TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2009 N280 / 5.G Owners Manual

When driving2
131
2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle............ 132
Engine (ignition) switch .... 140
Automatic
Transmission.... 143
Turn signal lever .............. 145
Parking brake ................... 146
Horn ................................. 147
2-2. Instrument cluster Gauges and meters ......... 148
Indicators and warning lights .............................. 151
Accessory meter .............. 155
2-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch ............... 158
Fog light switch ................ 162
Windshield wipers and washer ........................... 163
Rear window wiper and washer ........................... 165 2-4. Using other driving systems
Cruise control ................... 166
Electronically modulated air suspension ................ 169
AUTO LSD system (2WD models and
Multi-mode 4WD
models) .......................... 175
Four-wheel drive system (4WD models) ................ 177
Active traction control system (L4 mode on
4WD models) ................. 182
Rear differential lock system ........................... 184
Downhill Assist Control .... 186
Driving assist systems ..... 188
2-5. Driving information Off-road precautions ........ 198
Cargo and luggage .......... 203
Vehicle load limits ............ 211
Winter driving tips ............ 213
Trailer towing ................... 216
Dinghy towing .................. 228

132
2-1. Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
Starting on a steep uphillWith the brake pedal depressed, firmly set the parking brake
and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driv-
ing.
■ Starting the engine ( P. 140)
■ Driving
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( P. 143)
Release the parking brake. ( P. 146)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■ Stopping
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift
the shift lever to P or N. ( 
P. 1 4 3)
■Parking the vehicle
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 146)
Shift the shift lever to P. ( P. 143)
When parking on a hill, if necessary, block the wheels.
Turn the engine switch off to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your
person.

133
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
■
Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended
to observe:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■ Drum-in disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of
brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or when-
ever the parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Toyota
dealer perform the bedding down.
■ Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. ( P. 473)
■ Normal characteristics afte r turning off the engine
Approximately five hours after the engine is turned off, you may hear sound
coming from under the vehicle for several minutes. This is the sound of a
fuel evaporation leakage check and, it does not indicate a malfunction.

134 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi- culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or st op the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. This may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
● Do not let the vehicle roll backwards while the shift lever is in a driving
position, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
● If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back door and back window are closed. Large amounts of
exhaust in the vehicle can cause driver drowsiness and an accident,
resulting in death or a serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected
by your Toyota dealer immediately.
● Do not under any circumstances shift the shift lever to P, R or N while the
vehicle is moving.
Doing so can cause significant damage to the transmission system and
may result in a loss of vehicle control.

135
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■
When driving the vehicle
●Do not shift the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so may cause the engine brake to not operate properly and lead to
an accident.
● Do not turn the engine off while driving.
The power steering and brake booster systems will not operate properly if
the engine is not running.
● Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 144)
● When stopped on an inclined surface, use the brake pedal and parking
brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward or forward and causing
an accident.
● Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents
that may result in death or serious injury.
● Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their bod-
ies are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
● Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-
shifting or down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an
accident.

136 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.
■ When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may
cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■ When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly and unexpectedly, and may cause an accident.
● Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space
and check that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.
● Always keep a foot on the brake pedal while the engine is running to pre-
vent an accident caused by the vehicle moving.
■ When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in
the vehicle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following.
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a
fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic material of eye glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehi-
cle’s electrical components.
● Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine
and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.

137
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■
When the vehicle is parked
●Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
● Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it
is snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is
running, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead
to death or a serious health hazard.
■ Exhaust gases
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO) that is colorless and
odorless. Inhaling exhaust gases may lead to death or a serious health haz-
ard.
●If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area, stop the engine. In a closed
area, such as a garage, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle.
This may lead to death or a serious health hazard.
● The exhaust should be checked occasionally. If there is a hole or crack
caused by corrosion, damage to a joint or abnormal exhaust noise, be
sure to have the vehicle inspected and repaired by your Toyota dealer.
Failure to do so may allow exhaust gases to enter the vehicle, resulting in
death or a serious health hazard.
■ When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, which could cause an accident or fire
due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leadin\
g to
death or a serious health hazard.
■ When braking the vehicle
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and may cause one
side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also the parking
brake may not securely hold the vehicle.

138 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When braking the vehicle
●If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid downhills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but it will require more force on the
pedal than usual. Braking distance may also increase.
● Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems: If one of the
systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and braking distance
becomes longer.
Do not drive your vehicle with only a single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress accelerator and brake pedals
together to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■ When parking the vehicle
Always put the shift lever in P.
Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may acceler-
ate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■ Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold it there for a
long time.
Doing so may damage the power steering pump.
● When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.

139
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
NOTICE
■
If you hear a squealing or scrapin g noise while driving (brake pad wear
limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
The rotor damage can result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or that of the brake discs are exceeded.
■ If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually press the brake pedal to slow down the vehicle.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
● The vehicle will make abnormal sounds.
● The vehicle will behave abnormally.
Replace a flat tire with a new one. ( P. 448)
■ When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle.
●Engine stalling
● Short in electrical components
● Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following.
● Brake function
● Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, trans-
mission, transfer (4WD models), differentials, etc.
● Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspension joints
(where possible) and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.

140
2-1. Driving procedures
Engine (ignition) switch
■Engine switch
LOCK
The steering wheel is locked
and the key can be removed.
(The key can be removed only
when the shift lever is in P.)
ACC
Some electrical components
such as the audio system can
be used.
ON
All electrical components can
be used.
START
For starting the engine.
■Starting the engine
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Sit in the driver’s seat and firmly depress the brake pedal.
Turn the engine switch to the START position and start the
engine.
The engine will crank until it starts or for up to 25 seconds, which-
ever is less. If you turn the engine switch, the engine will keep
cranking for about 30 seconds maximum.
Continue depressing the brake pedal until the engine is com-
pletely started.