1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER automatic transmission

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Instrument panel overview
1. Side vents
2. Tilt steering lock release lever
3. Instrument cluster
4. Center vents
5. Garage door opener box or eyeglassholder
6. Electric moon roof switch
7. Personal lights
8. Glove box
9. Power door lock switches
10. Power window switches
11. Automatic transmission selector lever or manual transmission gear shift lever
12. Parking brake lever
13. Front drive control lever
14. Lower vent
15. Hood lock release lever
16. Fuel filler door o pener
17. Power rear view mirror control switch (with power windows)

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Indicator symbols on the instrument panel
(type A)
(type B)
Driver 's seat belt reminder light
*
1
Low oil pressure warning light *
1
Low fuel level warning light *
1
Brake system warning light
*
1
Malfunction indicator lamp *
1
Discharge warning light
*
1
Anti- lock brake system warning light *
1
Automatic transmission fluid temperature
warning light *
1
SRS airbag warning light
*
1
Unengaged ºParkº warning light *
1
Open door warning light
*
1
Low windshield washer fluid level warning
light *
1
Headlight high beam indicator light
Overdrive- off indicator light
Turn signal indicator lights
Automatic transmission indicator light
Front passenger 's seat belt reminder light
*
1

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(f) 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.
(g) 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.
(h) ºABSº Warning Light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in your anti- lock brake sys-
tem.
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.
(i) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
and back door are completely closed.(j) 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
system of the airbag and front seat belt
pretensioner are operating properly.
The warning light system monitors the air-
bag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
inflators, warning light, interconnecting wir-
ing 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 or flashes while
driving.

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(k) 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.
(l) Unengaged ºParkº Warning
Light
( vehicles 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.
(m) 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.
NOTICE
Continued driving with the warning light on may damage the automatictransmission.
(n) 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.) CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER
INDICATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light and low windshield wash-
er fluid level warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open one of the side doors or the back door.
The open door warning light should
come on.
3. Close the door. The open door warning light should go
off.
4. Turn the ignition key to ºACCº. The SRS airbag warning light should
come on. It goes off after about 6 se-
conds.
5. Turn the ignition key to ºONº, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex-
cept the open door warning light and
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.

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Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1- 6
Ignition switch,
Transmission and
Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering lock
Automatic transmission
Manual transmission
Four- wheel drive system

Rear differential look system

P ar k ing br ak e
Cruise control
Clutch start cancel switch
ºSTARTºÐStarter motor on. The key
will return to the ºONº position when
released.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
ºONºÐEngine on and all accessories on.
This is the normal driving position.
ºACCºÐAccessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ºACCº or
ºLOCKº position and open the driver's
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
ºLOCKºÐEngine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position. Vehicles with manual transmissionÐ
You must push in the key to turn the key
from ºACCº to the ºLOCKº position.
Vehicles with automatic transmissionÐ
You must shift the selector lever into the
ºPº position before turning the key from
ºACCº to the ºLOCKº position.
Vehicles with engine immobiliser systemÐ
Once you remove the key, the engine im-
mobiliser system is automatically set. (See
ºEngine immobiliser systemº in C
hapter
1- 2.)
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the ºLOCKº position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key gently.
CAUTION
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the ve-
hicle is moving, as this will lock the
steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.
Ignition switch with steering
lock

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Lock release buttonTo prevent misshifting
Parking, engine starting
and key removal position
Reverse position
Neutral position
Position for engine braking
With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while holding the lock release button
in. (The ignition switch must be in
ºONº position.)
Shift while holding the lock release
button in.
Shifting normally Normal driving position
Position for stronger engine
braking than that in º2º
position
Overdrive switch
For selecting either a three- speed or four- speed
transmission
ON position
(Shifting into
overdrive
possible) OFF position
(Shifting into
overdrive not
possible)O/D OFF indicator
light shows the
overdrive switch is
in OFF position
Driving pattern selector button For selecting a driving pattern suited
to existing driving conditions
ºNORMº (Normal)
mode for general
driving conditioning ºPWRº (Power)
mode for
powerful
accelerationºPWRº mode indicator
light on the instrument
panel shows the driving
pattern selector button
is in the ºPWRº mode
Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the cruise control is being used, eve n if you downshift the transmission by turning off the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not be applied because the cruise cont rol is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed, see
ºCruise controlº in this chapter. Automatic transmission
Two- wheel drive models

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Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ºPº position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ºONº position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ºHow to start the engineº in Part 3. The
transmission must be in ºPº or ºNº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to ºDº.
In ºDº position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for running conditions such as normal
cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive switch on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows: Turn off the overdrive switch. The ºO/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the º2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and more powerful engine brak-
ing will be obtained.
3RZ- FE engine 112 km/h (69 mph) . . .
5VZ- FE engine 119 km/h (73 mph) . . .
Shift into the ºLº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
When the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be ap-
plied.
3RZ- FE engine 54 km/h (33 mph) . . .
5VZ- FE engine 58 km/h (36 mph) . . . Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning off
the overdrive switch, engine braking is not
applied because the cruise control is not
cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see ºCruise controlº in this chapter.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(c) Using º2º and ºLº positions
The º2º and ºLº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in º2º or ºLº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in ºDº.
With the selector lever in º2º, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ºLº, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.

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NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-gine. Watch the tachometer to keepengine rpm from going into the red zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position isgiven below for your reference:
º2º 120 km/h (74 mph). . . . . . .
ºLº 65 km/h (40 mph) . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in theº2º or ºLº position. This may cause severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To preventsuch damage, ºDº position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(d) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
ºRº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the ºPº posi-
tion.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into ºPº position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission is repeatedly up-
shifted and downshifted between third
gear and overdrive when climbing a
gentle slope, the overdrive switch
should be turned off. Be sure to turn
the switch on immediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. Itcan cause the transmission to over- heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.