1997 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Owners Manual

60In freezing weather, warm the windshield with the defroster before using the wash-
er. This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which can block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the windshield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
To turn on the back window wiper,
twist the lever knob upward. The key must be in the ONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Normal
To squirt washer fluid on the back window,
twist the knob upward or downward as far
as it will go (position 3 or 4). The knob au-
tomatically returns from these positions
after you release it.
For instructions on adding washer fluid, see Adding washer fluidº in Chapter 7-3.
NOTICE
Do not operate the back window wipers if the back window is dry. It
may scratch the glass.
Back window wiper and washer

61
To defog or defrost the back window,
push the switch. The key must be in the ONº position.
The thin heater wires on the inside of the back window will quickly clear the surface.
An indicator light will illuminate to indicate the defogger is operating. Push the switch once again to turn the de-
fogger off.
Make sure you turn the defogger off when
the window is clear. Leaving the defogger on for a long time could cause the battery
to discharge, especially during stop-and-
go driving. The defogger is not designed
for drying rain water or for melting snow.
NOTICE
Avoid driving with the tailgate open.
To prevent the battery from being
discharged, turn the switch onwhen the engine is running.
When cleaning the inside of theback window, be careful not to
scratch or damage the heaterwires.
Back window defogger

62

Part 1Fuel gauge
63
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS ANDCONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-5 Gauges, Meters and Service reminderindicators
Fuel gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge
Tachometer
Odometer and trip meter
Service
reminder indicators and
warning buzzers
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the tank. Nearly fullÐNeedle at Fº Nearly emptyÐNeedle at Eº
It is a good idea to keep the tank over 1/4 full.
This fuel gauge has a non-return type
needle wh ich remains at the last indicated
position when the ignition switch is turned
off.
If the fuel level approaches Eº or the low fuel level warning light comes on, fill the fuel tank as soon as possible. If the fuel tank is completely empty, the malfunction
indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer assoon as possible.

64
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
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow the
engine 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 tocontrol the flow of coolant to keep
the temperature of the engine within the specified operatingrange.
Do not continue driving with an
overheated 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

65
These meters show the running dis- tance.
1. OdometerÐIt shows the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
2. Trip meterÐIt shows the distance driven since the last time it was set to
zero. The black digits on white indicate
tenths of kilometers or miles.
3. Trip meter reset knobÐIt resets the trip meter to zero.
To reset the trip meter, push the knob.
Odometer and trip meter Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers

66
(a) Brake System Warning Light This light has the following functions: Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the parking
brake is fully released. The light should go
off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on while
you are driving, slow down and pull off the
road. Then stop the vehicle carefully.There may be a problem somewhere in
the brake system. Check the fluid level of
the see-through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has not
caused the warning light to come on,
check to see that the parking brake is fully
released.
If the brake fluid level is low...
At a safe place, test your brakes by start-
ing and stopping. If you judge that the brakes still work
adequately, drive cautiously to yournearest dealer or shop for repairs.
If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs. (For tow-
ing information, see Part 4.)
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level
is low. CAUTION
!
If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and Buzzer
Once the ignition key is turned to ONº or
STARTº, the reminder light and buzzer
come on if the driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened. Unless the driver fastens the belt,the light stays on and the buzzer sounds for about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging system.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, ra dio, etc., and drive directly to the
nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.

67
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are driv-
ing, pull off the road to a safe place and
stop the engine immediately. Call a Toyo-
ta dealer or qualified repair shop for assis- tance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on brief-
ly after a hard stop. There is no cause for concern if it then goes out when the en-
gine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to indi-cate low oil level, and the oil level must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the warning light onÐeven for one
block. It may ruin the engine.
(e) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on in the following cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See Fuel gaugeº in Chapter 1-5 for in- structions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See Fuel tank capº in Chapter
1-2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your engine or automatic transmission
electrical system.
If it comes on while you are driving in case
c, have your vehicle checked/repaired by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
(f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level in
the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up the tank as soon as possible.
(g) ABSº Warning Light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in your anti-lock brake sys-tem.
If the light comes on while you are driving,
have your vehicle checked by your T oyota
dealer as soon as possible. The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to the ONº position. After
about 3 seconds, the light will go off. When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the brake system
operates conventionally but
anti-lock brake system is not assisting brake performance so that the wheels can
lock-up during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces.
(h) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
and back door are completely closed.
(i) SRS Airbag Warning Light
This light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ACCº or ONº
position. After about 6 seconds, the
light w ill go off. This means the airbag
system is operating properly.
The warning light system monitors the air-
bag sensor assembly, inflators, warning
light, interconnecting wiring and power sources.