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REMOVAL 
1. Open the tailgate to the anglewhere you can release the support 
brackets from the lugs on bothsides.
2. Open the tailgate to about 30 5 from
vertical and pull up  the right side of
the tailgate to unhook the rightside.
3. Slide the tailgate a little to the right to unhook the left side.
To install the tailgate, follow the removal 
procedure in revers order. 
After closing the tailgate, try pulling it to- 
ward you to make sure it is securely closed. 
We recommend you keep the tailgate 
closed when not in use.
 
Before unhooking the tailgate,fold the support brackets.
 Make sure the support brackets
are securely latched on both sidepanels when installing the tail-
gate.
NOTICE
To open the hood, do the following. 
1. Pull the hood lock release lever.
The hood will spring up slightly.
Hood   
     
        
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13
2. In front of the vehicle, pull up on theauxiliary catch lever and lift the hood.3. Hold the hood open by insertingthe support rod into the slot.
Before  closing the hood, check to see that
you have not forgotten any tools, rags, 
etc. and return the support rod to its clip- 
this prevents rattles. Then lower the hood 
and make sure it locks into place. If neces- 
sary, press down gently on front edge to lock it.
After inserting the support rod into 
the slot, make sure the rod supports 
the hood security.
CAUTION!
1. To open the fuel filler door, pull the
lever up.
CAUTION!
  Do not smoke, cause sparks or al- 
low open flames when refuelling. 
The fumes are flammable.
  When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot weath-
er, fuel under pressure could cause 
injury by spraying out of the filler 
neck if the cap is suddenly re- moved.
Fuel tank cap    
     
        
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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 
     
        
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159
Tire surface and wheel nuts Check the tires carefully 
for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Chapter 7-2 for 
additional information. When checking the tires, make sure no nuts are missing, 
and check the nuts for looseness. T ighten
them if necessary. 
Tire rotation 
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500 
miles). See Chapter 7-2 for additional in- formation. 
Fluid  leaks Check  underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has been 
parked for a while. If  you smell fuel fumes
or notice any leak, have the cause found
and corrected immediately. Doors and engine hood Check that all doors including tailgate op- erate smoothly and all latches lock se- 
curely. M ake sure the engine hood secon-
dary latch secures the hood from opening
when the primary latch is released. INSIDE THE VEHICLE Items listed below should be checked 
regularly, e.g. while performing peri-
odic services, cleaning the vehicle,etc. LightsMake sure the headlights, stop lights, tail lights, turn signal lights, and other lights are all working. Check headlight aim. Service reminder indicators and 
warn-
ing buzzersCheck that all service reminder indicators 
and warning buzzers function properly. Steering wheel 
Be alert for changes in steering condition, such as hard steering or strange noise. Seats Check that all seat controls such as seat 
adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. operate 
smoothly  and that all latches lock securely
in any position.  Check that the head re-
straints move up and down smoothly and 
that  the locks hold securely in any latched
position. For folding-down seatback
(bench seat), check that the latches lock 
securely. Seat belts 
Check that the seat belt system such as 
buckles, retractors and anchors operate 
properly  and smoothly. Make sure that the
belt webbing is not cut, frayed, worn ordamaged. 
Accelerator pedal Check  the pedal for smooth operation and
uneven pedal effort or catching. Clutch pedal Check the pedal for smooth operation. Brake pedal Check 
the pedal for smooth operation and
that the pedal has the proper clearance. Check the brake booster function. Brakes 
At a safe place, check that the brakes do not pull to one side when applied. Parking brake Check that the lever has the proper travel and that, on a safe incline, your vehicle is 
held securely with only the parking brake applied. 
Automatic transmission Parkº  mech-
anism 
On a safe incline, check that your vehicle is held securely with the selector lever in Pº position and all brakes released. 
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT Items listed below should be checked 
from time to time, e.g. each time when refueling. 
Washer fluid 
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the 
tank. See Chapter 7-3 for additional  infor-
mation. 
     
        
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188
1. Open the hood. Unplug the con-nector. Remove the rubber cover.
If the connector is tight, wiggle it.2. Remove the rubber cover.3. Release the bulb retaining spring and remove the bulb. Install a new 
bulb and the bulb retaining spring.
To install a bulb, align the tabs of the bulb with the cutouts of the mounting hole.
ÐHeadlights