TOYOTA TACOMA 2010 Owners Manual (in English)

5
When trouble arises
421
5-1. Essential information
If your vehicle needs to be towed
Before towing
The following may indicate a problem with your transmission. Contact
your Toyota dealer before towing.
●The engine is running, but the vehicle will not move.
●The vehicle makes an abnormal sound.
Emergency towing (4WD models and PreRunner only)
If a tow truck is not available, in an emergency your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or chain secured to the emergency
towing eyelet/hook. This should only attempted on hard, surfaced
roads for short distances at low speeds.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes. The
vehicle’s wheels, drive train, axles, steering and brakes must be in
good condition.
Vehicles without off-road package
Towing eyelet
If towing is necessary, we recommend having your vehicle towed by
your Toyota dealer or a commercial towing service, using a lift-type
truck or a flat bed truck.
Use a safety chain system for all towing, and abide by all state/pro-
vincial and local laws.
The wheels and axle on the ground must be in good condition.
If they are damaged, use a towing dolly or flat bed truck.

422 5-1. Essential information
Vehicles with off-road package
Towing hook
■Emergency towing procedure
The engine switch must be in the ACC (engine off) or the ON
(engine running) position.
4WD models: Put the front-wheel drive control switch in H2.
Put the shift lever in N.
Release the parking brake.
CAUTION
■Caution while towing
●Use extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which place excessive
stress on the emergency towing eyelet/hook and the cables or chains.
Always use caution for the surroundings and other vehicles while towing.
●If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes and steering
will not function, making steering and braking more difficult.

5
When trouble arises
423 5-1. Essential information
Towing with a sling-type truck
NOTICE
■Emergency towing eyelet/hook precautions
●Before emergency towing, check that the eyelet/hook is not broken or
damaged.
●Fasten the towing cable or chain securely to the eyelet/hook.
●Do not jerk the eyelet/hook. Apply steady and even force.
●To avoid damaging the eyelet/hook, do not pull from the side or at a verti-
cal angle. Always pull straight ahead.
NOTICE
■To prevent body damage
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or rear.

424 5-1. Essential information
Towing with a wheel lift-type truck from the front
Vehicles with an automatic trans-
mission: Use a towing dolly
under the rear wheels.
2WD models with a manual
transmission: We recommend to
use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
When not using a towing dolly,
release the parking brake and
shift the shift lever to N.
4WD models with a manual
transmission: We recommend to
use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
When not using a towing dolly,
release the parking brake, shift
the shift lever to N and put the
front-wheel drive control switch in
H2.
NOTICE
■To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission (vehicles with
an automatic transmission)
Never tow this vehicle wheels on the ground.

5
When trouble arises
425 5-1. Essential information
Towing with a wheel lift-type truck from the rear
2WD models
Turn the engine switch to the
ACC position.
4WD models
We recommend to use a towing
dolly under the front wheels.
When not using a towing dolly,
turn the engine switch to the ACC
position, shift the shift lever to N
and put the front-wheel drive con-
trol switch in H2.
NOTICE
■To prevent damaging the vehicle
●Do not tow the vehicle with the key removed or in the LOCK position.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheel
straight.
●When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.

426 5-1. Essential information
Using a flat bed truck
If your Toyota is transported by a
flat bed truck, it should be tied
down at the locations shown in
the illustration.
If you use chains or cables to tie
down your vehicle, the angles
shaded in black must be 45.
Do not overly tighten the tie
downs or the vehicle may be
damaged.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Front

5
When trouble arises
427
5-1. Essential information
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably
needs adjustment or repair. Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
■Visible symptoms
●Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air conditioning after use is normal.)
●Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
●Engine coolant temperature gauge needle continually points
higher than normal
■Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
●Excessive tire squeal when cornering
●Strange noises related to the suspension system
●Pinging or other noises related to the engine
■Operational symptoms
●Engine missing, stumbling or running rough
●Appreciable loss of power
●Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
●Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when driving on a level road
●Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor

428
5-1. Essential information
Fuel pump shut off system
Follow the procedure below to restart the engine after the system is
activated.
Turn the engine switch to the ACC or LOCK position.
Restart the engine.
NOTICE
■Before starting the engine
Inspect the ground under the vehicle.
If you find that fuel has leaked onto the ground, the fuel system has been
damaged and is in need of repair. Do not restart the engine.
To minimize the risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls or an air-
bag inflates upon collision, the fuel pump shut off system stops sup-
plying fuel to the engine.

5
When trouble arises
429
5-1. Essential information
Event data recorder
In a crash or a near car crash event
The SRS airbag sensor assembly contains the EDR. In a crash or a
near car crash event, this device may record some or all of the follow-
ing information:
●Engine speed
●Whether the brake pedal was applied or not
●Vehicle speed
●To what extent the accelerator pedal was depressed
●Position of the transmission shift lever
●Whether the driver and front passenger wore seat belts or not
●Driver’s seat position
●SRS airbag deployment data
●SRS airbag system diagnostic data
●Front passenger’s occupant classification
The information above is intended to be used for the purpose of
improving vehicle safety performance. Unlike general data recorders,
the EDR does not record sound data such as conversation between
passengers.
Your vehicle has computers that monitor and control certain aspects
of your vehicle. These computers assist in driving and maintaining
optimal vehicle performance.
Besides storing data useful for troubleshooting, there is an event
data recorder (EDR) that records data in a crash or a near car
crash event.

430 5-1. Essential information
Disclosure of the data
Toyota will not disclose the data recorded in an EDR to a third party
except when:
●An agreement from the vehicle’s owner (or the leasing company for
a leased vehicle) is obtained
●Officially requested by the police or other authorities
●Used as a defense for Toyota in a law suit
●Ordered by a court of law
However, if necessary Toyota will:
●Use the data for research on Toyota vehicle safety performance
●Disclose the data to a third party for research purposes without dis-
closing details of the vehicle owner, and only when it is deemed
necessary
●Disclose summarized data cleared of vehicle identification informa-
tion to a non-Toyota organization for research purposes