towing TOYOTA 4RUNNER 1998 Owners Manual

4RUNNER (1998)
To release the belt, press the
buckle- release button. ÐStowing rear seat belts
The rear seat belts can be stowed
when not in use.Seat belts must be stowed before you
fold the seat back. (See ºRear
seatsÐFold down rear seatº in this
chapter.)ÐSeat belt extender

4RUNNER (1998)
The gauge indicates the engine
coolant temperature when the igni-
tion switch is on. The engine oper-
ating temperature will vary with
changes in weather and engine
load.
If the needle moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow
the engine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during se-
vere operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after
high speed driving.
Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop- and- go traf-fic.
Towing a trailer
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat
in the engine cooling system asthis may cause the engine to
overheat. The thermostat is de-
signed to control the flow ofcoolant to keep the temperatureof the engine within the speci-
fied operating range.
Do not continue driving with anoverheated engine. See ºIf your
vehicle overheatsº in Part 4.
Tachometer

4RUNNER (1998)
(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light has the following functions:
Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the park-
ing brake is fully released. The light
should go off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on
while you are driving, slow down and
pull off the road. Then stop the ve-
hicle carefully. There may be a prob-
lem somewhere in the brake system.
Check the fluid level of the see-
through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has
not caused the warning light to come
on, check to see that the parking
brake is fully released.
If the brake fluid level is low...
At a safe place, test your brakes by
starting and stopping.
If you judge that the brakes still
work adequately, drive cautiously to
your nearest dealer or shop for re-
pairs.
If the brakes are not working, have
the vehicle towed in for repairs.
(For towing information, see Part
4.)CAUTION
It is dangerous to continue driv-
ing normally when the brake fluid
level is low.
If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and
Buzzer
Once the ignition key is turned to
ºONº or ºSTARTº, the reminder light
and buzzer come on if the driver's
seat belt is not fastened. Unless the
driver fastens the belt, the light keeps
on flickering and the buzzer sounds
for about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is
being discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving,
there is a problem somewhere in the
charging system.
The engine ignition will continue to
operate, however, until the battery is
discharged. Turn off the air condition-
ing, blower, radio, etc., and drive di-
rectly to the nearest Toyota dealer or
repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the en- gine drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil
pressure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe
place and stop the engine immediate-
ly. Call a Toyota dealer or qualified
repair shop for assistance.
The light may occasionally flicker
when the engine is idling or it may
come on briefly after a hard stop.
There is no cause for concern if it
then goes out when the engine is ac-
celerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil
level is extremely low. It is not de-
signed to indicate low oil level, and
the oil level must be checked using
the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with thewarning light onÐeven for oneblock. It may ruin the engine.

4RUNNER (1998)
Your automatic transmission has a
shift lock system to minimize the pos-
sibility of incorrect operation. This
means you can only shift out of ºPº
position when the brake pedal is de-
pressed (with the ignition switch in
ºONº position and the lock release
button depressed).
(a) Normal driving 1. Start the engine as instructed in ºHow to start the engineº in Part 3.
The transmission must be in ºPº or
ºNº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever
to ºDº.
In ºDº position, the automatic trans-
mission system will select the most
suitable gear for running conditions
such as normal cruising, hill climbing,
hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on
for better fuel economy and quieter
driving. If the engine coolant tempera-
ture is low, the transmission will not
shift into the overdrive gear even with
the overdrive switch on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accel-
erator pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelera-
tor pedal slowly for smooth start-
ing.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can down-
shift the transmission as follows: Turn off the overdrive switch. The
ºO/D OFFº indicator light will come
on and the transmission will down-
shift to the third gear.
Shift into the º2º position. The
transmission will downshift to the
second gear when the vehicle
speed drops down to or lower than
the following speed, and more pow-
erful engine braking will be ob-
tained.
3RZ- FE engine.....112 km/h (69
mph)
5VZ- FE engine.....119 km/h (73
mph)
Shift into the ºLº position. The
transmission will downshift to the
first gear When the vehicle speed
drops down to or lower than the
following speed, and maximum en-
gine braking will be applied.
3RZ- FE engine.....54 km/h (33
mph)

4RUNNER (1998)
5VZ- FE engine.....58 km/h (36
mph) Vehicles with cruise control'When the
cruise control is being used, even if
you downshift the transmission by
turning off the overdrive switch, en-
gine braking is not applied because
the cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle
speed, see ºCruise controlº in this
chapter.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on
a slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(c) Using º2º and ºLº positions
The º2º and ºLº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described
previously.
With the selector lever in º2º or ºLº,
you can start the vehicle in motion as
with the lever in ºDº.
With the selector lever in º2º, the ve-
hicle will start in the first gear and
automatically shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ºLº, the
transmission is engaged in the first
gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the
engine. Watch the tachometer tokeep engine rpm from goinginto the red zone. The approxi-
mate maximum allowable speedfor each position is given belowfor your reference:
º2º
..........120 km/h (74 mph)
ºLº
.......... 65 km/h (40 mph)
Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long time inthe º2º or ºLº position. This
may cause severe automatictransmission damage from over-heating. To prevent such dam-
age, ºDº position should beused in hill climbing or hardtowing.
(d) 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 ºRº position.

4RUNNER (1998)
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the
vehicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up ful- ly to securely apply the parking
brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the
ºPº position.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, nev-
er attempt to move the selector
lever into ºPº position under any
circumstances. Serious mechani-
cal damage and loss of vehicle
control may result.
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission is repeatedly
upshifted and downshifted between
third gear and overdrive when
climbing a gentle slope, the over-
drive switch should be turned off.
Be sure to turn the switch on im-
mediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to
maintain engine braking efficiency,
do not use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the
brake pedal while stopped with
the engine running. This prevents
the vehicle from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an
upgrade with the accelerator ped-al. It can cause the transmissionto overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
To rock your vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,
first check that there are no ob-
jects or people around the ve-
hicle. During the rocking opera-
tion the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observethe following precautions to pre-vent damage to the transmissionand other parts.
Do not depress the acceleratorpedal while shifting the selectorlever or before the transmission
is completely shifted to forwardor reverse gear.
Do not race the engine andavoid spinning the wheels.

4RUNNER (1998)
If your vehicle remains stuck af-
ter rocking the vehicle severaltimes, consider other ways such as towing.
(h) Driving in ºPWRº (Power) mode
In the ºPWRº mode, the transmission
is shifted up and down at a higher
vehicle speed than in the ºNORMº
(Normal) mode and a more powerful
acceleration is achieved. To set the
ºPWRº mode, push in the driving pat-
tern selector button. The ºPWRº mode
indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recom-
mends using the ºNORMº mode to im-
prove fuel economy.
(i) If you cannot shift the selector lever out of ºPº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever
from the ºPº position even though the
brake pedal is depressed, use the
shift lock override button. For instruc-
tions, see ºIf you cannot shift auto-
matic transmission selector leverº in
Part 4.

4RUNNER (1998)
Your automatic transmission has a
shift lock system to minimize the pos-
sibility of incorrect operation. This
means you can only shift out of ºPº
position when the brake pedal is de-
pressed (with the ignition switch in
ºONº position and the lock release
button depressed).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in
ºHow to start the engineº in Part 3.
The transmission must be in ºPº or
ºNº.
When the front drive control lever is
in ºL4º (low- speed position, four-
wheel drive), the driving pattern selec-
tor setting has no effect on gear shift
timing. (See ºFour- wheel drive sys-
temº in this Chapter for information of
the front drive control lever.)
2. With your foot holding down the
brake pedal, shift the selector lever to
ºDº.
In ºDº position, the automatic trans-
mission system will select the most
suitable gear for running conditions
such as normal cruising, hill climbing,
hard towing, etc. Always turn the overdrive switch on
for better fuel economy and quieter
driving. If the engine coolant tempera-
ture is low or when the front drive
control lever is in ºL4º (low- speed
position, four- wheel drive), the trans-
mission will not shift into
the overdrive gear even with the over-
drive switch on. (See ºFour- wheel
drive systemº in this Chapter for in-
formation of the front drive control le-
ver.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accel-
erator pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and
brake pedal. Depress the accelerator
pedal slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can down-
shift the transmission as follows:
Turn off the overdrive switch. The
ºO/D OFFº indicator light will come
on and the transmission will down-
shift to the third gear.
Shift into the º2º position. The
transmission will downshift to the
second gear when the vehicle
speed drops down to or lower than
the following speed, and more pow-
erful engine braking will be ob-
tained.
Front drive control lever in ºH2º or
ºH4º
3RZ- FE engine.....105 km/h (65
mph)
5VZ- FE engine.....114 km/h (70
mph)
Front drive control lever in ºL4º
3RZ- FE engine.....38 km/h (23
mph)
5VZ- FE engine.....41 km/h (25
mph)
Shift into the ºLº position. The
transmission will downshift to the
first gear when the vehicle speed
drops down to or lower than the
following speed, and maximum en-
gine braking will be applied.
Front drive control lever in ºH2º or
ºH4º
3RZ- FE engine.....51 km/h (31
mph)
5VZ- FE engine.....55 km/h (34
mph)

4RUNNER (1998)
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the
engine. Watch the tachometer tokeep engine rpm from goinginto the red zone. The approxi-
mate maximum allowable speedfor each position is given abovefor your reference:
Front drive control lever inºH2º or ºH4º
3RZ- FE engine º2º.....................111km/h (68
mph)
ºLº...................... 60km/h (37
mph)
5VZ- FE engine º2º.....................1 18km/h (73
mph)
ºLº...................... 64km/h (40
mph)
Front drive control lever in ºL4º
3RZ- FE engine º2º...................... 43km/h (26
mph) ºLº...................... 23km/h (14
mph)
5VZ- FE engine º2º...................... 46km/h (28
mph)
ºLº...................... 25km/h (15
mph)
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time inthe º2º or ºLº position. Thismay cause severe automatic
transmission damage from over-heating. To prevent such dam-age, ºDº position should be
used in hill climbing or hardtowing.
(d) 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 ºRº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the
vehicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to
the ºPº position.

4RUNNER (1998)
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, nev-
er attempt to move the selector
lever into ºPº position under any
circumstances. Serious mechani-
cal damage and loss of vehicle
control may result.
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission is repeatedly
upshifted and downshifted between
third gear and overdrive when
climbing a gentle slope, the over-
drive switch should be turned off.
Be sure to turn the switch on im-
mediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to
maintain engine braking efficiency,
do not use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the
brake pedal while stopped with
the engine running. This prevents
the vehicle from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an
upgrade with the accelerator pe-dal. It can cause the transmissionto overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
To rock your vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,
first check that there are no ob-
jects or people around the ve-
hicle. During the rocking opera-
tion the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe
the following precautions to pre-vent damage to the transmissionand other parts.
Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while shifting the selectorlever or before the transmissionis completely shifted to forward
or reverse gear.
Do not race the engine andavoid spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck af-ter rocking the vehicle several
times, consider other ways suchas towing.
(h) Driving in ºPWRº(Power) mode
In the ºPWRº mode, the transmission
is shifted up and down at a higher
vehicle speed than in the
ºNORMº(Normal) mode and a more
powerful acceleration is achieved. To
set the ºPWRº mode, push in the driv-
ing pattern selector button. The ºPWRº
mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recom-
mends using the ºNORMº mode to im-
prove fuel economy.