1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER engine overheat

4RUNNER (1998)
The gauge indicates the engine
coolant temperature when the igni-
tion switch is on. The engine oper-
ating temperature will vary with
changes in weather and engine
load.
If the needle moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow
the engine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during se-
vere operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after
high speed driving.
Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop- and- go traf-fic.
Towing a trailer
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat
in the engine cooling system asthis may cause the engine to
overheat. The thermostat is de-
signed to control the flow ofcoolant to keep the temperatureof the engine within the speci-
fied operating range.
Do not continue driving with anoverheated engine. See ºIf your
vehicle overheatsº in Part 4.
Tachometer

4RUNNER (1998)
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 up ful- ly to securely apply the parking
brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the
ºPº position.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, nev-
er attempt to move the selector
lever into ºPº position under any
circumstances. Serious mechani-
cal damage and loss of vehicle
control may result.
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission is repeatedly
upshifted and downshifted between
third gear and overdrive when
climbing a gentle slope, the over-
drive switch should be turned off.
Be sure to turn the switch on im-
mediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to
maintain engine braking efficiency,
do not use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the
brake pedal while stopped with
the engine running. This prevents
the vehicle from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an
upgrade with the accelerator ped-al. It can cause the transmissionto overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
To rock your vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,
first check that there are no ob-
jects or people around the ve-
hicle. During the rocking opera-
tion the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observethe following precautions to pre-vent damage to the transmissionand other parts.
Do not depress the acceleratorpedal while shifting the selectorlever or before the transmission
is completely shifted to forwardor reverse gear.
Do not race the engine andavoid spinning the wheels.

4RUNNER (1998)
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, nev-
er attempt to move the selector
lever into ºPº position under any
circumstances. Serious mechani-
cal damage and loss of vehicle
control may result.
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission is repeatedly
upshifted and downshifted between
third gear and overdrive when
climbing a gentle slope, the over-
drive switch should be turned off.
Be sure to turn the switch on im-
mediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to
maintain engine braking efficiency,
do not use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the
brake pedal while stopped with
the engine running. This prevents
the vehicle from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an
upgrade with the accelerator pe-dal. It can cause the transmissionto overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
To rock your vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc.,
first check that there are no ob-
jects or people around the ve-
hicle. During the rocking opera-
tion the vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe
the following precautions to pre-vent damage to the transmissionand other parts.
Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while shifting the selectorlever or before the transmissionis completely shifted to forward
or reverse gear.
Do not race the engine andavoid spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck af-ter rocking the vehicle several
times, consider other ways suchas towing.
(h) Driving in ºPWRº(Power) mode
In the ºPWRº mode, the transmission
is shifted up and down at a higher
vehicle speed than in the
ºNORMº(Normal) mode and a more
powerful acceleration is achieved. To
set the ºPWRº mode, push in the driv-
ing pattern selector button. The ºPWRº
mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recom-
mends using the ºNORMº mode to im-
prove fuel economy.

4RUNNER (1998)
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned
gases flowing into the three- waycatalytic converter may cause itto overheat and create a fire haz-
ard. To prevent this and otherdamage, observe the followingprecautions:
Use only unleaded gasoline.
Do not drive with an extremely
low fuel level; running out offuel could cause the engine to misfire, creating an excessive
load on the three- way catalyticconverter.
Do not allow the engine to runat idle speed for more than 20 minutes.
Avoid racing the engine.
Do not push- start or pull- start
your vehicle.
Do not turn off the ignitionwhile the vehicle is moving.
Keep your engine in good run-
ning order. Malfunctions in theengine electrical system, elec-tronic ignition system/distribu-
tor ignition system or fuel sys-tems could cause an extremelyhigh three- way catalytic con-
verter temperature.
If the engine becomes difficultto start or stalls frequently,
take your vehicle in for acheck- up as soon as possible.
Remember, your Toyota dealer
knows your vehicle and itsthree- way catalytic converter
system best.
To ensure that the three- waycatalytic converter and the en-
tire emission control system op-erate properly, your vehiclemust receive the periodic in-
spections required by the Toyo-ta Maintenance Schedule. For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, refer to the separateºOwner 's Manual Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Engine exhaust cautions
CAUTION
Avoid inhaling the engine ex-
haust. It contains carbon mon-
oxide, which is a colorless and
odorless gas. It can cause un-
consciousness or even death.
Make sure the exhaust system
has no holes or loose connec-
tions. The system should be
checked from time to time. If
you hit something, or notice a
change in the sound of the ex-
haust, have the system checked
immediately.
Do not run the engine in a ga-
rage or enclosed area except
for the time needed to drive the
vehicle in or out. The exhaust
gases cannot escape, making
this a particularly dangerous
situation.
Do not remain for a long time
in a parked vehicle with the en-
gine running. If it is unavoid-
able, however, do so only in an
unconfined area and adjust the
heating or cooling system to
force outside air into the ve-
hicle.

4RUNNER (1998)
(b) Starting the engine
Before starting the engine, be sure to
follow the instructions in º(a) Before
crankingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system
in your engine automatically controls
the proper air- fuel mixture for starting.
You can start a cold or hot engine as
follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator
pedal, crank the engine by turning the
key to ºSTARTº. Release it when the
engine starts.
2. After the engine runs for about 10
seconds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let
the engine warm up for a few minutes
before driving.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct
procedure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not startÐ
See ºIf your vehicle will not startº in
Part 4.
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 30 seconds at a time. This mayoverheat the starter and wiringsystems.
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult
to start or stalls frequently,have the engine checked im-mediately.
Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. This will allow you much
better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if
possible, at a right angle. Avoid
driving onto high, sharp- edged ob-
jects and other road hazards. Fail-
ure to do so can lead to severe
tire damage resulting in tire bursts.
When parking on a hill, turn the
front wheels until they touch the
curb so that the vehicle will not
roll. Apply the parking brake, and
place the transmission in ºPº (auto-
matic) or in first or reverse (manu-
al). If necessary, block the wheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving
through deep water may get the
brakes wet. To see whether they
are wet, check that there is no
traffic near you, and then press the
pedal lightly. If you do not feel a
normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them,
drive the vehicle cautiously while
lightly pressing the brake pedal
with the parking brake pulled. If
they still do not work safely, pull to
the side of the road and call a
Toyota dealer for assistance.
Tips for driving in various
conditions

4RUNNER (1998)
Four- wheel drive modelsÐToyota
recommends not using four- wheel
drive on dry hard- surfaced roads,
because four- wheel driving will
cause unnecessary noise and wear,
and poor fuel economy.
Four- wheel drive modelsÐIn cold
temperatures, noise may occur
when driving in two- wheel drive
before the transfer is warmed up.
Therefore, first drive in four- wheel
drive until the transfer is warmed up.CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure
that the parking brake is fully
released and the parking brake
reminder light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is run-
ning.
Do not rest your foot on the
brake pedal while driving. It can
cause dangerous overheating,
needless wear, and poor fuel
economy.
To drive down a long or steep
hill, reduce your speed and
downshift. Remember, if you
ride the brakes excessively,
they may overheat and not work
properly.Be careful when accelerating,
upshifting, downshifting or
braking on a slippery surface.
Sudden acceleration or engine
braking, could cause the vehicle
to spin or skid.
Do not drive in excess of the
speed limit. Even if the legal
speed limit permits it, do not
drive over 140 km/h (85 mph)
unless your vehicle has
high- speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph)
may result in tire failure, loss
of control and possible injury.
Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires
on your vehicle are high- speed
capability tires or not before
driving at such speeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they
are wet, your vehicle will re-
quire a longer stopping dis-
tance, and it may pull to one
side when the brakes are ap-
plied. Also, the parking brake
will not hold the vehicle secure-
ly.

4RUNNER (1998)
Because of the added load of the
trailer, your vehicle's engine may
overheat on hot days (at tempera-
tures over 30 C [85 F]) when go-
ing up a long or steep grade with
a trailer. If the engine coolant tem-
perature gauge indicates overheat-
ing, immediately turn off the air-
conditioning (if in use), pull off the
road and stop in a safe spot. Refer
to ºIf your vehicle overheatsº in
Part 4 of this manual.
Always place wheel blocks under
both the vehicle and trailer wheels
when parking. Apply the parking
brake firmly. Put the transmission
in Pº (automatic) or in first or re-
verse (manual). Avoid parking on a
slope with a trailer, but if it cannot
be avoided, do so only after per-
forming the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly. 5. Shift into first or reverse (manual)
or ºPº (automatic) and turn off the
engine. When restarting out after parking on
a slope:
1. With the transmission in ºPº posi- tion (automatic) or the clutch pedal
depressed (manual), start the en-
gine. (With an automatic transmis-
sion, be sure to keep the brake
pedal depressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot brake on automatic transmis-
sion vehicles) and slowly pull or
back away from the wheel blo cks.
Stop and apply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45
mph) or the posted towing
speed limit, whichever is lower.
Because instab ility (swaying) of
a towing vehicle- trailer com-
bination usually increases as
the speed increases, exceeding
72 km/h (45 mph) may cause
loss of control.

4RUNNER (1998)
Slow down and downshift be-
fore descending steep or long
downhill grades. Do not make
sudden downshifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or too frequent-
ly. This could cause the brakes
to overheat and result in re-
duced braking efficiency.Getting more kilometers/mileage from
a liter/gallon of fuel is easyÐjust take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle
last longer, too. Here are some specif-
ic tips on how to save money on both
fuel and repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the
correct pressure. Underinflation
causes tire wear and wastes fuel.
See Chapter 7- 2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts
a heavier load on the engine, caus-
ing greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warm- up idling.
Once the engine is running smooth-
ly, begin drivingÐbut gently. Re-
member, however, that on cold win-
ter days this may take a little
longer.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into
high gear as quickly as possible.
Avoid long engine idling. If you
have a long wait and you are not
in traffic, it is better to turn off the
engine and start again later.
Avoid engine lug or overrevving.
Use a gear position suitable for the
road on which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up
and slowing down. Stop- and- go
driving wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace.
Try to time the traffic signals so
you only need to stop as little as
possible or take advantage of
through streets to avoid traffic
lights. Keep a proper distance from
other vehicles to avoid sudden
braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic
jams whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the
clutch or brake pedal. This
causes needless wear, overheating
and poor fuel economy.
Maintain a moderate speed on
highways. The faster you drive,
the greater the fuel consumption.
By reducing your speed, you will
cut down on fuel consumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb
and slow down on rough roads.
Improper alignment not only causes
faster tire wear but also puts an
extra load on the engine, which, in
turn, wastes fuel.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, to
o