1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER belt

4RUNNER (1998)
Part 3
STARTING AND
DRIVING
Before starting the engine
How to start the engine
Tips for driving in various
conditions
Off- road driving precautions
Winter driving tips
Tr ailer towing
How to save fuel and make
your
vehicle last longer, too
Before starting the engine
1. Check the area around the vehicle before entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, seat cushion angle, head re-
straint height and steering wheel
angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and ac-
cessories.
3. Manual transmission: Press the
clutch pedal to the floor and shift
the transmission into neutral. Hold
the clutch pedal to the floor until
the engine is started. A starter
safety device will prevent the start-
er from operating if the clutch ped-
al is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the
selector lever in ºPº. If you need to
restart the engine while the vehicle
is moving, put the selector lever in
ºNº. A starter safety device will pre-
vent the starter from operating if the
selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it
to the floor until driving off.
How to start the engineÐ
(a) Before cranking

4RUNNER (1998)
The driver and all passengers
should fasten their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
NOTICE
If driving through water, such
as when crossing shallowstreams, first check the depth of the water and the bottom of
the river bed for firmness. Driveslowly and avoid deep water.
Take all necessary safety mea-
sures to ensure that water dam-age to the engine or other com- ponents does not occur.
Water entering the engine airintake will cause severe engine
damage.
Water can wash the grease fromwheel bearings, causing rustingand premature failure, and mayalso enter the differentials,
transmission and transfer case,reducing the gear oil's lubrica-ting qualities.
Sand and mud that has accum-
lated in brake drums andaround brake discs may affectbraking efficiency and may dam-
age brake system components.
Always perform a maintenanceinspection after each day of
off- road driving that has takenyou through rough terrain,sand, mud, or water. For sche-
duled maintenance information,refer to the separate ºOwner's Manual Supplement/Maintenance
Scheduleº.
Winter driving tips
Make sure you have ethylene- glycol
antifreeze in the radiator.
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type anti-freeze.
Check the condition of the battery
and cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity
of any battery, so it must be in top
shape to provide enough power for
winter starting. Chapter 7- 3 tells you
how to visually inspect the battery.
Your Toyota dealer and most service
stations will be pleased to check the
level of charge.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity
is suitable for the cold weather.
See Chapter 7- 2 for recommended
viscosity. Leaving a heavy summer oil
in your vehicle during winter months
may cause harder starting. If you are
not sure about which oil to use, call
your Toyota dealerÐhe will be pleased
to help.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de- icer or glycerine into
the locks to keep them from freezing.
To open a frozen lock, try heating the
key before inserting it.

4RUNNER (1998)
3. Visually check to see if the engine drive belt (fan belt) is broken or
loose. Look for obvious coolant
leaks from the radiator, hoses, and
under the vehicle. However, note
that water draining from the air
conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive
belts.
4. If the engine drive belt is brokenor the coolant is leaking, stop the
engine immediately. Call a Toyota
dealer for assistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there are no obvious leaks, you
may help the engine cool down
more quickly by running it at about
1500 rpm for a few minutes with
the accelerator pedal lightly de-
pressed.
6. Check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add coolant to the reservoir
while the engine is running. Fill it
about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the ra-
diator cap when the engine and
radiator are hot. Serious injury
could result from scalding hot
fluid and steam blown out under
pressure.
7. After the engine coolant tempera-ture has cooled to normal, again
check the coolant level in the res-
ervoir. If necessary, bring it up to
half full again. Serious coolant loss
indicates a leak in the system. You
should have it checked as soon as
possible at your Toyota dealer. If you have a flat tireÐ
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keep- ing a straight line. Move cautiously
off the road to a safe place well
away from the traffic. Avoid stop-
ping on the center divider of a
highway. Park on a level spot with
firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in ºPº (auto-
matic) or reverse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the ve- hicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thoroughly.
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the possi-
bility of personal injury: Follow jacking instructions.
Do not start or run the engine
while your vehicle is supported
by the jack.

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)
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)
If you perform maintenance by
yourself, be sure to follow the cor-
rect procedure given in this part.
You should be aware that improper or
incomplete servicing may result in op-
erating problems.
Performing do- it- yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect
your warranty coverage. Read the
separate Toyota Warranty statement
for details and suggestions.
This part gives instructions only for
those items that are relatively easy
for an owner to perform. As explained
in Part 6, there are still a number of
items that must be done by a qualified
technician with special tools.
For information on tools and parts for
do- it- yourself maintenance, see ºParts
and toolsº.
Utmost care should be taken when
working on your vehicle to prevent
accidental injury. Here are a few pre-
cautions that you should be especially
careful to observe:
CAUTION
When the engine is running,
keep hands, clothing, and tools
away from the moving fan and
engine drive belts. (Removing
rings, watches, and ties is ad-
visable.)
Right after driving, the engine
compartmentÐthe engine, radia-
tor, exhaust manifold, power
steering fluid reservoir and
spark plug boots, etc.Ðwill be
hot. So be careful not to touch
them. Oil, fluids and spark
plugs may also be hot.
If the engine is hot, do not re-
move the radiator cap or loosen
the drain plugs to prevent burn-
ing yourself.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or
allow open flames around fuel
or the battery. Their fumes are
flammable.
Be extremely cautious when
working on the battery. It con-
tains poisonous and corrosive
sulfuric acid.
Do not get under your vehicle
with just the body jack support-
ing it. Always use automotive
jack stands or other solid sup-
ports.
Do- it- yourself service
precautions

4RUNNER (1998)
CAUTION
Do not mix radial, bias belted,
or bias- ply tires on your ve-
hicle. It can cause dangerous
handling characteristics, result-
ing in loss of control.
Do not use tires or wheels oth-
er than the manufacture's rec-
ommended size.
Toyota recommends all four tires,
or at least both of the front or rear
tires be replaced at a time as a set.
See ºIf you have a flat tireº in Part
4 for tire change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect ve-
hicle handling and tire life. Wheels
can get out of balance with regular
use and should therefore be balanced
occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the
air valve should also be replaced
with a new one. Rotating tires

4RUNNER (1998)
Drive belt tension measured with Bor-
roughs drive belt tension gauge No.
BT- 33- 73F (used belt), Ibf:
3RZ- FE engineGenerator belt
11 5 20
Air conditioning compressor belt
100 20
Power steering pump belt
100 +25
-15
5VZ- FE engine Generator belt
100 20
Air conditioning compressor belt
100 20
Power steering pump belt
100 +20
-15
ENGINE LUBRICATION
Oil capacity (drain and refill), L (qt., Imp. qt.): 3RZ- FE engineWith filter 5.4 (5.7, 4.8)
Without filter 4.7 (5.0, 4.1)
5VZ- FE engine With filter 5.2 (5.5, 4.6)
Without filter 4.9 (5.2, 4.3) Oil grade:
API grade SH, ºEnergy- Conserving IIº
or SJ, ºEnergy- Conservingº multi-
grade engine oil or ILSAC multigrade
engine oil is recommended.
Recommended oil viscosity (SAE):