'98 Tacoma (U)19
Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
AND CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1- 3
Seats, Seat belts,
Steering wheel
and Mirrors
Seats
Front seats
Rear seats
Head restraints
Armrest
Seat belts
SRS driver and front passenger
airbags
Passenger airbag cutoff system
Child restraint
Tilt steering wheel
Outside rear view mirrors
Anti- glare inside rear view mirror
Seats
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow sitting on top of a folded-
down seatback, or in the luggage
compartment. Persons not properly
seated and not properly restrained
by seat belts can be severely in-
jured in the event of emergency
braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
Adjust the driver's seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of
the driver.
CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When adjusting the seat, be careful
not to hit the seat against a pas-
senger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position, try
sliding it forward and backward to
make sure it is locked in position.
After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.
Do not put objects under the seats.
The objects may interfere with the
seat-lock mechanism or unexpected-
ly push up the seat position adjust-
ing lever; the seat may suddenly
move, causing the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
Front seatsÐ
ÐSeat adjustment precautions
'98 Tacoma (U)
22
ÐFolding seatback (bench seat)
Pull the seatback lock release lever and
fold down the seatback.
Hold the lever until you have swung the
seatback forward slightly.
CAUTION
When returning the seatback to the
upright position:
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seatback is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback.
Rear seats (jump seats)
To raise the bottom cushion, pull it up.
To lower the bottom cushion, push it down.
See ºLuggage stowage precautionsº in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load-
ing luggage.
CAUTION
When returning the bottom cushion to
its original position: Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the bottom
cushion and are arranged in their
proper position for ready use.
Make sure the bottom cushion is
securely locked by trying to pull up
the edge of the bottom cushion.
'98 Tacoma (U)
194
Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Chapter 7- 2 for
additional information. When checking the
tires, make sure no nuts are missing, and
check the nuts for looseness. Tighten
them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500
miles). See Chapter 7- 2 for additional in-
formation.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has
been parked for a while. If you smell fuel
fumes or notice any leak, have the cause
found and corrected immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including tailgate op-
erate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. Make sure the engine hood sec-
ondary latch secures the hood from
opening when the primary latch is re-
leased.
INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing periodic
services, cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Lights
Make sure the headlights, stop lights, tail
lights, turn signal lights, and other lights
are all working. Check headlight aim.
Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers function properly.
Steering wheel
Be alert for changes in steering condition,
such as hard steering or strange noise.
Seats
Check that all seat controls such as seat
adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. operate
smoothly and that all latches lock securely
in any position. Check that the head re-
straints move up and down smoothly and
that the locks hold securely in any latched
position. For folding-down seatback (bench
seat), check that the latches lock secure-
ly.Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as
buckles, retractors and anchors operate
properly and smoothly. Make sure the belt
webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or dam-aged.
Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
uneven pedal effort or catching.
Clutch pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
that the pedal has the proper clearance.
Check the brake booster function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do
not pull to one side when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the lever has the proper travel
and that, on a safe incline, your vehicle
is held securely with only the parking
brake applied.
