
New L/C100(U)
92
The gauge indicates the engine coolant 
temperature when the ignition switch is 
on. The engine operating temperature 
will vary with changes in weather and
engine load. 
If the needle points to the red zone or 
higher, stop your vehicle and allow the 
engine to cool. 
Your vehicle may overheat during severe 
operating conditions, such as:   Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
  Reducing speed or stopping after high 
speed driving.
  Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop- and- go traffic.
  Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
 Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as thismay cause the engine to overheat.The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep thetemperature of the engine withinthe specified operating range.
 Do not  continue driving with anoverheated engine. See ºIf your ve-hicle overheatsº in Part 4.
Oil pressure gauge
Idling
Normal driving
The oil pressure gauge indicates engine 
oil pressure when the ignition switch is 
on. Check it while driving to make sure 
that the needle is in the proper range. 
If the oil pressure should stay below the 
normal range, pull off the road to a safe
place and stop the engine immediately. 
Call a Toyota dealer or qualified repair 
shop for assistance. 
Oil pressure may not build up when the 
oil level is too low. The oil pressure 
gauge is not designed to indicate oil level,
and the oil level must be checked using 
the level dipstick.
Engine coolant temperature 
gauge   

New L/C100(U)
102
(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.
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:
km/h (mph)
 Transmission  Transfer L H
2 42 (26) 104 (65) . . . . . . . 
L 23 (14)  57 (35) . . . . . . . 
 Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in theº2º or ºLº position. This may causesevere automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To preventsuch damage, ºDº position shouldbe 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. If the four±wheel drive control is in the 
ºNº position while the  selector lever  is in
the ºPº position, the transmission will 
damage and the wheels will not lock.
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. 

New L/C100(U)155
Three- way catalytic converter
The three- way catalytic converter is the 
emission control devices installed in 
the exhaust system. 
Its 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 idle or park your vehicle 
over anything that might burn easi- 
ly 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 min-
utes.
 Avoid racing the engine.
 Do not push- start or pull- start yourvehicle.
 Do not turn off the ignition whilethe vehicle is moving.
 Keep your engine in good runningorder. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electric ignitionsystem/distributor ignition system
or fuel system could cause an ex-tremely high three- way catalytic
converter 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 sys-
tem best.  

New L/C100(U)
168
(b) Starting the engine 
Before starting the engine, be sure to fol- 
low the instructions in º(a) Before crank-
ingº. 
Normal starting procedure 
The multiport fuel injection system/sequen- 
tial multiport fuel injection system in your 
engine automatically controls the proper
air- fuel mixture for starting. You can start 
a cold or hot engine as  follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped- al, crank the engine by turning the key
to ºSTARTº. Release it when the en- 
gine starts.
2. After the engine runs for about 10 se- conds, you are ready to drive. 
If the weather is below freezing, let the 
engine warm up for a few minutes be-
fore driving.
If  the engine stalls... 
Simply restart it, using the correct proce- 
dure given in normal  starting. 
If the engine will not start... 
See ºIf your vehicle will not startº in Part 4.
NOTICE
 Do not crank for more than 30 se- conds at a time. This may overheatthe starter and wiring systems.
 Do not race a cold engine.
 If the engine becomes difficult tostart or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
  Always slow down in gusty crosswinds. 
This will allow you much better control.
  Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos- 
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving 
onto high, sharp- edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so 
can lead to severe tire damage result- 
ing in tire bursts.
  When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they  touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the 
parking brake, and place the transmis- 
sion in ºPº. If necessary, block the
wheels.
  Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that 
there is no traffic near you, and then 
press the pedal lightly. If you do not 
feel a normal braking force, the brakes 
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly 
pressing the brake pedal with the park- 
ing brake pulled. If  they  still  do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road 
and call a Toyota dealer  for assistance.
Tips for driving 
in various conditions