1997 TOYOTA T100 oil temperature

Indicator symbols on the instrument panel
6
4WD
Anti-lock brake system warning light*
Brake system warning light* Seat belt reminder light*
Discharge warning light*
Low oil pressure warning light*
Malfunction indicator light*
Low fuel level warning light*
SRS airbag warning light* Automatic transmission fluid
temperature warning light*
Turn signal indicator lights
Headlight high beam indicator light
Over-drive indicator light
Unengaged Parkº warning light* Low windshield washer fluid level warning light*
4WDº indicator light
Automatic transmission indicator lights
Cruise control indicator light
The indicators marked with * are service reminder indicators.
For details, see Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzersº in Chapter 1-5.

Part 1Fuel gauge (without tachometer)
55
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS ANDCONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-5 Gauges, Meters and Service reminderindicators
Fuel gauge
Engine coolant temperature gauge
Oil pressure gauge
Voltmeter
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.
It is a good idea to keep the tank over 1/4 full.
The needle moves when braking, acceler-
ating or making turns. This is caused by the fuel moving in the tank.
If the 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.

57
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat inthe 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 oil pressure gauge indicates en-
gine oil pressure when the ignition is
on. Check it while driving to make sure
that the needle is in the proper range.
If the oil pressure should stay below the
normal range, pull off the road to a safe
place to stop the engine immediately. Call
a Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
Oil pressure may not build up when the oil
level is too low. The oil pressure gauge is not designed to indicate oil level, and the
oil level must be checked using the leveldipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with oil pressure below the normal range
until the cause is fixed-it may ruin the engine.
Oil pressure gauge

11 2
To allow proper operation of your
vehicle's ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or
other obstructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, drive with the windows
open. Have the cause immediately
located and corrected.
Toyota does not recommend occu-
pying the rear cargo area when it is
fitted with a slide-in camper,camper shell or other type cover
while the engine is running. This
caution applies to both driving and
stopped or parked situations with
the engine running. Particular care
should be taken to prevent ex-
haust gases from entering camper
bodies, trailer or other enclosures
on or around your vehicle. If ex-
haust fumes are detected, open all
windows and thoroughly ventilate the area. FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of lu-
bricating and cooling the inside of the en-
gine,
and plays a major role in maintaining
the engine in proper working order. ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are
as follows. Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil is left on the cylinder wall when a piston
moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated
when the vehicle is decelerating sucks
some of this oil into the combustion
chamber. This oil as well as some part
of the oil film left on the cylinder wall is
burned by the high temperature com-
bustion gases during the combustion process.
Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil is
sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve stems.
The amount of engine oil consumed
depends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions
the vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high-speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel- eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may be- come diluted and make it difficult to
judge the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for re-
peated short trips, and consumes a nor- mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with the fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
Facts about engine oil consumption

125

If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the waterand the bottom of the river bed forfirmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
Take all necessary safety measuresto ensure that damage to the en-
gine or o ther components does not
occur.
Water entering the engine air intake
will cause severe engine damage.
Water can wash the grease fromwheel bearings, causing rustingand premature failure, and mayalso enter the differential,
transmission and transfer case, reducing the gear oil's lubricatingqualities.
Sand and mud that has accumu-lated in brake drums and around
brake discs may affect braking effi-
ciency and may damage brake sys-tem components.
NOTICEAlways perform a maintenance in-spection after each day of off-
road driving that has taken you through rough terrain, sand, mud,
or water. For scheduled mainte-
nance information, refer to theseparate Owner's Manual Sup-plement/Maintenance Scheduleº.Make sure you have ethylene-glycol
antifreeze in the radiator.
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze.
NOTICE
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 dealer- he 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.
Winter driving tips

137
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 ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in Pº
(automatic) or neutral (manual) and
apply the parking brake. Turn off the
air conditioning if it is being used.
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 ve-
hicle. However, note that water drain-ing from the air conditioning 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 of the coolant is leaking, stop the engine im-
mediately. Call a Toyota dealer for as- sistance.
5. If The engine drive belt is O.K. and there are no obvious leaks, you may
help the engine cool down more quick-
ly 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
engine is running. Fill it about half full.
Do not attempt to remove the
radiator cap when the engine and
radiator are hot. Serious injury
could result from scalding hot fluid
and steam blown out underpressure. 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 coolant loss indicates a leak in
the system. You should have it
checked as soon as possible at your
Toyota dealer.
If your vehicle overheats

160Engine coolant level Make sure the coolant level is between
the FULLº and LOWº lines on the see-
through
reservoir when the engine is cold.
See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa-tion when the engine is cold. Battery electrolyte level Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower level
lines on the case. Add only distilled water
when replenishing. See Chapter 7-3 for
additional information. Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct. See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa- tion.
Engine oil level
Check the l evel on the dipstick with the en-
gine turned off and the vehicle parked on
a level spot. See Chapter 7-2 for addition-
al information. Power steering fluid level Check the level on the dipstick. The level
should be in the HOTº or COLDº range
depending on the fluid temperature. See Chapter 7-2 for additional information. Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, havethe cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See engine exhaust cautions in
Part 2.)
Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip-offs
that in-
dicate service is needed. Some important
clues are as follows: Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monox-
ide leak. Drive with the windows open
and have the exhaust system checked
immediately.)
Flat-looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when driving straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspensionmovement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
Engine coolant temperature continual-
ly higher than normal
Does your vehicle need repairing?

172
Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
Check the oil level on the dipstick
once again after adding the oil.
NOTICEENGINE OIL SELECTION Use API SH, Energy-Conserving IIº mul- tigrade engine oil or ILSAC multigrade en-
gine oil. Recommended viscosity (SAE):
SAE 5W-30 is the best choice for your
vehicle, for good fuel economy and
good starting in cold weather.
If you use SAE 10W-30 engine oil in
extremely low temperatures, the en-
gine may become difficult to start, so
SAE 5W-30 engine oil is recom-mended.
Oil identification marks
Either or both API registered marks are
added to some oil containers to help
you select the oil you should use.
The API Service Symbol is located any-
where on the outside of the container. The top portion of the label shows the oil
quality by API (American Petroleum Insti-
tute) designations such as SH. The cen-
ter portion of the label shows the SAE vis-
cosity grade such as SAE 5W-30.
Energy-Conserving IIº shown in the low-
er portion, indicates that the oil has fuel-
saving capabilities. Oils marked Ener-
gy-Conserving IIº will have higher
fuel-saving capabilities than oils marked Energy-Conservingº.