1998 TOYOTA TACOMA maintenance schedule

'98 Tacoma (U)141
Three-way catalytic converter
The three-way catalytic converter is an
emission control device installed in the
exhaust system.
The purpose is to reduce pollutants in the
exhaust gas.
CAUTION

Keep people and combustible mate-
rials away from the exhaust pipe
while the engine is running. The
exhaust gas is very hot.
Do not drive, idle or park your ve-
hicle over anything that might burn
easily such as grass, leaves, paper
or rags.
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the three-way catalyticconverter may cause it to overheat and create a fire hazard. To prevent
this and other damage, observe thefollowing precautions:
Use only unleaded gasoline.
Do not drive with an extremely lowfuel level; running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, creat-ing an excessive load on the three- way catalytic converter.
Do not allow the engine to run atidle speed for more than 20 minu-
tes.
Avoid racing the engine.
Do not push-start or pull-start yourvehicle.
Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.
Keep your engine in good runningorder. Malfunctions in the engineelectrical system, electronic ignitionsystem/distributor ignition system
or fuel systems could cause an ex-tremely high three-way catalyticconverter temperature.
If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, take yourvehicle in for a check-up as soon
as possible. Remember, your Toyotadealer knows your vehicle and itsthree-way catalytic converter system
best.
To ensure that the three-way cata- lytic converter and the entire emis-sion control system operate proper-ly, your vehicle must receive the
periodic inspections required by theToyota Maintenance Schedule. Forscheduled maintenance information,
refer to the separate ºOwner'sManual Supplement/MaintenanceScheduleº.

'98 Tacoma (U)155

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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158
NOTICE
Do not use an axle-mounting hitch as it may cause damage to the axlehousing, wheel bearings, wheels and/or tires.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS
Toyota recommends trailers with brakes
that conform to any applicable federal
and state/provincial regulations.
A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain should cross
under the trailer tongue to prevent the
tongue from dropping to the ground in
case it becomes damaged or sepa-
rated. For correct safety chain proce-
dures, follow the hitch or trailer
manufacturer 's recommendations.
CAUTION
If the total trailer weight exceeds
453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer brakes are
required.
Never tap into your vehicle's hy-
draulic system as it would lower its
braking effectiveness.
Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling unit
or hitch ball, there is danger of the
trailer wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See Chapter 7- 2 for
instructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight. TRAILER LIGHTS
Trailer lights must comply with federal,
state/provincial and local regulations.
See your local recreational vehicle
dealer or rental agency for the correct
type of wiring and relays for your trail-
er. Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each time
you hitch up. Direct splicing may dam-
age your vehicle's electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.
BREAK-IN SCHEDULE Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the ºOwn-
er 's Manual Supplement/Maintenance
Scheduleº.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.

'98 Tacoma (U)161
Getting more kilometers/mileage from a
liter/gallon of fuel is easy±just take it
easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and
repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See Chapter
7- 2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once
the engine is running smoothly, begin
drivingÐbut gently. Remember, howev-
er, that on cold winter days this may
take a little longer.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high
gear as quickly as possible.
Avoid long engine idling. If you have
a long wait and you are not in traffic,
it is better to turn off the engine and
start again later.
Avoid engine lug or overrevving. Use
a gear position suitable for the road on
which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop-and-go driving
wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or
take advantage of through streets to
avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-
tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-
den braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the clutch
or brake pedal. This causes needless
wear, overheating and poor fuel econo-
my.
Maintain a moderate speed on high-ways. The faster you drive, the greater
the fuel consumption. By reducing your
speed, you will cut down on fuel con-
sumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on
the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corro-
sion.
Keep your vehicle tuned-up and in top
shape. A dirty air cleaner, improper
valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.
all lower engine performance and
contribute to poor fuel economy. For
longer life of all parts and lower
operating costs, keep all maintenance
work on schedule, and if you often
drive under severe conditions, see that
your vehicle receives more frequent
maintenance (For scheduled mainte-
nance information, please refer to the
separate ºOwner 's Manual Supplement/
Maintenance Scheduleº).
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too

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192
Part 6
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Maintenance requirements
General maintenance
Does your vehicle need
repairing?
For scheduled maintenance
information, please refer to the
separate ºOwner 's Manual
Supplement/ Maintenance
Schedule''.
Maintenance requirements
Your Toyota vehicle has been designed to
for fewer maintenance requirements with
longer service intervals to save both your
time and money. However, each regular
maintenance, as well as day-to-day care,
is more important than ever before to en-
sure smooth, and trouble-free, safe, and
economical drivings.
It is the owner 's responsib
ility to make
sure the specified maintenance, including
general maintenance service, is performed.
Note that both the new vehicle and emis-
sion control system warranties specify that
proper maintenance and care must be per-
formed. See Owner 's Guide, Owner 's
Manual Supplement or Warranty Booklet
for complete warranty information.
General maintenance
General maintenance items are those day-
to-day care practices that are important to
your vehicle for proper operation. It is the
owner 's responsib ility to ensure that the
general maintenance items are performed
regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done
either by yourself or a qualified technician,
or if you prefer, your Toyota dealer will be
pleased to do them at a nominal cost. Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed in
the ºOwner 's Manual Supplement/Mainte-
nance Schedule'' are those required to be
serviced at regular intervals.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the separate ºOwner 's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Schedule''.
It is recommended that any replacement
parts used for maintenance or for the
repair of the emission control system
be Toyota supplied.
The owner may elect to use non-Toyota
supplied parts for replacement pur-
poses without invalidating the emission
control system warranty. However, use
of replacement parts which are not of
equivalent quality may impair the effec-
tiveness of the emission control sys-
tems.
You may also elect to have mainte-
nance, replacement, or repair of the
emission control devices and system
performed by any automotive repair es-
tablishment or individual without invali-
dating this warranty. See Owner's
Guide, Owner 's manual Supplement or
Warranty Booklet for complete warranty
information.

ii
New vehicle warranty
Your new vehicle is covered by the following Toyota
limited warranties: New vehicle warranty
Emission control systems warranty
Others
For further information, please refer to the separate
``Owner 's Guide'', ``Owner 's Manual Supplement'' or
``Warranty Booklet''.
Your responsibility for maintenance
It is the owner 's responsib ility to make sure that the
specified maintenance is performed. Part 6 gives details
of these maintenance requirements. Also included in Part
6 is general maintenance. For scheduled maintenance
information, please refer to the separate ``Owner 's Manu-
al Supplement/Maintenance Schedule''.
Accessories, spare parts and
modification of your Toyota
A wide variety of non- genuine spare parts and accesso-
ries for Toyota vehicles are currently available in the
market. You should know that Toyota does not warrant
these products and is not responsible either for their
performance, repair or replacement, or for any damage
they may cause to, or adverse effect they may have on,
your Toyota vehicle.
This vehicle should not be modified with non- genuine
Toyota products. Modification with non- genuine Toyota
products could affect its performance, safety or durabili-
ty, and may even violate governmental regulations. In
addition, damage or performance problems resulting from
the modification may not be covered under warranty.