overheating TOYOTA TACOMA 2008 Owners Manual (in English)

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“3”, “2” or “L” position. This may
cause severe automatic transmis-
sion damage from overheating. To
prevent such damage, “4” position
should be used in hill climbing or
hard towing.
(e) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(f) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal pressed down, fully depress the parking brake pedal
to apply the parking brake securely.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between fourth gear and
overdrive when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “4” posi-
tion. Be sure to shift the selector lever
to the “D” position immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use “D” position.
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.
(h) 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 button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” on page 345 in Section 4.

173
2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, “D” or “3” position
should be used in hill climbing or
hard towing.
(e) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(f) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal pressed down, fully depress the parking brake pedal
to apply the parking brake securely.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “3” posi-
tion. Be sure to shift the selector lever
to the “D” position immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use “D” position. The selector lever
must be in the “3” position.
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.
(h) 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 button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” on page 345 in Section 4.

252
2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
The power supply starts a few seconds
after the main switch is pressed.
If the main switch is pressed repeatedly
at short intervals, the indicator light may
remain unchanged, but this does not indi-
cate a malfunction.
When the power outlet is in operation, the
sound of the cooling fan may be heard
from the rear console box. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction.
After removing a plug from the power out-
let, ensure that the power outlet lid is
properly closed.
CAUTION
Use of the power outlet when it is
wet with rain, drinking water or
snow may result in electrical
shocks and is extremely dangerous.
The power outlet must be thorough-
ly dried before use.
Do not allow children to use or
play with the power outlet.
Be careful not to get any part of
your body caught in the power out-
let lid.
When using electrical appliances,
strictly follow any cautions and no-
tices written on their labels and in
the manufacturers’ instruction man-
uals.
Do not modify, disassemble or
repair the power outlet or its
inverter, in any way. Doing so may
result in unexpected malfunctions
or accidents, which could cause
serious damage or injuries. Contact
a Toyota dealer for any necessary
repairs.
To prevent injuries and accidents, se-
curely fix all electric appliances be-
fore use and do not use any ap-
pliances that may do any of the fol-
lowing:
Distract the driver while driving, or
hamper safe driving.
Result in a fire or burn injuries due
to the appliance rolling, falling or
overheating while driving.
Emit steam, while the windows of
the cabin are closed.
Do not perform any of the following.
Doing so is very dangerous and may
cause unexpected accidents, such as
electric shocks.
Using the power outlet for electric
heaters while sleeping.
Contaminating the power outlet with
liquid substances or mud, or using
it in rainy and snowy weather.
Handling electrical appliance plugs
at the power outlet with wet hands
or feet.
Inserting foreign objects into the
power outlet.
Using malfunctioning electric ap-
pliances.
Inserting inappropriate or badly fit-
ting plugs into the power outlet.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking on
a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
tion or engine braking, could cause
the vehicle to skid or spin.
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has highspeed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are highspeed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.
Driving in the rain
Driving on a slippery road surface
Drive carefully when it is raining, because
visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged−up, and the road will be
slippery.
Drive carefully when it starts to rain,
because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
Refrain from high speeds when driving
on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of water between
the tires and the road surface, prevent-
ing the steering and brakes from oper-
ating properly.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking effi-
ciency, do not use fifth gear (5−speed
manual transmission) or sixth gear
(6 −speed manual transmission), or do
not put the transmission in “D” (auto-
matic transmission).
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
30 C [85 F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to “If
your vehicle overheats” on page 328 in
Section 4.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in “P” (automatic)
or in first or reverse (manual). Avoid
parking on a slope with a trailer, but
if it cannot be avoided, do so only
after performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un- der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into first or reverse (manual) or “P” (automatic) and turn off the engine. When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in “P” position (automatic) or the clutch pedal de-
pressed (manual), start the engine.
(With an automatic transmission, be
sure to keep the brake pedal de-
pressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot brake on automatic transmission ve-
hicles) and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blo cks. Stop and apply
your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
CAUTION
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because insta-
bility (swaying) of a towing vehicle
trailer combination usually in-
creases as the speed increases, ex-
ceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may
cause loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden down-
shifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to overheat
and result in reduced braking effi-
ciency.
Improving fuel economy is easy—just take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and
repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page
376 in Section 7 −2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warmup idling. Once
the engine is running smoothly, begin
driving—but gently. Remember, howev-
er, that on cold winter days this may
take a little longer.
Put the selector lever into the “D”
when engine braking is not required.
5 −speed automatic transmission—Driv-
ing with the selector lever in “4” will
reduce the fuel economy (For details,
see “Automatic transmission (5− speed)”
on page 167 in Section 1 −7.)
4 −speed automatic transmission—Driv-
ing with the selector lever in “3” will
reduce the fuel economy (For details,
see “Automatic transmission (4− speed)”
on page 171 in Section 1 −7.)
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high
gear as quickly as possible.
Avoid long engine idling. If you have
a long wait and you are not in traffic,
it is better to turn off the engine and
start again later.
Avoid engine lugging or overrev-
ving. Use a gear position suitable for
the road on which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop−and− go driving
wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or
take advantage of through streets to
avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-
tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-
den braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the clutch
or brake pedal. This causes premature
wear, overheating and poor fuel econo-
my.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer

328
2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
If engine speed does not increase when
the accelerator pedal is depressed, there
may be a problem somewhere in the elec-
tronic throttle control system.
At this time, vibration may occur. Howev-
er, if you depress the accelerator pedal
more firmly and slowly, you can drive your
vehicle at low speeds. Have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer 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 engine switch is turned to “ACC” or
“LOCK” position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in “P”
(automatic) or neutral (manual) and ap-
ply the parking brake. Turn off the air
conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Visually check to see if the enginedrive belt (fan belt) is broken or loose.
Look for obvious coolant leaks from the
radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the engine drive belt is broken or thecoolant is leaking, stop the engine im-
mediately. Call a Toyota dealer for as-
sistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there are no obvious leaks, you may
help the engine cool down more quickly
by running it at about 1500 rpm for a
few minutes with the accelerator pedal
lightly depressed.
6. Check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add coolant to the reservoir while the
engine is running. Fill it about half full.
For the coolant type, See “Coolant type
selection” on page 372 in Section 7 −2.
If you cannot incr ease engine
speed If your vehicle overheats