TOYOTA TACOMA 2008 Owners Manual (in English)

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When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti−lock brake system does not operate,
so that the wheels will lock up during a
sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions oc-
curs, this indicates a malfunction some-
where in the components 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
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are dri-
ving.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the “ABS” warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, not only the antilock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
Any of the following conditions may oc-
cur, but do not indicate a malfunction:
The light may stay on for about 60
seconds after the engine switch is
turned to the “ON” position. It is nor-
mal if it turns off after a while.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the light. It is normal if it
turns off after a few seconds.
With rear differential lock: The light
comes on with rear differential locked.
At this time, the anti −lock brake sys-
tem, the brake assist system, the ve-
hicle stability control system, the trac-
tion control system, the downhill assist
control system and the hill −start assist
control system do not operate.
(j) “VSC OFF” warning light
The light flashing warns that there is a
problem somewhere in the following.
Vehicle stability control system
Traction control system
“AUTO LSD” system
Downhill assist control system
Hill −start assist control system
The light will come on when the engine
switch turned to “ON”, and will go off after
a few seconds.
It is not a malfunction that the light may
stay on for 60 seconds after the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the lights. It is normal if they
go out after a few seconds.

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If the light flashes on while driving, the
above mentioned systems do not work.
However, as conventional braking operates
when applied, there is no problem to con-
tinue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the engine switch is turned to
“ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
engine switch is turned to “ON”.
The warning light flashes while driving.
(k) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
are completely closed. (l) SRS Warning Light
This light will come on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position.
After about 6 seconds, the light will go
off. This means the systems of the air-
bag and front seat belt pretensioners
are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors, curtain shield airbag sensors, driv-
er ’s seat position sensor, driver ’s seat belt
buckle switch, front passenger occupant
classification system∗, passenger airbag
off switch, passenger airbag on −off indica-
tor light, seat belt pretensioner assem-
blies, inflators, “RSCA OFF” indicator light,
interconnecting wiring and power sources.
∗: The front passenger occupant classifica-
tion system includes the front passenger
occupant classification ECU, pressure sen-
sor, load sensor, front passenger ’s seat
belt buckle switch, front passenger ’s seat
position sensor and belt tension sensor.
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
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position or remains on for more than
6 seconds.
The light comes on while driving.
(m) Tire Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the tire inflation pres-
sure of one or more of your tires (includ-
ing the spare tire) is low. The light comes
on when the engine switch is turned to
the “ON” position. It goes off after a few
seconds. This indicates that the tire pres-
sure warning system is functioning proper-
ly.
If the light comes on, stop your vehicle in
a safe place as soon as possible and
check that the tire inflation pressure of all
tires (including the spare tire) is as
specified on the tire and loading
information label. (See “Checking tire
inflation pressure” on page 376 in Section
7 −2.) The light should go off a few
minutes after the tire pressure is adjusted.
If the warning light comes on after blink-
ing for 1 minute, the tire pressure warning
system may be malfunctioning. Contact
your Toyota dealer.
For details, see “Tire pressure warning
system” on page 194 in Section 1 −7.

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(n) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem-perature Warning Light (fourwheel
drive models only)
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 “P”. 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.
NOTICE
Continued driving with the warning
light on may damage the automatic
transmission.
(o) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer acts as a reminder to remove
the key when you open the driver’s door
with the engine switch in the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position. (p) Parking Brake Reminder Buzzer
The buzzer acts once when the parking
brake is not completely released at the
vehicle speed of 5 km/h (3 mph) or more.
Stop the vehicle and release the parking
brake fully.
CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER
INDICATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open one of the doors. The open door warning light should
come on.
3. Close the door. The open door warning light should go
off.
4. Turn the engine switch to “ON”, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex-
cept the open door warning light should
come on.
The following service reminder indica-
tors go off after a few seconds:
Engine oil replacement reminder light
“ABS” warning light
“RSCA OFF” indicator light
“VSC OFF” indicator/warning light
“AUTO LSD” indicator light
Tire pressure warning light
Slip indicator light
Downhill assist control system indicator
light

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The SRS warning light goes off after
about 6 seconds.
With the vehicle stability control sys-
tem—
There may be the case that the “ABS”
warning light (brake assist system
warning light), slip indicator light or
“VSC OFF” indicator/warning light stays
on for about 60 seconds after the en-
gine switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion. It is normal if they go out after
a whi l e.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described
above, have it checked by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible.

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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Engine (ignition) switch, Transmission and Parking
brake
Engine (ignition) switch166
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
.
Automatic transmission 167
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
.
Manual transmission 174
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Four −wheel drive system 175
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
Traction control system 179
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. .
“AUTO LSD” system 182
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Vehicle stability control system 185
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Downhill assist control system 187
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hill −start assist control system 190
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear differential lock system 192
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire pressure warning system 194
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake 200
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control 201
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Clutch start cancel switch 204
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
SECTION 1 7

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LS17001a
“START”—Starter motor on. The engine
switch will return to the “ON” position
when released.
For starting tips, see page 303 in Section
3.
“ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
“ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the engine switch in the
“ACC” or “LOCK” position and open the
driver ’s door, a buzzer will remind you to
remove the key.“LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.
You must push in the key to turn the key
from “ACC” to the “LOCK” position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be put in the “P”
position before pushing the key.
Vehicles with engine immobilizer system—
Once you remove the key, the engine im-
mobilizer system is automatically set. (See
“Engine immobilizer system” on page 15
in Section 1−
2.)
When starting the engine, the engine
switch may seem stuck at the “LOCK”
position. To free it, first be sure the key
is pushed all the way in, and then rock
the steering wheel slightly while turning
the key gently.
Approximately five hours after the engine
is turned off, you may hear sound coming
from underneath the deck for several min-
utes. This is normal operation and does
not indicate a malfunction. (See “Leak
detection pump” on page x.)
It is not a malfunction if the needles on
all meters and gauges move slightly when
the engine switch is turned to the “ACC”,
“ON” or “START” position.
CAUTION
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the ve-
hicle is moving, as this will lock the
steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.
NOTICE
Do not leave the engine switch in the
“ON” position if the engine is not
running. The battery will discharge
and the ignition could be damaged.
Engine (ignition) switch

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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 engine
switch in “ON” position).
(a) Selector lever
The shift position is also displayed on the
instrument cluster.
P:Parking, engine starting and key re-
moval
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
D: Normal driving (shifting into overdrive
possible)
4: Engine braking (shifting into overdrive
not possible)
3, 2: Stronger engine braking
L: Maximum engine braking
Automatic transmission (5speed)
LS17002
With the brake pedal depressed.
(The engine switch must be in
“ON” position.)
Shift normally.

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(b) Normal driving1. 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 switch knob
is in “L4” (low −speed position, four −wheel
drive), the driving pattern selector setting
has no effect on gear shift timing. (See
“Four −wheel drive system” on page 175 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 use the “D” position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. If the engine
coolant temperature is low or when the
front drive control switch knob is in “L4”
(low −speed position, four −wheel drive), the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even in the “D” position. (See
“Four −wheel drive system” on page 175 in
this Section for information of the front
drive control.)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.
(c) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Shift into the “4” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to fourth gear
and engine braking will be enabled.
Shift into the “3” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to third gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled. PreRunner 133 km/h (82 mph) . . . . . . Four
−wheel drive models
Front drive control switch knob at
“H2” or “H4” 133 km/h (82 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front drive control switch knob at
“L4” 51 km/h (31 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
PreRunner 88 km/h (54 mph) . . . . . . . . .
Four −wheel drive models
Front drive control switch knob at
“H2” or “H4” 88 km/h (54 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front drive control switch knob at
“L4”
34 km/h (21 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
PreRunner 42 km/h (26 mph). . . . . . . . .
Four −wheel drive models
Front drive control switch knob at
“H2” or “H4” 42 km/h (26 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front drive control switch knob at
“L4” 16 km/h (9 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicles with cruise control—When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift from “D” to “4”, engine braking
will not be enabled because the cruise
control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 201 in this
Section.CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.
(d) Using “3”, “2” and “L” positions
The “3”, “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in “3”, “2” or “L”,
you can start the vehicle in motion as
with the lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “3” or “2”, the
vehicle will start in first gear and automat-
ically shift to third gear or second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
 Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
PreRunner
“3” 138 km/h (86 mph). . . . . . .
“2” 95 km/h (59 mph) . . . . . . . .
“L” 55 km/h (34 mph) . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models Front drive control switch knob at
“H2” or “H4”—
“3” 138 km/h (86 mph) . . . . . . .
“2” 95 km/h (59 mph) . . . . . . . .
“L” 55 km/h (34 mph) . . . . . . . .
Front drive control switch knob at
“L4”— “3” 54 km/h (33 mph) . . . . . . . .
“2” 37 km/h (23 mph) . . . . . . . .
“L” 21 km/h (13 mph) . . . . . . . .

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Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“3”, “2” or “L” position. This may
cause severe automatic transmis-
sion damage from overheating. To
prevent such damage, “4” position
should be used in hill climbing or
hard towing.
(e) 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.
(f) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal pressed down, fully depress the parking brake pedal
to apply the parking brake securely.
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.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between fourth gear and
overdrive when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “4” posi-
tion. Be sure to shift the selector lever
to the “D” position immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use “D” position.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.
(h) If you cannot shift the selector le- ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” on page 345 in Section 4.