1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER parking brake

72Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning offthe overdrive switch, engine braking will
not be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise controlº in this chapter.
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin orskid.
CAUTION
!
(c) Using the 2º and Lº positions The 2º and Lº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously. With the selector lever in 2º or Lº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in Dº. With the selector lever in 2º, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatically
shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in Lº, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en- gine. Watch the tachometer to
keep engine rpm from going intothe red zone. The approximate
maximum allowable speed foreach position is given below for
your reference:
Front drive control lever in H2º or
H4º
3RZ-FE engine 2º 111 km/h (88 mph) . . . . . . . .
Lº 60 km/h (37 mph) . . . . . . . .
5VZ-FE engine
2º 118 km/h (73 mph). . . . . . . .
Lº 64 km/h (40 mph) . . . . . . . .
Front drive control lever in L4º 3RZ-FE engine 2º 43 km/h (26 mph) . . . . . . . . .
Lº 23 km/h (14 mph) . . . . . . . .
5VZ-FE engine 2º 46 km/h (28 mph) . . . . . . . . .
Lº 25 km/h (15 mph) . . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the 2º
or Lº position. This may cause se- vere automatic transmission dam-age from overheating. To preventsuch damage, Dº position should be used in hill climbing or hard tow-ing.
(d) 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 Rº
position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever fully to se- curely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down,
shift the selector lever to the P position.

73
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into Pº position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical dam-
age and loss of vehicle control mayresult.CAUTION
!
(f) Good driving practice If the transmission is repeatedly up-
shifted and downshifted between third
gear and overdrive when climbing a
gentle slope, the overdrive switch
should be turned off. Be sure to turn the switch on immediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do notuse overdrive.
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an upgrade with the accelerator pedal.
It can cause the transmission tooverheat. Always use the brake pedal or parking brake.
(g) Driving in PWRº(Power) mode
In the PWRº mode, the transmission is shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the NORMº (Normal) mode
and a more powerful acceleration is
achieved. To set the PWRº mode, push
in the driving pattern selector button. The
PWRº mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the NORMº mode to improve fuel
economy.
(h) If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of Pº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from the Pº position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override lever. For instructions, see If you
cannot shift automatic transmission se- lector leverº in Part 4.
The shift pattern is as shown above.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, and then release it slowly. Do not
rest your foot on the pedal while driving, because it will cause clutch trouble. And do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
when stopped on an uphill gradeÐuse the
parking brake.
Manual transmission

81
When parking, firmly apply the park-
ing brake to avoid inadvertent creep- ing.
To set: Pull up the lever.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly, press
the thumb button, and lower.
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light in the
instrument panel remains on until you re-lease the parking brake.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off. CAUTION
! The cruise control allows you to cruise
the vehicle at a desired speed over 40 km/h (25 mph) even with your foot offthe accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained up
or down grades within the limits of engine
performance, although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or
down the grades. On steeper hills, a greater speed change will occur so it is
better to drive without the cruise control.

To help maintain maximum con-
trol of your vehicle, do not use the
cruise control when driving in heavy or varying traffic, or on slip-
pery (rainy, icy or snow-covered)
or winding roads.
Avoid vehicle speed increases
when driving downhill. If the ve-
hicle speed is too fast in relation to
the cruise control set speed, can-
cel the cruise control then down-
shift the transmission to use en-
gine braking to slow down. CAUTION
!TURNING ON THE SYSTEM
To operate the cruise control, press the
CRUISE ON-OFFº button. This turns thesystem on. The indicator light in the instru-
ment panel shows that you can now set
the vehicle at a desired cruising speed.
Another press will turn the system com-
pletely off.
To avoid accidental cruise control
engagement, keep the CRUISE
ON-OFFº
switch off when not using
the cruise control. CAUTION
!
Parking brake Cruise control

Part 3How to start the engineÐ
(a) Before cranking
Before starting the engine
139
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the engine
How to start the engine
Tips for driving in various conditions
Off-road driving precautions
Winter driving tips
Trailer towing
How to save fuel and make your
vehicle last longer, too
1. Check the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle,
seat cushion angle, head restraint height and steering wheel angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts.
1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces- sories. 3.
Manual transmission: Press the
clutch pedal to the floor and shift the trans-
mission into neutral. Hold the clutch pedal
to the floor until the engine is started. A
starter safety device will prevent the start-
er from operating if the clutch pedal is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the selec-
tor lever in Pº. If you need to restart the
engine while the vehicle is moving, put the
selector lever in Nº. A starter safety de-vice will prevent the starter from operating
if the selector lever is in any drive position. 4. Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it to the
floor until driving off.

140Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in (a) Before crank- ingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system in
your engine automatically controls the
proper air-fuel mixture for starting. You can start a cold or hot engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped- al, crank the engine by turning the key to
STARTº. Release it when the enginestarts.
2. After
the engine runs for about 10 sec-
onds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the en-
gine warm up for a few minutes before driving.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce- dure given in normal starting. If the engine will not startÐ
See If your vehicle will not startº in Part 4.
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 15 sec-
onds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have theengine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty cross- winds. This will allow you much better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid drivingonto high, sharp-edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage result-
ing in tire bursts.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so that
the vehicle will not roll. Apply the park-
ing brake, and place the transmission in Pº (automatic) or in first or reverse
(manual). If necessary, block thewheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving
through deep water may get the
brakes wet. To see whether they are
wet, check that there is no traffic near
you, and then press the pedal lightly. If
you do not feel a normal braking force,
the brakes are probably wet. To dry
them, drive the vehicle cautiously
while lightly pressing the brake pedal
with the parking brake pulled. If they
still do not work safely, pull to the side
of the road and call a T oyota dealer for
assistance.
(b) Starting the engine
Tips for driving in variousconditions

141

Four-wheel drive modelsÐToyota
recommends not using four-wheel
drive on dry hard-surfaced roads, be-
cause four-wheel driving will causeunnecessary noise and wear, and poor
fuel economy.
Four-wheel drive modelsÐIn cold
temperatures, noise may occur when
driving in two-wheel drive before the
transfer is warmed up. Therefore, first
drive in four-wheel drive until the
transfer is warmed up.
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 run-ning.
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 ac-
celeration or engine braking, could cause the vehicle to spin or skid.
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 high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph)
may result in tire failure, loss of
control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer to de-
termine whether the tires on your
vehicle are high-speed 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 lon-
ger stopping distance, and it may
pull to one side when the brakes
are applied. Also, the parking
brake will not hold the vehicle se-
curely. When driving your vehicle off-road,
please observe the following precautions
to ensure your driving enjoyment and to
help prevent the closure of areas to off-
road vehicles.
a. Drive your vehicle only in areas where
off-road vehicles are permitted to travel.
b. Respect private property. Get owner's
permission before entering private prop-
erty.
c. Do not enter areas that are closed.
Honor gates, barriers and signs that re-
strict travel.
d. Stay on established roads. When con- ditions are wet, driving techniques should
be changed or travel delayed to prevent
damage to roads.
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining
to driving your vehicle off-road, consultthe following organizations.
State and Local Parks and Recreation Departments
State Motor Vehicle Bureau
Recreational Vehicle Clubs
U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management
Off-road driving precautions

143
Make sure you have ethylene-glycol
antifreeze in the radiator.
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze.
Check the condition of the battery and cables. Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any battery, so it must be in top shape to provide enough power for winter starting.Chapter 7-3 tells you how to visually in-
spect the battery. Your Toyota dealer and
most service stations will be pleased tocheck the level of charge.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See Chapter 7-2 for recommended vis-
cosity. Leaving a heavy summer oil in your
vehicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, call your Toyota deal- erÐhe will be pleased to help. Keep the door locks from freezing. Squirt lock de-icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing. To open
a frozen lock, try heating the key before in-serting it. Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer's directions for how
much to mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any other substitute because it may
damage your vehicle's paint.
Do not use your parking brake when there is a possibility it could freeze. When parking, put the transmission into
Pº (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or wa-
ter accumulated in and around the parkingbrake mechanism may freeze, making it
hard to release. Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally. Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer- gency equipment.
Some of
the things you might put in the ve-
hicle are tire chains, window scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel, jump- er cables, etc.
Winter driving tips

147

Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle-to-vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) ofspeed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-tion. If your vehicle has manual trans-
mission, prevent excessive clutch slip-
page by keeping engine rpm low and
not racing the engine. Always start out
in first gear.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of suddenbraking.
Remember that when making a turn,the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this
by making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay atten-
tion to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by largetrucks 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 sta-bilize.
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 ef-
ficiency, do not use fifth gear (manual
transmission) or overdrive (automatic transmission).
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over30 5C [85 5F]) 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 overheatsº in Part 4 ofthis manual.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels whenparking. Apply the parking brake firm-
ly. Put the transmission in Pº (auto-
matic) 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
Pº (automatic) and turn off the engine.