maintenance schedule TOYOTA 4RUNNER 2011 N280 / 5.G Owners Manual

266 2-5. Driving information
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NOTICE
■To prevent water damage
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 entering the automatic transmission will cause deterioration in shift
quality, locking up of your transmission accompanied by vibration, and ulti-
mately damage.
● Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and pre-
mature failure, and may also enter the differentials, transmission and
transfer case, reducing the gear oil’s lubricating qualities.
■ When you drive through water
If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first check
the depth of the water and the bottom of the riverbed for firmness. Drive
slowly and avoid deep water.
■ Inspection after off-road driving
● Sand and mud that has accumulate d in brake drums and around brake
discs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system compo-
nents.
● Always perform a maintenance inspection after each day of off-road driv-
ing that has taken you through rough terrain, sand, mud, or water. For
scheduled maintenance information, refer to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.

290 2-5. Driving information
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■Maintenance
● If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance
due to the additional load. (See “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner’s Manual Supplement”.)
● Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after approxi-
mately 600 miles (1000 km) of trailer towing.
CAUTION
■Trailer towing precautions
● Follow all the instructions described in this section. Failure to do so could
cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
● Exceeding the towing capacity, GVWR, GCWR and GAWR can cause an
accident resulting in death or serious personal injuries.
■ To avoid accident or injury
● Do not exceed 45 mph (72 km/h) or the posted towing speed limit, which-
ever is lower. As instability (swaying) of the towing vehicle-trailer combina-
tion increases as speed increases, exceeding 45 mph (72 km/h) may
cause loss of control.
● Slow down and downshift before descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden downshifts.
● Do not exceed the trailer hitch assembly weight, gross vehicle weight,
gross axle weight and trailer tongue load capacities.
● Never load more weight in the back than in the front of the trailer. About
60% of the load should be in the front half of the trailer, and the remaining
40% in the rear.
● Do not use cruise control when you are towing.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the brakes too
frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and result in reduced
braking efficiency.

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4-2. Maintenance
Maintenance requirements
■Repair and replacement
It is recommended that genuine Toyota parts be used for repairs to ensure
performance of each system. If non-Toyota parts are used in replacement or
if a repair shop other than a Toyota dealer performs repairs, confirm the war-
ranty coverage.
To ensure safe and economical driv ing, day-to-day care and regular
maintenance are essential. It is the owner’s responsibility to perform
regular checks. Toyota recommends performing the following main-
tenance:
■ General maintenance
General maintenance should be performed on a daily basis.
This can be done by yourself or by a Toyota dealer.
■ Scheduled maintenance
Scheduled maintenance should be performed at specified inter-
vals according to the maintenance schedule.
For details about maintenance items and schedules, refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
■Do-it-yourself maintenance
You can perform some maintenance procedures by yourself.
Please be aware that do-it-yourself maintenance may affect war-
ranty coverage.
The use of Toyota Repair Manuals is recommended.
For details about warranty coverage, see the separate “Owner’s War-
ranty Information Booklet” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.

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4-2. Maintenance
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General maintenance
Engine compartment
ItemsCheck points
Battery Check the connections.
(P. 509)
Brake fluid Is the brake fluid at the correct
level? (
P. 505)
Engine coolant Is the engine coolant at the
correct level? (
P. 503)
Engine oil Is the engine oil at the correct
level? (
P. 498)
Exhaust system There should not be any fumes or
strange sounds.
Power steering fluid Is the power steering fluid at the
correct level? (
P. 507)
Radiator/condenser The radiator and condenser
should be free from foreign
objects. (
P. 504)
Washer fluid Is there sufficient washer fluid?
(P. 512)
Listed below are the general maintenance items that should be per-
formed at the intervals specified in the “Owner's Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement/Scheduled
Maintenance Guide”. It is recommended that any problem you notice
should be brought to the attention of your Toyota dealer or qualified
service shop for advice.

489
4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
4RUNNER_U
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors • Do the doors operate smoothly?
Engine hood • Does the engine hood lock sys-
tem work properly?
Fluid leaks • There should not be any signs of
fluid leakage after the vehicle has
been parked.
Tires • Is the tire inflation pressure cor-
rect?
• The tires should not be dam- aged or excessively worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the maintenance
schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
CAUTION
■ If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.

527
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
4RUNNER_U
■
Checking interval
Inspect, clean and replace the air conditioning filter according to the mainte-
nance schedule. In dusty areas or areas with heavy traffic flow, more fre-
quent cleaning or early replacement may be required. (For scheduled
maintenance information, please refer to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.)
■ If air flow from the vents decreases dramatically
The filter may be clogged. Check the filter and replace if necessary.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the system
● When using the air conditioning system, make sure that a filter is always
installed.
● When cleaning the filter, do not clean with water.
■ Cleaning method
If the filter is dirty, clean by
blowing compressed air
through the filter from the
underside.
Hold the air gun 2 in. (5 cm)
from the filter and blow for
approximately 2 minutes at 72
psi (500 kPa, 5.0 kgf/cm
2 or
bar).
If an air gun is not available,
have the filter cleaned by your
Toyota dealer.CTH43AS026