1998 TOYOTA TACOMA parking brake

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98
To check the indicator bulb, turn the ignition
key to the ºONº position, but do not start
the engine.
CAUTION
Do not keep driving with the differen-
tial lock switch on.
Parking brake
When parking, firmly apply the parking
brake to avoid inadvertent creeping.
To set: Pull out on the lever. For better
holding power, first depress the brake
pedal and hold it while setting the parking
brake.
To release: Press the lock release button,
turn the lever, and push it in.
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light in
the instrument panel remains on until you
release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off.

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Part 3
STARTING AND DRIV-
ING
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 be- fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, seat cushion angle, head restraint
height and steering wheel angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock both doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3. Manual transmission: Press the clutch
pedal to the floor and shift the trans-
mission into neutral. Hold the clutch
pedal to the floor until the engine is
started. A starter safety device will pre-
vent the starter from operating if the
clutch pedal is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the se-
lector lever in ºPº. If you need to re-
start the engine while the vehicle is
moving, put the selector lever in ºNº.
A starter safety device will prevent 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

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(b) Starting the engine
Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in º(a) Before crank-
ingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
tial multiport fuel injection system in your
engine automatically controls the proper
air-fuel mixture for starting. You can start
a cold or hot engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped- al, crank the engine by turning the key
to ºSTARTº. Release it when the en-
gine starts.
2. After the engine runs for about 10 se- conds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the
engine warm up for a few minutes before
driving.
If the engine stalls 0
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not startÐ
See ºIf your vehicle will not startº in Part 4.
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 30 se- conds at a time. This may overheatthe starter and wiring systems.
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult tostart or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
This will allow you much better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp-edged objects and oth-
er road hazards. Failure to do so can
lead to severe tire damage resulting in
tire bursts.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the
parking brake, and place the transmis-
sion in ºPº (automatic) or in first or
reverse (manual). If necessary, block
the wheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake pulled. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
Tips for driving in various
conditions

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Four-wheel drive modelsÐToyota rec-
ommends not using four-wheel drive on
dry hard-surfaced roads, because four-
wheel driving will cause unnecessary
noise and wear, and poor fuel econo-
my.
Four-wheel drive modelsÐIn cold tem-
peratures, noise may occur when driv-
ing in two-wheel drive before the trans-
fer is warmed up. Therefore, first drive
in four-wheel drive until the transfer is
warmed up.
CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking on
a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
tion or engine braking, could cause
the vehicle to spin or skid.To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.

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Sand and mud that has accumulated
in brake drums and around brakediscs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system com-
ponents.
Always perform a maintenance in-spection after each day of off-road
driving that has taken you throughrough terrain, sand, mud, or water.For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, refer to the separate ºOwner'sManual Supplement/MaintenanceScheduleº.
Winter driving tips
Make sure you have ethylene-glycol an-
tifreeze in the radiator.
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze.
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 start-
ing. 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 viscos-
ity. 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 dealer±
he 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. Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer 's directions for how
much to mix with water.NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may dam-age your vehicle's paint.
Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
ºPº (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the front wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or
water accumulated in and around the
parking brake mechanism may freeze,
making it hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.

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In order to maintain engine braking effi-
ciency, do not use fifth gear (manual
transmission) or overdrive (automatic
transmission).
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over 305C [85 5F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to ºIf
your vehicle overheatsº in Part 4 of
this manual.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in ºPº (automatic)
or in first or reverse (manual). Avoid
parking on a slope with a trailer, but
if it cannot be avoided, do so only
after performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un- der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load. 4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into first or reverse (manual) or
ºPº (automatic) and turn off the engine.
When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in ºPº position (automatic) or the clutch pedal de-
pressed (manual), start the engine.
(With an automatic transmission, be
sure to keep the brake pedal de-
pressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot brake on automatic transmission ve-
hicles) and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blo cks. Stop and apply
your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because insta-
bility (swaying) of a towing vehicle-
trailer combination usually in-
creases as the speed increases, ex-
ceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may
cause loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden down-
shifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to overheat
and result in reduced braking effi-
ciency.

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168
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in ºPº
(automatic) or neutral (manual) and ap-
ply the parking brake. Turn off the air
conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
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 broken or thecoolant is leaking, stop the engine im-
mediately. Call a Toyota dealer for as-
sistance.
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 depressed.
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 radiator
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 temperaturehas cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.

'98 Tacoma (U)169
If you have a flat tireÐ
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place well away from
the traffic. Avoid stopping 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 (automatic) or
reverse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thor- oughly.
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe the
following to reduce the possibility of
personal injury: Follow jacking instructions.
Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by the
jack.
Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking brake
and put the transmission in Pº
(automatic) or reverse (manual).
Block the wheel diagonally opposite
to the one being changed if neces-
sary.
Make sure to set the jack properly
in the jack point. Raising the ve-
hicle with jack improperly posi-
tioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow the vehicle to fall off the
jack and cause personal injury.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack
alone.
Use the jack only for lifting your
vehicle during wheel changing.
Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do not
put an object on or under the jack.
Raise the vehicle only high enough
to remove and change the tire.NOTICE
Do not continue driving with a de-
flated tire. Driving even a short dis-tance can damage a tire beyond re- pair.