1997 TOYOTA TACOMA height

20
While adjusting the seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. You may catch
and injure your hands or fingers.1. SEAT POSITION ADJUSTING LE- VER
Pull the lever up. Then slide the seat to
the desired position with slight body
pressure and release lever.
2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING LEVER
Lean forward and pull the lever up.
Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
CAUTION!
To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more than
needed. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection in a frontal or rear
collision when the driver and the
passenger are sitting up straight and
well back in the seats. If you are re-
clined, the lap belt may slide past
your hips and apply restraint forces
directly to the abdomen. Therefore,
in the event of a frontal collision, the risk of personal injury may increase
with increasing recline of the seat- back.
3. SEAT CUSHION HEIGHT ADJUST- ING KNOB
Turn the knob either way.
ÐAdjusting front seats

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.

120
Effective way to press the ABSº brake
pedal: When the anti-lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti-lock brake
system work for you, just hold the brake
pedal down more firmly. Do not pumpthe brake. This will result in reduced
braking performance.
The brake pedal pulsation caused by the
anti-lock brake system may indicate haz- ardous road surface conditions. Althoughthe anti-lock brake system assists in pro-
viding vehicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care, because the anti-
lock brake system cannot overcome the
laws of physics that act on your vehicle: Braking capab ility is dependent on tire
friction with the road surface.
Even though the anti-lock brake sys-
tem is operating, a driver cannot main- tain full control on certain slippery road
surfaces, when cornering at highspeeds, or in violent maneuvers.
Avoid high speeds on wet roads. The
anti-lock brake system cannot elimi-
nate the risk of hydroplaning and lossof tire friction. Always maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in
front of you. Compared with ve-
hicles not fitted with an anti-lock brake
system, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases: Driving on rough, gravel or snow-cov-
ered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving on roads where the road sur-
face is pitted or has other differencesin surface height.
CAUTION!
Do not use tires other than the
manufacturer 's designated tires, and
do not mix tires or wheels of different
sizes. You may prevent the antilockbrake system from operating at fulleffictiveness.
Vehicles with rear differential lock sys- temÐ
The anti-lock brake system does not op-
erate when the rear differential is locked.
It is normal operation for the ABSº warn-
ing light to be on at this time.Type A
Type B

Part 3How to start the engineÐ
(a) Before cranking
Before starting the engine
127
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the engine
How to start the engine
Tips for driving in various conditions
Off-road driving precautions
Winter driving tips
Trailer towing
How to save fuel and make your
vehicle last longer, too
1. Check
the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, seat cushion angle, head restraint
height and steering wheel angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock both doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3. Manual transmission: Press the
clutch pedal to the floor and shift the
transmission into neutral. Hold theclutch pedal to the floor until the engine
is started. A starter safety device willprevent the starter from operating if
the clutch pedal is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the se-
lector lever in Pº. If you need to restart
the engine while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in Nº. A starter
safety device will prevent the starter
from operating if the selector lever is in
any drive position.
4. Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it to the
floor until driving off.

189
WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR WHEELS
If you have wheel damage such as
bending, cracks or heavy corrosion,
the wheel should be replaced.
If you fail to replace damaged wheels, the
tire may slip off the wheel or they may cause loss of handling control. WHEEL SELECTION
When replacing wheels, care should
be taken to ensure that the wheels are
replaced by ones with the same load
capacity, diameter, rim width, and off-set.
Correct
replacement wheels are available
at your Toyota dealer.
A wheel of a different size or type may ad-
versely affect handling, wheel and bear-
ing life, brake cooling, speedometer/
odometer calibration, stopping ability,
headlight aim, bumper height, vehicle
ground clearance, and tire or snow chain clearance to the body and chassis. Replacement
with used wheels is not rec-
ommended as they may have been sub-jected to rough treatment or high mileage
and could fail without warning. Also, bent
wheels which have been straightened
may have structural damage and there-
fore should not be used. Never use an in-
ner tube in a leaking wheel which is de-
signed for a tubeless tire.
After driving your vehicle the first 1600
km (1000 miles), check that the wheel
nuts are tight.
If you have rotated, repaired, or
changed your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight after driving
1600 km (1000 miles).
When using tire chains, be careful not
to damage the aluminum wheels.
Use only the Toyota wheel nuts and
wrench designed for your aluminumwheels.
When balancing your wheels, use only
Toyota balance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber hammer.
As with any wheel, periodically checkyour aluminum wheels for damage. If
damaged, replace immediately.
Aluminum wheel precautions
Replacing wheels

Normal cab models Xtra-cab models
Overall length mm (in.) 4440 (174.8) *1
4910 (193.3) *1
4590 (180.7) *2
5055 (199.0) *2
Overall width mm (in.) 1690 (66.5) 1690 (66.5)
Overall height mm (in.) 1570 (61.8) *3,
5
1575 (62.0) *5
1575 (62.0) *4,
5
Wheelbase mm (in.) 2625 (103.3) 3095 (121.9)
Front tread mm (in.) 1395 (54.9) *3
1425 (56.1)
1425 (56.1) *4
Rear tread mm (in.) 1415 (55.7) *3
1440 (56.7)
1440 (56.7) *4
Cargo weight rating kg (lb.) 500 (1100) *6
500 (1100)*6
430 (950) *7
430 (950)*7
295 (650) *8
*1 : Without rear step bumper
*2 : With rear step bumper
*3 : With P195/75R 14 tires
*4 : With P215/70R 14 tires
*5 : Unladen vehicle
*6 : With 1 or 2 occupants
*7 : With 3 occupants
*8 : With 5 occupants
Part 8 Dimensions and weight
205
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions and weight
Engine
Fuel
Service specifications
Tires
Fuses
TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MODELS

206
FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE MODELS
Model:
2RZ-FE, 3RZ-FE and 5VZ-FE
Type: 2RZ-FE and 3RZ-FE engine
4 cylinder in line, 4 cycle, gasoline
5VZ-FE engine 6 cylinder V type, 4 cycle, gasoline
Bore and stroke, mm (in.): 2RZ-FE engine
95.0 x 86.0 (3.74 x 3.39)
3RZ-FE engine
95.0 x 95.0 (3.74 x 3.74)
5VZ-FE engine 93.5 x 82.0 (3.68 x 3.23)
Displacement, cm 3
(cu. in.):
2RZ-FE engine 2438 (148.8)
3RZ-FE engine 2694 (164.3)
5VZ-FE engine
3378 (206.1)
Normal cab models Xtra-cab models
Overall length mm (in.) 4585 (180.5) 5055 (199.0)
Overall width mm (in.) 1690 (66.5) *1
1690 (66.5)
1720 (67.7) *2
1720 (67.7)*2
Overall height mm (in.) 1710 (67.3) *1,3
1700 (66.9)*1,3
1740 (68.5) *2,3
1735 (68.3)*2,3
Wheelbase mm (in.) 2625 (103.3) 3095 (121.9)
Front tread mm (in.) 1395 (54.9) *3
1460 (57.5)*4
1500 (59.1) *5
1500 (59.1)*5
Rear tread mm (in.) 1455 (57.3) *4
1455 (57.3)*4
1495 (58.9) *5
1495 (58.9)*5
Cargo weight rating kg (lb.) 500 (1100) 500 (1100) *6
317 (700) *7
*1 : With P225/75R 15 tires
*2 : With 31 x 10.5R 15 LT tires
*3 : Unladen vehicle
*4 : With steel wheels
*5 : With aluminum wheels
*6 : With 3 occupants
*7 : With 5 occupants
Engine