'98 Tacoma (U)149
Suspension and chassis
CAUTION
Do not modify the suspension/chassis
with lift kits, spacers, springs, etc. It
can cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of control.
Types of tires
Determine sure what kind of tires your
vehicle is originally equipped with.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capab ility
tires best suited to highway driving under
dry conditions.
Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, sum-
mer tires are inadequate for driving on
snow-covered or icy roads. For driving on
snow-covered or icy roads, we recommend
using snow tires. If installing snow tires,
be sure to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions, as
well as for use all year round.
All season tires, however, do not have
adequate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accel-
eration and handling performance
compared with summer tires in highway
driving.
CAUTION
Do not mix summer and all season
tires on your vehicle as this can
cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of con-
trol.
Do not use tires other than the
manufacture's designated tires, and
never mix tires or wheels of the
sizes different from the originals.
'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
