TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2001 Owners Manual

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
11 52001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Advice for driving on slippery roads in
“L4” (low speed position) mode
If you shift the front drive control lever to
“L4” and the automatic transmission lever
to “2” when you drive in steep offroad
areas, the output of the brake can be
controlled effectively by the active traction
control system, which assists the driver to
control the driving power of 4 wheels.
Use the “L” position of the automatic
transmission lever for maximum power
and traction when your wheels get stuck
or when you drive down a steep incline.
In the following cases, the output of the
brake can be controlled by the active trac-
tion control system if the engine speed is
under 3000 rpm (normally engine speed is
under 3000 rpm when the wheels get un-
stuck).
The front drive control lever in the “L4”
position and the automatic transmission
lever in the “L” position or the automat-
ic transmission lever in the “D” or “2”
with the transmission downshifting to
the first gear
The front drive control lever in the “L4”
position and the automatic transmission
lever in the “R” position(As for the automatic transmission lever
positions, see “Automatic transmission” in
this section.)The A.D.D. can be engaged or disen-
gaged by the shifting operations des-
cribed in “(c) Shifting procedure”.
You should drive in fourwheel drive for
at least 16 km (10 miles) each month.
This will assure that the front drive com-
ponents are lubricated.
(b) A.D.D. (automatic
disconnecting differential)
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
11 62001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
(c) Shifting procedure
SHIFTING BETWEEN “H” (2WD) MODE
AND “H” (4WD) MODE
To shift from “H” (2WD) mode to “H”
(4WD) mode, reduce your speed to less
than 100 km/h (62 mph) and push in the
“4WD” button.
If the indicator light flashes when you
push in the “4WD” button, drive straight
ahead while accelerating or decelerating.
If the indicator light flashes and the buzz-
er sounds when you push in the “4WD”
button, reduce your speed or stop the
vehicle and reset.
CAUTION
Never push the “4WD” button if
wheels are slipping. Stop the slipping
or spinning before shifting.
To shift from “H” (4WD) mode to “H”
(2WD) mode, push the “4WD” button
again to turn it off.
This can be done at any vehicle speed.
If the indicator light flashes when you
push in the “4WD” button, drive straight
ahead while accelerating or decelerating,
or drive in reverse.SHIFTING BETWEEN “H” (4WD,
UNLOCKED) AND “H” (4WD LOCKED)
To shift from “H” (4WD, UNLOCKED) to
“H” (4WD, LOCKED), push in the center
differential lock switch.
If the indicator light flashes when you
push in the center differential lock switch,
drive straight ahead while accelerating or
decelerating.
If the indicator light flashes and the buzz-
er sounds when you push in the center
differential lock switch, reduce your speed
or stop the vehicle and reset.
CAUTION
Never push the center differential
lock button if wheels are slipping.
Stop the slipping or spinning before
shifting.
NOTICE
Do not drive on a dry paved surface
in “H” (4WD, LOCKED) mode. This
may damage the locking mechanism
and the drive system.
To shift from “H” (4WD LOCKED) to
“H” (4WD UNLOCKED), left out the cen-
ter differential lock switch.
This can be done at any vehicle speed.
If the indicator light flashes when you left
out the center differential lock switch,
drive straight ahead while accelerating or
decelerating, or drive in reverse.
SHIFTING BETWEEN “H” AND “L4”
Stop the vehicle and put the transmission
in “N”. With your foot holding down the
brake pedal, move the front drive control
lever.
If the indicator light flashes when you
move the front drive control lever, drive
straight ahead while accelerating or decel-
erating.
CAUTION
Never move the front drive control
lever if wheels are slipping. Stop the
slipping or spinning before shifting.
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
11 72001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
NOTICE
Do not drive on a dry paved surface
in “L4” (LOCKED) mode. This may
damage the locking mechanism and
the drive system.
SHIFTING BETWEEN “L4” (UNLOCKED)
AND “L4” (LOCKED)
To shift between unlock and lock
modes in “L”, push the center differential
lock switch.
This can be done at any vehicle speed.
If the indicator light flashes when you
push the center differential lock switch,
drive straight ahead while accelerating or
decelerating.
CAUTION
Never push the center differential
lock switch if wheels are slipping.
Stop the slipping or spinning before
shifting.
NOTICE
Do not drive on a dry paved surface
in “L4” (LOCKED) mode. This may
damage the locking mechanism and
the drive system.
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps control the spinning of rear
wheels which may occur when acceler-
ating on slippery road surfaces, by con-
trolling the output of the brake and en-
gine. Thus, the system assists driver to
control the driving power of rear
wheels.
When you turn the ignition switch on, the
traction control system always turns on
automatically, and the slip indicator light
will come on. The indicator lights will go
off after about a few seconds.
If the slip indicator lights is left on after
the ignition is turned on, have your ve-
hicle checked by your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Traction control system
(twowheel drive models)
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
11 82001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Leave the system on during ordinary driv-
ing so that it can operate when needed.
When traction control is applied, the slip
indicator light blinks.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the traction
control system is in the selfcheck mode,
and does not indicate malfunction. When
the traction control system is operating,
you may feel vibration or noise of your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is func-
tioning properly.
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the traction control system
will help operate to prevent the wheels
from spinning.
You can turn off the traction control
system by pushing the “TRAC OFF”
switch. The “TRAC OFF” indicator light
will come on. Pushing the “TRAC OFF”
switch a second time turns on the trac-
tion control system again and the
“TRAC OFF” indicator light will go off.
The traction control system will automati-
cally go on, and the “TRAC OFF” indicator
light will go off when you drive over 30
km/h (19 mph) even if the “TRAC OFF”
switch is pushed to cancel the traction
control system.If your wheels get stuck in a ditch or
when you are driving on a slippery or
bumpy surface, turn off the traction control
system because its function that controls
engine performance interferes with the
process of freeing your wheels.
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
11 92001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Traction control system failure warning
These lights warn that when there is a
problem somewhere in the traction control
system.
If the “TRAC OFF” indicator light and
“VSC/TRAC” warning light come on, have
your vehicle checked by Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
The lights will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON”, and will go off after
about a few seconds.
The lights may come on for 60 seconds
after the ignition key is turned to the “ON”
position. It is normal if they go out after
a while.Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the “TRAC OFF” indicator
light and “VSC/TRAC” warning light. It is
normal if it goes out after a few seconds.
The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the traction
control system or vehicle skid control sys-
tem such as on slippery roads. If the
brake actuator temperature becomes too
high while the traction control system or
vehicle skid control system is operating,
a buzzer will start to sound intermittently
to indicate that the traction control system
can no longer operate. In this case, imme-
diately 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 “VSC/TRAC” warning light will come
on and the traction control system tempo-
rarily stops operating in order to protect
the brake actuator. (Although the traction
control system does not operate, there is
no problem to continue your driving.) The
system will be automatically restored after
a short time and the “VSC/TRAC” warning
light goes out.When the “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“TRAC OFF” indicator light come on the
traction control system does not operate,
but there is no problem to continue your
driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“TRAC OFF” indicator light do not
come on after the ignition is turned to
on.
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light “TRAC
OFF” indicator light are left on after the
ignition is turned to on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power to the rear wheels can not be
maintained, even though the traction
control system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle under any speed or
maneuvering conditions which will
cause the vehicle to lose traction. In
situations where the road surface is
covered with ice or snow, your ve-
hicle should be fitted with snow tires
or tire chains. Always drive at ap-
propriate and cautious pace.
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1202001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
The active traction control system auto-
matically helps control the spinning of
4 wheels (fourwheel drive mode) or
rear wheels (twowheel drive mode)
which may occur when accelerating on
slippery road surfaces, by controlling
the output of the brake and engine.
Thus, the system assists driver to con-
trol the driving power of 4 wheels
(fourwheel drive mode) or rear wheels
(twowheel drive mode).
When you turn the ignition switch on, the
active traction control system always turns
on automatically, and the slip indicator
light will come on. The indicator lights will
go off after about a few seconds.If the slip indicator light is left on after
the ignition is turn on, have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
When the active traction control is ap-
plied, the slip indicator light blinks.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the active
traction control system is in the self
check mode, and does not indicate mal-
function. When the traction control system
is operating, you may feel vibration or
noise of your vehicle, caused by operation
of the brakes. This indicates the system
is functioning properly.
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the active traction control
system will help operate to prevent the
wheels from spinning.Active traction control system failure
warning
These lights warn that when there is a
problem somewhere in the active traction
control system.
If the “VSC OFF” indicator light and “VSC/
TRAC” warning light come on, have your
vehicle checked by Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
The lights will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON”, and will go off after
about a few seconds.
The lights may come on for 60 seconds
after the ignition key is turned to the “ON”
position. It is normal if they go out after
a while.
Active traction control
system
(fourwheel drive models)
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1212001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the “VSC OFF” indicator light
and “VSC/TRAC” warning light. It is nor-
mal if it goes out after a few seconds.
The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the active
traction control system or vehicle skid
control system such as on slippery roads.
If the brake actuator temperature becomes
too high while the active traction control
system or vehicle skid control system is
operating, a buzzer will start to sound
intermittently to indicate that the active
traction control system can no longer op-
erate. 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 “VSC/TRAC”
warning light will come on and the active
traction control system temporarily stops
operating in order to protect the brake
actuator. (Although the active traction con-
trol system does not operate, there is no
problem to continue your driving.) The
system will be automatically restored after
a short time and the “VSC/TRAC” warning
light goes out.When the “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“VSC OFF” indicator light come on the
active traction control system does not
operate, but there is no problem to contin-
ue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“VSC OFF” indicator light do not come
on after the ignition is turned to on.
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“VSC OFF” indicator light are left on
after the ignition is turned to on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power to the 4 wheels (fourwheel
drive mode) or rear wheels (two
wheel drive mode) can not be main-
tained, even though the traction con-
trol system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle under any speed or
maneuvering conditions which will
cause the vehicle to lose traction. In
situations where the road surface is
covered with ice or snow, your ve-
hicle should be fitted with snow tires
or tire chains. Always drive at ap-
propriate and cautious pace.
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1222001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Vehicle skid control system
The vehicle skid control system helps
to provide comprehensive control of the
systems such as antilock brakes, trac-
tion control, engine control, etc. This
system automatically controls the out-
put of the brakes or engine to help
prevent the vehicle from skidding under
adverse condition.
When you turn the ignition switch on, the
slip indicator light will come on. The slip
indicator light will go off after about a few
seconds.
If the slip indicator light is left on after
the ignition is tuned on, have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.If the vehicles is going to skid during
driving, the slip indicator light flashes and
an alarm sounds intermittently.
The vehicle skid control activates 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
is started. This means that the vehicle
stability control is in the selfcheck mode
and does not indicate a malfunction.Fourwheel drive models only—
This switch can function only when the
fourwheel drive system is selected.
You can turn off the vehicle skid con-
trol system by pushing the center dif-
ferential lock switch. The “VSC OFF”
and center differential lock indicator
lights will come on. Pushing the center
differential lock switch a second time
turns on the system again. The “VSC
OFF” and center differential lock indica-
tor lights will go off.
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1232001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
If your wheels get stuck in a ditch or
when you are driving on severe off road
and sand, turn off the vehicle skid control
system because its function that controls
engine performance interferes with the
process of freeing your wheels.
NOTICE
Make sure that the center differential
lock indicator light goes off before
normal driving.
Twowheel drive models
Fourwheel drive models
Vehicle skid control system failure
warning
These lights warn that when there is a
problem somewhere in the vehicle skid
control system, traction control system
(twowheel drive models), active traction
control system (fourwheel drive models).
If the “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“TRAC OFF” (twowheel drive models) or
“VSC OFF” (fourwheel drive models) indi-
cator light come on, have your vehicle
checked by Toyota dealer as soon as pos-
sible. However, it is no problem that the
“VSC/TRAC” warning light comes on when
the brake actuator temperature becomes
high. (For details, see “Traction control
system” and “Active traction control sys-
tem” in this section.)
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and “TRAC
OFF” (twowheel drive models) or “VSC
OFF” (fourwheel drive models) indicator
light will come on when the ignition key
is turned to “ON”, and will go off after
about a few seconds.
The lights may come on for 60 seconds
after the ignition key is turned to the “ON”
position. It is normal if they go out after
a while.
ProCarManuals.com

’01 4Runner_U (L/O 0008)
1242001 4RUNNER (OM35768U)
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on “VSC/TRAC” warning light
and “TRAC OFF” (twowheel drive mod-
els) or “VSC OFF” (fourwheel drive mod-
els) indicator light. It is normal if they go
out after a few seconds.
When the “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“TRAC OFF” (twowheel drive models) or
“VSC OFF” (fourwheel drive models) indi-
cator light come on, the vehicle skid con-
trol system does not operate, but there is
no problem to continue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“TRAC OFF” (twowheel drive models)
or “VSC OFF” (fourwheel drive mod-
els) indicator light do not come on af-
ter the ignition is turned to on.
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light and
“TRAC OFF” (twowheel drive models)
or “VSC OFF” (fourwheel drive mod-
els) indicator light are left on after the
ignition is turned to on.
CAUTION
Active traction control system, ve-
hicle skid control system and anti
lock brake system are electronic
systems designed to help the driver
maintain control under adverse con-
ditions. They are not a substitute
for safe driving practices. Factors
including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all af-
fect whether active traction control
system, vehicle skid control system
and antilock brake system will be
effective in preventing a loss of
control. Always keep safety driving
in mind. If the slip indicator light
flashes, sounding an alarm, special
care should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacture, 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 skid control sys-
tem may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” in
Section 72.)
Parking brake
When parking, firmly apply the parking
brake to avoid inadvertent creeping.
To set: Pull up the lever. For better hold-
ing power, first depress the brake pedal
and hold it while setting the parking
brake.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly (1),
press the lock release button (2), and low-
er (3).
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light in
the instrument panel remains on until you
release the parking brake.
ProCarManuals.com