1996 TOYOTA TACOMA parking brake

111

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, down shifting 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 lim it. Even if the legal speed
limit permits it, do not drive over
140 km/h (85 mph) unless your ve-
hicle 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 suchspeeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they
are wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely. 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(four-wheel drive models only)

11 3
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.
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may
damage your vehicle's paint.
NOTICE
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 front 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.
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a pas-
senger- and- load- carrying vehicle. Towing
a trailer will have an adverse effect on han-
dling, performance, braking, durability and
driving economy (fuel consumption, etc.).
Your safety and satisfaction depend on the
proper use of correct equipment and cau-
tious driving habits. For your safety and the
safety of others, you must not overload your
vehicle or trailer. Ask your local Toyota deal-
er for further details before towing. WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, gross axle 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.
Trailer towing

11 7

Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to prepare
yourself for being passed by large
trucks 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 stabilize.
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 (automatictransmission).
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. When restarting out after parking on a slope: 1. With the transmission in Pº position
(automatic) or
the clutch pedal depressed
(manual), start the engine. (With an auto-
matic transmission, be sure to keep thebrake pedal depressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot
brake on automatic transmission ve-
hicles) and slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and apply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because insta-
bility (swaying) of a towing
vehicle-trailer combination usual-
ly increases as the speed in-
creases, exceeding 72 km/h (45
mph) may cause loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long down-
hill grades. Do not make suddendownshifts.
Avoid holding the pedal down too
long or too frequently. This could
cause the brakes to overheat and
result in reduced braking efficiency.
CAUTION!

122If your engine stalls while driving
0
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see If your ve-
hicle will not startº.
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual. CAUTION
! If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if you
hear a
loud knocking or pinging noise,
the engine has probably overheated.
You should follow this procedure 0
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle
and turn on your emergency flashers. Put
the transmission in Pº (automatic) or neu-
tral ( manual) and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the air conditioning if it is beingused.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine. Wait
until the steam subsides before opening
the hood. If there is no coolant boiling over or steam, leave the engine running.
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure. CAUTION
!
3. Visually check to see if the engine drive
belt (fan belt) is broken or loose. Look for
obvious coolant leaks from the radiator,
hoses, and under the vehicle. However, note that water draining from the air condi-
tioning is normal if it has been used.
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts. CAUTION
!
4. If the engine drive belt is broken or the
coolant is leaking, stop the engine immedi-
ately. Call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there
are no obvious leaks, you may help the en-
gine cool down more quickly by running it at
about 1500 rpm for a few minutes with the
accelerator pedal lightly depressed.
6. Check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry,
add coolant to the reservoir while the en- gine is running. Fill it about half full.
Do not attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap when the engine and radia-
tor are hot. Serious injury could re-
sult from scalding hot fluid and
steam blown out under pressure. CAUTION
!
7. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If necessary,
bring it up to half full again. Serious cool- ant loss indicates a leak in the system.
You should have it checked as soon as
possible at your Toyota dealer.
If your engine stalls while
driving
If your vehicle overheats

123
1. Reduce
your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place well away from the
traffic. Avoid stopping on the center divid-
er of a highway. Park on a level spot with firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emer-
gency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in Pº (automatic) or re- verse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle
on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thor-
oughly.
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the possibil-
ity of personal injury: Follow jacking instructions.
Use a jack only for lifting your
vehicle during wheel changing.
Never get beneath the vehicle
when supported by a jack.
Do not start or run the engine
while your vehicle is supported by a jack. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Do not continue driving with a deflated tire. Driving even a short
distance can damage a tire beyondrepair.
1. Get the required tools and spare tire. 1 Wheel nut wrench
2 Jack handle
3 Jack
4 Wheel ornament replacer (with free-wheeling hubs)
To prepare yourself for an emergency, you should familiarize yourself with the
use of the jack, each of the tools and theirstorage locations.
If you have a flat tireÐ
ÐRequired tools and spare tire
(normal cab models)

132(b) Towing with wheel lift type truck From frontÐ
Manual transmission
We recommend using a towing dolly un-
der the rear wheels. If you do not use a
towing dolly, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in neutral. Automatic transmission:
Use a towing dolly under the rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an auto- matic transmission from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,as this may cause serious damage to the transmission.
From rearÐ Place the ignition key in the
ACCº position.
NOTICE
Do not tow with the key removed or in the LOCKº position, as the steer-
ing lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheelsstraight while towing.
Four-wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Using flat bed truck
Toyota recommends this as the best method for your vehicle.
(b) Towing with wheel lift type truck From frontÐ Manual transmission:
We recommend using a towing dolly un-
der the rear wheels. If you do not use a
towing dolly, release the parking brake,
put the transmission in neutral and set the
transfer in H2º mode. Automatic transmission:
Use a towing dolly under the rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an auto- matic transmission from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,as this may cause serious damage to the transmission.
From rear ÐWe recommend using a tow
dolly under the front wheels. If you do not
use a towing dolly, place the ignition key
in the ACCº position, put the transmis-
sion in neutral and set the transfer in H2º
mode. Disengage both free-wheeling
hubs if so equipped.
NOTICE
Do not tow with the key removed or in the LOCKº position when tow-
ing from the rear without a towing dolly. The steering lock mechanismis not strong enough to hold the front wheels straight.

133
All modelsÐ
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck, either from the front or rear. This
may cause body damage.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed by a cable secured to
one of the emergency towing eyelets
under the front of the vehicle. A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering andbrakes must all be in good condition. Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in neutral
(manual) or Nº (automatic). The key must
be in ACCº (engine off) or ONº (enginerunning).
CAUTION!
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual.
ÐEmergency towing (two-wheel drive models)

134
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed by a cable secured to
the emergency towing hook under the
front of the vehicle. A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering andbrakes must all be in good condition.Before towing, release the parking brake, put the transmission in neutral (manual)
or Nº (automatic) and set the transfer inH2º
mode. The key must be in ACCº (en-
gine off) or ONº (engine running).
CAUTION!
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual.
Before emergency towing, check that the hook installation bolts are not loose.
Fasten the towing rope or cable se-curely to the hook.
Do not jerk the hook.
To avoid damaging the hook, do not
pull from the side or at a vertical angle.
Always pull straight ahead.
ÐEmergency towing hook precautions (four-wheel drive models)
ÐEmergency towing (four-wheel drive models)