
4RUNNER (1998)
(e) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See ºFuel gaugeº in Chapter
1- 5 for instructions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened
securely. (See ºFuel tank capº in
Chapter 1- 2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in
your engine or automatic transmis-
sion electrical system.
If it comes on while you are driving
in case c, have your vehicle checked/
repaired by your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
(f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel
level in the tank becomes nearly
empty. Fill up the tank as soon as
possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the
movement of fuel in the tank, the low
fuel level warning light may come on
earlier than usual.
(g) ºABSº Warning Light
This light warns that there is a prob-
lem somewhere in your anti- lock
brake system. If the light comes on while you are
driving, have your vehicle checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
The light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ºONº posi-
tion. After about 3 seconds, the light
will go off.
When the ºABSº warning light is on
(and the brake system warning light is
off), the brake system operates con-
ventionally but anti- lock brake system
is not assisting brake performance so
that the wheels can lock- up during
sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
Vehicles with rear differential lock sys-
temÐ
The anti-lock brake system does not
operate when the rear differential is
locked. It is normal operation for the
ºABSº warning light to be on at this
time.
(h) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the
doors and back door are completely
closed.
(i) SRS Airbag Warning Light
This light will come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ºACCº
or ºONº position. After about 6 se-
conds, the light will go off. This
means the airbag system is operat-
ing properly.
The warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, inflators,
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
ºACCº or ºONº position or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.
(j) Light Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer will sound if the driver 's
door is opened while the ignition
switch is turned to the ºLOCKº posi-
tion with the headlight switch on. Re-
moving the key will not stop the buzz-
er as long as the headlight switch is on.

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)
To lock the rear differential, push
the switch.
Be sure to stop the wheels before
locking the differential.
Vehicles with manual transmis-
sion'For easy locking, depress the
clutch pedal, push the lock switch and
slowly release the clutch pedal.
The indicator light will blink when the
switch is turned on. Wait a few se-
conds for the system to complete op-
eration. After the differential is locked,
the light will stop blinking and remain on. The anti- lock brake system does not
operate when the rear differential is
locked. It is normal operation for the
ºABSº warning light to be on at this
time.CAUTION
Do not lock the differential until
the wheels have stopped spin-
ning. Otherwise, the vehicle
may move in an unexpected
direction when the differential
lock is engaged, resulting in an
accident. This may also lead to
possible damage to differential
lock component parts.
Do not drive over 8 km/h (5
mph) when the differential is
locked.
To unlock the differential, push the
switch once again.
Unlock the differential as soon as the
vehicle moves out.

4RUNNER (1998)
AM
FadingÐAM broadcasts are reflected
by the upper atmosphereÐespecially
at night. These reflected signals can
interfere with those received directly
from the radio station, causing the ra-
dio station to sound alternately strong
and weak.
Station interferenceÐWhen a reflected
signal and a signal received directly
from a radio station are very nearly
the same frequency, they can interfere
with each other, making it difficult to
hear the broadcast.
StaticÐAM is easily affected by exter-
nal sources of electrical noise, such
as high tension power lines, lighten-
ing, or electrical motors. This results
in static.
CARING FOR YOUR CASSETTE
PLAYER AND TAPES
For high performance from your cas-
sette player and tapes:
Clean the tape head and other parts
regularly.
A dirty tape head or tape path can
decrease sound quality and tangle
your cassette tapes. The easiest
way to clean them is by using a
cleaning tape. (A wet type is rec-
ommended.) Use high- quality cassettes.
Low- quality cassette tapes can
cause many problems, including
poor sound, inconsistent playing
speed, and constant auto- revers-
ing. They can also get stuck or
tangled in the cassette player.
Do not use a cassette if it has
been damaged or tangled or if its
label is peeling off.
Do not leave a cassette in the
player if you are not listening to it,
especially if it is hot outside.
Store cassettes in their cases and
out of direct sunlight.
Avoid using cassettes with a total
playing time longer than 100 min-
utes (50 minutes per side). The
tape used in these cassettes is
thin and could get stuck or tangled
in the cassette player.

4RUNNER (1998)
When the light is on with the rear
differential locked, it indicates the
anti- lock brake system will not oper-
ate.
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 as
described above, or remains on.
The light comes on while driving
with the rear differential unlocked.
The light does not come on with
the rear differential locked.
The light comes on while driving. Even if the anti- lock brake system
should fail, the brake system will still
operate conventionally. However, when
the ºABSº warning light is on (and the
brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system is not assist-
ing brake performance so that the
wheels can lock- up during sudden
braking or braking on slippery road
surfaces. Have your vehicle checked
by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
Brake pad wear limit indica-
tors

4RUNNER (1998)
5VZ-FE engine
5VZ- FE engine The engine number is stamped on
the engine block as shown. Your new vehicle carries theft pre-
vention labels which are approxi-
mately 56 mm (2.20 in.) by 16 mm
(0.63 in.).
The purpose of these labels is to re-
duce the incidence of vehicle thefts by
facilitating the tracing and recovery of
parts from stolen vehicles. The label
is designed so that once it is applied
to a surface, any attempt to remove
it will result in destroying the integrity
of the label. Transferring these labels
intact from one part to another, will be
impossible.Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada)

4RUNNER (1998)
Use a washer fluid containing an
antifreeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyo-
ta dealer and most auto parts stores.
Follow the manufacturer 's directions
for how much to mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any other substitute because itmay damage your vehicle's paint.
Do not use your parking brake
when there is a possibility it could
freeze.
When parking, put the transmission
into ºPº (automatic) or into first or
reverse (manual) and block the rear
wheels. Do not use the parking brake,
or snow or water accumulated in and
around the parking brake mechanism
may freeze, making it hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulat-
ing 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 driv-
ing, we recommend you carry some
emergency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in
the vehicle are tire chains, window
scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares,
small shovel, jumper cables, etc.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed primarily as
a passenger- and- load- carrying ve-
hicle. Towing a trailer will have an
adverse effect on handling, perfor-
mance, braking, durability and driving
economy (fuel consumption, etc.).
Your safety and satisfaction depend
on the proper use of correct equip-
ment and cautious driving habits. For
your safety and the safety of others,
you must not overload your vehicle or
trailer. Ask your local Toyota dealer
for further details before towing.
WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, gross
axle weight and trailer tongue load
are all within the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue
load can be measured with platform
scales found at a highway weighing
station, building supply company,
trucking company, junk yard, etc.