1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ECU

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Total trailer weight Tongue load
Tongue load
Total trailer weight
100 9 to 11%
The trailer cargo load should be
distributed so that the tongue load
is 9 to 11% of the total trailer
weight, not exceeding the maximum
of the following. Never load the
trailer with more weight in the back
than in the front. About 60% of the
trailer load should be in the front
half of the trailer and the remaining
40% in the rear.
3RZ- FE engine 158 kg (350 lb.)
5VZ- FE engine
226 kg (500 lb.)
HITCHES
Use only a weight carrying hitch
designed for the total trailer weight.
Toyota does not recommend using a
weight distribution (load equalizing)
hitch.
The hitch must be bolted securely to
the vehicle frame and installed accord-
ing to the hitch manufacturer 's instruc-
tions.
The hitch ball and king pin should have
a light coat of grease.
Toyota recommends removing the hitch
when not towing to prevent injury and/
or damage due to the hitch in event of
a rear end collision. After removal of
the hitch, seal the installation area to
prevent entry of exhaust fumes and
mud.
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 applica-
ble federal and state/provincial regu-
lations.
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 dam-
aged or separated. For correct safety
chain procedures, follow the hitch or
trailer manufacturer 's recommenda-
tions.
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 .

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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 ºSched-
uled Maintenance Guideº or ºOwner 's
Manual Supplementº.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving. PRE- TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose- up or nose- down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulation. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.

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ÐRequired tools and spare tire
Cover
(on some models)
1. Get the required tools and spare tire.
1. Tool bag
2. Jack handle
3. Jack
To prepare yourself for an emergency, you
should fam iliarize yourself with the use of
the jack, each of the tools and their stor-
age locations.
Turn the jack joint by hand.
To remove: Turn the joint in direction 1
until the jack is free.
To store: Turn the joint in direction 2 until
the jack is firmly secured to prevent it
flying forward during a collision or s udden
braking.To remove the spare tire:
1. Insert the end of the jack handle into the lowering screw and turn it counter-
clockwise.
2. After the tire is lowered completely to the ground, remove the holding brack-
et.
When storing the spare tire, put it in place
with the outer side of the wheel facing up.
Then secure the tire, taking care that the
tire goes straight up without catching on
any other part, to prevent it from flying
forward during a collision or s udden brak-
ing.

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ÐReinstalling wheel nuts
8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts finger
tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end in-
ward) and tighten them as much as you
can by hand. Press back on the tire back
and see if you can tighten them more. ÐLowering your vehicle9. Lower the vehicle completely and
tighten the wheel nuts.
Turn the jack handle extension counter-
clockwise with handle to lower the vehicle,
making sure the handle remains firmly
fitted onto the jack handle extension.
Use only the wheel nut wrench and turn
it clockwise to tighten the nuts. Do not
use other tools or any additional leverage
other than your hands, such as a hammer,
pipe or your foot. Make sure the wrench
is securely engaged over the nut.
Tighten each nut a little at a time in the
order shown. Repeat the process until all
the nuts are tight.
CAUTION
When lowering the vehicle, make sure
all portions of your body and all oth-
er persons around will not be injured
as the vehicle is lowered to the
ground.

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ÐReinstalling wheel ornament
10. Reinstall the wheel ornament.
Put the wheel ornament into position and
then tap it firmly with the side or heel of
your hand to snap it into place.
CAUTION
Take due care in handling the orna-
ment to avoid unexpected personal
injury.
ÐAfter changing wheels
11. Check the air pressure of the re- placed tire.
Adjust the air pressure to the specification
designated in Part 8. If the pressure is
lower, drive slowly to the nearest service
station and fill to the correct pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire inflation
valve cap as dirt and moisture could get
into the valve core and possibly cause air
leakage. If the cap is missing, have a new
one put on as soon as possible.
12. Restow all the tools, jack and flat tire securely.
As soon after changing wheels as pos-
sible, tighten the wheel nuts to the torque
specified in Part 8 with a torque wrench
and have a technician repair the flat tire.
CAUTION
Before driving, make sure all the
tools, jack and flat tire are securely
in place in their storage location to
reduce the possibility of personal in-
jury during a collision or s udden
braking.
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truckÐ
ÐFrom front
ÐFrom rear
(b) Using flat bed truck
Two- wheel drive models If your vehicle needs to be
towedÐ

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NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifically intended for use in towing vehicles.Securely fasten the cable or chain tothe towing hook provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in neutral (manu-
al) or ºNº (automatic) and the transfer in
ºH2º (four- wheel drive models). The key
must be in ºACCº (engine off) or ºONº
(engine running).
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
Towing hook
cover
Clip
Removing clip
Installing clip 1. Use a phillips-
head screwdriver and re-
move the clip.
2. Unhook the towing hook cover.
ÐRemoving towing hook cover
for emergency towing
(four- wheel drive models)

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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 back door
operate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. Make sure the engine hood sec-
ondary latch secures the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch is released.
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
Check that it has the specified freeplay.
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-
straint move up and down smoothly and
that the locks hold securely in any latched
position. For folding- down rear seatbacks,
swing- up rear seat cushions and detach-
able temporary third seat, check that the
latches lock securely.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.

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Automatic transmission ºParkº mecha- nism
Check the lock release button of the se-
lector lever for proper and smooth opera-
tion. On a safe incline, check that your
vehicle is held securely with the selector
lever in ºPº position and all brakes re-
leased.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See Chapter 7- 3 for additional in-
formation.
Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the ºFULLº and ºLOWº lines on the
see- through reservoir when the engine is
cold. See Chapter 7- 2 for additional in-
formation.
Battery electrolyte level
Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower lev-
el lines on the case. Add only distilled
water when replenishing. See Chapter 7- 3
for additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See Chapter 7- 2 for additional information.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with the
engine turned off and the vehicle parked
on a level spot. See Chapter 7- 2 for addi-
tional information.
Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir. The
level should be in the ºHOTº or ºCOLDº
range depending on the fluid temperature.
See Chapter 7- 2 for additional information.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, have
the cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See engine exhaust cautions in
Part 2.)
Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip- offs that
indicate service is needed. Some impor-
tant clues are as follows:
Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and
have the exhaust system checked im-
mediately.)
Flat- looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when driving
straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspension
movement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
Engine coolant temperature continually
higher than normal
Does your vehicle need
repairing?