1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER battery

4RUNNER (1998)
In the following cases, contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible:
The SRS airbags have been in-
flated.
The front part of the vehicle
(shaded in the illustration) were in-
volved in an accident that did not
cause the SRS airbags to inflate.
The pad section of the steering
wheel or front passenger airbag
cover (shaded in the illustration) is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery
cables before contacting your To-yota dealer.
Toyota strongly urges the use of
child restraint systems for children
small enough to use them.
The laws of all fifty states in the
U.S.A. and Canada now require the
use of a child restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAE J1819.
If a child is too large for a child re-
straint system, the child should sit in
the rear seat and must be restrained
using the vehicle's seat belt. See
ºSeat beltsº for details.CAUTION
For effective protection in auto-
mobile accidents and sudden
stops, children must be proper-
ly restrained using a seat belt
or child restraint system de-
pending on the age and size of
the child. Holding a child in
your arms is not a substitute
for a child restraint system. In
an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield,
or between you and the ve-
hicle's interior.
Child restraintÐ
ÐChild restraint precaution

4RUNNER (1998)
HEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights:
Twist the headlight/turn signal leverknob.
Position 1ÐParking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel
lights
Position 2ÐHeadlights and all of the
above
If you turn the ignition switch to the
ºLOCKº position with the headlights
left on, a buzzer reminds you to turn
the lights off when you open the driv-
er 's door.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being
discharged, do not leave thelights on for a long period whenthe engine is not running.
Daytime running light system (Cana-
da only)
The headlights turn on when the park-
ing brake is released with the engine
started, even with the light switch in
the ºOFFº position. They will not go
off until the ignition switch is turned
off.
To turn on the other exterior lights
and instrument panel lights, twist the
knob to the position 1. Under the daytime running light sys-
tem, the headlights turn on at reduced
intensity. Twist the knob to the posi-
tion 2 to turn to full intensity for driv-
ing at night.

4RUNNER (1998)
To turn on the emergency flashers,
push the switch.
All the turn signal lights will flash. To
turn them off, push the switch once
again.
Turn on the emergency flashers to
warn other drivers if your vehicle must
be stopped where it might be a traffic
hazard.
Always pull as far off the road as
possible.
The turn signal light switch will not
work when the emergency flashers are
operating.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being
discharged, do not leave theswitch on longer than necessarywhen the engine is not running.
Instrument panel light con-
trol

4RUNNER (1998)
To defog or defrost the back win-
dow, push the switch.
The key must be in the ºONº position.
The thin heater wires on the inside of
the back window will quickly clear the
surface. An indicator light will illumi-
nate to indicate the defogger is oper-
ating.
Push the switch once again to turn
the defogger off.
The system will automatically shut off
after the defoggers have operated
about 15 minutes. Make sure you turn the defogger off
when the window is clear. Leaving the
defogger on for a long time could
cause the battery to discharge, espe-
cially during stop- and- go driving. The
defogger is not designed for drying
rain water or for melting snow.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from be-
ing discharged, turn the switchon when the engine is running.
When cleaning the inside of the
back window, be careful not toscratch or damage the heaterwires.

4RUNNER (1998)
(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light has the following functions:
Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the park-
ing brake is fully released. The light
should go off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on
while you are driving, slow down and
pull off the road. Then stop the ve-
hicle carefully. There may be a prob-
lem somewhere in the brake system.
Check the fluid level of the see-
through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has
not caused the warning light to come
on, check to see that the parking
brake is fully released.
If the brake fluid level is low...
At a safe place, test your brakes by
starting and stopping.
If you judge that the brakes still
work adequately, drive cautiously to
your nearest dealer or shop for re-
pairs.
If the brakes are not working, have
the vehicle towed in for repairs.
(For towing information, see Part
4.)CAUTION
It is dangerous to continue driv-
ing normally when the brake fluid
level is low.
If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and
Buzzer
Once the ignition key is turned to
ºONº or ºSTARTº, the reminder light
and buzzer come on if the driver's
seat belt is not fastened. Unless the
driver fastens the belt, the light keeps
on flickering and the buzzer sounds
for about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is
being discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving,
there is a problem somewhere in the
charging system.
The engine ignition will continue to
operate, however, until the battery is
discharged. Turn off the air condition-
ing, blower, radio, etc., and drive di-
rectly to the nearest Toyota dealer or
repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the en- gine drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil
pressure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe
place and stop the engine immediate-
ly. Call a Toyota dealer or qualified
repair shop for assistance.
The light may occasionally flicker
when the engine is idling or it may
come on briefly after a hard stop.
There is no cause for concern if it
then goes out when the engine is ac-
celerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil
level is extremely low. It is not de-
signed to indicate low oil level, and
the oil level must be checked using
the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with thewarning light onÐeven for oneblock. It may ruin the engine.

4RUNNER (1998)
ºSTARTºÐStarter motor on. The key
will return to the ºONº position
when released.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
ºONºÐEngine on and all accesso-
ries on.
This is the normal driving position.
ºACCºÐAccessories such as the ra-
dio operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ºACCº or
ºLOCKº position and open the driver's
door, a buzzer will remind you to re-
move the key.
ºLOCKºÐEngine is off and the
steering wheel is locked. The key
can be removed only at this posi-
tion. Vehicles with manual transmissionÐ
You must push in the key to turn the
key from ºACCº to the ºLOCKº posi-
tion.
Vehicles with automatic transmissionÐ
You must shift the selector lever into
the ºPº position before turning the key
from ºACCº to the ºLOCKº position.
When starting the engine, the key
may seem stuck at the ºLOCKº posi-
tion. To free it, first be sure the key
is pushed all the way in, and then
rock the steering wheel slightly while
turning the key gently.CAUTION
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the
vehicle is moving, as this will
lock the steering wheel and result
in loss of steering control.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ºONº
position if the engine is not run-ning. The battery will dischargeand the ignition could be dam-
aged.

4RUNNER (1998)
The power outlet is designed for
power supply for car accessories.
The key must be in the ºACCº or
ºONº position for the power outlet to
be used.
NOTICE
To prevent the fuse from being
blown, do not use the electricityover the total vehicle capacity of 12V/120W.
To prevent the battery from be-ing discharged, do not use the
power outlet longer than neces-
sary when the engine is notrunning.
Close the power outlet lid when
the power outlet is not in use.Inserting a foreign object otherthan the appropriate plug that
fits the outlet, or allowing anyliquid into the outlet may cause
electrical failure or short cir-
cuits.
Glovebox

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.