brake light TOYOTA TACOMA 2012 Owners Manual (in English)

TABLE OF CONTENTSIndex
2
1-1. Key informationKeys ..................................... 34
1-2. Opening, closing and locking
the doors
Wireless remote control ....... 36
Side doors ............................ 39
Access doors (Access Cab models only) ....................... 43
Tailgate ................................ 44
1-3. Adjustable components
(seats, mirrors, steering
wheel)
Front seats ........................... 49
Rear seats (Access Cab and Double Cab models) .......... 54
Head restraints ..................... 58
Seat belts ............................. 63
Steering wheel ..................... 69
Anti-glare inside rear view mirror .................................. 70
Outside rear view mirrors ..... 75
1-4. Opening and clos ing
the windows
Pow er windows .................... 78
Back window (vehicles with sliding type) ........................ 80
1-5. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap .... 81 1-6. Theft deterrent system
Engine immobilizer system ... 84
1-7. Safety information Correct driving posture ......... 87
SRS airbags ......................... 89
Front passenger occupant classification system ......... 103
Child restraint systems ....... 108
Installing child restraints ..... 112
2-1. Driving procedures Driving the vehicle .............. 132
Engine (ignition) switch....... 143
Automatic transmission ...... 146
Manual transmission........... 150
Turn signal lever ................. 153
Parking brake ..................... 154
Horn .................................... 156
2-2. Gauges and meters Gauges and meters ............ 157
Indicators and warning lights ................................. 160
2-3. Operating the li ghts and
wipers
Headlight switch ................. 164
Fog light switch ................... 167
Windshield wipers and washer .............................. 168
1Before driving
2When driving

When driving2
131
2-1. Driving proceduresDriving the vehicle............ 132
Engine (ignition) switch .... 143
Automatic transmission .... 146
Manual transmission ........ 150
Turn signal lever .............. 153
Parking brake ................... 154
Horn ................................. 156
2-2. Gauges and meters Gauges and meters ......... 157
Indicators and warning lights .............................. 160
2-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch ............... 164
Fog light switch ................ 167
Windshield wipers and washer ........................... 168 2-4. Using other driving systems
Cruise control ................... 174
Rear view monitor system (vehicles with auto
anti-glare inside rear
view mirror) .................... 178
Four-wheel drive system ........................... 186
Active traction control system ........................... 190
AUTO LSD system........... 192
Rear differential lock system ........................... 194
Downhill Assist Control system ........................... 197
Clutch start cancel switch ............................. 199
Driving assist systems ..... 200
2-5. Driving information Off-road precautions (4WD models and
PreRunner) .................... 207
Cargo and luggage .......... 212
Vehicle load limits ............ 217
Winter driving tips ............ 219
Trailer towing ................... 223
Dinghy towing .................. 244

134 2-1. Driving procedures
Manual transmissionWith the parking brake firmly set and the clutch pedal fully
depressed, shift the shift lever to 1.
Lightly depress the accelerator pedal at the same time as
gradually releasing the clutch pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●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
especially 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, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended
to observe:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive slowly with the manual transmission in a high gear.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■ Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. ( P. 555)

135
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■
When starting the vehicle (vehicl es with an automatic transmission)
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi- culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or st op the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. This may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not let the vehicle roll
backwards while the shift lever is in a driving position, or roll forward while
the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
● If the smell of exhaust is noticed inside the vehicle, open the windows and
check that the back window is closed. Large amounts of exhaust in the
vehicle can cause driver drowsiness and an accident, resulting in death or
a serious health hazard. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not shift the shift lever to P
while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle\
control.

137
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■
When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
● Sudden changes in engine speed, such as engine braking caused by up-
shifting or down-shifting, may cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an
accident.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.
■ When shifting the shift lever
On vehicles with an automatic transmission, be careful not to shift the shift
lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may
cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
■ When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P (automatic transmission only) or
N, the vehicle may accelerate suddenly and unexpectedly, and may cause
an accident.
● Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time.
If such a situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space
and check that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, in order to prevent accidents
due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep depressing the brake pedal
while the engine is running, and apply the parking brake as necessary.

138 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
■When the vehicle is stopped
●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake as needed.
● Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■ When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighter, spray cans, or soft drink cans in the
vehicle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following.
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter, spray can, and may lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and
plastic material of eye glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehi-
cle’s electrical components.
● Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P (automatic trans-
mission only), stop the engine and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
● Do not touch the exhaust pipe while the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
● Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it
is snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is
running, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle. This may lead
to death or a serious health hazard.

166 2-3. Operating the lights and wipers
■Daytime running light system (if equipped)
●To make your vehicle more visible to other drivers, the front turn signal
lights turn on automatically whenever the engine is started and the park-
ing brake is released. Daytime running lights are not designed for use at
night.
● Compared to turning on the headlights, the daytime running light system
offers greater durability and consumes less electricity, so it can help
improve fuel economy.
■ Automatic light off system
Opening the driver’s door with the engine switch in the ACC or LOCK posi-
tion will turn the headlights and tail lights off.
To turn the lights on again, turn the engine switch to the ON position, or turn
the headlight switch off once and then back to the or position.
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
Do not leave the lights on longer than necessary when the engine is not run-
ning.

195
2-4. Using other
driving systems
2
When driving
Manual transmission
4WD models: Before using the rear differential lock system.
Stop the vehicle or reduce your speed to less than 2 mph (3
km/h). Depress the clutch pedal and put the front-wheel drive
control switch in the L4 position to see if this is sufficient. If
this has no effect, additionally use the rear differential lock
system.
Be sure to stop the wheels.
Depress the clutch pedal.
Press the RR DIFF LOCK switch.
After the rear differential is locked, the indicator will come on.
Slowly release the clutch pedal.
Unlock the rear differential as soon as the vehicle moves.
To unlock the rear differential, push the switch again.
■ Locking the rear differential
●When the rear differential is locked, VSC is automatically turned off.
(The rear differential lock and VSC OFF indicators come on.)
● The following systems do not operate when the rear differential is locked.
It is normal operation for the ABS warning light and VSC OFF indicator to
be on at this time. If the DAC switch turns on, the downhill assist cont\
rol
system indicator light flashes.
•ABS
• Brake assist system
•VSC
•TRAC
• Downhill assist control system
• Hill-start assist control system
■ The rear differential lock is disengaged when
Shift the front-wheel drive control switch to H2 or H4 position. (4WD models)
Never forget to turn off the switch after using this feature.

197
2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
Downhill Assist Control system
: If equipped
The downhill assist control system helps to prevent excessive speed
on steep downhill descents.
■System operation
The system will operate when the vehicle is traveling under 15
mph (25 km/h) and the front-wheel drive control switch is in the
L4 position.
Press the DAC switch. The
indicator will come on, and the
system will operate.
With the vehicle traveling at a
speed of 15 mph (25 km/h) or
less, release your foot from
the accelerator or brake pedal
to activate the system.
When the system is in opera-
tion, the slip indicator will flash,
and the stop lights/high
mounted stop light will come
on. A sound may also occur
during the operation. This does
not indicate a malfunction.
■Turning off the system
Press the DAC switch while the syst em is in operation. The indi-
cator will flash as the system gradually ceases operation, and
will turn off when the system is fully off.
Pressing the DAC switch while the indicator is flashing will start
the system again.

198 2-4. Using other driving systems
■Operating tips
The system will operate when the shift lever is in a position other than P.
However, to make effective use of the system it is recommended that the
shift lever be shifted to 2 or L.
■ The system will not operate when
●The front-wheel drive control switch is in the H2 or H4 position.
● The rear differential is locked.
■ The downhill assist control system indicator light flashes when
● The shift lever is in the N position.
● The front-wheel drive control switch is in the H2 or H4 position.
● The rear differential is locked.
■ If the brake system overheats
The system will cease operation and a buzzer will sound to alert the driver.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place. (There is no problem with continuing normal
driving.)
■ System malfunction
●The downhill assist control system indicator does not come on when the
engine switch is turned to the ON position.
● The downhill assist control system indicator does not come on when the
DAC switch is pressed.
In the above cases have your vehicle checked by your Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
■Do not rely excessively on the downhill assist control system
It may not be able to maintain a low speed over road surfaces on which slid-
ing can easily occur, such as extremely steep slopes or icy or muddy roads.