tow TOYOTA TACOMA 2000 Owners Manual (in English)

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OPERATING THE PASSENGER’S
WINDOW
Use the switch on the passenger’s door
or the switch on the driver’s door that
controls the passenger’s window.
The window moves as long as you hold
the switch.
To open: Push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.
If you push in the WINDOW LOCK"
switch on the driver’s door, the passen-
ger ’s windows cannot be operated.CAUTION
To avoid serious personal injury, you
must do the following.
Always make sure the head, hands
and other parts of the body of all
occupants are kept completely in-
side the vehicle before you close
the power windows. If someone’s
neck, head or hands gets caught in
a closing window, it could result in
a serious injury. When anyone
closes the power windows, be sure
that they operate the windows safe-
ly.
When small children are in the ve-
hicle, never let them use the power
window switches without supervi-
sion. Use the WINDOW LOCK"
switch to prevent them from making
unexpected use of the switches.
Never leave small children alone in
the vehicle, especially with the igni-
tion key still inserted. They could
use the power window switches and
get trapped in a window. Unat-
tended children can become in-
volved in serious accidents.
To open the quarter window, pull the
latch handle toward you and swing it
fully out.
When closing the window, make sure it is
completely closed.
Quarter windows
(Xtra−cab models)

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Rear window
To unlock the rear window, pull the left
end of the latch handle toward you and
disengage the right end from the catch.
When closing the window, make sure it is
completely closed.
Tailgate
To open the tailgate, pull the handle up.
The support cables will hold the tailgate
horizontal.
See Luggage stowage precautions" in
Section 2 for precautions to observe for
loading luggage.
After closing the tailgate, try pulling it to-
ward you to make sure it is securely
locked.
NOTICE
Avoid driving with the tailgate open.
To lower the tailgate fully, release the
support brackets from the lugs as
shown.
NOTICE
Lower the tailgate gently when it is
unhooked.
 Make sure the tailgate is securely
caught by the support brackets be-
fore closing the tailgate.

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Rear seats (jump seats)
To raise the bottom cushion, pull it up.
To lower the bottom cushion, push it
down.
See Luggage stowage precautions" in
Section 2 for precautions to observe for
loading luggage.
CAUTION
When returning the bottom cushion to
its original position, make sure the
seat belts are not twisted or caught
under the bottom cushion and are ar-
ranged in their proper position and
are ready to use.
Head restraints
For your safety and comfort, adjust the
head restraint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
On some models, you can also move the
head restraint forward or backward. If
such adjustment is desired, pull or push
the head restraint.
The head restraint is most effective when
it is close to your head. Therefore, using
a cushion on the seatback is not recom-
mended.
CAUTION
Adjust the center of the head re-
straint so that it is closest to the
top of your ears.
After adjusting the head restraint,
make sure it is locked in position.
Do not drive with the head re-
straints removed.

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To release the belt, press the buckle−re-
lease button.The buckles can be fixed when not in
use.
When taking out the buckle from the hold-
er, pull on the belt webbing to remove the
buckle from the lower portion.
Seat belt extender
If your seat belt cannot be fastened se-
curely because it is not long enough, a
personalized seat belt extender is avail-
able from your Toyota dealer free of
charge.
Please contact your local Toyota dealer so
that the dealer can order the proper re-
quired length for the extender. Bring the
heaviest coat you expect to wear for prop-
er measurement and selection of length.
Additional ordering information is available
at your Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
When using the seat belt extender,
observe the following. Failure to fol-
low these instructions could result in
less effectiveness of the seat belt re-
straint system in case of vehicle acci-
dent, increasing the chance of per-
sonal injury.
Never use the seat belt extender if
you can fasten the seat belt without
it.
Stowing the rear seat
buckles

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Tilt steering wheel
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
To change the steering wheel angle:
Type AHold the steering wheel, pull
up the lock release lever, tilt the steer-
ing wheel to the desired angle and re-
lease the lever.
Type BHold the steering wheel, pull
the lock release lever toward you, 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.
CAUTION
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.
Outside rear view mirrors
Adjust the mirror so that you can just
see the side of your vehicle in the mir-
ror.
Be careful when judging the size or 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 sur-
face. Any object seen in a convex mirror
will look smaller and farther away than
when seen in a flat mirror.

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To squirt washer fluid, pull the lever
toward you and release it.
If the windshield wipers are off, they will
operate a couple of times after the washer
squirts.
For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see Adding washer fluid" in Section 7−3.
In freezing weather, warm the windshield
with the defroster before using the washer.
This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which
can block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the wind-
shield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
To turn on the windshield wipers, move
the lever to the desired setting.
The key must be in the ON" position.Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Slow
Position 2Fast
For a single sweep of the windshield,
push the lever up and release it.
To squirt washer fluid, pull the lever
toward you and release it.
For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see Adding washer fluid" in Section 7−3. In freezing weather, warm the windshield
with the defroster before using the washer.
This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which
can block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the wind-
shield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
Windshield wipers and
washer (mist type)

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The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature when the ignition switch is
on. The engine operating temperature
will vary with changes in weather and
engine load.
If the needle moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow the
engine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop−and−go traffic.
Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
 Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See If your ve-
hicle overheats" in Section 4.
Tachometer
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm (revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and overrevving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.

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(h)Take vehicle to
To y o t a
d ealer
immediately.
(g) Take vehicle to
Toyota dealer.
(i) Shift front drive control lever out of
N".
If the indicator or
buzzer comes on...
Do this.
(type B)
(type A)
(f) Fill up tank.
If the indicator or
buzzer comes on...
(l) Turn off lights.
(m) Remove key. Key reminder
buzzer Light reminder
buzzer Do this.
(j) Stop and check.
(k) Add washer fluid.(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.
Remember that stopping distance and ped-
al effort may be increased. There may be
a problem somewhere in the brake sys-
tem. 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 your
nearest dealer or shop for repairs.
If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs. (For tow-
ing information, see Section 4.)

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Automatic transmission (conventional type)
Overdrive switch
For selecting either a three−speed
or four−speed transmissionOFF" position
(Shifting into overdrive
not possible) ON" position
(Shifting into overdrive
possible)
O/D OFF" indicator light
Shows the overdrive switch
is in OFF" position.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy.
Shift while pulling the
selector lever toward you. With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while pulling the selector
lever toward you. (The ignition
switch must be in ON" position.)
Shift normally. Parking, engine starting
and key removal position
Reverse position
Neutral position
Normal driving position
Position for engine braking
Position for stronger engine
braking than that in 2"
position
Vehicles with cruise controlWhen the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift the transmission by turning off the o
verdrive
switch, engine braking will not be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed, see
Cruise control" in this section.

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Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of P" position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ON" position and the selector
lever pulled toward you).
(a) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the engine" in Section 3. The
transmission must be in P" or N".
2. After starting the engine, always push in the overdrive switch.
3. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to D".
With the selector lever in the D" position
and the overdrive switch in the ON" posi-
tion, the automatic transmission will shift
automatically from the first gear through
the fourth gear and select the most suit-
able gear meeting the driving condition.
Even during ordinary driving, keep the
overdrive switch turned on. (At this time,
the O/D OFF" indicator light on the in-
strument cluster will be off.) Always keep the overdrive switch turned
on for better fuel economy and quieter
driving. If you have turned off the over-
drive switch, be sure to turn the overdrive
switch on again. If the engine coolant
temperature is low, the transmission will
not shift into the overdrive gear even with
the overdrive switch on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
4. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Turn off the overdrive switch. The O/D
OFF" indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the 2" position when the
vehicle speed drops down to or lower
than 106 km/h (66 mph). The transmis-
sion will downshift to the second gear
and more powerful engine braking will
be enabled.
Shift into the L" position when the
vehicle speed drops down to or lower
than 61 km/h (38 mph). The transmis-
sion will downshift to the first gear and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
Vehicles with cruise controlWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning off
the overdrive switch, engine braking will
not be applied because the cruise control
is not cancelled. For ways to decrease
the vehicle speed, see Cruise control" in
this section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
NOTICE
To prevent engine overrevving, do not
downshift if you are going faster than
the above speed in each position.