
60
(a) Brake System Warning  Light This light has the following functions: Parking brake reminder 
If this light is on, make sure the parking 
brake is fully released.  The light should go
off. 
Low brake fluid level warning 
If this light comes on and stays on while 
you are driving, slowdown and pull off the 
road.  Then stop the vehicle carefully.There may be a problem somewhere in 
the brake system.  Check the fluid level of 
the see-through reservoir. 
To make sure the parking brake has not 
caused the warning light to come on, 
check to  see that the parking brake is fully
released. 
If the brake fluid level is low... 
At a safe place, test your brakes by start- 
ing and stopping.   If you judge that the brakes still work 
adequately, drive cautiously to yournearest dealer or shop for repairs.
  If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs.  (For tow-
ing information, see Part 4.)
It is dangerous to continue driving 
normally when the brake fluid level 
is low. CAUTION
!
If the brake fluid level is correct... 
Have the warning system checked by 
your Toyota dealer. (b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and  Buzzer
Once the ignition key is turned to ONº or 
STARTº, the reminder light and buzzer 
come on if  the driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened.  Unless the driver fastens the belt,
the light stays on and the buzzer stops af- 
ter about 4 to 8 seconds. 
(c) Discharge Warning  Light 
This light warns that the battery is being discharged. 
If it comes on while you are driving, there 
is a problem somewhere in the charging system.  

62(h) SRS Airbag Warning  Light 
This light will come on when the igni- 
tion 
key is turned to the ACCº or ONº
position.  After about 6 seconds, the
light w ill go off.  This means the airbag
system is operating properly. 
The warning light system monitors the air- 
bag sensor assembly, inflator, warning light, interconnecting wiring and power sources. 
If either of the following conditions occurs, this indicates a malfunction somewhere in the parts monitored by the warning light 
system.  Contact your Toyota dealer as 
soon as possible to service the vehicle.   The light does not come on when the 
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position or remains on.
  The light comes on while driving.
(i) Light Reminder Buzzer 
This buzzer will sound if the driver's door is opened while the ignition switch isturned to the LOCKº position with the 
headlight  switch on. Removing the key  will
not stop the buzzer as long as the head- light switch is on. (j) Key Reminder Buzzer 
This buzzer reminds you to remove the 
key when you open the driver's door withthe ignition key in the ACCº or LOCKº position. 
(k) Unengaged  Parkº Warning  Light
(vehicles with automatic tranmis- sion)
The light warns that the transmission 
Parkº mechanism is not engaged. If the 
front drive control lever is in the Nº posi-
tion while the selector lever is in the Pº 
position, the transmission will disengage 
and the wheels will not lock.
To restore the park function, shift 
the front drive control lever out of 
Nº, or the vehicle can move. CAUTION
!
(l) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem- perature Warning  Light
This light warns that the automatic trans- mission fluid temperature is too high. If this light comes on while you are driving, 
slow down and pull off the road. Stop the 
vehicle at a 
safe place and put the selector
lever in Pº. With the engine idling, wait 
until the light  goes off. If the light goes off,
you may start the vehicle again. If the light 
does not go off, call a Toyota dealer or 
qualified repair shop for assistance. 
(m)Low Windshield Washer Fluid 
Level Warning Light (Canada)
The light warns that the windshield wash- 
er fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at 
your earliest opportunity. (For instruc-
tions, see Adding washer fluidº in Chap- ter 7-3.) 
CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER  INDI-
CATORS (except the low fuel level 
warning  light) 
1. Apply the parking brake. 
2. Turn ignition key to ACCº. The SRS airbag warnign light should 
come on. it goes off after about 6 sec- onds. 

76Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the 
cruise control is being used, even if you 
downshift the transmission by turning offthe overdrive switch, engine braking will 
not be applied because the cruise control 
is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the
vehicle speed, see Cruise controlº in 
this
chapter.
Be careful when downshifting on a 
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting 
could cause the vehicle to spin or skid. CAUTION
!
(c) Using 2º and Lº positions 
The 2º and Lº positions are used for 
strong engine braking as described pre- 
viously. With the selector lever in 2º or Lº, you 
can start the vehicle in motion as with the 
lever in Dº. With the selector lever in 2º, the vehicle 
will  start in the first gear and automatically
shift to the second gear. 
With the selector lever in Lº, the trans- 
mission is engaged in the first gear.
NOTICE
 Be careful not to overrev the en- gine. Watch the tachometer to
keep engine rpm from going intothe red zone. The approximate
maximum allowable speed foreach position is given below for
your reference:Front  drive control lever in H2º or
H4º- 3RZ-FE  engine
2º 109 km/h (68 mph). . . . . . 
Lº 60 km/h (37 mph) . . . . . 
5VZ-FE  engine 2º 120 km/h (75 mph). . . . . . 
Lº  66 km/h (41 mph) . . . . . 
Front drive control lever in L4º-
3RZ-FE engine 2º 43 km/h (27 mph). . . . . . 
Lº 22 km/h (14 mph) . . . . . 
5VZ-FE  engine
2º 46 km/h (29 mph). . . . . . 
Lº 25 km/h (16 mph) . . . . . 
 Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
2º or Lº position. This maycause severe automatic transmis-
sion damage from overheating.To prevent such damage, use Dº
position  for hill climbing or hardtowing.
(d) Backing up 
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop. 
2. With the brake pedal held down with
your  foot, shift the selector lever to the
Rº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
(e) Parking 
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop. 
2. Pull  the parking brake lever fully to se-
curely apply the parking brake. 
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, 
shift the selector lever the Pº position.