1997 TOYOTA T100 Owners Manual

149
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 and brakes must all be in good condition.
CAUTION!
Use extreme caution when towing
vehicles. Avoid sudden starts or
erratic driving maneuvers which
would place excessive stress on the
emergency towing eyelet and
towing cable or chain. The eyelet
and towing cable or chain may break and cause serious injury or damage.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specific- ally intended for use in towing
vehicles. Securely fasten the cableor chain to the towing eyelet provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in neutral
(manual) or Nº (automatic) and the trans-
fer in H2º (four-wheel drive models). The
key must be in ACCº (engine 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.
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-vice.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed by a cable or chain se-
cured to the emergency towing hook
under the front of the vehicle. Use ex-
treme caution when towing the ve-hicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it and operate the brakes.
ÐEmergency towing (type B)

150Towing 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 and brakes must all be in good condition.
CAUTION!
Use extreme caution when towing
vehicles. Avoid sudden starts or er- ratic driving maneuvers which
would place excessive stress on the
emergency towing hook and towing
cable or chain. The hook and towing
cable or chain may break and cause
serious injury or damage.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specific- ally intended for use in towing
vehicles. Securely fasten the cableor chain to the towing hook provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake, put the transmission in neutral (manual)
or Nº (automatic) and the transfer in H2º.
The key must be in ACCº (engine 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 or eyelet is not broken or
damaged and that the installation bolts
are not loose.
Fasten the towing cable or chain se-curely to the hook or eyelet.
Do not jerk the hook or eyelet. Apply
steady and even force.
To avoid damaging the hook or eyelet, do not pull from the side or at a vertical
angle. Always pull straight ahead.
ÐEmergency towing hookor eyelet precautions (four-wheel drive models)

151
If the emergency towing hook or
eyelet is used to get out when your
vehicle becomes stuck in the mud,
sand or other condition from which
the vehicle can not be driven out
under its own power, make sure to
observe the precautions mentioned
below. Otherwise, excessive stress
will be put on the hook and the
towing cable or chain may break,
causing serious injury or damage. If the towing vehicle can hardly
move, do not forcibly continue the
towing. Contact your Toyota deal-
er or a commercial tow truck ser- vice for assistance.
Tow the vehicle as straight ahead as possible.
Keep away from the vehicle dur-
ing towing. CAUTION
!
The following methods are effective to
use when your vehicle is stuck in the
mud, sand or other condition from
which
the vehicle cannot be driven out
under its own power. Use extreme cau-
tion when towing the vehicle. In addi-tion, keep away from the vehicles and towing cable or chain when towing. Remove the sand and soil in the front and the back of the tires.
Place stones or wood under the tires. Many Toyota dealers can make a new
key if you can give them the key num-
ber. See the suggestion given in Keysº in Chapter 1-2.
If your keys are locked in the vehicle and
you cannot get a duplicate, many Toyota
dealers
can still open the door for you, us-
ing their special tools. If you must break a
window to get in, we suggest breaking the
smallest side window because it is the least expensive to replace. Be extremely cautious to avoid cuts from the glass.
ÐTips for towing a stuck vehicle (four-wheel drive models)
If you lose your keys

152

Part 5Protecting your Toyota from corrosion
153
CORROSION
PREVENTION ANDAPPEARANCE CARE
Protecting your Toyota from corrosion
Washing and waxing your
Toyota
Cleaning the interior
Toyota, through its diligent research, de-
sign and use of the most advanced
technology available, has done its part to
help prevent corrosion and has provided you with the finest quality vehicle
construction. Now, it is up to you. Proper
care of
your Toyota can help ensure long-
term corrosion prevention.
The most common causes of corro-
sion to your vehicle are: The accumulation of road salt, dirt and
moisture in hard-to-reach areas un- der the vehicle.
Chipping of paint, or undercoating
caused by minor accidents or by
stones and gravel.
Care is especially important if you live
in particular areas or operate your ve-
hicle under certain environmentalconditions: Road salt or dust control chemicals will
accelerate corrosion, as will the pres-
ence of salt in the air near the sea-
coast or in areas of industrial pollution.
High humidity accelerates corrosion
especially when temperatures rangejust above the freezing point.
Wetness or dampness to certain parts
of your vehicle for an extended period
of time, may cause corrosion even
though other parts of the vehicle may
be dry.
High temperatures will cause corro-
sion to those components of the ve-
hicle which are prevented from quick-
drying due to lack of proper ventilation.
The above signifies the necessity to keep
your vehicle, particularly the underside,
as clean as possible and to repair any
damage to paint or protective coatings as
soon as possible.
To help prevent corrosion on your
Toyota, follow these guidelines:
Wash your vehicle frequently. It is, of
course, necessary to keep your vehicle
clean by regular washing, but to prevent corrosion, the following points should beobserved: If you drive on salted roads in the win-
ter or if you live near the ocean, you
should hose off the undercarriage atleast once a month to minimize corro- sion.

154
High pressure water or steam is effec-
tive for cleaning the vehicle's under-
side and wheel housings. Pay particu-
lar attention to these areas as it is
difficult to see all the mud and dirt. It
will do more harm than good to simply
wet the mud and debris without remov-
ing them. The lower edge of doors,
rocker panels and frame members
have drain holes which should not be
allowed to clog with dirt as trapped wa-
ter in these areas can cause corrosion.
Wash the underside of the vehicle
thoroughly when winter is over.
See Washing and waxing your Toyotaº
for more tips.
Check the condition of your vehicle's
paint and trim. If you find any chips or
scratches in the paint, touch them up im- mediately to prevent corrosion from start- ing. If the chips or scratches have gone
through the bare metal, have a qualified
body shop make the repair. Check the interior of your vehicle.
Wa-
ter and dirt can accumulate under the floor
mats and could cause corrosion. Occa-
sionally check under the mats to make sure the area is dry. Be particularly careful
when transporting chemicals, cleansers,
fertilizers, salt, etc.; these should be
transported in proper containers. If a spill
or leak should occur, immediately clean
and dry the area.
Use mud shields on your wheels. If you
drive on salted or gravel roads, mud
shields help protect your vehicle. Full- size shields, which come as near to the
ground as possible, are the best. We rec-
ommend that the fittings and the area
where the shields are installed be treated
to resist corrosion. Your Toyota dealer will
be happy to assist in supplying and instal-
ling the shields if they are recommended for your area.
Do not park your vehicle in a damp, poorly ventilated garage. If you wash
your vehicle in the garage, or if you drive
it in covered with water or snow, your ga- rage may be so damp it will cause corro-
sion. Even if your garage is heated, a wet
vehicle can corrode if the ventilation is
poor. Washing your Toyota by hand
Work in the shade and wait until the ve-
hicle body is not hot to the touch.
CAUTION
When cleaning under floor or chas-
sis, be careful not to injure your hands.!
1. Rinse off loose dirt with a hose. Re- move any mud or road salt from the
underside of the vehicle or in the wheel
wells.
2. Wash with a mild car-wash soap, mixed according to the manufacturer's
instructions. Use a soft cotton mitt and
keep it wet by dipping it frequently into
the wash water. Do not rub hard-let the soap and water remove the dirt.
Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap or
neutral detergent.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or
cleaners that are marked safe for paintedsurfaces.
Do not use gasoline or strong
solvents, which may be toxic or
cause damage.
NOTICE
Washing and waxing your
Toyota

155
3. Rinse thoroughly Ð dried soap can
cause streaking. In hot weather you
may need to rinse each section right
after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a cl ean soft cotton towel. Do not
rub or press hard Ð you might scratch the paint.
Waxing your Toyota
Polishing and waxing is recommend-
ed to maintain the original beauty of
your Toyota's finish.
1. Always wash and dry the vehicle be- fore you begin waxing, even if you are
using a combined cleaner and wax.
2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If the finish has become extremely
weathered, use a car-cleaning polish,
followed by a separate wax. Carefully
follow the manufacturer's instructions
and precautions. Be sure to polish and
wax the chrome trim as well as thepaint.
3. Wax the vehicle again when water does not bead but remains on the sur-
face in large patches.
CAUTION
Do not wash the vehicle floor with
water, or allow water to get into the
floor when cleaning the vehicle in-
terior or exterior. W ater may get into
audio components or other electri-
cal components above or under the
floor carpet (or mat) and cause a
malfunction; and it may cause body
corrosion.!
Vinyl interior
The vinyl upholstery may be easily
cleaned with a mild soap or detergent
and water.
First vacuum over the upholstery to
remove loose dirt. Then, using a sponge
or soft cloth, apply the soap solution to thevinyl. After allowing it to soak in for a few
minutes to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt
and wipe off the soap with a clean damp
cloth. If all the dirt does not come off, repeat the procedure. Commercial
foaming-type vinyl cleaners are also
available which work well. Follow the
manufacturer 's instructions.Do not use solvent, thinner,
gasoline or window cleaner on the
interior.
NOTICE
Carpets
Use a good foam-type shampoo to
clean the carpets.
Begin by vacuuming thoroughly to re-
move as much dirt as possible. Several
types of foam cleaners are available; some are in aerosol cans and others are
powders or liquids which you mix with wa-
ter to produce a foam. To shampoo the
carpets, use a sponge or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles.
Do not apply water ± the best results are obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as possible. Read the shampoo instructions
and follow them closely. Seat belts
The seat belts may be cleaned with
mild soap and water or with lukewarm
water.
Use a cloth or sponge. As you are clean-
ing, check the belts for excessive wear,
fraying, or cuts.
Cleaning the interior

156
Do not use dye or bleach on thebeltsÐit may weaken them.
NOTICE
Windows
The windows may be cleaned with any
household window cleaner.
When cleaning the inside of the
windows, be careful not to scratch
or damage the heater wires on therear window.
NOTICE
Air conditioning control panel, car au-
dio, instrument panel, console panel,
and switches Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.
Soak a clean soft cloth in water or luke-
warm water then lightly wipe off any dirt.

Do not use organic substances(solvents, kerosene, alcohol, gas-
oline, etc.) or alkaline or acidicsolutions. These chemicals cancause discoloring, staining or
peeling of the surface.
NOTICE
If you use cleaners or polishingagents, make sure their ingredi-
ents do not include the sub-
stances mentioned above.
If you use a liquid car freshener,do not spill the liquid onto the ve-
hicle's interior surfaces. It maycontain the ingredients men-
tioned above. Immediately clean
any spill using the method men-tioned above.
If you have any questions about the
cleaning of your Toyota, your local To-
yota dealer will be pleased to answer them.