Service manual TOYOTA TACOMA 1999 Owners Manual

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This SRS airbag system has a service
reminder indicator to inform the driver of
operating problems. If either of the follow-
ing conditions occurs, this indicates a mal-
function of the airbags. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to ser-
vice the vehicle. The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ºACCº or
ºONº position, or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables
before contacting your Toyota dealer.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The SRS airbags have been inflated.
The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident not of the extent to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate.
The pad section of the steering wheel
or front passenger airbag cover
(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
Indicator light
This on- off switch is designed to dis-
able the passenger airbag in order to
allow usage, if necessary, of a member
of a passenger risk group identified in
TABLE 1 is occupying the right front
passenger seating position. (For details,
see ºSRS driver and front passenger
airbagsº in this chapter.)
Operate on- off switch as follows:
Insert key into the keyhole and turn it.
To turn passenger airbag on: Turn the key
to the ºONº position.
To turn passenger airbag off: Turn the key
to the ºOFFº position.
The indicator comes on when the passen-
ger airbag system is off. Passenger airbag manual
on- off switch

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Sand and mud that has accumulated
in brake drums and around brakediscs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system com-
ponents.
Always perform a maintenance in-spection after each day of off- road
driving that has taken you throughrough terrain, sand, mud, or water.For scheduled maintenance in-
formation, refer to the separateºScheduled Maintenance Guideº orºOwner 's Manual Supplementº.
Winter driving tips
Make sure you have a proper freeze
protection of engine coolant.
Your coolant must contain ethylene- glycol
type coolant for a proper corrosion
protection of aluminum components. Use
ºToyota Long Life Coolantº or equivalent.
See Chapter 7- 2 for details about coolant
type selection.
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or
plain water alone.
When it is extremely cold, we recommend
to use 60% solution for your Toyota, to
provide protection down to about -50 5C
(- 58 5F). Do not use more than 70% solu-
tion for better coolant performance.
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 start-
ing. Chapter 7- 3 tells you how to visually
inspect 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 Chapter 7- 2 for recommended viscos-
ity. Leaving a heavy summer oil in your
vehicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, call your Toyota deal-
erÐhe 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. To open
a frozen lock, try heating the key before
inserting it.
Use a washer fluid containing an ant-
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.

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If towing is necessary, we recommend
you have it done by your Toyota dealer
or a commercial tow truck service. In
consultation with them, have your ve-
hicle towed using either (a) or (b).
Only when you cannot receive a towing
service from a Toyota dealer or com-
mercial tow truck service, tow your ve-
hicle carefully in accordance with the
instructions given in ºÐEmergency tow-
ingº in this part.
Proper equipment will help ensure that
your vehicle is not damaged while being
towed. Commercial operators are generally
aware of the state/provincial and local
laws pertaining to towing.
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is
towed incorrectly. Although most operators
know the correct procedure, it is possible
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to
your vehicle, make sure the following few
precautions are observed. If necessary,
show this page to the tow truck driver.
TOWING PRECAUTIONS:
Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly.
Two- wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From frontÐ
Manual transmission:
We recommend using a towing dolly under
the rear wheels. If you do not use a tow-
ing dolly, release the parking brake and
put the transmission in neutral. Automatic transmission:
Use a towing dolly under the rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an automatic transmission from the front with therear wheels on the ground, as this
may cause serious damage to the
transmission.
From rearÐ Place the ignition key in the
ºACCº position.
NOTICE
When lifting wheels, take care to
ensure adequate ground clearancefor towing at the opposite end ofthe raised vehicle. Otherwise, the
bumper and/or underbody of thetowed vehicle will be damaged dur-ing towing.
Do not tow with the key removed or in the ºLOCKº position, as thesteering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the frontwheels straight while towing.
(b) Using flat bed truck

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If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tempo-
rarily towed by a cable or chain se-
cured to the emergency towing hook
under the front of the vehicle. Use ex-
treme caution when towing the vehicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer
it and operate the brakes. Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard- surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
CAUTION
Use extreme caution when towing the
vehicle. Avoid sudden starts or errat-
ic driving maneuvers which would
place excessive stress on the emer-
gency towing hook and towing cable
or chain. The hook and towing cable
or chain may break and cause serious
injury or damage.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specificallyintended for use in towing vehicles.Securely fasten the cable or chain to the towing hook provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake,
put the transmission in neutral (manual) or
ºNº (automatic) and set the transfer in
ºH2º mode. The key must be in ºACCº
(engine off) or ºONº (engine running).
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.
ÐEmergency towing
(four- wheel drive models and
Pre Runner)

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Part 6
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Maintenance requirements
General maintenance
Does your vehicle need
repairing?
For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the separate
ºScheduled Maintenance Guideº or
ºOwner 's Manual Supplementº.
Maintenance requirements
Your Toyota vehicle has been designed to
for fewer maintenance requirements with
longer service intervals to save both your
time and money. However, each regular
maintenance, as well as day- to- day care,
is more important than ever before to en-
sure smooth, and trouble- free, safe, and
economical drivings.
It is the owner 's responsib
ility to make
sure the specified maintenance, including
general maintenance service, is performed.
Note that both the new vehicle and emis-
sion control system warranties specify that
proper maintenance and care must be per-
formed. See ºOwner 's Warranty Informa-
tion Bookletº or ºOwner 's Manual Supple-
mentº for complete warranty information.
General maintenance
General maintenance items are those day-
to- day care practices that are important to
your vehicle for proper operation. It is the
owner 's responsib ility to ensure that the
general maintenance items are performed
regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done
either by yourself or a qualified technician,
or if you prefer, your Toyota dealer will be
pleased to do them at a nominal cost. Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed in
the ºScheduled Maintenance Guideº or
ºOwner 's Manual Supplementº are those
required to be serviced at regular inter-
vals.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the separate ºScheduled Maintenance
Guideº or ºOwner 's Manual Supplementº.
It is recommended that any replacement
parts used for maintenance or for the
repair of the emission control system
be Toyota supplied.
The owner may elect to use non- Toyota
supplied parts for replacement pur-
poses without invalidating the emission
control system warranty. However, use
of replacement parts which are not of
equivalent quality may impair the effec-
tiveness of the emission control sys-
tems.

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You may also elect to have mainte-
nance, replacement, or repair of the
emission control devices and system
performed by any automotive repair es-
tablishment or individual without invali-
dating this warranty. See ºOwner's War-
ranty Information Bookletº or ºOwner's
Manual Supplementº for complete war-
ranty information.
Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are well- trained spe-
cialists and are kept up to date with the
latest service information through technical
bulletins, service tips, and in- dealership
training programs. They learn to work on
Toyotas before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer 's service department performs the
best job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicleÐreliably and eco-
nomically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof that
all required maintenance has been per-
formed for warranty coverage. And if any
problems should arise with your vehicle
while under warranty, your Toyota dealer
will promptly take care of it. Again, be
sure to keep a copy of the repair order
for any service performed on your Toyota.
What about do- it- yourself maintenance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented in Part 7.
If you are a skilled do- it- yourself mechan-
ic, the Toyota service manuals are recom-
mended. Please be aware that do- it- your-
self maintenance can affect your warranty
coverage. See ºOwner 's Warranty Informa-
tion Bookletº or ºOwner 's Manual Supple-
mentº for the details.
General maintenance
Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer or a quali-
fied service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only where ade-
quate ventilation can be obtained if
you run the engine.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be performed
from time to time, unless otherwise
specified.
Tire pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge every
two weeks, or at least once a month. See
Chapter 7- 2 for additional information.