
'98 Tacoma (U)71
(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light has the following functions: 
Parking brake reminder 
If this light is on, make sure the parking 
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 vehicle carefully. 
Remember that stopping distance and ped- 
al effort may be increased. There may be
a problem somewhere in the brake sys- 
tem. 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 start- 
ing and stopping.
  If you judge that the brakes still work
adequately, drive cautiously to your
nearest dealer or shop for repairs.
  If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs. (For tow-
ing information, see Part 4.)
CAUTION
It is dangerous to continue driving 
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 stays on 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 oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off  the air conditioning, 
blower,  radio, etc., and drive directly to 
the nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine
drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres- 
sure 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 immediately. 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 accelerated slightly. 
The light may  come on when the oil level 
is extremely low. It is not designed to 
indicate low oil level, and the oil level 
must be checked using the level dipstick. 

'98 Tacoma (U)
72
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the warning light onÐeven for one block.It may ruin the engine.
(e) Malfunction indicator lamp
This lamp comes on in the following 
cases. 
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See 
ºFuel gaugeº in Chapter 1- 5 for instruc- 
tions.) 
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se- 
curely. (See ºFuel tank capº in Chapter
1- 2 for instructions.) 
c. There is a problem somewhere in your 
engine or automatic  transmission electrical
system. 
If it comes on while you are driving in 
case c, have your vehicle checked/re- 
paired by your Toyota dealer as soon as 
possible. (f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up 
the tank as soon as possible. 
On inclines or curves, due to the move- 
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level 
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
(g) ºABSº Warning Light This light warns that there is a problem 
somewhere in your anti-lock brake system. 
If the light comes on while you are driv- 
ing, have your  vehicle checked by your 
Toyota dealer as soon as possible. 
The light will come on when the ignition 
key is turned to the ºONº position. After 
a few seconds, the light will go off. 
When the ºABSº warning light is on (and 
the brake system warning light is off), the
brake  system operates  conventionally but 
anti- lock brake system is not assisting 
brake performance so that the wheels can
lock- up during sudden braking or braking 
on slippery road surfaces. Vehicles with rear differential lock sys- 
temÐ
The anti-lock brake system does not oper- 
ate when the rear differential is locked. It 
is normal operation for the ºABSº warning
light to be on at this  time.
(h) SRS Airbag Warning Light This light will come on when the igni- 
tion key is turned to the ºACCº or 
ºONº position. After about 6 seconds,
the light will go off. This means the 
airbag system is operating properly. 
The warning light system monitors the air- 
bag sensor assembly, inflator, warning 
light, interconnecting wiring and power 
sources. 
If either of  the following conditions occurs, 
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light 
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as 
soon as possible to service the vehicle.
  The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ºACCº or
ºONº position or remains on.
  The light comes on while driving. 

'98 Tacoma (U)73
(i) Unengaged ºParkº Warning Light (ve-
hicles with automatic transmission)
This light warns that the transmission 
ºParkº mechanism is not engaged. If the 
front drive control lever is in the ºNº posi-
tion while the selector lever is in the ºPº 
position, the transmission will disengage 
and the wheels will not lock.
CAUTION
To restore the park function, shift the 
front drive control  lever out of ºNº, 
or the vehicle can move.
(j) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem- perature Warning Light
This light warns that the automatic trans- 
mission fluid temperature is too high. 
If this light comes on while you are driv- 
ing, slow down and pull off  the road. Stop 
the vehicle at a safe place and put the 
selector lever in ºPº. With the engine id-
ling, wait until the light goes off. If the 
light goes off, you may start  the vehicle 
again. If the light does not go off, call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair  shop for 
assistance. (k) Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level
Warning Light (Canada)
The light warns that the windshield washer
fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at 
your earliest opportunity. (For instructions,
see ºAdding washer fluidº in Chapter 7- 3.)
(l) Light Reminder Buzzer This buzzer will sound if the driver 's door 
is opened while the ignition switch is 
turned to the ºLOCKº position with the
headlight switch on. Removing the key will 
not stop the buzzer as  long as  the head- 
light switch is on.
(m) Key Reminder Buzzer This buzzer reminds  you to remove the 
key when you open the driver 's door with 
the ignition key in the ºACCº or ºLOCKº
position. CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER INDICA-
TORS (except the low fuel level warning
light and low windshield washer fluid 
level warning light)
1. Apply  the parking brake. 
2. Turn the ignition key to ºACCº. The SRS airbag warning light should 
come on. It goes off after about 6 se- 
conds.
3. Turn the ignition key to ºONº, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex- 
cept the SRS airbag warning light
should come on. The ºABSº warning 
light goes off after a few seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described 
above, either the bulb is burned out or the
circuit is in need of repair. Have it 
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as 
possible. 

'98 Tacoma (U)
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.  

'98 Tacoma (U)
144
Brake system 
TANDEM MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE SYSTEM 
The tandem master cylinder brake system 
is a hydraulic  system with two separate 
sub-systems. If either sub-system s
hould
fail, the other will still work. However, the 
pedal will be harder to press, and your 
stopping distance will be longer. Also, the
brake system warning light may  come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a 
single brake system.  Have your 
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER 
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to 
power-assist the brakes. If the engine 
should quit while you are driving, you can 
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserve 
vacuum for one or two stops±but no more!
CAUTION
  Do not pump the brake pedal if the 
engine stalls. Each push on the 
pedal uses up your vacuum reserve.
 Even if the power assist is com- 
pletely lost, the brakes will still 
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hardÐmuch harder than nor- 
mal. And your braking distance will 
be longer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM 
(with ºABSº warning light) 
The anti-lock brake system is designed to 
automatically help prevent lock- up of the 
wheels during sudden braking or braking 
on slippery road surfaces. This assists in 
providing directional stab ility and steering
performance of the vehicle under these 
circumstances. 
The anti-lock brake system becomes op- 
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10 
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the 
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph). 
You may hear a sound in the engine 
compartment for a few seconds when the 
engine is started or just after the vehicle 
is started. This means that the anti-lock
brake system is in the self check mode, 
and does not indicate a malfunction.
Effective way  to press the ºABSº brake 
pedal: When the anti- lock brake system 
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise. 
In this situation, to let the anti- lock 
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not 
pump the brake. This will result in re- 
duced braking performance.
The brake pedal pulsation caused by  the 
anti-lock brake system may indicate haz- 
ardous road surface conditions. Although 
the anti-lock brake  system assists  in pro- 
viding vehicle control, it is still important
to drive with all due care, because the 
anti-lock brake system cannot overcome 
the laws of physics that act on your ve-
hicle:   Braking capab ility is dependent on tire
friction with the road surface.
  Even though the anti-lock brake system
is operating, a driver  cannot maintain
full control on certain slippery road sur- 
faces, when cornering at high speeds, 
or in violent maneuvers.
  Avoid high speeds on wet roads. The 
anti-lock brake system cannot eliminate 
the risk of hydroplaning and loss of tire
friction.