1998 TOYOTA TACOMA tow

'98 Tacoma (U)77
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ºPº position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ºONº position and the selector
lever pulled toward you).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ºHow to start the engineº in Part 3. The
transmission must be in ºPº or ºNº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to ºDº.
In ºDº position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for running conditions such as normal
cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive switch on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Turn off the overdrive switch. The ºO/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the º2º position when the
vehicle speed drops down to or lower
than 106 km/h (66 mph). The transmis-
sion will downshift to the second gear
and more powerful engine braking will
be obtained.
Shift into the ºLº position when the
vehicle speed drops down to or lower
than 61 km/h (38 mph). The transmis-
sion will downshift to the first gear and
maximum engine braking will be ap-
plied. Vehicles with cruise control±When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning off
the overdrive switch, engine braking will
not be applied because the cruise control
is not cancelled. For ways to decrease
the vehicle speed, see ºCruise controlº in
this chapter.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(c) Using º2º and ºLº positions
The º2º and ºLº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in º2º or ºLº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in ºDº.
With the selector lever in º2º, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ºLº, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.

'98 Tacoma (U)
78
NOTICE
To prevent engine overrevving, do not downshift if you are going fast-er than the above speed in each position.
Be careful not to overrev the en-gine. Watch the tachometer to keep engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
º2º 124 km/h (77 mph). . .
ºLº 72 km/h (45 mph) . . .
Do not continue hill climbing for a
long time in the º2º or ºLº posi-
tion. This may cause severe auto-matic transmission damage fromoverheating. To prevent such dam-
age, use ºDº position for hill climb-ing or hard towing.
(d) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
ºRº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the ºPº posi-
tion.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into ºPº position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission is repeatedly up-
shifted and downshifted between third
gear and overdrive when climbing a
gentle slope, the overdrive switch
should be turned off. Be sure to turn
the switch on immediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. Itcan cause the transmission to over- heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.

'98 Tacoma (U)79
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
To rock your vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., first
check that there are no objects or
people around the vehicle. During the
rocking operation the vehicle may
suddenly move forward or backward
as it becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-age to the transmission and otherparts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reversegear.
Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck afterrocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-ing.
(h) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of ºPº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the ºPº position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see ºIf
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector leverº in Part 4.

'98 Tacoma (U)
80
Parking, engine starting and
key removal position
Reverse position
Neutral position Normal driving position
Shift while pulling the
selector lever toward you Position for stronger engine
braking than that in 2º
position
Overdrive switch
For selecting either a three- speed
or four- speed transmissionOFFº position
(Shifting into overdrive
not possible)
ONº position
(Shifting into
overdrive possible) O/D OFFº indicator light
Shows the overdrive
switch is in OFFº
position
Driving pattern selector button
For selecting a driving pattern
suited to existing driving conditions
NORMALº
(Normal) mode
for general driving
conditions POWERº
(Power) mode
for powerful
acceleration
POWER mode indicator light
on the instrument panel shows
the driving pattern selector
button is the POWERº mode.
Position for engine braking
Shift normally
With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while pulling the selector lever
toward you. (The ignition switch must
be in ONº position.)
Vehicles with cruise control±When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift the transmission by turning off the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not be applied because the cruise cont rol is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed, see
ºCruise controlº in this chapter. Automatic transmission
(electronically controlled typeÐtwo- wheel drive models except
Pre Runner)

'98 Tacoma (U)81
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ºPº position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ºONº position and the selector
lever pulled toward you).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ºHow to start the engineº in Part 3. The
transmission must be in ºPº or ºNº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to ºDº.
In ºDº position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for running conditions such as normal
cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive switch on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Turn off the overdrive switch. The ºO/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the º2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than 131 km/h (81
mph), and more powerful engine brak-
ing will be obtained.
Shift into the ºLº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 63 km/h (39 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be ap-
plied. Vehicles with cruise control±When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning off
the overdrive switch, engine braking will
not be applied because the cruise control
is not cancelled. For ways to decrease
the vehicle speed, see ºCruise controlº in
this chapter.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(c) Using º2º and ºLº positions
The º2º and ºLº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in º2º or ºLº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in ºDº.
With the selector lever in º2º, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ºLº, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.

'98 Tacoma (U)
82
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en- gine. Watch the tachometer to keepengine rpm from going into the red zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position isgiven below for your reference:
º2º 136 km/h (85 mph). . .
ºLº 74 km/h (46 mph) . . .
Do not continue hill climbing for a
long time in the º2º or ºLº posi-tion. This may cause severe auto- matic transmission damage from
overheating. To prevent such dam-age, use ºDº position for hill climb-
ing or hard towing.
(d) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
ºRº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the ºPº posi-
tion.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into ºPº position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission is repeatedly up-
shifted and downshifted between third
gear and overdrive when climbing a
gentle slope, the overdrive switch
should be turned off. Be sure to turn
the switch on immediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. Itcan cause the transmission to over- heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(g) Driving in ºPOWERº mode
In the ºPOWERº mode, the transmission
is shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the ºNORMALº mode and a
more powerful acceleration is achieved. To
set the ºPOWERº mode, push in the driv-
ing pattern selector button. The POWER
mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the ºNORMALº mode to improve fuel
economy.

'98 Tacoma (U)83
(h) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
To rock your vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., first
check that there are no objects or
people around the vehicle. During the
rocking operation the vehicle may
suddenly move forward or backward
as it becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-age to the transmission and otherparts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reversegear.
NOTICE
Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck afterrocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-ing.
(i) If you cannot shift the selector le- ver out of ºPº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the ºPº position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see ºIf
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector leverº in Part 4.

'98 Tacoma (U)85
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ºPº position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ºONº position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ºHow to start the engineº in Part 3. The
transmission must be in ºPº or ºNº.
When the front drive control lever is in
ºL4º (low-speed position, four-wheel drive),
the driving pattern selector setting has no
effect on gear shift timing. (See ºFour-
wheel drive systemº in this Chapter for
information of the front drive control le-
ver.) 2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to ºDº.
In ºDº position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for running conditions such as normal
cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc. Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low or
when the front drive control lever is in
ºL4º (low-speed position, four-wheel drive),
the transmission will not shift into the ov-
erdrive gear even with the overdrive
switch on. (See ºFour-wheel drive systemº
in this Chapter for information of the front
drive control lever.)
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows: Turn off the overdrive switch. The ºO/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the º2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and more powerful engine brak-
ing will be obtained.
Front drive control lever
in ºH2º and ºH4º
3RZ- FE engine.....106 km/h (66 mph)
5VZ- FE engine.....114 km/h (71 mph)
Front drive control lever
in ºL4º 3RZ- FE engine.....36 km/h (22 mph)
5VZ- FE engine.....38 km/h (24 mph)
Shift into the ºLº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be ap-
plied.
Front drive control lever
in ºH2º and ºH4º
3RZ- FE engine.....51 km/h (32 mph)
5VZ- FE engine.....55 km/h (34 mph)
Front drive control lever
in ºL4º 3RZ- FE engine.....9 km/h (6 mph)
5VZ- FE engine.....10 km/h (6 mph)