1996 TOYOTA 4RUNNER trailer

60
The gauge indicates the engine cool-
ant temperature when the ignition
switch is on. The engine operating
temperature will vary with changes inweather and engine load.
If the needle moves into the red zone, your engine is too hot. If your vehicle over-
heats, stop your vehicle and allow the en-
gine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe operating conditions, such as: Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
Idling for a long period with the air con-
ditioning on in stop-and-go traffic.
Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within the specified operating range.
Do not continue driving with anoverheated engine. See If yourvehicle overheatsº in Part 4.
The tachometer indicates engine
speed in thousands of rpm (revolu-
tions per minute). Use it while driving
to select correct shift points and to
prevent engine lugging and overrev-ving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Tachometer
Engine coolant temperature gauge

68
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-gine. Watch the tachometer to
keep engine rpm from going into the red zone. The approximatemaximum allowable speed for
each position is given below for
your reference:
2º 120 km/h (74 mph) . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lº 65 km/h (40 mph) . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Do not continue hill climbing or hard towing for a long time in the2º or Lº position. This may
cause severe automatic transmis-sion damage from overheating.To prevent such damage, Dº
position should be used for hill climbing or hard towing.
(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 up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down,
shift the selector lever to the Pº position.
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 w hile 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.

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

74Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized
and upshifting or downshifting is easy.
For the best compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at the follow-
ing speeds:
gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64 (40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72 (45)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if accel-
eration is needed when you are cruising
below the above downshifting speeds.
Upshifting too soon or downshifting too late will cause lugging, and possibly, ping-
ing. Regularly revving the engine to maxi-
mum speed in each gear will cause exces-
sive engine wear and high fuel consumption. Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower traf- fic, maximum acceleration may be neces-
sary.
Make sure you observe the following
maximum allowable speeds in each gear:
Two-wheel drive models gear km/h (mph)
1 48 (29)
2 90 (55)
3 139 (86)
4 165 (102)
Four-wheel drive models 3RZ-FE enginegear km/h (mph)
H2º and H4º L4º
1 45 (28) 17 (11)
2 84 (52) 32 (20)
3 130 (81) 50 (31)
4 165 (102) 64 (39)
5VZ-FE engine
gear km/h (mph) H2º and H4º L4º
1 48 (29) 18 (11)
2 89 (55) 34 (21)
3 127 (79) 49 (31)
4 165 (102) 64 (39)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.
Good driving practice If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put
the transmission in neutral, release
the clutch pedal momentarily, and then
try again.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use the fifth gear.
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin orskid. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into re-
verse.

128
When driving off-road or in
rugged terrain, do not drive at ex- cessive speeds, jump the vehicle,
or strike objects, etc. This may cause loss of control or vehicle
rollover. You are also risking ex-
pensive damage to your vehicle's suspension and chassis. Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate break-in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of your vehicle:
Do not drive over 88 km/h (55 mph).
Run the engine at moderate speed be- tween 2000 and 4000 rpm.
Avoid full-throttle starts.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive slowly with the manual
transmission in a high gear.
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles) FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help
prevent gas station mix-ups, your
Toyota has a new smaller fuel tank open- ing. The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of leaded gasoline will cause the
three-way catalytic converter to lose its effectiveness and the emis-sion control system to function im- properly. Also, this can increasemaintenance costs.
OCTANE NUMBER
Select Research Octane Number 91
(Octane Rating 87) or higher.
Use of unleaded fuel with an octane num- ber or rating lower than stated above will
cause persistent heavy knocking. If se-
vere, this will lead to engine damage.
Break-in period Fuel

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.

144Your vehicle is designed primarily as a
passenger - and - load - carrying vehicle.
Towing a trailer will have an adverse ef
fect
on handling, performance, braking, dura-
bility and driving economy (fuel consump-
tion, etc.). Your safety and satisfaction de-
pend on the proper use of correct
equipment and cautious driving habits.
For your safety and the safety of others,you must not overload your vehicle or
trailer. Ask your local T oyota dealer for fur-
ther details before towing. WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, grossaxle weight and trailer tongue load are
all within the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station,
building supply company, trucking com-
pany, junk yard, etc.
CAUTION!
The total trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo load) must
not exceed the following. Exceed-
ing this weight is dangerous. If
towing a trailer over 907 kg (2000lb.), it is necessary to use a sway
control device with a sufficient ca-
pacity.
3RZ-FE engine 1587 kg (3500 lb.)
5VZ-FE engine 2267 kg (5000 lb.)
The gross combination weight
(sum of your vehicle weight plus
its load and the total trailer weight)
must not exceed the following.
Two-wheel drive models 3RZ-FE engine3447 kg (7600 lb.)
5VZ-FE engine 3992 kg (8800 lb.)
Four-wheel drive models 3RZ-FE engine 3583 kg (7900 lb.)
5VZ-FE engine 4173 kg (9200 lb.)
The gross vehicle weight must not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) indicated on the
Certification Label. The gross ve-
hicle weight is the sum of weights
of the unloaded vehicle, driver, passengers, luggage, hitch and
trailer tongue load. It also includes
the weight of any special equip-
ment installed on your vehicle.
The load on either the front or rear
axle resulting from distribution of
the gross vehicle weight on both
axles must not exceed the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) listed
on the Certification Label.
Trailer towing

145
The trailer cargo load should be
distributed so t hat the tongue load
is 9 to 11% of the total trailer
weight, not exceeding the maxi-
mum of the following. Never load
the trailer with more weight in the back than in the front. About 60 % of the trailer load should be in the
front half of the trailer and the re-
maining 40 % in the rear.
3RZ-FE engine158 kg (350 lb.)
5VZ-FE engine 226 kg (500 lb.) HITCHES
Use only a weight carrying hitch de-
signed for the total trailer weight. Toyo-
ta does not recommend using a weight
distribution (load equalizing) hitch.
The hitch must be bolted securely to
the vehicle frame and installed accord-
ing to the hitch manufacturer's instruc- tions.
The hitch ball and king pin should havea light coat of grease.
Toyota recommends removing the hitch when not towing to prevent injury
and/or damage due to the hitch in
event of a rear end collision. After re-moval of the hitch, seal the installation
area to prevent entry of exhaust fumes
and mud.
NOTICE
Do not use an axle-mounting hitch as it may cause damage to the axle
housing, wheel bearings, wheelsand or tires.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any applica-
ble federal and state/provincial reg- ulations.
A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain shouldcross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping
to the ground in case it becomes
damaged or separated. For correct
safety chain procedures, follow the
hitch or trailer manufacturer's rec-ommendations.
CAUTION!
If the total trailer weight exceeds
453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer brakes are required.
Never tap into your vehicle's hy- draulic system as it would lower
its braking effectiveness.
Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling
unit or hitch ball, there is danger of the trailer wandering over into
another lane.