1998 TOYOTA 4RUNNER maintenance

4RUNNER (1998)
Fuel
FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups,
your Toyota has a new smaller fuel
tank opening. The special nozzle on
pumps with unleaded fuel will fit it,
but the larger standard nozzle on
pumps with leaded gas will not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of
ASTM D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB
3.5- M93 in Canada.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of leaded gasoline will cause thethree- way catalytic converter to
lose its effectiveness and the
emission control system to func-tion improperly. Also, this can in-crease maintenance costs.
OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research
Octane Number 91) or higher.
Use of unleaded gasoline with an oc-
tane rating or research octane number
lower than stated above will cause
persistent heavy knocking. If it is se-
vere, this will lead to engine damage.
If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even
when using the recommended fuel, or
if you hear steady knocking while
holding a steady speed on level
roads, consult your Toyota dealer.
However, now and then, you may no-
tice light knocking for a short time
while accelerating or driving up hills.
This is no need of concern.
GASOLINES CONTAINING DETER-
GENT ADDITIVES
Toyota recommends use of gaso-
lines that contain detergent addi-
tives to avoid build- up of engine
deposits.
For further details, ask your Toyota
dealer or a local gasoline retailer. IMPROVED GASOLINES
The American Automobile Manufac-
turers Association (AAMA) has de-
veloped a specification of improved
gasolines. The AAMA specification
offers optimal fuel information for
better vehicle performance and bet-
ter protection of your engine.
Toyota recommends the use of gaso-
lines that meet the AAMA specifica-
tion, if available, for improved drive-
ability and emission control system.
GASOLINES CONTAINING MTBE
Gasolines that contain MTBE (Meth-
yl Tertiary- Butyl Ether) are available
in the market. If you use a gasoline
mixed with MTBE, make certain that
it does not contain more than 15%
of MTBE.
If the use of gasolines containing
MTBE causes poor driveability and/or
poor fuel economy, you should discon-
tinue the use of fuels containingMTBE.

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)
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at
high speeds, as on an expressway,
making it appear that oil is excessive-
ly consumed after driving at high
speeds.
IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEV-
EL CHECK
One of the most important points in
proper vehicle maintenance is to keep
the engine oil at the optimum level so
that oil function will not be impaired.
Therefore, it is essential that the oil
level be checked regularly. Toyota rec-
ommends that the oil level be checked
every time you refuel the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regu-
larly could lead to serious enginetrouble due to insufficient oil.
For detailed information on oil level
check, see ºChecking the engine oil
levelº in Chapter 7- 2. Twin ground electrode spa
r
plugs (5VZ- FE engine)

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)
A safety chain must always be
used between the towing vehicle
and the trailer. Leave sufficient
slack in the chain for turns. The
chain should cross under the
trailer tongue to prevent the
tongue from dropping to the
ground in case it becomes dam-
aged or separated. For correct
safety chain procedures, follow
the hitch or trailer manufactur-
er 's recommendations.
CAUTION
If the total trailer weight ex-
ceeds 453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer
brakes are required .
Never tap into your vehicle's
hydraulic system as it would
lower its braking effectiveness .
Never tow a trailer without us-
ing a safety chain securely atta-
ched to both the trailer and the
vehicle. If damage occurs to the
coupling unit or hitch ball,
there is danger of the trailer
wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See Chapter 7- 2
for instructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated
to the pressure recommended by
the trailer manufacturer in respect
to the total trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS Trailer lights must comply with fed-
eral, state/provincial and local re-
gulations. See your local recre-
ational vehicle dealer or rental
agency for the correct type of wir-
ing and relays for your trailer.
Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each
time you hitch up. Direct splicing
may damage your vehicle's electri-
cal system and cause a malfunc-
tion of your lights.
BREAK- IN SCHEDULE Toyota recommends that you do
not tow a trailer with a new vehicle
or a vehicle with any new power
train component (engine, transmis-
sion, differential, wheel bearing,
etc.) for the first 800 km (500
miles) of driving. MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle
will require more frequent
maintenance due to the additional
load. For this information, please
refer to the scheduled maintenance
information in the ºOwner 's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the
towing ball and bracket after
approximately 1000 km (600 miles)
of trailer driving.
PRE- TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Check that your vehicle remains
level when a loaded or unloaded
trailer is hitched. Do not drive if
the vehicle has an abnormal nose-
up or nose- down condition, and
check for improper tongue load,
overload, worn suspension or other
possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is se-
curely loaded so that it cannot
shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors
conform to any applicable federal,
state/provincial or local regulation.
If not, install the rear view mirrors
required for towing purpose.

4RUNNER (1998)
Keep the bottom of your vehicle
free from mud, etc. This not only
lessens weight but also helps pre-
vent corrosion.
Keep your vehicle tuned- up and
in top shape. A dirty air cleaner,
improper valve clearance, dirty
plugs, dirty oil and grease, brakes
not adjusted, etc. all lower engine
performance and contribute to poor
fuel economy. For longer life of all
parts and lower operating costs,
keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive
under severe conditions, see that
your vehicle receives more frequent
maintenance (For scheduled main-
tenance information, please refer to
the separate ºOwner 's Manual Sup-
plement/Maintenance Scheduleº).
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering
and brake booster will not func-
tion without the engine running.
Also, the emission control system
operates properly only when the
engine is running.

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.