lights TOYOTA 4RUNNER 1998 User Guide

4RUNNER (1998)
ºONº'Keeps the light on all the time.
ºOFFº 'Turns the light off.
ºDOORº 'Turns the light on when any
of the side door is opened. The light
goes off when all the side door is
closed. Personal lights
To turn on the personal light, push
the switch. To turn the lights off,
push the switch once again.
Luggage compartment light

4RUNNER (1998)
(i) Take vehicle to
To y o t ad ealer
immediately.
(h) Close all doors.
If the indicator or Do this.
buzzer comes on...
(g) Take vehicle to
(type A) Toyota dealer.
(j) Light reminder Turn off lights.
buzzer
(k) Key reminder Remove key. buzzer

(type B)

4RUNNER (1998)
The digital clock indicates the time.
The key must be in the ºACCº or
ºONº position.
To reset the hour: Push the ºHº but-
ton.
To reset the minutes: Push the ºMº
button.
If quick adjustment to a full hour is
desired, push the º:00º button.
For example, if the º:00º button is
depressed when the time is between
1:01'1:29, the time will change to
1:00. If the time is between
1:30 '1:59, the time will change to
2:00. Once the electrical power source has
been disconnected from the clock, the
time is automatically set to 1:00 (one
o'clock).
When the instrument panel lights are
turned on, the brightness of the time
indication will be reduced.
Cigarette lighter and ashtray

4RUNNER (1998)
To use the glovebox, do this.
To open: Pull the lever.
To lock: Insert the master key and
turn it clockwise.
On some models, the glovebox light
will come on when the golvebox is
open with the instrument panel lights on.
CAUTION
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or a sudden
stop, always keep the glovebox
door closed while driving.
Auxiliary holder

4RUNNER (1998)
Part 3
STARTING AND
DRIVING
Before starting the engine
How to start the engine
Tips for driving in various
conditions
Off- road driving precautions
Winter driving tips
Tr ailer towing
How to save fuel and make
your
vehicle last longer, too
Before starting the engine
1. Check the area around the vehicle before entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, seat cushion angle, head re-
straint height and steering wheel
angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac-
cessories.
3. Manual transmission: Press the
clutch pedal to the floor and shift
the transmission into neutral. Hold
the clutch pedal to the floor until
the engine is started. A starter
safety device will prevent the start-
er from operating if the clutch ped-
al is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the
selector lever in ºPº. If you need to
restart the engine while the vehicle
is moving, put the selector lever in
ºNº. A starter safety device will pre-
vent the starter from operating if the
selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it
to the floor until driving off.
How to start the engineÐ
(a) Before cranking

4RUNNER (1998)
A safety chain must always be
used between the towing vehicle
and the trailer. Leave sufficient
slack in the chain for turns. The
chain should cross under the
trailer tongue to prevent the
tongue from dropping to the
ground in case it becomes dam-
aged or separated. For correct
safety chain procedures, follow
the hitch or trailer manufactur-
er 's recommendations.
CAUTION
If the total trailer weight ex-
ceeds 453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer
brakes are required .
Never tap into your vehicle's
hydraulic system as it would
lower its braking effectiveness .
Never tow a trailer without us-
ing a safety chain securely atta-
ched to both the trailer and the
vehicle. If damage occurs to the
coupling unit or hitch ball,
there is danger of the trailer
wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See Chapter 7- 2
for instructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated
to the pressure recommended by
the trailer manufacturer in respect
to the total trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS Trailer lights must comply with fed-
eral, state/provincial and local re-
gulations. See your local recre-
ational vehicle dealer or rental
agency for the correct type of wir-
ing and relays for your trailer.
Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each
time you hitch up. Direct splicing
may damage your vehicle's electri-
cal system and cause a malfunc-
tion of your lights.
BREAK- IN SCHEDULE Toyota recommends that you do
not tow a trailer with a new vehicle
or a vehicle with any new power
train component (engine, transmis-
sion, differential, wheel bearing,
etc.) for the first 800 km (500
miles) of driving. MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle
will require more frequent
maintenance due to the additional
load. For this information, please
refer to the scheduled maintenance
information in the ºOwner 's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 1000 km (600 miles)
of trailer driving.
PRE- TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Check that your vehicle remains
level when a loaded or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive if
the vehicle has an abnormal nose-
up or nose- down condition, and
check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other
possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is se-
curely loaded so that it cannot
shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors
conform to any applicable federal,
state/provincial or local regulation.
If not, install the rear view mirrors
required for towing purpose.

4RUNNER (1998)
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle
will handle differently than when
not towing. The three main causes
of vehicle- trailer accidents are driv-
er error, excessive speed and im-
proper trailer loading. Keep these in
mind when towing:
Before starting out, check operation
of the lights and all vehicle- trailer
connections. After driving a short
distance, stop and recheck the
lights and connections. Before ac-
tually towing a trailer, practice turn-
ing, stopping and backing with a
trailer in an area away from traffic
until you learn the feel.
Backing with a trailer is difficult
and requires practice. Grip the bot-
tom of the steering wheel and
move your hand to the left to move
the trailer to the left. Move your
hand to the right to move the trail-
er to the right. (This procedure is
generally opposite to that when
backing without a trailer). Also, just
turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you
when backing to reduce the risk of
an accident.
Because stopping distance may be
increased, vehicle- to- vehicle dis-
tance should be increased when
towing a trailer. For each 16 km/h
(10 mph) of speed, allow at least
one vehicle and trailer length bet-
ween you and the vehicle ahead.
Avoid sudden braking as you may
skid, resulting in jackknifing and
loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accel-
eration. If your vehicle has a
manual transmission, prevent ex-
cessive clutch slippage by keeping
engine rpm low and not racing the
engine. Always start out in first
gear.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp
turns. The trailer could hit your ve-
hicle in a tight turn. Slow down
before making a turn to avoid the
necessity of sudden braking.
Remember that when making a
turn, the trailer wheels will be clos-
er than the vehicle wheels to the
inside of the turn. Therefore, com-
pensate for this by making a larger
than normal turning radius with y-
our vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will
adversely affect handling of your
vehicle and trailer, causing sway.
Pay attention to the rear from time
to time to prepare yourself for be-
ing passed by large trucks or
buses, which may cause your ve-
hicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering
wheel and reduce speed immedi-
ately but gradually. Never increase
speed. Steer straight ahead. If you
make no extreme correction with
the steering or brakes, the vehicle
and trailer will stabilize.
Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires consider-
able distance. After passing a ve-
hicle, do not forget the length of
your trailer and be sure you have
plenty of room before changing
lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking
efficiency, do not use fifth gear
(manual transmission) or overdrive
(automatic transmission).

4RUNNER (1998)
Slow down and downshift be-
fore descending steep or long
downhill grades. Do not make
sudden downshifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or too frequent-
ly. This could cause the brakes
to overheat and result in re-
duced braking efficiency.Getting more kilometers/mileage from
a liter/gallon of fuel is easyÐjust take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle
last longer, too. Here are some specif-
ic tips on how to save money on both
fuel and repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the
correct pressure. Underinflation
causes tire wear and wastes fuel.
See Chapter 7- 2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts
a heavier load on the engine, caus-
ing greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warm- up idling.
Once the engine is running smooth-
ly, begin drivingÐbut gently. Re-
member, however, that on cold win-
ter days this may take a little
longer.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into
high gear as quickly as possible.
Avoid long engine idling. If you
have a long wait and you are not
in traffic, it is better to turn off the
engine and start again later.
Avoid engine lug or overrevving.
Use a gear position suitable for the
road on which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up
and slowing down. Stop- and- go
driving wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace.
Try to time the traffic signals so
you only need to stop as little as
possible or take advantage of
through streets to avoid traffic
lights. Keep a proper distance from
other vehicles to avoid sudden
braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic
jams whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the
clutch or brake pedal. This
causes needless wear, overheating
and poor fuel economy.
Maintain a moderate speed on
highways. The faster you drive,
the greater the fuel consumption.
By reducing your speed, you will
cut down on fuel consumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb
and slow down on rough roads.
Improper alignment not only causes
faster tire wear but also puts an
extra load on the engine, which, in
turn, wastes fuel.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, to
o

4RUNNER (1998)
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE
1. If the booster battery is installed in another vehicle, make sure the ve-
hicles are not touching. Turn off all
unnecessary lights and accesso-
ries.
2. If required, remove all the vent plugs from the booster and dis-
charged batteries. Lay a cloth over
the open vents on the batteries.
(This helps reduce the explosion
hazard, personal injuries and
burns.)
3. If the engine in the vehicle with the booster battery is not running, start
it and let it run for a few minutes.
During jump starting run the engine
at about 2000 rpm with the accel-
erator pedal lightly depressed.

4RUNNER (1998)
CAUTION
When making the connections, to
avoid serious injury, do not lean
over the battery or accidentally
let the jumper cables or clamps
touch anything except the correct
battery terminals or the ground.
5. Start your engine in the normal
way. After starting, run it at about
2000 rpm for several minutes with
the accelerator pedal lightly de-
pressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the nega-
tive cable and then the positive
cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover clothsÐthey may now con-
tain sulfuric acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharg-
ing is not apparent (for example,
lights left on), you should have it
checked. If your engine stalls while driving...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keep- ing a straight line. Move cautiously
off the road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see ºIf
your vehicle will not startº.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual.
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if
you hear a loud knocking or ping-
ing noise, the engine has probably
overheated. You should follow this
procedure... 1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle and turn on your emergen-
cy flashers. Put the transmission in
ºPº (automatic) or neutral (manual)
and apply the parking brake. Turn
off the air conditioning if it is being
used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the
engine. Wait until the steam sub-
sides before opening the hood. If
there is no coolant boiling over or
steam, leave the engine running.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury,
keep the hood closed until there
is no steam. Escaping steam or
coolant is a sign of very high
pressure.
If your engine stalls while
driving