check engine TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2005 N210 / 4.G Owner's Manual

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
311
Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in “(a) Before crank-
ing”.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
tial multiport fuel injection system in your
engine automatically controls the proper
air−fuel mixture for starting. You can start
a cold or hot engine as follows:
With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
turn the ignition key to “START” position,
then release it.
Engine should be warmed up by driving,
not in idle. For warming up, drive with
smoothly turning engine until engine cool-
ant temperature is within normal range.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not start...
See “If your vehicle will not start” on page
330 in Section 4.NOTICE
 Do not race a cold engine.
 If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
This will allow you much better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp− edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage such
as a tire burst.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps
or travelling on a bumpy road. Other-
wise, the impact could cause severe
damage to the tires and/or wheels.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the
parking brake, and place the transmis-
sion in “P”. If necessary, block the
wheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake applied. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
(b) Starting the engine Tips for driving in various
conditions

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
314
NOTICE
If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the river bed for
firmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
 Take all necessary safety measures
to ensure that water damage to the
engine or other components does
not occur.
Water entering the engine air intake
will cause severe engine damage.
Water can wash the grease from
wheel bearings, causing rusting and
premature failure, and may also en-
ter the differentials, transmission
and transfer case, reducing the gear
oil’s lubricating qualities.
 Sand and mud that has accumulated
in brake drums and around brake
discs may affect braking efficiency
and may damage brake system com-
ponents.
Always perform a maintenance in-
spection after each day of offroad
driving that has taken you through
rough terrain, sand, mud, or water.
For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, refer to the “Scheduled Main-
tenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.Make sure your coolant is properly pro-
tected against freezing.
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
or similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non −silicate, non −amine, non− nitrite,
and non −borate coolant with long −life hy-
brid organic acid technology. (Coolant with
long −life hybrid organic acid technology is
a combination of low phosphates and or-
ganic acids.)
See “Checking the engine coolant level”
on page 378 in Section 7 −2 for details of
coolant type selection.
For the U.S.A.—“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is a mixture of 50% coolant and
50% deionized water. This coolant pro-
vides protection down to about −35 C
( − 31 F).
For the Canada—“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is a mixture of 55% coolant and
45% deionized water. This coolant pro-
vides protection down to about −42 C
( − 44 F).
NOTICE
Do not use plain water alone.
Winter driving tips

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
315
Check the condition of the battery and
cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any battery, so it must be in top shape to
provide enough power for winter starting.
Section 7−3 tells you how to visually in-
spect the battery. Your Toyota dealer and
most service stations will be pleased to
check the level of charge.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See page 376 in Section 7 −2 for recom-
mended viscosity. Leaving a heavy sum-
mer oil in your vehicle during winter
months may cause harder starting. If you
are not sure about which oil to use, call
your Toyota dealer—they will be pleased
to help.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de −icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing.
Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer ’s directions for how
much to mix with water.NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may dam-
age your vehicle’s paint.
Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
“P” and block the front wheels. Do not
use the parking brake, or snow or water
accumulated in and around the parking
brake mechanism may freeze, making it
hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the
vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with four wheels on the
ground) behind a motorhome.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle with four
wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to your vehicle.
Dinghy towing

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
322
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are
properly inflated. See page 381 in Sec-
tion 7−2 and page 406 in Section 8 for
instructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight.
TOWING CONNECTOR FOR TRAILER
LIGHTS
Your vehicle is equipped with a wire
harness stored in the rear end under
body. Some models are fitted with a
socket for trailer lights under the rear
bumper. Use either of them to connect
and operate the trailer lights. However,
the trailer lights must comply with fed-
eral, state/provincial and local regula-
tions. See your local recreational ve-
hicle dealer or rental agency for the
correct type of wiring 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 electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.
The towing connector can be also con-
nected to the trailer brake and trailer
sub battery.
BREAKIN SCHEDULE
Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
324
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these in mind when towing:
Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle −trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
ing 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 bottom 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 trailer to the right. (This pro-
cedure 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 acci-
dent.
Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle −to −vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle 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 accelera-
tion.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle 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 closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately 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 considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room befo-
re changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking effi-
ciency, do not put the transmission in
“D”.

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
330
Before making these checks, make sure
you have followed the correct starting pro-
cedure given in “How to start the engine”
on page 310 in Section 3 and that you
have sufficient fuel. Also, check whether
the other keys will start the engine. If
they work, your key may be broken. Have
the key checked at your Toyota dealer. If
none of your keys work, there may be a
malfunction in the immobilizer system. Call
your Toyota dealer. (See “Keys” on page
12 in Section 1−2.)
If the engine is not turning over or is
turning over too slowly— 1. Check that the battery terminals are tight and clean.
2. If the battery terminals are O.K., switch on the interior light.
3. If the light is out, dim or goes out when the starter is cranked, the battery
is discharged. You may try jump start-
ing. See “(c) Jump starting” on page
331 for further instructions.
If the light is O.K., but the engine still will
not start, it needs adjustment or repair.
Call a Toyota dealer or qualified repair
shop.NOTICE
Do not pull or pushstart the ve-
hicle. It may damage the vehicle or
cause a collision when the engine
starts. Also the threeway catalytic
converter may overheat and become a
fire hazard.
If the engine turns over at its normal
speed but will not start—
1. Turn the ignition key to “ACC” or “LOCK” and try starting the engine
again.
2. If the engine will not start, the engine may be flooded because of repeated
cranking. See “(b) Starting a flooded
engine” on page 330 for further instruc-
tions.
3. If the engine still will not start, it needs adjustment or repair. Call a Toyota
dealer or qualified repair shop. If the engine will not start, your engine
may be flooded because of repeated
cranking.
If this happens, turn the ignition key to
“START” with the accelerator pedal fully
depressed, and hold the key at this posi-
tion for about 30 seconds. Then the
cranking hold function stops cranking au-
tomatically, and you can try starting the
engine with your foot off the accelerator
pedal.
If the engine does not start, wait a few
minutes and try again.
If the engine still will not start, it needs
adjustment or repair. Call a Toyota dealer
or qualified repair shop for assistance.
If your vehicle will not start—
(a) Simple checks
(b) Starting a flooded engine

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
333
Do not connect the cable to or near
any part that moves when the engine
is cranked.
CAUTION
When making the connections, to
avoid serious injury, do not lean over
the battery or accidentally let the
jumper cables or clamps touch any-
thing except the correct battery termi-
nals or the ground.
5. Charge the discharged battery with the
jumper cables connected for approxi-
mately 5 minutes. At this time, run the
engine in the vehicle with the booster
battery at about 2000 rpm with the ac-
celerator pedal lightly depressed.
6. Start your engine in the normal way. After starting, run it at about 2000 rpm
for several minutes with the accelerator
pedal lightly depressed.
7. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
8. Carefully dispose of the battery cover cloths—they may now contain sulfuric
acid. 9. If removed, replace all the battery vent
plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is
not apparent (for example, lights left on),
you should have it checked at your Toyota
dealer.
If the first start attempt is not success-
ful...
Check that the clamp on the jumper
cables are tight. Recharge the discharged
battery with the jumper cables connected
for several minutes and restart your en-
gine in the normal way.
If the another attempt is not successful,
the battery may be depleted. Have it ch-
ecked at your Toyota dealer. If your engine stalls while driving...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Turn the ignition key to “ACC” or “LOCK”, and try starting the engine
again.
If the engine will not start, see “If your
vehicle will not start” on page 330 in this
Section.CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
If your engine stalls while
driving

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
334
If engine speed does not increase when
the accelerator pedal is depressed, there
may be a problem somewhere in the elec-
tronic 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 the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in “P”
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 subsides 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.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the engine drive belt is broken or thecoolant is leaking, stop the engine im-
mediately. Call a Toyota dealer for as-
sistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there are no obvious leaks, you may
help the engine cool down more quickly
by running it at about 1500 rpm for a
few minutes with the accelerator pedal
lightly depressed.
6. Check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add coolant to the reservoir while the
engine is running. Fill it about half full.
For the coolant type, see “Coolant type
selection” on page 379 in Section 7 −2.
If you cannot incr ease engine
speed If your vehicle overheats

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
335
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
7. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cau-
tiously off the road to a safe place
well away from the traffic. Avoid
stopping on the center divider of
a highway. Park on a level spot
with firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in “P”.
4. Have everyone get out of the ve- hicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thoroughly.CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the possi-
bility of personal injury:
Follow jacking instructions.
 Do not put any part of your
body under the vehicle sup-
ported by the jack. Otherwise,
personal injury may occur.
 Do not start or run the engine
while your vehicle is supported
by the jack.
 Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking
brake and put the transmission
in “P”. Block the wheel diago-
nally opposite to the one being
changed if necessary.
If you have a flat tire—

’05 4Runner_U (L/O 0504)
349
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifically
intended for use in towing vehicles.
Securely fasten the cable or chain to
the towing eyelet provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in “N”. The key
must be in “ACC” (engine off) or “ON”
(engine running).
Four−wheel drive models—On multi −mode
four −wheel drive models, put the multi −
mode control switch knob in “H2”. On full −
time four −wheel drive models, unlock the
center differential.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
Before emergency towing, check that
the eyelet is not broken or damaged
and that the installation bolts are not
loose.
Fasten the towing cable or chain se-
curely to the eyelet.
Do not jerk the eyelet. Apply steady
and even force.
To avoid damaging the eyelet, do not
pull from the side or at a vertical
angle. Always pull straight ahead.
CAUTION
If the emergency towing eyelet is
used to get out when your vehicle
becomes struck in mud, sand or oth-
er condition from which the vehicle
cannot be driven out under its own
power, make sure to observe the pre-
cautions mentioned below. Otherwise,
excessive stress will be put on the
eyelet and the towing cable or chain
may break, causing serious injury or
damage.
If the towing vehicle can hardly
move, do not forcibly continue the
towing. Contact your Toyota dealer
or a commercial tow truck service
for assistance.
Tow the vehicle as straight ahead
as possible.
Keep away from the vehicle during
towing.
—Emergency towing eyelet
precautions