TOYOTA TACOMA 2008 Owners Manual (in English)

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
LS17027a
TRACTION CONTROL OFF MODE
(twowheel drive mode only)
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
newly fallen snow, etc., turn off the
traction control system. This system
that controls engine performance inter-
feres with the process of freeing rear
wheels 4 wheels (fourwheel drive mod-
els).
To turn off: Briefly push the “VSC OFF”
switch.
The “AUTO LSD” and slip indicator lights
will come on.
The vehicle stability control system is al-
ways activated, even if the traction control
system is turned off.To turn on: Briefly push the “VSC OFF”
switch once again.
The “AUTO LSD” and slip indicator lights
will go off.
If the engine is turned off while the
“AUTO LSD” and slip indicator lights are
on and then restarted, the indicator lights
will turn off automatically.
When you push and hold the “VSC OFF”
switch for 3 seconds or more with the
vehicle stopped, turn off the vehicle stabil-
ity control system. See “Vehicle stability
control system” on page 185 in this Sec-
tion.
“AUTO LSD” and slip indicator lights come
on for a few seconds when the engine
switch is turned to “ON”. If the indicator
lights do not come on when the engine
switch is turned to “ON”, contact your
Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the traction control
system continuously turned off.
LS17010
“VSC OFF” warning light
The light flashing warns that there is a
problem somewhere in the following.
Traction control system
Vehicle stability control system
“AUTO LSD” system
Downhill assist control system
Hill
−start assist control system

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
When the system is normal and the en-
gine switch is turned to “ON”, the light will
come on and will go off after a few sec-
onds.
It is not a malfunction that the warning
light may stay on for 60 seconds after the
engine switch is turned to “ON”.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the lights. It is normal if it
goes out after a few seconds.
If the “VSC OFF” warning light flashes
while driving, the traction control system
does not work. However, if the brakes
operate normally when applied, it is no
problem to continue 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.
LS17011
The “AUTO LSD” system aids traction
by using the traction control system to
control engine performance and braking
when one of the rear wheels begins to
spin.
This system should be used only when
wheel spinning occurs in a ditch or
rough surface.
This system is effective in case one of
the rear wheels is spinning.
CAUTION
Do not use the “AUTO LSD” system
in conditions other than the above. A
much greater steering effort and more
careful cornering control will be re-
quired.
“AUTO LSD” system

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
LS17027a
To turn on the system, briefly push the
“VSC OFF” switch.
The “AUTO LSD” is activated under the
following condition. At this time, the
“AUTO LSD” and slip indicator lights
will come on.
The driving mode is set in the two−
wheel drive mode (In the four −wheel
drive mode, the system does not
work.)
Driving at a speed under 100 km/h (62
mph)
To turn off the system, briefly push the
“VSC OFF” switch again and the “AUTO
LSD” and slip indicator lights will go off. If the engine is turned off while the
“AUTO LSD” and slip indicator lights are
on and then restarted, the indicator light
will turn off automatically.
When you push and hold the “VSC OFF”
switch for 3 seconds or more with the
vehicle stopped, turn off the vehicle stabil-
ity control system. See “Vehicle stability
control system” on page 185 in this Sec-
tion.
LS17029a
Make sure the “AUTO LSD” and slip indi-
cator lights come on under the above con-
dition when you use the “AUTO LSD” sys-
tem.
The slip indicator light blinks when the
system is controlling the spinning of the
rear wheels.
The “AUTO LSD” and slip indicator lights
come on for a few seconds when the
engine switch is turned to “ON”. If the
indicator lights does not come on when
the engine switch is turned to “ON”, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the follow-
ing systems under conditions such as on
slippery roads.
“AUTO LSD” system
Traction control system
Hill−start assist control system
If the brake actuator temperature becomes
too high while any of the systems is oper-
ating, a buzzer will start to sound intermit-
tently to indicate that the “AUTO LSD”
system can no l onger operate. In this
case, immediately stop your vehicle at a
safe place.
If the system continues to operate, the
buzzer sound changes from intermittent to
continuous. (The continuous buzzer
sounds for about 3 seconds.)
At the time the slip indicator light will
come on and the “AUTO LSD” system
temporarily stops operating in order to
protect the brake actuator. (Although the
“AUTO LSD” system does not operate, it
is no problem to continue driving.) The
system will be automatically restored after
a short time.LS17010
“VSC OFF” warning light
The light flashing warns that there is a
problem somewhere in the following.
“AUTO LSD” system
Traction control system
Vehicle stability control system
Hill− start assist control system When the system is normal and the en-
gine switch is turned to “ON”, the light will
come on and will go off after a few sec-
onds.
It is not a malfunction that the warning
light may stay on for 60 seconds after the
engine switch is turned to “ON”.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the lights. It is normal if it
goes out after a few seconds.
If the “VSC OFF” warning light flashes
while driving, the “AUTO LSD” system
does not work. However, as the brakes
operate normally when applied, it is no
problem to continue 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.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the “AUTO LSD”
system continuously turned on.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
systems such as antilock brake sys-
tem, traction control, engine control,
etc. This system automatically controls
the output of the brakes or engine to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding
when cornering on a slippery road sur-
face or operating steering wheel abrupt-
ly.
The vehicle stability control system is acti-
vated when the vehicle speed is more
than 15 km/h (9 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self−check mode, but does
not indicate a malfunction.CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the vehicle stability control sys-
tem is operating, you must always
drive carefully and attentively to
avoid serious injury. Reckless driv-
ing will result in an unexpected ac-
cident. If the slip indicator light
blinks and an alarm sounds, special
care should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacturer, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, or different type or
size, the vehicle stability control
system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” on
page 379 in Section 72.)
LS17007b
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the engine switch is turned
on, contact your Toyota dealer.
Vehicle stability control
system

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
LS17010
The vehicle stability control system au-
tomatically turns off, and the “VSC
OFF” indicator light is illuminated,
when either one of the following condi-
tions applies:
Four−wheel drive mode is set. (on
four −wheel drive models)
The rear differential is locked. (on mod-
els equipped with the rear differential
lock system)
The “VSC OFF” indicator light comes on
for a few seconds when the engine switch
is turned to “ON”, and then turns off. If
either one of the above conditions applies,
the indicator light is illuminated again.
LS17028a
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
newly fallen snow, etc., turn off the
vehicle stability control system. This
system that controls engine perfor-
mance interferes with the process of
freeing rear wheels (twowheel drive
models) or 4 wheels (fourwheel drive
models).
To turn off: First, push the “VSC OFF”
switch to turn off the traction control
system and check that the “AUTO LSD”
and slip indicator lights come on. Then,
push and hold the “VSC OFF” switch
for 3 seconds or more with the vehicle
stopped.
The “VSC OFF” and slip indicator lights
will come on. To turn on: Briefly push the “VSC OFF”
switch once again.
The “VSC OFF” and slip indicator lights
will go off.
If the engine is turned off while the “VSC
OFF” and slip indicator lights are on and
then restarted, the indicator lights will turn
off automatically.
When you briefly push the “VSC OFF”
switch, turn off the vehicle stability control
system. See “Traction control system” on
page 179 in this Section.
The “VSC OFF” and slip indicator lights
come on for a few seconds when the
engine switch is turned to “ON”. If the
indicator lights do not come on when the
engine switch is turned to “ON”, contact
your Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the vehicle stability
control system continuously turned
off.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
LS17010
“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
Hill−start assist control system
Downhill assist control system
The light comes on when the engine
switch is turned to “ON”, and will go off
after a few seconds. The light may come on for 60 seconds
after the engine switch is turned to “ON”.
It is normal if they go out after a while.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the light. It is normal if they
go out after a few seconds.
If the light flashes while driving, the ve-
hicle stability control system does not
work. However, if the brakes operate nor-
mally when applied, it is no problem to
continue 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.
The downhill assist control system is a
system that assists the deceleration of
the engine brake when you drive down
a steep hill. When you are driving down
a hill with the front drive control switch
knob in the “L4” position, push the
“DAC” switch to limit the vehicle’s ac-
celeration. If the vehicle is traveling at
a speed of 25 km/h (15 mph) or less,
you can descend at a constant speed.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the down-
hill assist control system. It may not
be able to maintain a low speed over
road surfaces or offroad surfaces on
which sliding can easily occur, such
as extremely steep slopes or icy or
muddy roads.
Downhill assist control system

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
TO ACTIVATE THE DOWNHILL ASSIST
CONTROL SYSTEM1. Turn the front drive control switch knob to the “L4” position.
The system does not operate when the
front drive control switch knob is in the
“H2” or “H4” position, or the rear differen-
tial is locked.
2. In order to make full use of the en- gine brake, putting the transmission
in “L” or “2” is recommended.
The system will operate even if the trans-
mission selector lever is in “D”, “4”, “3”
or “N”. However, when it is in “L” or “2”
the engine brake can also be utilized en-
abling the system to operate more effec-
tively.
LS17016a
3. Push the “DAC” switch to turn the system on. The downhill assist con-
trol system indicator light on the in-
strument panel will come on.
If the downhill assist control system indi-
cator light flashes, one of the following
may be the cause:
The selector lever is in the “N” posi-
tion.
The front drive control switch knob is
in the “H2” or “H4” position.
The rear differential is locked.
If the indicator light does not come on
when the switch is pushed, contact your
Toyota dealer.
LS17007b
With the vehicle traveling at a speed of
25 km/h (15 mph) or less, release your
foot from the accelerator or brake pedal
to activate the system. The vehicle will
descend the hill at a low speed. While the
system is operating, the slip indicator light
on the instrument panel will flash and the
stop lights and high mounted stoplight will
be lit.
If you push the “DAC” switch to turn the
system off while it is in operation, the
system will stop operating gra dually. The
downhill assist control system indicator
light will flash to alert the driver. To con-
tinue driving at a low speed, push the
“DAC” switch to turn the system on.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
The slip indicator light and downhill assist
control system indicator light come on for
a few seconds when the engine switch is
turned to “ON”. If any of the indicator
lights does not come on when the engine
switch is turned on, contact your Toyota
dealer.
If the system is used frequently, the
brake actuator temperature may become
too high and a buzzer will sound inter-
mittently.
If this happens, the downhill assist control
system indicator light will flash and a
buzzer will sound intermittently. When the
temperature of the brake actuator de-
creases, the system will begin to operate
again. Until it restarts, the traction control
system and hill−start assist control system
will not operate; however, the conventional
brake can be operated.
The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the follow-
ing systems under conditions such as on
slippery roads.
Downhill assist control system
Hill −start assist control system
Traction control system If the brake actuator temperature becomes
too high while any of the systems is oper-
ating, a buzzer will start to sound intermit-
tently to indicate that the downhill assist
control system can no longer operate. In
this case, stop your vehicle immediately at
a safe place.
If the system continues to operate, the
buzzer sound changes from intermittent to
continuous. (The continuous buzzer
sounds for about 3 seconds.)
At this time, the slip indicator light will
come on and the downhill assist control
system stops operating temporarily in or-
der to protect the brake actuator. (Al-
though the downhill assist control system
does not operate, it is no problem to con-
tinue your driving.) The system will be
automatically restored after a short time
and the slip indicator light goes out.
LS17010
If there is any abnormality in the sys-
tem, the “VSC OFF” warning light will
flash. When the “DAC” switch is
pushed, the downhill assist control sys-
tem indicator light also flash.
If the “VSC OFF” warning light flashes,
there may be an abnormality in any of the
following system in addition to the down-
hill assist control system.
Hill
−start assist control system
Traction control system
Vehicle stability control system
Downhill assist control system

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
“VSC OFF” warning light
When the system is normal and the en-
gine switch is turned to “ON”, the warning
light will come on and will go off after a
few seconds.
It is not a malfunction that the warning
light may stay on for 60 seconds after the
engine switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the light. It is normal if it
goes out after a few seconds.
If the warning light flashes while driving,
the system does not work. However, if the
brakes operate normally when applied, it
is no problem to continue 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.The hillstart assist control system as-
sists you in starting to move up a
steep or slippery hill. When you start
to move up the hill slope, the system
helps to prevent the vehicle from roll-
ing backward in the interval while you
move your foot from the brake pedal to
the accelerator pedal.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the h
ill
start assist control system. The ve-
hicle may not be able to start
smoothly on road surfaces or off
road surfaces such as extremely
steep slopes or icy roads, on which
sliding can occur very easily.
Do not use the hillstart assist con-
trol system to stop the vehicle. This
system is not designed as a func-
tion for stopping the vehicle on a
uphill slope.
The hillstart assist control system will
operate for 5 seconds maximally when
all of the following conditions apply.
5speed automatic transmission—
When the transmission is in any of
positions “D”, “4”, “3”, “2” or “L”
4speed automatic transmission—
When the transmission is in any of
positions “D”, “3”, “2” or “L”
When the brake pedal is not de-
pressed
The system is designed to operate when
the vehicle is starting on an uphill slope;
therefore, if the transmission is in “P” or
“N” it will not operate. It will not operate
either if the vehicle starts to move in
reverse on a slope with the transmission
in the “R” or the rear differential is locked.
(with the rear differential lock)
Hillstart assist control
system (automatic
transmission only)