1997 TOYOTA TACOMA Engine oil type

Publication No. OM35705U
Part No. 01999-35705
Printed in Japan 10- 9802- 05
Quick index If a service reminder indicator or warning buzzer comes on 59 . . . . .
If your vehicle will not start 139
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If your engine stalls while driving 142 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your vehicle overheats 143
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If you have a flat tire 144
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If your vehicle needs to be towed 152 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for driving during break- in period 114 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to start the engine 127
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General maintenance 168
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Complete index 221
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Gas station information
Fuel type: UNLEADED gasoline, Octane Rating 87 (Research Octane Number
91) or higher.
See page 114 for detailed information.
Fuel tank capacity: Two- wheel drive models
57 L (15.1 gal., 12.5 Imp.gal.)
Four- wheel drive models
68 L (18.0 gal., 15.0 Imp. gal.)
Engine oil: API SH, ''Energy- Conserving II'' multigrade engine oil or ILSAC mult igrade
engine oil is recommended.
See page 182 for detailed information.
Tire information: See pages 185 through 189.
Tire pressure: See page 211. T
9
I

Part 2Off-road vehicle precautions
(four-wheel drive models only)
11 3
INFORMATION
BEFORE DRIVING
YOUR TOYOTA
Off-road vehicle precautions
Break-in period
Fuel
Operation in foreign countries
Three-way catalytic converter
Engine exhaust cautions
Facts about engine oil consumption
Twin ground electrode spark plugs
Brake system
Brake pad wear limit indicators
Luggage stowage precautions
Rear step bumper
Your Toyota's idenitification
Suspension and chassis
Types of tires
This vehicle is one of the class of ve-
hicles which have higher ground
clearance and narrower tread in rela-
tion to the height of their center of
gravity to make them capable of per- forming in a wide variety of off-road applications. Specific design charac-
teristics give it a hi
gher center or grav-
ity than ordinary cars. An advantage ofthe higher ground clearance is a better view of the road allowing you to antici-
pate problems. It is not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as con-
ventional two-wheel drive vehicles
any more than low-slung sports cars
are designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road conditions.
CAUTION!
Always obeserve the following pre-
cautions to minimize the risk of seri-
ous personal injury or damage to
your vehicle: Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible. As with other
vehicles of this type, failure to oper-
ate this vehicle correctly may result
in loss of control or vehicle rol-
lover.
Avoid l oading any items on the roof
that will make the center of gravity
even higher.
Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its high center of
gravity, your vehicle is more sensi-
tive to side winds than an ordinary
passenger car. Slowing down will
allow you to have much better con- trol.
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar off-road ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back- ward.

131
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. 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.
Winter driving tips

1741. Windshield washer fluid tank (type A)
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Fuse block
5. Battery
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Power steering fluid reservoir
8. Engine oil level dipstick
9. Windshield washer fluid tand (type B)
Engine compartment overview
2RZ-FE and 3RZ-FE engines

175
1. Windshield washer fluid tank (type A)
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Fuse block
5. Battery
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Engine oil level dipstick
8. Power steering fluid reservoir
9. Windshield washer fluid tand (type B)

5VZ-FE engine

177
When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)
Right after driving, the engine
compartmentÐthe engine, radia-
tor, exhaust manifold, power
steering fluid reservoir and spark
plug boots, etc.Ðwill be hot. So
be careful not to touch them. Oil,
fluids and spark plugs may also be
hot.
If the engine is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the
drain plugs to prevent burning yourself.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flamable.
Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it.
Always use automotive jack
stands or other solid supports. CAUTION
!
Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under you vehicle
where you may be exposed to fly-
ing or falling material, fluid spray, etc.
Used engine oil contains poten-
tially harmful contaminants which
may cause skin disorders such as
inflammation or skin cancer, so
care should be taken to avoid pro-
longed and repeated contact with
it. To remove used engine oil from
your skin, wash thoroughly with
soap and water.
Do not leave used oil within thereach of children.
Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers
or onto the ground. Call your deal- er or a service station for informa-
tion concerning recycling or dis- posal.
Remember that battery and igni-
tion cable carry high currents or
voltages. Be careful of accidental-
ly causing a short circuit.
Add only demineralized or dis- tilled w ater to fill the radiator. And
if you spill some of the coolant, be sure to wash it off with water to
prevent it from damaging theparts or paint.
Do not allow dirt or anything elseto fall through the spark plug
holes.
Do not pry the outer electrode of aspark plug against the center elec-
trode.
Use only spark plugs of the speci- fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
Do not overfill automatic trans- mission fluid, or the transmission
could be damaged.
Do not drive with the air cleaner fil-ter removed, or excessive enginewear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the enginecompartment.
NOTICE

Part 7Checking the engine oil level
181
DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCEÐ
Chapter 7-2 Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level
Checking the engine coolant level
Checking brake fluid
Checking power steering fluid
Checking tire pressure
Checking and replacing tires
Rotating tires
Installing snow tires and chains
Replacing wheels
Aluminum wheel precautions
With the engine at operating tempera- ture and turned off, check the oil level
on the dipstick.
1. To get a true reading, the vehicle
should be on a level spot. After turning
off the engine, wait a few minutes for
the oil to drain back into the bottom ofthe engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, and wipe it clean with a rag.
3. Reinsert the dipstick 'push it in as far
as it will go, or the reading will not becorrect.
4. Pull the dipstick out and look at the oil level on the end.
CAUTION
Be careful not to touch the hot ex-
haust manifold.!
If the oil level is below or only slightly
above the low level line, add engine oil
of the same type as already in the en- gine. Remove the oil filter cap and add engine oil in small quantities at a time, checking the dipstick.
The approximate quantity of oil needed to
fill between the low level line and the full
level on the dipstick is indicated below forreference. When the level reaches within the correct range, install the filler cap hand-tight.
Oil quantity, L (qt., Imp. qt.):
2RZ-FE and 3RZ-FE engines
1.5 (1.6, 1.3)
5VZ-FE engine Two-wheel drive models 1.5 (1.6,1.3)
Four-wheel drive models 1.2 (1.3,1.1)

183
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 oil marked Energy-Conservingº.
The ILSAC (International Lubricant Stan-
dardization and Approval Committee)Certification Mark is displayed on the front
of the container. Look at the see-through coolant res-
ervoir when the engine is cold. The
coolant level is satisfactory if it is be-
tween the Fº and Lº lines on
the res-
ervoir. If the level is low, add ethylene-
glycol type coolant.
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the level is on or below the Lº line, add cool- ant. Bring the level up to the Fº line. Use only ethylene-glycol type coolant. See information in the next column.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the ra-
diator, hoses, radiator cap and drain cock
and water pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check for
leaks in the cooling system.
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot.
CAUTION! Coolant type selection
Your coolant must contain ethylene-gly- col antifreeze. In addition to preventingfreezing and subsequent damage to the
engine, this will also prevent corrosion. Further supplemental inhibitors or addi-
tives are neither needed nor recom- mended.
Read
the antifreeze container for informa-
tion on freeze protection. Follow the
manufacturer 's directions for how much
to mix with water. The total capacity of the
cooling system is given in Part 8. We rec-
ommend 50% solution be used for your
Toyota, or a sufficient quantity to provideprotection to about -35 C (-31 C).
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze
or plain water alone.
NOTICE
Checking the engine coolant level