1997 TOYOTA TACOMA traction control

80
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin orskid.CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped before shifting into
reverse.
Use the front drive control lever to se-
lect the following transfer modes. H2º (high speed position, two-wheel
drive): Lever at H2º
Use this for normal driving on dry hardsur- faced roads. This position gives greater
economy, quietest ride and least wear.
H4º (high speed position, four-wheel drive): Lever at H4º
Use this for normal driving on wet, icy or
snow-covered roads. This position pro-
vides greater traction than two-wheel drive. Nº (neutral position):
Lever at Nº
No power is delivered to the wheels. Thevehicle must be stopped.
L4º (low speed position, four-wheel
drive): Lever at L4º
Use the for maximum power and traction.
Use L4º for climbing or descending steep
hills, off-road driving, and hard pulling in
sand, mud or deep snow.
The four-wheel drive indicator light
comes on when the H4º, Nº or L4º mode
is selected.
See (d) Shifting procedure (lever type)º
for further instructions.
Four-wheel drive systemÐ (a) Front drive control(lever type)

81
Use the front drive control lever and
4WDº button to select the following transfer modes. H2º (high speed position, two-wheel
drive): Lever at Hº, 4WDº button left out
Use this for normal driving on dry hardsur- faced roads. This position gives greater
economy, quietest ride and least wear.
H4º (high speed position, four-wheel
drive): Lever at Hº, 4WDº button pushed
in.
Use this for normal driving on wet, icy or
snow-covered roads. This position pro-
vides greater traction than two-wheel drive. Nº (neutral position):
Lever at Nº
No power is delivered to the wheels. Thevehicle must be stopped.
L4º (low speed position, four-wheel
drive): Lever at L4º
Use this for maximum power and traction. Use L4º for climbing or descending steep
hills, off-road driving, and hard pulling in
sand, mud or deep snow.
The four-wheel drive indicator light
comes on when the H4º, Nº or L4º mode is selected.
See (d) Shifting procedure (lever/button
type)º for further instructions.To engage the free-wheeling hubs,
turn the hubs to LOCKº. To disen-
gage, turn the hubs to FREEº Make sure the triangle mark on the jub
aligns with the other one at the side you
wish to set.
Setting the free-wheeling hubs in FREEº
allows you to disengage the front axle and
driveshaft so that they are not revolving.
This reduces noise and wear when the ve-
hicle is in two-wheel drive.
You should drive with the hubs in LOCKº for at least 16 km (10 miles) each month.
This will assure that the front drive compo-
nents are lubricated.
(a) Front drive control (lever/button type)
(b) Free-wheeling hubs

124The engine number is stamped on the
engine block as shown.
CAUTION!
Do not modify the suspension/
chassis with lift kits, spacers,
springs, etc. It can cause danger-
ous handling characteristics, re-
sulting in loss of control. Determine what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with 1.
Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
tires best suited to highway driving underdry conditions. Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, sum-
mer tires are inadequate for driving on
snow-covered or icy roads. For driving on
snow-covered or icy roads, we recom-
mend using snow tires. If installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires. 2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions, as
well as for use all year round.
All season tires, however, do not have ad-
equate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance compared with summer tires in highway driving.
Suspension and chassis Types of tires

188WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recom-
mended when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires. SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select tires of
the same size, construction and load capacity as the original tires on your
Toyota.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all wheels. Installing snow tires on the front wheels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires which would cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure to install them in the same direction when replacing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires in- correctly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.!
TIRE CHAIN SELECTION
Use the tire chains of correct size and type.
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary according to location or
type of road, so always check then be-
fore installing chains.
CHAIN INSTALLATIONInstall the chains on the front tires as
tightly as possible. Do not use tire
chains on the rear tires. Retighten
chains after driving 0.5 '1.0 km
(1/4 '1/2 mile).
When installing chains on your tires, care- fully follow the instructions of the chain
manufacturer.
If wheel covers are used, they will be
scratched by the chain band, so remove the covers before putting on the chains.
Do not exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) or
the chain manufacturer's recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully avoiding bumps,
holes, and sharp turns, which may cause the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked-wheel
braking, as use of chains may ad- versely affect vehicle handling.
CAUTION!
Installing
snow tires and
chains

216Traction A, B, C
ÐThe traction grades,
from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C,
and they represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor trac-
tion performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, C ÐThe temperature
grades are A (the highest), B, and C, rep-
resenting the tire's resistance to the gen-
eration of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled condi-tions on a specific indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire life, and ex- cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to alevel of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law. Warning: The temperature grades for thistire
are established for a tire that is proper-
ly inflated and not overloaded. Excessivespeed, underinflation, or excessive load- ing, wither separately or in combination,can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. This
information has been prepared in ac-
cordance with regulation issued by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration of the U.S. Department of Trans-
portation Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration of the U.S. Department of
Transportation. It provides the purchas-
ers and/or prospective purchasers of Toy- toa vehicles with information on truck-
camper loading. Your Toyota dealer will
help answer any auestions you may have
as you read this information.
Camper informationÐ