conditions occurs, this indicates a mal-
function of the airbags. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to ser-
vice the vehicle. The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ºACCº or
ºONº position, or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables
before contacting your Toyota dealer.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The SRS airbags have been inflated.
The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident not of the extent to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate.
The pad section of the steering wheel
or front passenger airbag cover
(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
Indicator light
This system is designed to disable the
passenger airbag in order to allow
usage, if necessary, of a rear- facing
child restraint system in the front seat.
Disable the passenger airbag only when
you put a rear facing child restraint
system on the front seat unavoidably.
Switch the system as follows:
Insert key into the keyhole and turn it.
To turn passenger airbag on: Turn the key
to the ONº position.
To turn passenger airbag off: Turn the key
to the OFFº position.
The indicator comes on when the passen-
ger airbag system is off. Passenger airbag cutoff
system

'98 Tacoma (U)67
Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1- 5
Gauges, Meters
and Service reminder indicators
Fuel gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge
Tachometer
Odometer and two trip meters
Service reminder indicators and
warning buzzers
Fuel gauge
With tachometer
Without tachometer
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
Nearly fullÐNeedle at ºFº
Nearly emptyÐNeedle at ºEº
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 ºEº or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank 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.
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.

'98 Tacoma (U)
70 (d) Stop and check.
If the indicator or
buzzer comes on...
(a) If parking brake is off, stop and check.
(b) Fasten seat belts.
(c) Stop and check.
(f) Fill up tank.
(e) Take vehicle to
Toyota dealer.
(Indicator and buzzer)Do this.
(h) Take vehicle to
To y o t ad ealer
immediately.
If the indicator or
buzzer comes on...
(g) Take vehicle to
(type A) Toyota dealer.
(i) Shift front drive
control lever out of
ºNº.
(j) Stop and check.
(type B)
(k) Add washer fluid.
Do this.If the indicator or Do this.
buzzer comes on...
(l) Light reminder Turn off lights. buzzer
(m) Key reminder Remove key. buzzer
Service reminder indicators
an d warn in g bu zzers

'98 Tacoma (U)
72
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the warning light onÐeven for one block.It may ruin the engine.
(e) Malfunction indicator lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See
ºFuel gaugeº in Chapter 1- 5 for instruc-
tions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See ºFuel tank capº in Chapter
1- 2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electrical
system.
If it comes on while you are driving in
case c, have your vehicle checked/re-
paired by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. (f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
(g) ºABSº Warning Light This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in your anti-lock brake system.
If the light comes on while you are driv-
ing, have your vehicle checked by your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to the ºONº position. After
a few seconds, the light will go off.
When the ºABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
brake system operates conventionally but
anti- lock brake system is not assisting
brake performance so that the wheels can
lock- up during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces. Vehicles with rear differential lock sys-
temÐ
The anti-lock brake system does not oper-
ate when the rear differential is locked. It
is normal operation for the ºABSº warning
light to be on at this time.
(h) SRS Airbag Warning Light This light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ºACCº or
ºONº position. After about 6 seconds,
the light will go off. This means the
airbag system is operating properly.
The warning light system monitors the air-
bag sensor assembly, inflator, warning
light, interconnecting wiring and power
sources.
If either of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ºACCº or
ºONº position or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.

'98 Tacoma (U)73
(i) Unengaged ºParkº Warning Light (ve-
hicles with automatic transmission)
This light warns that the transmission
ºParkº mechanism is not engaged. If the
front drive control lever is in the ºNº posi-
tion while the selector lever is in the ºPº
position, the transmission will disengage
and the wheels will not lock.
CAUTION
To restore the park function, shift the
front drive control lever out of ºNº,
or the vehicle can move.
(j) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem- perature Warning Light
This light warns that the automatic trans-
mission fluid temperature is too high.
If this light comes on while you are driv-
ing, slow down and pull off the road. Stop
the vehicle at a safe place and put the
selector lever in ºPº. With the engine id-
ling, wait until the light goes off. If the
light goes off, you may start the vehicle
again. If the light does not go off, call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance. (k) Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level
Warning Light (Canada)
The light warns that the windshield washer
fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at
your earliest opportunity. (For instructions,
see ºAdding washer fluidº in Chapter 7- 3.)
(l) Light Reminder Buzzer This buzzer will sound if the driver 's door
is opened while the ignition switch is
turned to the ºLOCKº position with the
headlight switch on. Removing the key will
not stop the buzzer as long as the head-
light switch is on.
(m) Key Reminder Buzzer This buzzer reminds you to remove the
key when you open the driver 's door with
the ignition key in the ºACCº or ºLOCKº
position. CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER INDICA-
TORS (except the low fuel level warning
light and low windshield washer fluid
level warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to ºACCº. The SRS airbag warning light should
come on. It goes off after about 6 se-
conds.
3. Turn the ignition key to ºONº, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex-
cept the SRS airbag warning light
should come on. The ºABSº warning
light goes off after a few seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described
above, either the bulb is burned out or the
circuit is in need of repair. Have it
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.

'98 Tacoma (U)127
Air intake selector
Move the lever to select the air source.1. Recirculate ÐRecirculates the air inside
the vehicle.
2. Fresh ÐDraws outside air into the sys-
tem. ºA/Cº button
To turn on the air conditioning, press the
ºA/Cº button. The ºA/Cº button indicator
will come on. To turn the air conditioning
off, press the button again.
If the ºA/Cº button indicator flashes, there
is a problem in the air conditioning system
and the air conditioning automatically
shuts off. If this happens, take your ve-
hicle to a Toyota dealer for service.