ESP TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2003 N210 / 4.G User Guide

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Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious inju-
ries, primarily to the head and chest, it
may also cause other, less severe injuries
to the face, chest, arms and hands. These
are usually in the nature of minor burns
or abrasions and swelling, but the force of
a deploying airbag can cause more seri-
ous injuries, especially if an occupant’s
hands, arms, chest or head are in close
proximity to the airbag module at the time
of deployment. This is why it is important
for the occupant to: avoid placing any
object or part of the body between the
occupant and the airbag module; sit
straight and well back into the seat; wear
the available seat belt properly; and sit as
far as possible from the airbag module,
while still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, airbag cover and inflator) may be hot
for several minutes after deployment, so
do not touch! The airbags inflate only
once. The windshield may be damaged by
absorbing some of the force of the inflat-
ing airbag.CAUTION
The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver side and
front passenger side seat belt sys-
tems. The front seat occupants can
be killed or seriously injured by the
inflating airbags if they do not wear
the available seat belts properly.
During sudden braking just before
a collision, an unrestrained driver
or front passenger can move for-
ward into direct contact with or
close proximity to the airbag which
may then deploy during the colli-
sion. To ensure maximum protection
in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must
wear their seat belts properly. Wear-
ing a seat belt properly during an
accident reduces the chances of
death or serious injury or being
thrown out of the vehicle. For
instructions and precautions con-
cerning the seat belt system, see
“Seat belts” on page 50 in this Sec-
tion.
Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed
or seriously injured by the deploy-
ing front airbag. An infant or child
who is too small to use a seat belt
should be properly secured using a
child restraint system. Toyota
strongly recommends that all in-
fants and children be placed in the
rear seat of the vehicle and proper-
ly restrained. The rear seat is the
safest for infants and children. For
instructions concerning the installa-
tion of a child restraint system, see
“Child restraint” on page 73 in this
Section.

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In response to a severe side impact, the
SRS side airbags and curtain shield air-
bags work with the seat belts to help
reduce injury by inflating. The SRS side
airbags help to reduce injuries mainly to
the driver ’s or front passenger ’s chest and
the SRS curtain shield airbags help to
reduce injuries mainly to the driver ’s, front
passenger ’s or rear outside passenger ’s
head. The SRS side airbag and curtain
shield airbag on the passenger side are
activated even with no passenger in the
front seat or rear seat.
The curtain shield airbags may activate
even when the side airbags are not acti-
vated.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seat belt restraint
system by the driver and front pass enger
when the SRS side airbags and curtain
shield airbags are inflated.CAUTION
SRS side airbags and curtain shield
airbags inflate with considerable
force. To avoid potential death or se-
rious injury when they inflate, the
driver, front passenger and rear out-
side passengers must:
Wear their seat belts properly.
Remain properly seated with their
back upright and against the seat at
all times.
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the “ON” position.
It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the SRS side airbags and curtain
shield airbags are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors, curtain shield airbag sensors, driv-
er ’s seat position sensor, driver ’s seat belt
buckle switch, front seat belt pretensioner
assemblies, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting wiring and power sources. (For
details, see “Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers” on page 117 in Sec-
tion 15.)

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Do not allow a child to lean his/her
head or any part of his/her body
against the front door or the area
of the seat, front pillar or roof side
from which the side airbag and cur-
tain shield airbag deploy even if he/
she is seated in the child restraint
system. It is dangerous if the side
airbag and curtain shield airbag in-
flate, and the impact could cause
death or serious injury to the child.
For instructions concerning the
installation of a child restraint sys-
tem, see “Child restraint” on page
73 in this Section.
Do not lean against the door when
the vehicle is in use, since the side
airbag and curtain shield airbag in-
flate with considerable speed and
force. Otherwise, you may be killed
or seriously injured. Special care
should be taken especially when
you have a small child in the ve-
hicle.
Sit up straight and well back in the
seat, distributing your weight evenly
in the seat. Do not apply excessive
weight to the outer side of the front
seats with a side airbag, and to the
front pillar, rear pillar and roof side
rail with a curtain shield airbag.
Do not get your head closer to the
area where the side airbag and cur-
tain shield airbag inflate, since
these airbags inflate with consider-
able speed and force. Otherwise,
you may be killed or seriously in-
jured. Special care should be taken
especially when you have a small
child in the vehicle.

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Adjust the mirror so that you can just
see the rear of your vehicle in the mir-
ror.
This mirror is equipped with auto anti
glare function. The function is designed
to reduce glare from the headlights of
the vehicle behind you during night
driving.
When the ignition key is inserted and
turned on, the inside rear view mirror al-
ways turns on in the automatic function
mode.
The indicator illuminates to show you that
the function is on. In automatic function mode, if the mirror
detects light from the headlights of the
vehicle behind you, the mirror surface
darkens slightly to reduce the reflected
light.
To turn off the automatic function, push
the “MIRROR” switch.
To turn on the automatic function again,
push the “MIRROR” switch.
Adjust it before driving so that the rear
view is in the best condition.
When the inside air temperature is low, it
may take little longer for the mirror to
darken in response to the detection of
headlights.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the
vehicle is moving. Doing so may
cause the driver to mishandle the ve-
hicle and an accident may occur re-
sulting in death or serious injuries.
To ensure correct functioning of an
antiglare mirror sensor located on the
back side of the mirror, do not touch
or cover the sensor with your finger or
a piece of cloth, etc.
Auto antiglare inside rear
view mirror

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Daytime running light (DRL) system (all
models sold in Canada and some mod-
els sold in U.S.A.)
Daytime Running Light (DRL) system can
make it easier for others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day. The DRL
system can be helpful in many different
driving conditions, but they can be espe-
cially helpful in the short periods after
dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your front turn
signal lights come on when:
The ignition is on with the engine run-
ning.
The knob is in the “OFF” position,
position 1 or position 3 with the tail
lights on.
The parking brake is released.
To turn off the DRL system, twist the knob
to the position 2 or position 3 with the
headlights on, or turn the ignition switch
off.
This DRL system can be disabled. For
details, contact your Toyota dealer.
HighLow beams— For high beams, turn
the headlights on and push the lever away
from you (position 1). Pull the lever to-
ward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will
tell you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)—Pull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
with the knob turned to “OFF”.TURN SIGNALS
To signal a turn, push the headlight/
turn signal lever up or down to position
1.
The key must be in the “ON” position.
The lever automatically returns after you
make a turn, but you may have to return
it by hand after you change lanes.
To signal a lane change, move the lever
up or down to the pressure point (position
2) and hold it.
On some models, the front turn signal
lights are on during daytime running light
system is on. For details, see “Daytime
running light system”.

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Daytime running light (DRL) system (all
models sold in Canada and some mod-
els sold in U.S.A.)
Daytime Running Light (DRL) system can
make it easier for others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day. The DRL
system can be helpful in many different
driving conditions, but they can be espe-
cially helpful in the short periods after
dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your front turn
signal lights come on when:
The ignition is on with the engine run-
ning.
The knob is in the “OFF” position or
position 1.
The parking brake is released.
To turn off the DRL system, twist the knob
to the position 2 or turn the ignition switch
off.
This DRL system can be disabled. For
details, contact your Toyota dealer.
HighLow beams— For high beams, turn
the headlights on and push the lever away
from you (position 1). Pull the lever to-
ward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will
tell you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)—Pull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
with the knob turned to “OFF”.TURN SIGNALS
To signal a turn, push the headlight/
turn signal lever up or down to position
1.
The key must be in the “ON” position.
The lever automatically returns after you
make a turn, but you may have to return
it by hand after you change lanes.
To signal a lane change, move the lever
up or down to the pressure point (position
2) and hold it.
On some models, the front turn signal
lights are on during daytime running light
system is on. For details, see “Daytime
running light system”.

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If the back window is not fully closed, the
back window defogger will not work. Make
sure the back window is fully closed when
using the back window defogger.
If the back window is opened while the
defogger is working, the defogger will au-
tomatically turn off. Even if the back win-
dow is fully closed after that, the defogger
will not automatically turn on.
Make sure you turn the defoggers off
when the surfaces are clear. Leaving the
defoggers on for a long time could cause
the battery to discharge, especially during
stopandgo driving. The defoggers are
not designed for drying rain water or for
melting snow.
CAUTION
On some models, since the mirror
surfaces can get hot, do not touch
them when the defogger switch is on.
NOTICE
When cleaning the inside of the back
window, be careful not to scratch or
damage the heater wires or connec-
tors.

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(f) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position and
goes off after the engine starts. This
means that the warning light system is
operating properly.
If the lamp remains on, or the lamp
comes on while driving, first check the
followings.
Empty fuel tank
If the fuel tank is empty, refuel immedi-
ately.
Loose fuel tank cap
If the fuel tank cap is loose, securely
tighten it.
These cases are temporary malfunctions.
The malfunction indicator lamp will go off
after taking several driving trips.
If the lamp will not go off even after the
several trips, contact your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible.
If the fuel tank is not empty or the fuel
tank cap is not loose...
There is a problem somewhere in the
engine, emission control system, elec-
tronic throttle control system, automatic
transmission electrical system or warn-
ing light system itself. Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.
If the engine speed does not increase with
the accelerator pedal depressed down,
there may be a problem somewhere in
your electronic throttle control system.
At this time, vibration may occur. Howev-
er, if you depress the accelerator pedal
more firmly and slowly, you can drive your
vehicle at low speeds. Have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic
throttle control system is corrected during
low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and
the ignition key is turned to “ACC” or
“LOCK” position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
Emissions inspection and maintenance
(I/M) programs
Your vehicle may not pass a state
emission inspection if the malfunction
indicator lamp remains on. Contact your
Toyota dealer to check your vehicle’s
emission control system and OBD
(OnBoard Diagnostics) system before
taking your vehicle for the inspection.
For details, see “Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance (I/M) programs” on page 314
in Section 6.
(g) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
(h) Engine Oil Replacement Reminder
Light (for vehicles sold in U.S.A.)
This light reminds you when to replace
the engine oil.
This light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON” and will go off after
about a few seconds.

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TONE AND BALANCE
For details about your system’s tone and
balance controls, see the description of
your own system.
Tone
How good an audio program sounds to
you is largely determined by the mix of
the treble, midrange and bass levels. In
fact, different kinds of music and vocal
programs usually sound better with differ-
ent mixes of treble, midrange and bass.
Balance
A good balance of the left and right stereo
channels and of the front and rear sound
levels is also important.
Keep in mind that if you are listening to
a stereo recording or broadcast, changing
the right/left balance will increase the vol-
ume of one group of sounds while de-
creasing the volume of another. YOUR RADIO ANTENNA
Your vehicle has an antenna printed on
the inside of the rear quarter window.
NOTICE
Attaching the film (especially conduc-
tive or metallic type) on the rear
quarter glass will noticeably reduce
the sensitivity of the radio.
YOUR CASSETTE PLAYER
When you insert a cassette, the exposed
tape should face to the right.
NOTICE
Do not oil any part of the player and
do not insert anything other than cas-
sette tapes into the slot, or the tape
player may be damaged.
YOUR COMPACT DISC PLAYER (type 1)
When you insert a disc, gently push it in
with the label side up. (The player will
automatically eject a disc if the label side
is down.) The player will play from track
1 through the end of the disc. Then it will
play from track 1 again.
NOTICE
Never try to disassemble or oil any
part of the compact disc player. Do
not insert anything other than com-
pact discs into the slot.
The player is intended for use with 12 cm
(4.7 in.) discs only.

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Here are some common reception prob-
lems that probably do not indicate a prob-
lem with your radio:
FM
Fading and drifting stations—Generally, the
effective range of FM is about 40 km (25
miles). Once outside this range, you may
notice fading and drifting, which increase
with the distance from the radio transmit-
ter. They are often accompanied by distor-
tion.
Multipath—FM signals are reflective,
making it possible for two signals to reach
your antenna at the same time. If this
happens, the signals will cancel each oth-
er out, causing a momentary flutter or
loss of reception.
Static and fluttering—These occur when
signals are blocked by buildings, trees, or
other large objects. Increasing the bass
level may reduce static and fluttering.
Station swapping—If the FM signal you
are listening to is interrupted or weak-
ened, and there is another strong station
nearby on the FM band, your radio may
tune in the second station until the origi-
nal signal can be picked up again. AM
Fading—AM broadcasts are reflected by
the upper atmosphere—especially at night.
These reflected signals can interfere with
those received directly from the radio sta-
tion, causing the radio station to sound
alternately strong and weak.
Station interference—When a reflected sig-
nal and a signal received directly from a
radio station are very nearly the same
frequency, they can interfere with each
other, making it difficult to hear the broad-
cast.
Static—AM is easily affected by external
sources of electrical noise, such as high
tension power lines, lightening, or electri-
cal motors. This results in static.
CARING FOR YOUR CASSETTE PLAYER
AND TAPES
For the best performance for your cas-
sette player and tapes:
Clean the tape head and other parts regu-
larly.
A dirty tape head or tape path can
decrease sound quality and tangle your
cassette tapes. The easiest way to
clean them is by using a cleaning tape.
(A wet type is recommended.)Use highquality cassettes.
Lowquality cassette tapes can cause
many problems, including poor sound,
inconsistent playing speed, and
constant autoreversing. They can also
get stuck or tangled in the cassette
player.
Do not use a cassette if it has been
damaged or tangled or if its label is
peeling off.
Do not leave a cassette in the player
if you are not listening to it, especially
if it is hot outside.
Store cassettes in their cases and out
of direct sunlight.
Avoid using cassettes with a total play-
ing time longer than 100 minutes (50
minutes per side). The tape used in
these cassettes is thin and could get
stuck or tangled in the cassette player.