tires TOYOTA TACOMA 2008 Owners Manual (in English)

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
Traction control system
 “AUTO LSD” system
 Vehicle stability control system
 Downhill assist control system
 Hill −start assist control system
(automatic transmission only)
 Cruise control system
 Anti −lock brake system
 Electronic throttle control system
 Tire pressure warning systemTires and loading on your
To y o t a
Underinflated or overinflated tire inflation pressure
and the excess load may result in the deterioration
of steering ability and braking ability, leading to
an accident. Check the tire inflation pressure
periodically and be sure to keep the load limits
given in this Owner ’s Manual. For details about
tire inflation pressure and load limits, see
“Checking tire inflation pressure” on page 376 in
Section 7 −2 and “Vehicle load limits” on page 299
in Section 2.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
LS13129
The angle of
vehicle tip−up
is marginal Skidding vehicle
hitting a curb
stone
The SRS curtain shield airbags may in-
flate if the angle of vehicle tipup is
marginal or if the skidding vehicle’s
tires hit a curb stone laterally as shown
in the illustration.
LS13130
Collision from
the front
Collision from
the rear
Pitch end over end
The SRS curtain shield airbags are not
generally designed to inflate if the ve-
hicle is involved in a front or rear colli-
sion, if it pitches end over end, or if
it is involved in a lowspeed side colli-
sion.
LS13124
Hitting a curb, edge
of pavement or
hard surface Falling into or
jumping over
a deep hole
Landing hard or vehicle falling
The SRS side and curtain shield airbags
may deploy if a serious impact occurs
to the underside of your vehicle. Some
examples are shown in the illustration.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
Do not disassemble or repair the
front and rear pillars and roof side
rail containing the curtain shield
airbags. Such changes may disable
the system or cause the curtain
shield airbags to inflate accidental-
ly, resulting in death or serious in-
jury.
Do not modify or change the sus-
pension system. Such changes may
cause the curtain shield airbags to
inflate accidentally, which could re-
sult in death or serious injury.
Do not use tires or wheels other
than the manufacturer ’s recom-
mended size. Such a use may cause
the curtain shield airbags to inflate
accidentally, which could result in
death or serious injury. For details,
see “Checking and replacing tires”
on page 379 in Section 72.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.
Consult your Toyota dealer about any
repair and modification.
If you wish to modify your vehicle for
a person with a physical disability,
consult your Toyota dealer. It may
dangerously interfere with the SRS
side airbags and curtain shield air-
bags operation.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
SRS side airbag and curtain shield
airbag system in some cases.
 Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile twoway radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
 Modification of the side structure of
the passenger compartment
 Repairs made on or near the con-
sole or front seat
LS13104
This indicator comes on when the en-
gine switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion. It goes off after about 6 seconds.
This means the SRS side airbags and
curtain shield airbags are operating
properly.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
If the light flashes on while driving, the
above mentioned systems do not work.
However, as conventional braking operates
when applied, there is no problem to con-
tinue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the engine switch is turned to
“ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
engine switch is turned to “ON”.
The warning light flashes while driving.
(k) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
are completely closed. (l) SRS Warning Light
This light will come on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position.
After about 6 seconds, the light will go
off. This means the systems of the air-
bag and front seat belt pretensioners
are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors, curtain shield airbag sensors, driv-
er ’s seat position sensor, driver ’s seat belt
buckle switch, front passenger occupant
classification system∗, passenger airbag
off switch, passenger airbag on −off indica-
tor light, seat belt pretensioner assem-
blies, inflators, “RSCA OFF” indicator light,
interconnecting wiring and power sources.
∗: The front passenger occupant classifica-
tion system includes the front passenger
occupant classification ECU, pressure sen-
sor, load sensor, front passenger ’s seat
belt buckle switch, front passenger ’s seat
position sensor and belt tension sensor.
If either of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position or remains on for more than
6 seconds.
The light comes on while driving.
(m) Tire Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the tire inflation pres-
sure of one or more of your tires (includ-
ing the spare tire) is low. The light comes
on when the engine switch is turned to
the “ON” position. It goes off after a few
seconds. This indicates that the tire pres-
sure warning system is functioning proper-
ly.
If the light comes on, stop your vehicle in
a safe place as soon as possible and
check that the tire inflation pressure of all
tires (including the spare tire) is as
specified on the tire and loading
information label. (See “Checking tire
inflation pressure” on page 376 in Section
7 −2.) The light should go off a few
minutes after the tire pressure is adjusted.
If the warning light comes on after blink-
ing for 1 minute, the tire pressure warning
system may be malfunctioning. Contact
your Toyota dealer.
For details, see “Tire pressure warning
system” on page 194 in Section 1 −7.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
SHIFTING BETWEEN “H4” AND “L4”
To shift from “H4” to “L4”.
(1) Bring the vehicle to a complete stopwith the brake pedal held down with
your foot.
(2) Shift the automatic transmission selec- tor lever into “N”.
(3) Push and turn the front drive control switch knob fully clockwise.
If the four −wheel drive indicator light
flashes and the buzzer sounds, try the
above steps again.
To shift from “L4” to “H4”.
(1) Bring the vehicle to a complete stop with the brake pedal held down with
your foot.
(2) Shift the automatic transmission selec- tor lever into “N”.
(3) Turn the front drive control switch knob counterclockwise.
If the four −wheel drive indicator light
flashes and the buzzer sounds, try the
above steps again. If the “4LO” (low speed four
−wheel drive)
indicator light continues to blink when you
operate the front drive control switch knob
to the “H4” or “L4” position, drive forward
or backward in a short distance, then stop
the vehicle completely, shift the automatic
transmission selector lever securely into
“N” and operate the switch knob again.
If the indicator continues to blink even if
doing so, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible. There may be a trouble
in the four −wheel drive system.
CAUTION
Never operate the front drive control
switch knob if the wheels are slip-
ping. Stop the slipping or spinning
before operating.
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of rear
wheels (twowheel drive models) or 4
wheels (fourwheel drive models) when
the vehicle is started or accelerated on
slippery road surfaces.
When the engine switch is turned to “ON”,
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power to the rear wheels (twowheel
drive models) or 4 wheels (fourwheel
drive models) cannot be maintained,
even though the traction control sys-
tem is in operation. Do not drive the
vehicle under any speed or maneuver-
ing conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. In si-
tuations where the road surface is
covered with ice or snow, your ve-
hicle should be fitted with snow tires
or tire chains. Always drive at an ap-
propriate and cautious speed for the
present road conditions.
Traction control system

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
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 system is acti-
vated 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” on
page 379 in Section 72.)
LS17007b
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the engine switch is turned
on, contact your Toyota dealer.
Vehicle stability control
system

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
IndicatorstatusMeaningsDo this
ON
Tire inflation
pressure is
lowAdjust the
tire inflation
pressure
ON after
blinking for
1 minute
Tire
pressure
warning
system
malfunctionHave the
system
checked at
your Toyota
dealer
CAUTION
If the tire pressure warning light
comes on, be sure to observe the
following precautions. Failure to do
so could cause loss of vehicle control
and result in death or serious injury.
Stop your vehicle in a safe place as
soon as possible. Adjust the tire
inflation pressure immediately.
If the tire pressure warning light
comes on even after tire inflation
pressure adjustment, it is probable
that you have a flat tire. Check the
tires. If the tire is flat, change to
the spare tire and have the flat tire
repaired by the nearest Toyota deal-
er.
Avoid abrupt maneuvering and brak-
ing. If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the steer-
ing wheel or the brakes.
The tire pressure warning light may turn
on due to natural causes such as natural
air leaks or tire inflation pressure changes
caused by temperature. In this case, ad-
justing the tire inflation pressure will turn
off the light after a few minutes.
Pushing the tire pressure warning reset
switch should not turn off the tire pressure
warning light. Adjusting the tire inflation
pressure will turn off the light.
The spare tire is also equipped with the
tire pressure warning valve and transmit-
ter. The tire pressure warning light will
turn on if the tire inflation pressure of the
spare tire is low. If a tire goes flat, even
though the flat tire is replaced with the
spare tire, the warning light does not turn
off. Replace the spare tire with the re-
paired tire and adjust the proper tire infla-
tion pressure. The tire pressure warning
light will turn off after a few minutes.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
CAUTION
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label (tire
and load information label). (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label
(tire and load information label), you
should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your ve-
hicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS
tire pressure warning system) that il-
luminates a low tire pressure telltale
(tire pressure warning light) when one
or more of your tires is significantly
underinflated. Accordingly, when the
low tire pressure telltale (tire pres-
sure warning light) illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a sig-
nificantly underinflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to
tire failure. Underinflation also re-
duces fuel efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle’s han-
dling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pres-
sure warning system) is not a substi-
tute for proper tire maintenance, and
it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if
underinflation has not reached the
level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS (tire pressure warning
system) malfunction indicator to indi-
cate when the system is not operat-
ing properly. The TPMS (tire pressure
warning system) malfunction indicator
is combined with the low tire pres-
sure telltale (tire pressure warning
light). When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This
sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle startups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the mal-
function indicator is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
TPMS (tire pressure warning system)
malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation
of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS (tire pressure warning sys-
tem) from functioning properly. Al-
ways check the TPMS (tire pressure
warning system) malfunction telltale
after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that
the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS (tire pressure
warning system) to continue to func-
tion properly.
NOTICE
Do not use liquid sealants for a flat
tire as tire pressure warning valve
and transmitter will be damaged.
 When the tires must be repaired or
replaced, have them repaired or re-
placed by the nearest Toyota dealer
or an authorized tire dealer. The
tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters will be affected by the
installation or removal of tires.
LS17025
IF THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING
LIGHT COMES ON AFTER BLINKING
FOR 1 MINUTE...
If the tire pressure warning light comes
on after blinking for 1 minute when the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position, the tire pressure warning sys-
tem is not working properly.
The system will be disabled in the follow-
ing conditions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the
system will work properly.)
If tires not equipped with tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters are
used.
If the ID code on the tire pressure
warning valves and transmitters is not
registered in the tire pressure warning
computer.
If the tire inflation pressure is more
than 500 kPa (5.1 kgf/cm2
or bar, 73
psi) or higher than the specified level.
The system may be disabled in the follow-
ing conditions:
(When the condition becomes normal, the
system will work properly.)
If electronic devices or facilities using
similar radio wave frequencies are
nearby.
If a radio set at similar frequencies is
in use in the vehicle.
If a window tint that affects the radio
wave signals is installed.
If there is a lot of snow or ice on the
vehicle, in particular around the wheels
or wheel housings.
If non −genuine Toyota wheels are used.
If tire chains are used.
If the spare tire is in a location subject
to poor radio wave signal reception.
If a large metallic object which can
interfere with signal reception is put in
the deck.

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2008 TACOMA from Apr. ’08 Prod. (OM35898U)
If the tire pressure warning light continues
to come on after blinking for 1 minute
when the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position, have the system checked
by your Toyota dealer.
Even if you use genuine wheels, the tire
pressure warning system may not work
properly with some types of tires.
Pushing the tire pressure warning reset
switch should not turn off the tire pressure
warning light.
For vehicles sold in U.S.A.
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must
accept any interference received, includ-
ing interference that may cause unde-
sired operation.
NOTICE:
This equipment has been tested and
found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protec-
tion against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment
generates, uses and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instruc-
tions, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interfer-
ence to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is en-
couraged to try to correct the interfer-
ence by one or more of the following
measures:Reorient or relocate the receiving an-
tenna.
Increase the separation between the
equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet
on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced
radio/TV technician for help.
FCC WARNING:
Changes or modifications not ex-
pressly approved by the party respon-
sible for compliance could void the
user’s authority to operate the equip-
ment.
For vehicles sold in Canada
NOTE:
Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
(1) this device may not cause interfer-
ence, and (2) this device must accept
any interference, including interference
that may cause undesired operation of
the device.