1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Owners Manual

4RUNNER (1998)
Cleaning the interior
CAUTION
Do not wash the vehicle floor
with water, or allow water to get
onto the floor when cleaning the
vehicle interior or exterior. Water
may get into audio components
or other electrical components
above or under the floor carpet
(or mat) and cause a malfunction;
and it may cause body corrosion.
Vinyl interior
The vinyl upholstery may be easily
cleaned with a mild soap or deter-
gent and water.
First vacuum over the upholstery to
remove loose dirt. Then, using a
sponge or soft cloth, apply the soap
solution to the vinyl. After allowing it
to soak in for a few minutes to loosen
the dirt, remove the dirt and wipe off
the soap with a clean damp cloth. If
all the dirt does not come off, repeat
the procedure. Commercial foaming-
type vinyl cleaners are also available
which work well. Follow the manufac-
turer's instructions.
NOTICE
Do not use solvent, thinner, gaso- line or window cleaner on the in-terior.
Carpets
Use a good foam- type shampoo to
clean the carpets.
Begin by vacuuming thoroughly to re-
move as much dirt as possible. Sever-
al types of foam cleaners are avail-
able; some are in aerosol cans and
others are powders or liquids which
you mix with water to produce a foam.
To shampoo the carpets, use a
sponge or brush to apply the foam.
Rub in overlapping circles.
Do not apply waterÐthe best results
are obtained by keeping the carpet as
dry as possible. Read the shampoo
instructions and follow them closely.
Seat belts
The seat belts may be cleaned with
mild soap and water or with luke-
warm water.
Use a cloth or sponge. As you are
cleaning, check the belts for exces-
sive wear, fraying, or cuts.
NOTICE
Do not use dye or bleach on the
beltsÐit may weaken them.
Windows
The windows may be cleaned with
any household window cleaner.
NOTICE
When cleaning the inside of thewindows, be careful not toscratch or damage the heaterwires on the rear window.
Air conditioning control panel, car
audio, instrument panel, console
panel, and switches
Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.
Soak a clean soft cloth in water or
lukewarm water then lightly wipe off
any dirt.

4RUNNER (1998)
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances
(solvents, kerosene, alcohol,gasoline, etc.) or alkaline or acidic solutions. These chemi-
cals can cause discoloring,staining or peeling of the sur-face.
If you use cleaners or polishingagents, make sure their ingredi- ents do not include the sub-
stances mentioned above.
If you use a liquid car freshen-er, do not apill the liquid ontothe vehicle's interior surfaces. It may contain the ingredients
mentioned above. Immediatelyclean any spill using the meth-
od mentioned above.
Leather Interior
The leather upholstery may be
cleaned with neutral detergent for
wool.
Remove dirt using a soft cloth damp-
ened with 5% solution of neutral de-
tergent for wool. Then thoroughly wipe
off all traces of detergent with a clean
damp cloth. After cleaning or whenever any part of
the leather gets wet, dry with a soft
clean cloth. Allow the leather to dry
in a ventilated shaded area.
NOTICE
If a stain should fail to come
out with a neutral detergent, ap-ply a cleaner that does not con-tain an organic solvent.
Never use organic substances
such as benzine, alcohol orgasoline, or alkaline or acid
solutions for cleaning the leath-er as these could cause discol-oring.
Use of a nylon brush or synthe-tic fiber cloth, etc. may scratch
the fine grained surface of theleather.
Mildew may develop on soiledleather upholstery. Be especially
careful to avoid oil spots. Try
to keep your upholstery alwaysclean.
Long exposure to direct sun-
light may cause the leather sur-face to harden and shrink. Keepyour vehicle in a shaded area,
especially in the summer.
The interior of your vehicle isapt to heat up on hot summer
days, so avoid placing on the upholstery items made of vinyl
or plastic or containing wax asthese tend to stick to leatherwhen warm
.

Improper cleaning of the leather upholstery could result in dis-coloration or staining.
If you have any questions about the
cleaning of your Toyota, your local
Toyota dealer will be pleased to
answer them.

4RUNNER (1998)

4RUNNER (1998)
Part 6
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
Maintenance requirements
General maintenance

Does your vehicle need
repairing?
For scheduled maintenance in-
formation, please refer to the
separate ºOwner 's Manual Sup-
plement/Maintenance Scheduleº. Maintenance requirements
Your Toyota vehicle has been de-
signed to for fewer maintenance re-
quirements with longer service inter-
vals to save both your time and
money. However, each regular mainte-
nance, as well as day- to- day care, is
more important than ever before to
ensure smooth, and trouble- free, safe,
and economical drivings.
It is the owner 's responsib
ility to
make sure the specified maintenance,
including general maintenance service,
is performed. Note that both the new
vehicle and emission control system
warranties specify that proper mainte-
nance and care must be performed.
See ºOwner 's Guideº, ºOwner 's Manu-
al Supplementº or ºWarranty Bookletº
for complete warranty information.
General maintenance
General maintenance items are those
day- to- day care practices that are im-
portant to your vehicle for proper op-
eration. It is the owner 's responsib ility
to ensure that the general mainte-
nance items are performed regularly.
These checks or inspections can be
done either by yourself or a qualified
technician, or if you prefer, your Toyo-
ta dealer will be pleased to do them
at a nominal cost. Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items
listed in the ºOwner 's Manual Supple-
ment/Maintenance Scheduleº are those
required to be serviced at regular in-
tervals.
For details of your maintenance
schedule, read the separate ºOwner 's
Manual Supplement/Maintenance
Scheduleº.
It is recommended that any replace-
ment parts used for maintenance or
for the repair of the emission con-
trol system be Toyota supplied.
The owner may elect to use non-
Toyota supplied parts for replace-
ment purposes without invalidating
the emission control system warran-
ty. However, use of replacement
parts which are not of equivalent
quality may impair the effectiveness
of the emission control systems.
You may also elect to have mainte-
nance, replacement, or repair of the
emission control devices and sys-
tem performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual
without invalidating this warranty.
See ºOwner 's Guideº, ºOwner 's
Manual Supplementº or ºWarranty
Bookletº for complete warranty in-
formation.

4RUNNER (1998)
Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are well- trained
specialists and are kept up to date
with the latest service information
through technical bulletins, service
tips, and in- dealership training pro-
grams. They learn to work on Toyotas
before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer 's service department performs
the best job to meet the maintenance
requirements on your vehicleÐreliably
and economically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof
that all required maintenance has
been performed for warranty coverage.
And if any problems should arise with
your vehicle while under warranty,
your Toyota dealer will promptly take
care of it. Again, be sure to keep a
copy of the repair order for any ser-
vice performed on your Toyota.
What about do- it- yourself mainte- nance?
Many of the maintenance items are
easy to do yourself if you have a little
mechanical ab ility and a few basic au-
tomotive tools. Simple instructions for
how to perform them are presented in
Part 7. If you are a skilled do- it- yourself me-
chanic, the Toyota service manuals
are recommended. Please be aware
that do- it- yourself maintanance can
affect your warranty coverage. See
ºOwner 's Guideº, ºOwner 's Manual
Supplementº or ºWarranty Bookletº for
the details.
General maintenance
Listed below are the general mainte-
nance items that should be performed
as frequently as specified. In addition
to checking the items listed, if you
notice any unusual noise, smell or
vibration, you should investigate the
cause or take your vehicle to your
Toyota dealer or a qualified service
shop immediately. It is recommended
that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer
or the qualified service shop for their
advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only where ad-
equate ventilation can be obtained
if you run the engine.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be per-
formed from time to time, unless
otherwise specified.
Tire pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge ev-
ery two weeks, or at least once a
month. See Chapter 7- 2 for additional
information.

4RUNNER (1998)
Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts,
damage or excessive wear. See Chap-
ter 7- 2 for additional information.
When checking the tires, make sure
no nuts are missing, and check the
nuts for looseness. Tighten them if
necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500
miles). See Chapter 7- 2 for additional
information.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil,
water or other fluid after the vehicle
has been parked for a while. If you
smell fuel fumes or notice any leak,
have the cause found and corrected
immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including back
door operate smoothly and all latches
lock securely. Make sure the engine
hood secondary latch secures the
hood from opening when the primary
latch is released. INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be
checked regularly, e.g. while per-
forming periodic services, cleaning
the vehicle, etc.
Lights
Make sure the headlights, stop lights,
tail lights, turn signal lights, and other
lights are all working. Check headlight
aim.
Service reminder indicators and
warning buzzers
Check that all service reminder indica-
tors and warning buzzers function
properly.
Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified free-
play. Be alert for changes in steering
condition, such as hard steering or
strange noise.
Seats
Check that all seat controls such as
seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc.
operate smoothly and that all latches
lock securely in any position. Check
that the head restraint move up and
down smoothly and that the locks hold
securely in any latched position. For
folding- down rear seatbacks, swing- up
rear seat cushions and detachable
temporary third seat, check that the
latches lock securely.Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such
as buckles, retractors and anchors op-
erate properly and smoothly. Make
sure the belt webbing is not cut,
frayed, worn or damaged.
Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation
and uneven pedal effort or catching.
Clutch pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation
and that the pedal has the proper
clearance. Check the brake booster
function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes
do not pull to one side when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the lever has the proper
travel and that, on a safe incline, your
vehicle is held securely with only the
parking brake applied.

4RUNNER (1998)
Automatic transmission ºParkº mech- anism
Check the lock release button of the
selector lever for proper and smooth
operation. On a safe incline, check
that your vehicle is held securely with
the selector lever in ºPº position and
all brakes released.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be
checked from time to time, e.g.
each time when refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in
the tank. See Chapter 7- 3 for addi-
tional information.
Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is be-
tween the ºFULLº and ºLOWº lines on
the see- through reservoir when the
engine is cold. See Chapter 7- 2 for
additional information.
Battery electrolyte level
Make sure the electrolyte level of all
battery cells is between upper and
lower level lines on the case. Add
only distilled water when replenishing.
See Chapter 7- 3 for additional in-
formation. Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is cor-
rect. See Chapter 7- 2 for additional
information.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with
the engine turned off and the vehicle
parked on a level spot. See Chapter
7- 2 for additional information.
Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir.
The level should be in the ºHOTº or
ºCOLDº range depending on the fluid
temperature. See Chapter 7- 2 for
additional information.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound
of the exhaust or smell exhaust
fumes, have the cause located and
corrected immediately. (See engine ex-
haust cautions in Part 2.)
Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip- offs
that indicate service is needed. Some
important clues are as follows:
Engine missing, stumbling, or ping-
ing
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however,
water dripping from the air condi-
tioning after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This
may indicate a dangerous carbon
monoxide leak. Drive with the win-
dows open and have the exhaust
system checked immediately.)
Flat- looking tire; excessive tire
squeal when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when
driving straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspen-
sion movement
Loss of brake effectiveness;
spongy feeling brake or clutch ped-
al; pedal almost touches floor; ve-
hicle pulls to one side when brak-
ing
Engine coolant temperature continu-
ally higher than normal
Does your vehicle need
repairing?

4RUNNER (1998)
If you notice any of these clues, take
your vehicle to your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible. It probably needs
adjustment or repair.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving with the
vehicle unchecked. It could result
in serious vehicle damage and
possibly personal injury.