TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2003 N210 / 4.G Owners Manual

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These hooks are designed to hang
things like grocery bags.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the hook, do
not hang any object heavier than 1 kg
(2.20 lb.) in it.
These hooks are designed to hang the
cargo net.
To hang the cargo net, use the cargo net
hooks and rear tiedown hooks.
Although the cargo net itself is not in-
cluded as an original equipment, these
hooks can be used to hang the cargo net.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the hook, avoid
hanging things other than a cargo net
on it.
Grocery bag hooks Cargo net hooksLuggage cover

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USING LUGGAGE COVER
To use the luggage cover:
1. Attach the front hooks of the lug- gage cover to the head restraint.
2. Pull out the rear luggage cover and hook it on the anchors.
CAUTION
Do not place anything on the luggage
cover. Such items may be thrown
about and possibly injure people in
the vehicle during sudden braking or
an accident.
REMOVING LUGGAGE COVER
To remove the luggage cover, detach its
hooks from the head restraint. Then,
retract and release both ends, and re-
move the luggage cover.
After you remove the luggage cover, place
it somewhere other than the passenger
compartment. This will prevent passengers
from injury in the event of a sudden stop
or accident.To use the double deck:
1. Turn the left and right knobs from the “LOCK” position to the
“UNLOCK” position.
Double deck

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2. Hold the handle and raise the double
deck on the rear tire houses.3. Turn the left and right knobs fromthe “UNLOCK” position to the
“LOCK” position.
Make sure the double deck is securely
locked.
CAUTION
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or sudden stop,
make sure that the double deck
knobs are always in the “LOCK” posi-
tion when the double deck is in the
raised or lowered position.
NOTICE
When using the double deck at the
raised position, do not place any ob-
ject heavier than 30 kg (66 lb.).

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The roof luggage carrier consists of
roof rails (1) attached to the roof and
sliding cross rails (2).
To adjust the positions of cross rails, do
this.
1. Turn the knobs counterclockwise to loosen the cross rails.
2. Slide the cross rails to the desired position for loading the luggages of
various sizes.
3. After adjusting, be sure to tighten the cross rails by turning knobs clockwise.
Follow the manufacturer ’s instructions and
precautions when installing the attach-
ments or their equivalent.
Paint mark
When there is no luggage on the roof
luggage carrier, Toyota recommends that
the front and rear cross rails be secured
in the positions indicated in the illustra-
tion, according to the following procedure.
This may diminish wind noise during driv-
ing. 1. Turn the knobs counterclockwise to loosen the cross rails.
2. Slide the ends of the cross rails to the paint mark.
3. Be sure to tighten the cross rails by turning knobs clockwise.
CAUTION
When you load cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier, observe the following:
Place the cargo so that its weight
is distributed evenly between the
front and rear axles.
If loading long or wide cargo, never
exceed the vehicle overall length or
width. (See “Dimensions and cargo
load” on page 352 in Section 8 for
information on your vehicle overall
length and width.)
Before driving, make sure the cargo
is securely fastened on the roof
luggage carrier.
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss
of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.
Roof luggage carrier

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If driving for a long distance, on
rough roads, or at high speeds,
stop the vehicle now and then dur-
ing the trip to make sure the cargo
remains in its place.
Do not exceed 54 kg (120 lb.) cargo
weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
When loading the luggages, be careful
not to scratch the surface of the
moon roof.
Use a floor mat of the correct size.
If the floor carpet and floor mat have 2
holes, then they are designed for use with
locking clips. Fix the floor mat with lock-
ing clips into the holes in the floor carpet.CAUTION
Make sure the floor mat is properly
placed on the floor carpet. If the floor
mat slips and interferes with the
movement of the pedals during driv-
ing, it may cause an accident.
Floor mat

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INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your Toyota
Offroad vehicle precautions 242
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Breakin period 243
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Fuel 243
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Fuel pump shut off system 245
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Operation in foreign countries 245
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Threeway catalytic converters 246
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Engine exhaust cautions 247
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Facts about engine oil consumption 248
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Iridiumtipped spark plugs 249
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Brake system 249
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 253
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Luggage stowage precautions 253
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Limitedslip differential 254
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Your Toyota’s identification 254
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Theft prevention labels 256
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Suspension and chassis 256
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Types of tires 256
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SECTION 2

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This vehicle belongs to the ut ility ve-
hicle class, which has higher ground
clearance and narrower tread in relation
to the height of its center of gravity to
make it capable of performing in a wide
variety of offroad applications. Specific
design characteristics give it a higher
center of gravity than ordinary passen-
ger cars. This vehicle design feature
causes this type of vehicle to be more
likely to rollover. And, utility vehicles
have a significantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles. An advan-
tage of the higher ground clearance is
a better view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems. It is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as ordinary passenger cars any
more than lowslung sports cars de-
signed to perform satisfactorily under
offroad conditions. Therefore, sharp
turns at excessive speeds may cause
rollover.CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle:
In a rollover crash, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat
belt. Therefore, the driver and all
passengers should fasten their seat
belts whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible. Failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover causing death or serious
injury.
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss
of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.
Offroad vehicle precautions

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Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its profile and
higher center of gravity, your ve-
hicle is more sensitive to side
winds than an ordinary passenger
car. Slowing down will allow you to
have better control.
When driving offroad or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and
chassis.
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar offroad ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
breakin. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Avoid full throttle acceleration when
starting and driving.
Avoid racing the engine.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles). FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5M93
in Canada.NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
Breakin period
Fuel

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OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research
Octane Number 91) or higher. For
improved vehicle performance, the use
of premium unleaded gasoline with an
Octane Rating of 91 (Research Octane
Number 96) or higher is recommended.
Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating or research octane number lower
than stated above will cause persistent
heavy knocking. If it is severe, this will
lead to engine damage.
If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even when
using the recommended fuel, or if you
hear steady knocking while holding a
steady speed on level roads, consult your
Toyota dealer.
However, occasionally, you may notice
light knocking for a short time while accel-
erating or driving up hills. This is normal
and there is no need for concern.
GASOLINE CONTAINING DETERGENT
ADDITIVES
Toyota recommends the use of gasoline
that contains detergent additives to
avoid buildup of engine deposits. However, all gasoline sold in the U.S.
contains detergent additives to keep clean
and/or clean intake systems.
QUALITY GASOLINE
Automotive manufacturers in the U.S.,
Europe and Japan have developed a
specification for quality fuel named
WorldWide Fuel Charter (WWFC) that
is expected to be applied world wide.
The WWFC consists of three categories
that depend on required emission lev-
els. In the U.S., category 3 has been
adopted. The WWFC improves air quali-
ty by providing for better emissions in
vehicle fleets, and customer satisfaction
through better vehicle performance.
CLEANER BURNING GASOLINE
Cleaner burning gasoline, including re-
formulated gasoline that contains oxy-
genates such as ethanol or MTBE is
available in many areas.
Toyota recommends the use of cleaner
burning gasoline and appropriately blended
reformulated gasoline. These types of gas-
oline provide excellent vehicle perfor-
mance, reduce vehicle emissions, and im-
prove air quality.
OXYGENATES IN GASOLINE
Toyota allows the use of oxygenate
blended gasoline where the oxygenate
content is up to 10% ethanol or 15%
MTBE. If you use gasohol in your
Toyota, be sure that it has an octane
rating no lower than 87.
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasoline containing methanol.
GASOLINE CONTAINING MMT
Some gasoline contain an octane en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
clopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl).
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasoline that contains MMT. If fuel con-
taining MMT is used, your emission con-
trol system may be adversely affected.
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp on the in-
strument cluster may come on. If this hap-
pens, contact your Toyota dealer for ser-
vice.
GASOLINE QUALITY
In a very few cases, you may experience
driveability problems caused by the partic-
ular gasoline that you are using. If you
continue to have unacceptable driveability,
try changing gasoline brands. If this does
not rectify your problem, then consult your
Toyota dealer.