air conditioning TOYOTA TACOMA 1996 Owners Manual

3
1. Headlight and turn signal switch
2. Wiper and washer switches
3. Driving pattern selector button
4. Emergency flasher switch
5. Clock
6. Cup holder
7. Air conditioning controls
8. Car audio
9. Ashtray10. Cigarette lighter
11. Parking brake lever 12. Ignition switch13. Cruise control switch 14. Hook lock release lever
15. Rear differential lock button16. Instrument panel light control knob 17. Clutch start cancel switch

50
(a) Brake System Warning Light This light has the following functions: Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the parking
brake is fully released. The light should go
off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on while
you are driving, slow down and pull off the
road. Then stop the vehicle carefully.There may be a problem somewhere in
the brake system. Check the fluid level of
the see-through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has not
caused the warning light to come on,
check to see that the parking brake is fully
released.
If the brake fluid level is low...
At a safe place, test your brakes by start-
ing and stopping. If you judge that the brakes still work
adequately, drive cautiously to yournearest dealer or shop for repairs.
If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs. (For tow- ing information, see Part 4.)
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level
is low. CAUTION
! If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and
Buzzer
Once the ignition key is turned to ONº or
STARTº, the reminder light and buzzer
come on if the driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened. Unless the driver fastens the belt, the light stays on and the buzzer sounds for about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging system.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dischar-
ged. Turn off the air conditioning, blower,
radio, etc., and drive directly to the near-
est Toyota dealer or repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine drive belt is broken or loose.

Part 1Car audio systemÐ ÐReferenceÐUsing your audio system:some basics
77
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-7 Car audio system and Air conditioning system
Car audio system
Reference
Using your audio system: some basics
Using your audio system:
controls and features
Car audio system operating hints
Air conditioning system
Controls
Air flow selector settings
Operating tips
Side vents
Type 1: AM´FM ETR radio
Type 2: AM
VFM ETR radio/cassette
player This section describes some of the basic
features on Toyota audio systems. Some
information may not pertain to your sys-tem.
Your audio system works when the igni- tion key is in the ACCº or ONº position. TURNING THE SYSTEM ON AND OFF Push PWR
VVOLº or PWR/VOLº to turn
the audio system on and off. Push AM VFMº or TAPEº to turn on that
function without pushing PWR VVOLº or
PWR/VOLº.
You can turn on the cassette player by in- serting a cassette tape.
You can turn off the cassette player by
ejecting the cassette tape. If the audio
system was previously off, then the entire
audio system will be turned off when you eject the cassette tape. If the radio was
previously on, it will come on again. SWITCHING BETWEEN FUNCTIONS Push AM VFMº or TAPEº if the system is
already on but you want to switch from
one function to another.

861. Air Intake Selector
2. Air Flow Selector
3. Temperature Selector
4. Fan Speed Selector
5. A/Cº Button (on some models)
Air conditioning systemÐ ÐControls

88
Air Intake selector Move the lever to select the air source.
1. RecirculateÐRecirculates the air in-
side the vehicle.
2. FreshÐ Draws outside air into the sys-
tem. A/Cº button
To turn on the air conditioning, press the
A/Cº button. The A/Cº button indicator
will come on. To turn the air conditioning
off, press the button again.
If the A/Cº button indicator flashes, there
is a problem in the air conditioning system
and the air conditioning automatically
shuts off. If this happens, take your ve-
hicle to a Toyota dealer for service.

90Heating
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed ÐAny setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM
(red zone)
Air intake ÐFRESH (outside air)
Air flow ÐFLOOR
Air conditioning ÐOFF
For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the win-
dows from fogging, select fresh after the vehicle interior has been warmed.
Press the A/Cº button on for dehumid-
ified heating.
Choose floor/windshield air flow to heat the vehicle interior while defrost-ing or defogging the windshield. Air conditioning For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed ÐAny setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards COLD
(blue zone)
Air intake ÐFRESH (outside air)
Air flow ÐPANEL
Air conditioning ÐON For quick cooling, move the air intake
selector to recirculate for a few min-utes.
Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed ÐAny setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards COLD
(blue zone)
Air intake ÐFRESH (outside air)
Air flow ÐPANEL
Air conditioning ÐOFF
Defogging The inside of the windshield For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed ÐAny setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM
(red zone) to heat; COLD (blue zone) to
cool
Air intake ÐFRESH (outside air)
Air flow ÐWINDSHIELD
Air conditioning ÐON
On humid days, do not blow cold air on
the windshieldÐthe difference be- tween the outside and inside tempera-
tures could make the fogging worse.
Defrosting The outside of the windshield For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed ÐAny setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM
(red zone)
Air intake ÐFRESH (outside air)
Air flow ÐWINDSHIELD
Air conditioning ÐOFF
To heat the vehicle interior while de-
frosting the windshield, choose floor/
windshield air flow.

11 7

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 prepare
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 be-
fore changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking ef-
ficiency, do not use fifth gear (manual
transmission) or overdrive (automatictransmission).
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over30 5C [85 5F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the
air conditioning (if in use), pull off the
road and stop in a safe spot. Refer to
If your vehicle overheatsº in Part 4 ofthis manual.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels whenparking. Apply the parking brake firm-
ly. Put the transmission in Pº (auto-
matic) or in first or reverse (manual).
Avoid parking on a slope with a trailer, but if it cannot be avoided, do so only after performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release your brakes slowly until the blocks
absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into first or reverse (manual) or
Pº (automatic) and turn off the engine. When restarting out after parking on a slope: 1. With the transmission in Pº position
(automatic) or
the clutch pedal depressed
(manual), start the engine. (With an auto-
matic transmission, be sure to keep thebrake pedal depressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot
brake on automatic transmission ve-
hicles) and slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and apply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because insta-
bility (swaying) of a towing
vehicle-trailer combination usual-
ly increases as the speed in-
creases, exceeding 72 km/h (45
mph) may cause loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long down-
hill grades. Do not make suddendownshifts.
Avoid holding the pedal down too
long or too frequently. This could
cause the brakes to overheat and
result in reduced braking efficiency.
CAUTION!

122If your engine stalls while driving
0
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. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see If your ve-
hicle will not startº.
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual. CAUTION
! If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if you
hear a
loud knocking or pinging noise,
the engine has probably overheated.
You should follow this procedure 0
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle
and turn on your emergency flashers. Put
the transmission in Pº (automatic) or neu-
tral ( manual) and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the air conditioning if it is beingused.
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.
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. CAUTION
!
3. Visually check to see if the engine drive
belt (fan belt) is broken or loose. Look for
obvious coolant leaks from the radiator,
hoses, and under the vehicle. However, note that water draining from the air condi-
tioning is normal if it has been used.
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts. CAUTION
!
4. If the engine drive belt is broken or the
coolant is leaking, stop the engine immedi-
ately. Call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there
are no obvious leaks, you may help the en-
gine 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 en- gine is running. Fill it about half full.
Do not attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap when the engine and radia-
tor are hot. Serious injury could re-
sult from scalding hot fluid and
steam blown out under pressure. CAUTION
!
7. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If necessary,
bring it up to half full again. Serious cool- ant loss indicates a leak in the system.
You should have it checked as soon as
possible at your Toyota dealer.
If your engine stalls while
driving
If your vehicle overheats

140
When cleaning the inside of thewindows, be careful not to scratch
or damage the heater wires on therear window.
NOTICE
Air conditioning control panel, car au-
dio, instrument panel, console panel,
and switches Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.
Soak a clean soft cloth in water or luke-
warm water then lightly wipe off any dirt.

Do not use organic substances(solvents, kerosene, alcohol, gas-
oline, etc.) or alkaline or acidicsolutions. These chemicals cancause discoloring, staining or
peeling of the surface.
If you use cleaners or polishingagents, make sure their ingredi-
ents do not include the sub-stances mentioned above.
If you use a liquid car freshener,
do not spill the liquid onto the ve-hicle's interior surfaces. It maycontain the ingredients men-
tioned above. Immediately clean any spill using the method men-tioned above.
NOTICE
Leather Interior
The leather upholstery may be cleaned
with neutral detergent for wool. Remove dirt using a soft cloth dampened with 5% solution of neutral detergent for
wool. Then thoroughly wipe off all traces
of detergent with a clean damp cloth.
After cleaning or whenever any part of the
leather gets wet, dry with a soft clean
cloth. Allow the leather to dry in a venti-
lated shaded area.

If a stain should fail to come outwith a neutral detergent, apply a
cleaner that does not contain anorganic solvent.
Never use organic substancessuch as benzine, alcohol or gaso-line, or alkaline or acid solutionsfor cleaning the leather as these
could cause discoloring.
Use of a nylon brush or syntheticfiber cloth, etc. may scratch the
fine grained surface of the leather.
NOTICE
Mildew may develop on soiled
leather upholstery. Be especially
careful to avoid oil spots. Try tokeep your upholstery alwaysclean.
Long exposure to direct sunlight
may cause the leather surface toharden and shrink. Keep your ve-
hicle in a shaded area, especiallyin the summer.
The interior of your vehicle is apt to heat up on hot summer days, so
avoid placing on the upholsteryitems made of vinyl or plastic or
containing wax as these tend to stick to leather when warm.
Improper cleaning of the leatherupholstery could result in discol-
oration or staining.
If you have any questions about the
cleaning of your Toyota, your local To-
yota dealer will be pleased to answer them.

144IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time whenrefueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See Chapter 7-3 for additional
infor-
mation.
Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between the
FULLº and LOWº lines on the see-
through reservoir. See Chapter 7- 2 for
additional information. Battery electrolyte level Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower level
lines on the case. Add only distilled water
when replenishing. See Chapter 7-3 for
additional information. Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See Chapter 7- 2 for additional information.
Engine oil level
Check the l evel on the dipstick with the en-
gine turned off and the vehicle parked on
a level spot. See Chapter 7-2 for addition-
al information. Power steering fluid level Check the level on the dipstick. The level
should be in the HOTº or COLDº range
depending on the fluid temperature. See Chapter 7-2 for additional information. Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, have the cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See engine exhaust cautions in
Part 2.)
Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip-offs
that in-
dicate service is needed. Some important
clues are as follows: Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monox-
ide leak. Drive with the windows open
and have the exhaust system checked
immediately.)
Flat-looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when driving straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspensionmovement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
Engine coolant temperature continual-
ly higher than normal
Does your vehicle need repairing?