TOYOTA TACOMA 2021 Owners Manual (in English)

4216-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
2GR-FKS engine
Full (when cold)
Add fluid (when cold)
Full (when hot)
Add fluid (when hot)
Hot: Vehicle has been driven around 50 mph (80 km/h) for 20 minutes, or slightly longer in frigid temperatures. (Fluid
temperature, 140°F - 175°F [60°C - 80°C])
Cold: Engine has not been run for about 5 hours. (Room tem- perature, 50°F - 85°F [10°C - 30°C])
■Checking the fluid level
Make sure to check the fluid type and prepare the necessary items.
Clean all dirt off the reservoir.
Remove the cap by turni ng it counterclockwise.
Wipe the dipstick clean.
Reinstall the cap and remove it again.
Check the fluid level.
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Fluid type Automatic transmission fluid DEXRON® II or III
Items Rag or paper, clean funnel (only for adding fluid)
WARNING
■Checking the fluid level
Take care, as the reservoir may be hot.
NOTICE
■When adding fluid
Avoid overfilling, or the power steering may be damaged.
■ After replacing the reservoir cap
Check the steering box case, vane pump and hose connections for leaks or
damage.
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4226-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Check the battery as follows:
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals are not corroded and that
there are no loose connections, cracks, or loose clamps.
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■ Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. Therefore, observe the following before recharging:
●If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sur e to disconnect
the ground cable.
● Make sure the power switch on the charger is off when connectin g and dis-
connecting the charger cables to the battery.
■ After recharging/reconnecting the battery (vehicles with a smar t key sys-
tem)
The engine may not start. Follow the procedure below to initial ize the system.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Open and close any of the doors.
Restart the engine.
● Unlocking the doors using the smart key system may not be possi ble imme-
diately after reconnecting the battery. If this happens, use the wireless
remote control or the mechanical key to lock/unlock the doors.
● Start the engine with the engine switch in ACCESSORY mode. The engine
may not start when the engine switch turned from off. However, the engine
will operate normally from the second attempt.
● The engine switch mode is recorded by the vehicle. If the batte ry is recon-
nected, the vehicle will return the engine switch mode to the s tatus it was in
before the battery was disconnected. Make sure to turn off the engine
before disconnect the battery. Take extra care when connecting the battery
if the engine switch mode prior to discharge is unknown.
If the system will not start even after multiple attempts, contact your Toyota
dealer.
Battery
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4236-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
WARNING
■Chemicals in the battery
Batteries contain poisonous and corrosive sulfuric acid and may produce
hydrogen gas which is flammable and explosive. To reduce the ri sk of death
or serious injury, take the following precautions while working on or near
battery:
● Do not cause sparks by touching the battery terminals with tool s.
● Do not smoke or light a match near the battery.
● Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
● Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
● Wear protective safety glasses when working near the battery.
● Keep children away from the battery.
■ Where to safely charge the battery
Always charge the battery in an open area. Do not charge the battery in a
garage or closed room where there is insufficient ventilation.
■ How to recharge the battery
Only perform a slow charge (5 A or less). The battery may explod e if
charged at a quicker rate.
■ Emergency measures regarding electrolyte
● If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get immedi-
ate medical attention. If possible, continue to apply water wit h a sponge or
cloth while traveling to the nearest medical facility.
● If electrolyte gets on your skin
Wash the affected area thoroughly. If you feel pain or burning, get medical
attention immediately.
● If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can soak through clothing on to your skin. Immediately take off the cloth-
ing and follow the procedure above if necessary.
● If you accidentally swallow electrolyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk. Get emergency medical attention
immediately.
NOTICE
■ When recharging the battery
Never recharge the battery while the engine is running. Also, b e sure all
accessories are turned off.

4246-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Add washer fluid in the following
situations:
●A washer does not work.
● The low washer fluid warning
light comes on or warning mes-
sage appears on the display
(for Canada only).
Washer fluid
WARNING
■When adding washer fluid
Do not add washer fluid when the engine is hot or running as wa sher fluid
contains alcohol and may catch fire if spilled on the engine, e tc.
NOTICE
■Do not use any fluid ot her than washer fluid
Do not use soapy water or engine antifreeze instead of washer f luid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the vehicle’s painted surfaces, as well as
damaging the pump leading to problems of the washer fluid not s praying.
■ Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as necessary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed on the label of the washer fluid bot-
tle.

4256-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Tires
Check if the treadwear indicators are showing on the tires. Also check
the tires for uneven wear, such as excessive wear on one side o f the
tread.
Check the spare tire condition and pressure if not rotated.
New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicator
The location of treadwear indicators is shown by a “TWI” or “ ” mark, etc.,
molded into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and extend
tire life, Toyota recommends that
tire rotation is carried out at the
same interval as tire inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire
pressure warning system after
tire rotation.
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance sched-
ules and treadwear.
Checking tires
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Tire rotation
Front

4266-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and transmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise.
● If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the dri ver is
warned by a warning light. ( P. 478)
● The tire pressure detected by
the tire pressure warning sys-
tem can be displayed on the
multi-information display.
◆Installing tire pressure warn ing valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves an d
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new ID codes must be registered in the tire pressure
warning computer and the tire pressure warning system must be
initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmitter I D
codes registered by your Toyota dealer. ( P. 428)
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances:
● When rotating the tires.
● When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning sy stem is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system (if equipped)

4276-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■How to initialize the tire pressure warning systemVehicles without a smart key system:
Park the vehicle in a safe plac e and turn the engine switch to the
“LOCK” position.
Vehicles with a smart key system:
Park the vehicle in a safe place and turn the engine switch off .
Initialization cannot be performed while the vehicle is moving.
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to the specified cold tire i nflation
pressure level. ( P. 545)
Make sure to adjust the tire pre ssure to the specified cold tire infla-
tion pressure level. The tire pressure warning system will oper ate
based on this pr essure level.
Vehicles without a smart key system:
Turn the engine switch t o the “ON” position.
Vehicles with a smart key system:
Turn the engine switch to IGNITION ON mode.
Press and hold the tire pres-
sure warning reset switch
until the tire pressure warn-
ing light blinks slowly 3 times.
“- -” will be displayed for inflation
pressure of each tire on the
multi-information display while
the tire pressure warning sys-
tem determines the position of
each tire.
When position of each tire is
determined, the inflation pres-
sure of each tire will be dis-
played on the multi-information
display.
Drive the vehicle at approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) or more for
approximately 10 minutes.
When initialization is complete, the inflation pressure of each tire
will be displayed on the mu lti-information display.
Initialization will ta ke longer than approxi mately 10 minutes if the
vehicle is stopped for a long time, such as at traffic signals.
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4286-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
◆Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a
unique ID code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve an d
transmitter, it is necessary to register the ID code. Have the ID code
registered by your Toyota dealer.
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough t o
expose the fabric, and bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or c annot be properly repaired due to the size
or location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.
■Replacing tires and wheels (vehicles with the tire pressure war ning
system)
If the ID code of the tire press ure warning valve and transmitt er is not reg-
istered, the tire pressure warni ng system will not work properly. A f t e r d r i v -
ing for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blink s for
1 minute and stays on to indica te a system malfunction.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified techni cian even
if it has seldom or never been u sed or damage is not obvious.
■Routine tire inflation pressure checks (vehicles with the tire pressure
warning system)
The tire pressure warning system does not replace routine tire inflation
pressure checks. Make sure to chec k tire inflation pressure as part of
your routine of daily vehicle checks.

4296-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Maximum load of tire
Check that the number given by dividing the maximum load by 1.10 of the
replacement tire is greater than 1/2 of the Gross Axle Weight R atings
(GAWR) of either the front axle or the rear axle, whichever is greater.
■Tire types
●Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to hi ghway
driving under dry conditions. Si nce summer tires do not have th e same
traction performance as snow tires, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow-covered or icy ro ads. For driving on snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires is recommended. When install-
ing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
●All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide better traction in sno w and to
be adequate for driving in most winter conditions as well as fo r use
year-round. All season tires, however, do not have adequate tra ction
performance compared with snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Al so, all
season tires fall short in acceleration and handling performanc e com-
pared with summer tires in highway driving.
●Snow tires
For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend us ing
snow tires. If you need snow tires, select tires of the same si ze, con-
struction and load capacity as t he originally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make sure your snow
tires also have radial construct ion. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for possible restrictions. Sno w tires
should be install ed on all wheels. ( P. 323)
For the GAWR, see the Certification
Label. For the maximum load of the tire,
see the load limit at maximum cold tire
inflation pressure mentioned on the
sidewall of the tire. (
P. 5 5 1 )
Access Cab models
Double Cab models

4306-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Initializing the tire pressure warning system (if equipped)
Initialize the system with the tire inflation pressure adjusted to the speci-
fied level.
■If the tread on snow tires wea rs down below 0.16 in. (4 mm)
The effectiveness of the tires as snow tires is lost.
■Situations in which the tire pressure warning system may not op er-
ate properly (if equipped)
●In the following cases, the tire pressure warning system may no t operate
properly.
• If non-genuine Toyota wheels are used.
• A tire has been replaced with a tire that is not an OE (Original Equip-
ment) tire.
• A tire has been replac ed with a tire that is not of the specif ied size.
• Tire chains, etc., are equipped.
• An auxiliary-supported ru n-flat tire is equipped.
• If a window tint that affects the radio wave signals is instal led.
• If there is a lot of snow or ice on the vehicle, particularly around the
wheels or wheel housings.
• If the tire inflation pressure is extremely higher than the sp ecified
level.
• If wheel without the tire pressure warning valve and transmitt er is
used.
• If the ID code on the tire pressure warning valves and transmi tters is
not registered in the tire pressure warning computer.
●Performance may be affected in the following situations.
• Near a TV tower, electric power plant, gas station, radio stat ion, large
display, airport or other facilit y that generates strong radio waves or
electrical noise
• When carrying a portable radio, cellular phone, cordless phone or
other wireless communication device
●When the vehicle is parked, the time taken for the warning to s tart or go
off could be extended.
●When tire inflation pressure declines rapidly for example when a tire has
burst, the warning may not function.