1998 TOYOTA TACOMA Owners Manual

'98 Tacoma (U)9
Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1- 2
Keys and Doors
Keys
Side doors
Power windows
Quarter windows
Rear window
Tailgate
Hood
Fuel tank cap
Detachable moon roof
Detachable sun shade
Keys
KEY PLATE
This key works in every lock.
Since the doors can be locked without a
key, you should always carry a spare key
in case you accidentally lock your key
inside the vehicle.
KEY NUMBER PLATE
Your key number is shown on the plate.
Keep the plate in a safe place such as
your wallet, not in the vehicle.
If you should lose your keys or if you
need additional keys, duplicates can be
made by a Toyota dealer using the key
number.
You should also put a copy of the key
number with your important papers.

'98 Tacoma (U)
10
Side doors
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH KEY
Insert the key into the keyhole and turn it.
To lock: Turn the key forward.
To unlock: Turn the key backward.
Vehicles with power door lock systemÐ
Both doors lock and unlock simultaneously
with either door. In the driver's door lock,
turning the key once will unlock the driv-
er's door and twice in succession will un-
lock the driver 's door and passenger 's
door simultaneously.LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH
INSIDE LOCK BUTTON
Move the lock button.
To lock: Push the button downward.
To unlock: Pull the button upward.
Closing the door with the lock button
pushed in will also lock the door. Be care-
ful not to lock your keys in the vehicle.
Vehicles with power door lock systemÐ
The doors cannot be locked if you leave
the key in the ignition switch. Driver's side
Passenger's side

'98 Tacoma (U)11
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH
POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCH
Push the switch.
To lock: Push the switch on the front side.
To unlock: Push the switch on the rear
side.
Both doors lock or unlock simultaneously.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure that the doors
are closed and locked, especially
when small children are in the ve-
hicle. Along with the proper use of
seat belts, locking the doors helps
prevent the driver and passengers
from being thrown out from the ve-
hicle during an accident. It also helps
prevent the doors from being opened
unintentionally.
Power windows
The windows can be operated with the
switch on each door.
The power windows work when the ignition
switch is in the ºONº position. However,
if both doors are closed, they work for 60
seconds even after the ignition switch is
turned off. They stop working when either
door is opened.
OPERATING THE DRIVER'S WINDOW
Use the switch on the driver's door.
Normal operation:
The window moves as
long as you hold the switch.
To open: Lightly push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.Automatic operation (to open only):
Push the switch completely down and then
release it. The window will fully open. To
stop the window partway, lightly pull the
switch up and then release it.

'98 Tacoma (U)
12
OPERATING THE PASSENGER'S
WINDOW
Use the switch on the passenger 's door
or the switch on the driver's door that
controls the passenger 's window.
The window moves as long as you hold
the switch.
To open: Push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.
If you push in the ºWINDOW LOCKº but-
ton on the driver 's door, the passenger 's
windows cannot be operated.CAUTION
To avoid serious personal injury, you
must do the following. Always make sure the head, hands
and other parts of the body of all
occupants are kept completely in-
side the vehicle before you close
the power windows. If someone's
neck, head or hands gets caught in
a closing window, it could result in
a serious injury. When anyone
closes the power windows, be sure
that they operate the windows safe-
ly.
When small children are in the ve-
hicle, never let them use the power
window switches without supervi-
sion. Use the ºWINDOW LOCKº but-
ton to prevent them from making
unexpected use of the switches.
Never leave small children alone in
the vehicle, especially with the igni-
tion key still inserted. They could
use the power window switches and
get trapped in a window. Unat-
tended children can become in-
volved in serious accidents.

'98 Tacoma (U)13
To open the quarter window, pull the
latch handle toward you and swing it
fully out.
When closing the window, make sure it is
completely closed. Rear windowTo unlock the rear window, pull the left
end of the latch handle toward you and
disengage the right end from the catch.
When closing the window, make sure it is
completely closed.TailgateTo open the tailgate, pull the handle up.
The support cables will hold the tailgate
horizontal.
See ºLuggage stowage precautionsº in part
2 for precautions to observe in loading
luggage.
After closing the tailgate, try pulling it to-
ward you to make sure it is securely
locked.
NOTICE
Avoid driving with the tailgate open.
Quarter windows
(Xtra- cab models)

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14
To lower the tailgate fully, release the
support brackets from the lugs as shown.
NOTICE
Make sure the tailgate is securely caught by the support brackets beforeclosing the tailgate.
Hood
To open the hood, do the following.
1. Pull the hood lock release lever. The hood will spring up slightly.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure that the hood
is securely closed and locked. Other-
wise, the hood may open unexpected-
ly while driving and an accident may
occur.
2. In front of the vehicle, pull up on the auxiliary catch l ever and lift the
hood.

'98 Tacoma (U)15
3. Hold the hood open by inserting thesupport rod into the slot.
Before closing the hood, check to see that
you have not forgotten any tools, rags,
etc. and return the support rod to its
clipÐthis prevents rattles. Then lower the
hood and make sure it locks into place.
If necessary, press down gently on the
front edge to lock it.
CAUTION
After inserting the support rod into
the slot, make sure the rod supports
the hood securely from falling down
on to your head or body.
Fuel tank cap
1. To open the fuel filler door, insert the key and turn it counterclockwise.
When refueling, turn off the engine.
CAUTION
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames when refueling.
The fumes are flammable.
When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot weath-
er, fuel under pressure could cause
injury by spraying out of the filler
neck if the cap is suddenly re-
moved.
Do not fill a fuel container on a
plastic truck bed liner, a rubber
truck bed mat, or any other insulat-
ing material. A static electricity
charge could cause a spark and fire
hazard. The proper procedure is to
place an approved fuel container on
the ground away from the truck for
filling.

'98 Tacoma (U)
16 2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turn
the cap slowly counterclockwise,
then pause slightly before removing
it. After removing the cap, hang it
on the cap hanger.
It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When insta lling,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a click.
If the cap is not tightened securely, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Make sure the cap is tightened securely.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
Make sure the cap is tightened se-
curely to prevent fuel sp illage in
case of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel tank
cap for replacement. It has a built-
in check valve to reduce fuel tank
vacuum.
CAUTION
To avoid serious personal injury, you
must do the following. While the vehicle is moving, always
keep the head, hands and other
parts of the body of all occupants
away from the roof opening. Other-
wise, you could be seriously injured
if the vehicle stops suddenly or if
the vehicle is involved in an acci-
dent.
Never sit on top of the vehicle
around the roof opening.
Never attempt to remove the moon
roof panel while driving. Otherwise,
the panel may become a hazard by
falling into or flying off the vehicle.
After installing the moon roof pan-
el, make sure they are firmly se-
cured by pushing up on the under-
side of the panel.
Never put your hands between the
moon roof panel and the surround-
ing roof.
ÐTilting up and closing
To tilt up the moon roof, first pull down
on the handle while pushing in one of
the lock buttons. Then push up the
moon roof until it locks.
After tilting up the moon roof, make sure
the handle is securely in place.
When closing the moon roof, slowly pull
down the handle while supporting the roof
with your hand. Close and lock the moon
roof by pushing the handle. Be sure to
use your palm to push the handle. After
closing the moon roof, make sure it is
securely locked.
Detachable moon roofÐ
ÐMoon roof precautions