tire size TOYOTA TACOMA 2004 Owners Manual (in English)

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If the light comes on while driving, the
“AUTO LSD” system does not work. How-
ever, as the brakes operate normally when
applied, it is no problem to continue your
driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the “AUTO LSD”
switch continuously turned on.
The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
systems such as antilock brake sys-
tem, traction control, engine control,
etc. This system automatically controls
the output of the brakes or engine to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding
when cornering on a slippery road sur-
face or operating steering wheel abrupt-
ly.
The vehicle stability control activates
when the vehicle speed is more than 15
km/h (9 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self−check mode, but does
not indicate a malfunction.CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the vehicle stability control sys-
tem is operating, you must always
drive carefully and attentively to
avoid serious injury. Reckless driv-
ing will result in an unexpected ac-
cident. If the slip indicator light
blinks and an alarm sounds, special
care should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacturer, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, or different type or
size, the vehicle stability control
system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” in
Section 72.)
Vehicle stability control
system

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Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on a manhole cov-
er, a steel plate at a construction site,
joints in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day
tends to activate the anti−lock brake sys-
tem.
You may hear a click or motor sound in
the engine compartment for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just after
the vehicle begins to move. This means
that the anti −lock brake system is in the
self −check mode, and does not indicate a
malfunction.
When the antilock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:
You may hear the anti −lock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the ve-
hicle body and steering wheel. You
may also hear the motor sound in the
engine compartment even after the ve-
hicle is stopped.
At the end of the anti −lock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the antilock
brake system: Although the antilock
brake system assists in providing ve-
hicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care and maintain
a moderate speed and safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you, be-
cause there are limits to the vehicle
stability and effectiveness of steering
wheel operation even with the anti
lock brake system on.
If tire grip performance exceeds its
capability, or if hydroplaning occurs
during high speed driving in the rain,
the antilock brake system does not
provide vehicle control.
Antilock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at a moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles without an
antilock brake system, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping dis-
tance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow
covered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road.
Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at
appropriate pressure: The antilock
brake system detects vehicle speeds
using the speed sensors for respec-
tive wheels’ turning speeds. The use
of tires other than specified may fail
to detect the accurate turning speed
resulting in a longer stopping dis-
tance.

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This illustration indicates typical tire
symbols.1. Tire size— F or det ails, see “— Ti re
size” in this Section.
2. DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN)— For details, see
“—DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)” in this Section.
3. Uniform tire quality grading— For details, see “Uniform tire quali-
ty grading” that follows.
4. The location of the tread wear indicators— For details, see
“Checking and replacing tires” in
Section 7 −2.
5. Tire ply composition and mate- rials— Plies mean a layer of rub-
ber −coated parallel cords. Cords
mean the strands forming the plies
in the tire.
6. Radial tires or biasply tires— A
radial tire has “RADIAL” on the
sidewall. The tire not marked with
“RADIAL” is a bias −ply tir e.
Tire information—
—Tire symbols

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7. “TUBELESS” or “TUBETYPE”— A tubeless tire does not
have a tube inside the tire and air
is directly filled in the tire. A tube
type tire has a tube inside the tire
and the tube maintains the air
pressure.
8. Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure— For details,
see “Checking and replacing tires”
in Section 7 −2.
9. Maximum cold tire inflation pressure— This means the pres-
sure to which a tire may be in-
flated. For details about recom-
mended cold tire inflation
pressure, see “Tires” in Section 8.
10.Summer tire or all season tire— An all season tire has “M+S”
on the sidewall. The tire not
marked with “M+S” is a summer
tire. For details, see “Types of
tires” in this Section.
This illustration indicates typical DOT
and Tire Identification Number (TIN).
1. “DOT” symbol
2. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3. Tire manufacturer ’s identification mark
4. Tire size code
5. Manufacturer ’s optional tire type code
6. Manufacturing week
7. Manufacturing year The “DOT” symbol certifies that the
tire conforms to applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
—DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)

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This illustration indicates typical tire
size.1. Tire use (P=Passenger car, T=Temporary use)
2. Section width (in millimeters)
3. Aspect ratio (tire height to section width)
4. Tire construction code (R=Radial, D=Diagonal)
5. Wheel diameter (in inch)
6. Load index (2 digits or 3 digits)
7. Speed symbol (alphabet with one letter)1. Section width
2. Tire height
3. Wheel diameter1. Bead
2. Sidewall
3. Shoulder
4. Tread
5. Belt
6. Inner liner
7. Reinforcing rubber
8. Carcass
9. Rim lines
10.Bead wires
11. Chafer
—Tire size —Name of each section of tire

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Production options weight
The combined weight of those installed regular production options weighing
over 2.3 kg (5 lb.) in excess of those standard items which they replace,
not previously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special
trim
Vehicle capacity weight
(Total load capacity or payload)The rated cargo and luggage load plus 68 kg (150 lb.) times the vehicle’s
designated seating capacity
Intended outboard sidewall
(A) The sidewall that contains a whitew all, bears white lettering or bears
manufacturer, brand, and/or model name molding that is higher or
deeper than the same molding on th e other sidewall of the tire, or
(B) The outward facing sidewall of an asymmetrical tire that has a particular side that must always face outward when mounted on a vehicle
Occupant distributionDistribution of occupants in a vehicle as specified in the third column of Table
1 that follows
RimA metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon which the tire beads
are seated
Rim diameter (Wheel diameter)Nominal diameter of the bead seat
Rim size designationRim diameter and width
Rim type designationThe industry of manufacturer ’s designation for a rim by style or code
Rim widt hNominal distance between rim flanges
Vehicle maximum load on the tireThe load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight and dividing by two

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Vehicle load limits include total load
capacity, seating capacity, towing ca-
pacity and cargo capacity. Follow the
load limits shown below.
Total load capacity (payload)
Total load capacity means combined
weight of occupants, cargo and lug-
gage. Tongue load is included when
trailer towing. For the total load ca-
pacity about your vehicle, see “Pay-
load” in Section 8.
Seating capacity:Regular cab modelsWith separate type seats
Tot al 2
With bench type seat Tot al 3
Xtra −cab models
With separate type front seats Total 4 (Front 2, Rear 2)
With bench type front seat Total 5 (Front 3, Rear 2)
Double cab models Total 5 (Front 2, Rear 3) Seating capacity means the maximum
number of occupants whose weight
is supposed to be 68 kg (150 lb.) per
person. Depending on the weight of
person, the seating capacity given
may exceed the total load capacity.
NOTICE
Even if the number of occupants
are within the seating capacity,
do not exceed the total load ca-
pacity.
Towing capacity
Towing capacity means the maximum
gross trailer weight (trailer weight plus
its cargo weight) that your vehicle is
able to tow. For the towing capacity
about your vehicle, see “Towing ca-
pacity” in Section 8. Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or de-
crease depending on the size (weight)
and the number of occupants. For de-
tails, see “Capacity and distribution”
that follows.
CAUTION
Do not apply the load more than
each load limit. That may cause
not only damage to the tires, but
also deterioration to the steering
ability and braking ability, which
may cause an accident.
Veh icle lo ad limit s

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Determine sure what kind of tires
your vehicle is originally equipped
with.1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high −speed capabil-
ity tires best suited to highway driving
under dry conditions.
Since summer tires do not have the
same traction performance as snow
tires, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow −covered or icy roads.
For driving on snow −covered or icy
roads, we recommend using snow
tires. If installing snow tires, be sure
to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to pro-
vide better traction in snow and to be
adequate for driving in most winter
conditions, as well as for use all year
round. All season tires, however, do not have
adequate traction performance
compared with snow tires in heavy or
loose snow. Also, all season tires fall
short in acceleration and handling
performance compared with summer
tires in highway driving.
The details about how to distinguish
summer tires from all season tires are
described in this Section.
CAUTION

Do not mix summer and all sea-
son tires on your vehicle as
this can cause dangerous han-
dling characteristics, resulting
in loss of control.
 Do not use tires other than the
manufacture’s designated
tires, and never mix tires or
wheels of the sizes different
from the originals.
Types of tires

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Keep your tire inflation pressures
at the proper level.
The recommended cold tire inflation
pressures, tire sizes and the com-
bined weight of occupants and cargo
(vehicle capacity weight) are de-
scribed in Section 8. The recom-
mended cold tire inflation pressure
and tire sizes are also described on
the tire information label.
You should check the tire inflation
pressure every two weeks, or at least
once a month. And do not forget the
spare! The following instructions for
checking tire inflation pressure
should be observed:
 The pressure s hould be
checked only when the tires are
cold. If your vehicle has been
parked for at least 3 hours and has
not been driven for more than 1.5
km or 1 mile since, you will get
an accurate cold tire inflation pres-
sure reading.
 Always use a tire pressure
gauge. The appearance of a tire
can be misleading. Besides, tire
inflation pressures that are even
just a few pounds off can degrade
ride and handling.
 Do not bleed or reduce tire
inflation pressure after driving.
It is normal for the tire inflation
pressure to be higher after driving.
 Never exceed the vehicle capac-
ity weight. The passenger and
luggage weight should be located
so that the vehicle is balanced.Tire pressure gauge
INSPECTION AND ADJUSTMENT
PROCEDURE 1. Remove the tire valve cap.
2. Press the tip of the tire pressure gauge to the tire valve.
3. Read the pressure using a gradua- tion of the gauge.
4. In case that the tire inflation pres- sure is not within the prescribed
range, insert the compressed air
from the valve. In case of applying
too much air, press the center of
t he valv e and releas e the air to ad-
just.

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Tread wear indicator
CHECKING YOUR TIRES
Check the tires tread for the tread
wear indicators. If the indicators
show, replace the tires. The loca-
tion of the tread wear indicators is
shown by the “TWI” or “
Δ” marks,
etc., molded on the sidewall of
each tire. The tires on your Toyota have built
−in
tread wear indicators to help you
know when the tires need replace-
ment. When the tread depth wears to
1.6 mm (0.06 in.) or less, the indica-
tors will appear. If you can see the
indicators in two or more adjacent
grooves, the tire should be replaced.
The lower the tread, the higher the
risk of skidding.
The effectiveness of snow tires is
lost if the tread wears down below
4 mm (0.16 in.).
If you have tire damage such as
cuts, splits, cracks deep e nough to
expose the fabric, or bulges indi-
cating internal damage, the tire
should be repl aced.
If a tire often goes flat or cannot be
properly repaired due to the size or
location of a cut or other damage, it
should be replaced. If you are not
sure, consult with your Toyota dealer. If an air loss occurs while driving, do
not continue driving with a deflated
tire. Driving even a short distance can
damage a tire beyond repair.
An y ti res wh i ch are over 6 years
old must be checked by a qualified
technician even if damage is not
obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This applies also to the spare tire and
tires stored for future use.
Checking and replacing tires