steering TOYOTA TACOMA 1997 Owners Manual

21. Side vent
2. Instrument cluster
3. Automatic transmisssion selector
lever (column shift)
4. Center vents
5. Personal lights or interior light
6. Glovebox
7. Power door lock switch
8. Power window switches
9. Manual transmission gear shift lever or autmatic transmission selector lever (floor shift)
10. Front drive control lever 11. Tilt steering lock release lever
12. Power rear view mirror control switch
Instrument panel overview

Part 1Seats Front seatsÐ
ÐSeat adjustment precautions
19
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS ANDCONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-3 Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and Mirrors
Seats
Front seats
Rear seats
Head restraints
Armrest
Seat belts
SRS airbags
Child restraint
Tilt steering wheel
Outside rear view mirrors
Anti-glare inside rear view mirror
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle
occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belt provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive unless the occupants
are properly seated. Do not allow
sitting on top of a folded-down
seatback, or in the luggage
compartment. Per sons not proper-
ly seated and not properly re-
strained by seatbelts can be se-
verely injured in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe in-
juries can occur in the event of emergency braking or a collision.! Adjust the driver's seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel
controls are within easy reach of the
driver.CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When adjusting the seat, be careful not to hit the seat against a passen- ger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in position.
After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.
Do not put objects under the seats
as they may interfere with the seat-
lock mechanism or unexpectedly
push up the seat position adjusting lever; the seat may suddenly move,
causing the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.!

30
To connect the extender to the seat
belt, insert the tab into the seat belt
buckle so that the PRESSº signs onthe buckle-release buttons of the ex-
tender and the seat belt are both facing
outward as shown.
You will hear a click when the tab locks into the buckle.
When releasing the seatbelt, press on the
buckle-release button on the extender,not on the seat belt. This helps prevent
damage to the vehicle interior and extend- er itself.
When not in use, remove the extender
and store in the vehicle for future use.
CAUTION!
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the seat belt extender is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and buckle.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact
your Toyota dealer. Do not use the
seat until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot protect an adult occupant
or your child from injury.
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbag is designed to provide fur-
ther protection to the driver when add-
ed to the primary protection providedby the seat belt.
In response to a severe frontal impact, the
SRS airbag works together with the seat
belt to help preventing or reduce injury byinflating, in order to decrease the liklihood
of the driver's head or chest directly hitting the steering wheel. SRS aribag

32
The SRS airbags are not designed to inflate if the vehicle is subjected to a
side or rear impact, if it rolls over, or if
it is involved in a low-speed frontalcollision.The SRS airbag system mainly consists
of the following components and their
locations are shown in the illustration.
1 SRS airbag warning light.
2 Airbag sensor assembly.
3 Steering wheel pad (airbag and inflat-or)
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor. In a severe frontal impact, sensor detects
deceleration and the system triggers the
airbag inflator. Then a chemical reaction
in the inflator momentarily fills the airbag
with non-toxic nitrogen gas to help re-
strain the forward motion of the driver. When the airbag inflates, it produces a fairly loud noise and releases some
smoke along with the nitrogen gas. This is not harmful and does not indicate a fire.
Be sure to wash off any residue as soon
as possible to prevent minor skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbag happens in a
fraction of a
second, so the airbag must in-
flate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swellings.
The steering wheel hub may be hot for
several m inutes, but the airbag will not be
hot. The airbag is designed to inflate onlyonce.

33
CAUTION!
The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the primary
protection of the driver side seat belt
systems. The driver is particularly
susceptible to death or serious inju-
ry if he/she does not wear his/her
seat belt; when sudden braking or a
collision occurs, he/she may be
thrown forward into the deploying
SRS aribag. To obtain a maximum
protection in an accident, the driver
and all passengers in the vehicle
should always wear their seat belts when driving because serious inju-
ries can result to unrestrained occu-
pants. For instructions and precau-
tions concerning the seat belt sys-
tem, see Seat beltsº in this chapter.
CAUTION!
Do not put objects on the steering
wheel pad. They might restrict
inflation or cause serious injury as
they are projected rearward by the force of a deploying airbag.
Do not modify or remove any wir-
ing. Do not modify, remove or open any components such as the steer-
ing wheel column cover, airbag
sensor assembly. Doing any of
these may cause sudden SRS air-
bag inflation or disable the system,
which could result in death or seri-
ous injury.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death or serious inju- ries.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes caninterfere with proper operation of the SRS airbag system in somecases.
Installation of electronic itemssuch as a mobile two-way radio,
cassette tape player or compactdisc player
Modification of the suspension
system
Modification of the front endstructure
Attachment of a grille guard (bullbar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow-
plow winches or any other equip-
ment to the front end
Repairs made on or near the front end structure, console, steeringcolumn or steering wheel

34
This SRS airbag system has a service re-
minder indicator to inform the driver of op-
erating problems. If either of the following
conditions occurs, this indicates a mal-
function of the airbags. Contact your To-
yota dealer as soon as possible to service
the vehicle. The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position, or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.In the following cases, contact your Toyo-
ta dealer as soon as possible: The SRS airbag has been inflated.
The front part of the vehicle (shaded in the illustration) was involved in an ac-
cident not of the extent to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate
The pad section of the steering wheel
(shaded in the illustration)is scrat-
ched, cracked, or otherwise damaged. Toyota strongly urges the use of child
restraint systems for children small
enough to use them.
The laws of all fifty states in the U.S.A.
and Canada now require the use of a child
restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAEJ1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system,
the child should sit in the rear seat
and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. See Seat beltsº for details.CAUTION!
For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
children must be properly re-
strained using a seat belt or child
restraint system depending on the
age and size of the child. Holding
a child in your arms is not a substi-
tute for a child restraint system. In
an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or
between you and the vehicle's in-
terior.
Child restraintÐ ÐChild restraint precautions

34
This SRS airbag system has a service re-
minder indicator to inform the driver of op-
erating problems. If either of the following
conditions occurs, this indicates a mal-
function of the airbags. Contact your To-
yota dealer as soon as possible to service
the vehicle. The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position, or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.In the following cases, contact your Toyo-
ta dealer as soon as possible: The SRS airbag has been inflated.
The front part of the vehicle (shaded in the illustration) was involved in an ac-
cident not of the extent to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate
The pad section of the steering wheel
(shaded in the illustration)is scrat-
ched, cracked, or otherwise damaged. Toyota strongly urges the use of child
restraint systems for children small
enough to use them.
The laws of all fifty states in the U.S.A.
and Canada now require the use of a child
restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAEJ1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system,
the child should sit in the rear seat
and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. See Seat beltsº for details.CAUTION!
For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
children must be properly re-
strained using a seat belt or child
restraint system depending on the
age and size of the child. Holding
a child in your arms is not a substi-
tute for a child restraint system. In
an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or
between you and the vehicle's in-
terior.
Child restraintÐ ÐChild restraint precautions

49
To change the steering wheel angle,
hold the steering wheel, pull up the
lock release lever, tilt the steering
wheel to the desired angle and release
the lever.
When the steering wheel is in a low posi-
tion, it will spring up as you release the
lock release lever.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving.
After adjusting the steering wheel,try moving it up and down to make sure it is locked in position.
CAUTION!
Adjust the mirror so you can just see
the side of your vehicle in the mirror. Be careful when judging the size of dis- tance of any object seen in the outside
rear view mirror on the passenger's side.
It is a convex mirror with a curved surface.
Any object seen in a convex mirror will
look smaller and farther away than when
seen in a flat mirror.
CAUTION!
Do not adjust the mirror while the ve-
hicle is moving. It may cause the
driver to mishandle the vehicle and
an accident may occur resulting in
personal injuries.
Tilt steering wheel Outside rear view mirrorsÐ

Part 1Ignition switch with steering lock
65
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS ANDCONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-6 Ignition switch,
Transmission and Parking brake
Ignition swi
tch with steering lock
Automatic transmission
Manual transmission
Four-wheel drive system
Rear differential lock system
Parking brake
Cruise control
Clutch start cancel switch
STARTº ÐStarter motor on. The key will return to the ONº position when released.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
ONº ÐEngine on and all accessories on.
This is the normal driving position. ACCº - Accessories such as the ra-
dio operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ACCº or
LOCKº position and open the driver's
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
LOCKº ÐEngine is off and the steer-
ing wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position. You must push in the key to turn the key
from ACCº to the LOCKº position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be put in the Pº
position before pushing the key. When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the LOCKº position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering
wheel slightly
while turning the key gently.For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the
vehicle is moving, as this will lock
the steering wheel and result in loss
of steering control. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ONº position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the ignition could be damaged.

87
Do not use the rear differential lock
in the conditions other than above.
Large steering effort and careful
cornering control will be required.CAUTION
!
To lock the rear differential, push the switch.
Be sure to stop the wheels before locking
the differential.
For easy locking, depress the clutch ped- al,
push the lock switch and slowly release
the clutch pedal.
The indicator light will blink when the
switch is turned on. Wait a few seconds for
the system to complete operation. After
the differential is locked, the light will stop
blinking and remain on.
The anti-lock brake system does not op-
erate when the rear differential is locked.
It is normal operation for the ABSº warn-
ing light to be on at this time.
Do not lock the differential until
the wheels have stopped spin-
ning. Otherwise, the vehicle may
move in an unexpected direction
when the differential lock is en-
gaged, resulting in an accident.
This may also lead to possible
damage to differential lock com-
ponent parts.
Do not drive over 8 km/h (5 mph)
when the differential is locked. CAUTION
!
To unlock the differential, push the
switch once again.
Unlock the differential as soon as the ve- hicle moves out.
For easy unlocking, slightly turn the steer-
ing wheel in either direction while the ve- hicle is in motion.
When the differential lock is disengaged, the indicator light will go out.
The differential will also unlock if you shift
the front drive control lever out of L4º. Never forget to turn off the switch after us-
ing this feature.