ECO mode TOYOTA TACOMA 2003 Owners Manual (in English)

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NOTICE
To prevent the seat from damaging,
avoid putting heavy loads on the tem-
porary table.
Front
Rear (double cab models only)
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.
Head restraints

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To use the armrest, do this.
To lower: Pull the lock release strap and
down the armrest.
To raise: Push down the lock release
strap and up the armrest.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the armrest,
avoid putting heavy loads on it.
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and
passengers in the vehicle be properly re-
strained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase
the chance of injury and/or the severity of
injury in accidents.
Child. Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle’s seat belts. See “Child restraint”
for details.
REGULAR CAB MODELS—
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s hould sit in the seat
and must be restrained using the vehicle’s
seat belt.
XTRACAB and DOUBLE CAB MODELS—
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s hould sit in the rear
seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle’s seat belt. According to accident
statistics, the child is safer when properly
restrained in the rear seat than in the
front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the
seat belts should be worn properly. If an
accident occurs and the seat belts are not
worn properly, the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the airbag may cause death or
serious injury to the child. Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. An
unrestrained child could suffer serious in-
jury or death during emergency braking or
a collision. Also, do not let the child sit
on your lap. It does not provide sufficient
restraint.
Smallframed person or youth in a
3point type seat belt.
On models with
a bench seat, have a smallframed person
or youth sit slightly closer to the center
of the vehicle (so the shoulder belt does
not cross over the neck). On models with
separate seats, move the seat fully back-
ward .
Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-
ry, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations
Armrest Seat belts—
—Seat belt precautions

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In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident that was not severe enough to
cause the front seat belt pretensioners
to operate.
Either front seat belt pretensioner as-
sembly or surrounding area is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection for occupants in the
following seats in addition to the prima-
ry safety protection provided by the
seat belts.
Models with separate front seats—The
SRS airbags are designed to protect
the driver and front passenger.
Models with bench front seats—The
SRS airbags are designed to protect
the driver and rightfront passenger.
They are not designed to protect occu-
pant in the center position.In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS airbags work together with the
seat belts to help prevent or reduce injury
by inflating. The SRS airbags help to re-
duce injuries mainly to the driver’s or front
passenger ’s head or chest directly hitting
the steering wheel or dashboard. When
the passenger airbag manual onoff switch
is in the “ON” position, the front passen-
ger airbag is activated even with no pas-
senger in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seat belt restraint
system by the driver when the SRS air-
bags are inflated.
SRS driver airbag and front
passenger airbag
(vehicles with passenger airbag
manual onoff switch)

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A crash severe enough to inflate the air-
bags may break the windshield as the
vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a pas-
senger airbag the windshield may also be
damaged by absorbing some of the force
of the inflating airbag.CAUTION
The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver side and
front passenger side seat belt sys-
tems. The front seat occupants can
be killed or seriously injured by the
inflating airbags if they do not wear
the available seat belts properly.
During sudden braking just before
a collision, an unrestrained driver
or front passenger can move for-
ward into direct contact with or
close proximity to the airbag which
may then deploy during the colli-
sion. To ensure maximum protection
in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must
wear their seat belts properly. Wear-
ing a seat belt properly during an
accident reduces the chances of
death or serious injury or being
thrown out of the vehicle. For in-
structions and precautions concern-
ing the seat belt system, see “Seat
belts” in this section.
Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed
or seriously injured by the deploy-
ing airbags. An infant or child who
is too small to use a seat belt
should be properly secured using a
child restraint system. As to Xtra
cab models, Toyota recommends
that all infants and children be
placed in the rear seat of the ve-
hicle and properly restrained. The
rear seat is the safest for infants
and children. For instructions con-
cerning the installation of a child
restraint system, see “Child re-
straint” in this section.

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ILLUMINATED ENTRY SYSTEM
When the switch is in the “DOOR” posi-
tion and any door is opened, the light will
come on. After all the doors are closed,
the light remains on for about 15 seconds
before fading out.
However, in the following cases, the light
goes out immediately:
All the doors are closed when the igni-
tion key is in the “ACC” or “ON” posi-
tion.
All the doors are closed and locked.
(with power door lock system models
only)
Vehicles with the power door lock sys-
tem—
When any door is unlocked with key, the
light will come on and remain on for 15
seconds before fading out.
The personal lights operate separately
with each outer switch.
To turn on the light, push the switch on
your side. To turn the light off, push the
switch once again.
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, the light will automatically turn
off after 30 minutes.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 1Intermittent
Position 2Slow
Position 3Fast
The “INT TIME” band lets you adjust the
wiping time interval when the wiper lever
is in the intermittent position (position 1).
Twist the band upward to increase the
time between sweeps, and downward to
decrease it.
Personal lights Windshield wipers and washer
(intermittent type)

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NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light on—even for one block.
It may ruin the engine.
(e) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position and
goes off after the engine starts. This
means that the warning light system is
operating properly.
If the lamp remains on, or the lamp
comes on while driving, first check the
followings.
Empty fuel tank
If the fuel tank is empty, refuel immedi-
ately.
Loose fuel tank cap
If the fuel tank cap is loose, securely
tighten it.
These cases are temporary malfunctions.
The malfunction indicator lamp will go off
after taking several driving trips.
If the lamp will not go off even after the
several trips, contact your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible. If the fuel tank is not empty or the fuel
tank cap is not loose...
There is a problem somewhere in the
engine, emission control system, auto-
matic transmission electrical system or
warning light system itself.
Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.
Fourwheel drive models and Pre Runner
with 5VZFE engine only—
If the engine speed does not increase with
the accelerator pedal depressed down to
about the middle position, there may be
a problem somewhere in your electronic
throttle control system.
At this time, if you depress the accelera-
tor pedal more firmly and slowly, you can
drive your vehicle at low speeds. Have
your vehicle checked by your Toyota deal-
er as soon as possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic
throttle control system is corrected during
low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and
the ignition key is turned to “ACC” or
“LOCK” position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
(I/M) programs
Your vehicle may not pass a state
emission inspection if the malfunction
indicator lamp remains on. Contact your
Toyota dealer to check your vehicle’s
emission control system and OBD
(OnBoard Diagnostics) system before
taking your vehicle for the inspection.
For details, see “Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance (I/M) programs” in Section 6.
(f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.

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(j) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem-perature Warning Light
This light warns that the automatic trans-
mission fluid temperature is too high.
If this light comes on while you are driv-
ing, slow down and pull off the road. Stop
the vehicle at a safe place and put the
selector lever in “P”. With the engine id-
ling, wait until the light goes off. If the
light goes off, you may start the vehicle
again. If the light does not go off, call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
(k) Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level Warning Light (on some models)
The light warns that the windshield washer
fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at
your earliest opportunity. (For instructions,
see “Adding washer fluid” in Section 73.)
(l) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer reminds you to remove the
key when you open the driver ’s door with
the ignition key in the “ACC” or “LOCK”
position. CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER
INDICATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light and low windshield
washer fluid level warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to “ON”, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators
should come on. The “ABS” warning
light goes off after a few seconds. The
SRS warning light goes off after about
6 seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described
above, have it checked by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible.

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Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Twowheel drive models except Pre
Runner2RZFE engine 105 km/h (65 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models and Pre Run-
ner Front drive control lever in “H2” and
“H4”3RZFE engine 106 km/h (66 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
5VZFE engine
114 km/h (71 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front drive control lever in “L4” 3RZFE engine 36 km/h (22 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5VZFE engine 38 km/h (24 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
Twowheel drive models except Pre
Runner
2RZFE engine 55 km/h (34 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models and Pre Run-
ner Front drive control lever in “H2” and
“H4”3RZFE engine 51 km/h (32 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5VZFE engine
55 km/h (34 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front drive control lever in “L4” 3RZFE engine 9km/h (6mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5VZFE engine 10 km/h (6 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicles with cruise control—When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled 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.
(e) Using “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in “2” or “L”, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “2”, the vehicle
will start in first gear and automatically
shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.

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(h) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.
(i) Driving in “POWER” mode (fourwheel drive models and Pre
Runner)
In the “POWER” mode, the transmission
is shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the “NORMAL” mode and a
more powerful acceleration is achieved. To
set the “POWER” mode, push in the driv-
ing pattern selector button. The POWER
mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the “NORMAL” mode to improve fuel
economy. (j) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override lever. For instructions, see “If you
cannot shift automatic transmission selec-
tor lever” in Section 4.

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Use the front drive control lever to se-
lect the following transfer modes.
“H2” (high speed position, twowheel
drive): Lever at “H2”
Use this for normal driving on dry hard
surfaced roads. This position gives greater
economy, quietest ride and least wear.
“H4” (high speed position, fourwheel
drive): Lever at “H4”
Use this for normal driving on wet, icy or
snowcovered roads. This position pro-
vides greater traction than twowheel
drive. “N” (neutral position): Lever at “N”
No power is delivered to the wheels. The
vehicle must be stopped.
“L4” (low speed position, fourwheel
drive):
Lever at “L4”
Use this for maximum power and traction.
Use “L4” for climbing or descending steep
hills, offroad driving, and hard pulling in
sand, mud or deep snow.
The fourwheel drive indicator light comes
on when the “H4”, “N” or “L4” mode is
selected.
See “(c) Shifting procedure (lever type)”
for further instructions.Use the front drive control lever and
“4WD” button to select the following
transfer modes.
“H2” (high speed position, twowheel
drive): Lever at “H”, “4WD” button left out
Use this for normal driving on dry hard
surfaced roads. This position gives greater
economy, quietest ride and least wear.
“H4” (high speed position, fourwheel
drive): Lever at “H”, “4WD” button pushed
in
Use this for normal driving on wet, icy or
snowcovered roads. This position pro-
vides greater traction than twowheel
drive.
Fourwheel drive system—
(a) Front drive control
(lever type) (a) Front drive control
(lever/button type)