2000 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Maint

1952000 4Runner (OM35762U)

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 premature
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, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease,brakes not adjusted, etc. all
lower engine performance and contrib-
ute 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 maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the separate
Scheduled Maintenance Guideº or
Owner 's Manual Supplementº).
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering and
brake booster will not function with-
out the engine running. Also, the
emission control system operates
properly only when the engine is run-
ning.
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2202000 4Runner (OM35762U)
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances (gaso-
line, kerosene, benzine or strong sol-
vents), which may be toxic or cause
damage.
3. Rinse thoroughlyÐdried soap can
cause streaking. In hot weather you
may need to rinse each section right
after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle
using a clean soft cotton towel. Do not
rub or press hardÐyou might scratch
the paint.
Automatic car wash
Your vehicle may be washed in an auto-
matic car wash, but remember that the
paint can be scratched by some type of
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the
washing process itself. Scratching reduces
paint durability and gloss, especially on
darker colors. The manager of the car
wash should be able to advise you wheth-
er the process is safe for the paint on
your vehicle.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the antenna,
make sure it is retracted before driv-
ing your Toyota through an automatic
car wash. On models with detachable
antenna, remove the antenna before
using an automatic car wash.
Waxing your Toyota
Polishing and waxing is recommended
to maintain the original beauty of your
Toyota's finish.
Once a month or if the vehicle surface
does not repel water well, apply wax.
1. Always wash and dry the vehicle be-
fore you begin waxing, even if you are
using a combined cleaner and wax.
2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If
the finish has become extremely weath-
ered, use a car- cleaning polish, fol-
lowed by a separate wax. Carefully fol-
low the manufacturer 's instructions and
precautions. Be sure to polish and wax
the chrome trim as well as the paint.
3. Wax the vehicle again when water
does not bead but remains on the sur-
face in large patches.
Cleaning the interior
CAUTION
Do not wash the vehicle floor with
water, or allow water to get onto the
floor when cleaning the vehicle interi-
or or exterior. Water may get into
audio components or other electrical
components above or under the floor
carpet (or mat) and cause a malfunc-
tion; and it may cause body corro-
sion.
Vinyl interior
The vinyl upholstery may be easily
cleaned with a mild soap or detergent
and water.
First vacuum over the upholstery to re-
move loose dirt. Then, using a sponge or
soft cloth, apply the soap solution to the
vinyl. After allowing it to soak in for a few
minutes to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt
and wipe off the soap with a clean damp
cloth. If all the dirt does not come off,
repeat the procedure. Commercial foam-
ing- type vinyl cleaners are also available
which work well. Follow the manufacturer 's
instructions.
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2232000 4Runner (OM35762U)
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Maintenance requirements224 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General maintenance225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Does your vehicle need repairing?227 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For scheduled maintenance information, please refer to the separate
Scheduled Maintenance Guideº or Owner's Manual Supplementº.
SECTION 6
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2242000 4Runner (OM35762U)
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 responsibility 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 Warranty Informa-
tion Bookletº or Owner 's Manual Supple-
mentº 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 responsibility 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 Scheduled Maintenance Guideº or
Owner 's Manual Supplementº are those
required to be serviced at regular inter-
vals.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the separate Scheduled Maintenance
Guideº or Owner 's Manual Supplementº.
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 War-
ranty Information Bookletº or Owner's
Manual Supplementº for complete war-
ranty information.Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are well- trained spe-
cialists and are kept up to date with the
latest service information through technical
bulletins, service tips, and in- dealership
training programs. They learn to work on
Toyotas before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer 's service department performs the
best job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicleÐreliably and eco-
nomically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof that
all required maintenance has been per-
formed for warranty coverage. And if any
problems should arise with your vehicle
while under warranty, your Toyota dealer
will promptly take care of it. Again, be
sure to keep a copy of the repair order
for any service performed on your Toyota.
What about do- it- yourself maintenance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented in Section 7.
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2252000 4Runner (OM35762U)
If you are a skilled do- it- yourself mechan-
ic, the Toyota service manuals are recom-
mended. Please be aware that do- it- your-
self maintenance can affect your warranty
coverage. See Owner 's Warranty Informa-
tion Bookletº or Owner 's Manual Supple-
mentº for the details.
General maintenance
Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer or a quali-
fied service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only where ade-
quate ventilation can be obtained if
you run the engine.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be performed
from time to time, unless otherwise
specified.
Tire pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge every
two weeks, or at least once a month. See
Section 7- 2 for additional information.Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Section 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 Section 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.
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502000 4Runner (OM35762U)

The front seat belt pretensioner assem-
bly or surrounding area has been dam-
aged.

The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident that was not severe enough to
cause the seat belt pretensioners to
operate.

The front seat belt pretensioner assem-
bly is scratched, cracked, or otherwise
damaged.
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection for the driver and
front passenger in addition to the pri-
mary safety protection provided by the
seat belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS airbags work together with the
seat belts to help reduce injury by inflat-
ing. The SRS airbags help to reduce inju-
ries mainly to the driver's or front passen-
ger 's head or chest directly hitting the
steering wheel or dashboard. The passen-
ger airbag is activated even with no pas-
senger in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt.
CAUTION
A driver or front passenger too close
to the steering wheel or dashboard
during airbag deployment can be
killed or seriously injured. Toyota
strongly recommends that:

The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.

The front passenger sit as far back
as possible from the dashboard.

All vehicle occupants be properly
restrained using the available seat
belts.
SRS driver and front
passenger airbags
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11 62000 4Runner (OM35762U)
Cruise control
The cruise control allows you to cruise
the vehicle at a desired speed over 40
km/h (25 mph) even with your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained up
or down grades within the limits of engine
performance, although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or
down the grades. On steeper hills, a
greater speed change will occur so it is
better to drive without the cruise control.
CAUTION
To help maintain maximum control
of your vehicle, do not use the
cruise control when driving in
heavy or varying traffic, or on slip-
pery (rainy, icy or snow- covered) or
winding roads.
Avoid vehicle speed increases when
driving downhill. If the vehicle
speed is too fast in relation to the
cruise control set speed, cancel the
cruise control then downshift the
transmission to use engine braking
to slow down.
TURNING ON THE SYSTEM
To operate the cruise control, press the
CRUISE ON- OFFº button. This turns the
system on. The indicator light in the
instrument panel shows that you can now
set the vehicle at a desired cruising
speed. Another press will turn the system
completely off.
CAUTION
To avoid accidental cruise control en-
gagement, keep the CRUISE ON-
OFFº switch off when not using the
cruise control.
SETTING AT A DESIRED SPEED
On vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in Dº before
you set the cruise control speed.
Bring your vehicle to the desired speed,
push the lever down in the SET/COASTº
direction and release it. This sets the ve-
hicle at that speed. If the speed is not
satisfactory, tap the lever up for a faster
speed, or tap it down for a slower speed.
Each tap changes the set speed by 1.6
km/h (1.0 mph). You can now take your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
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2292000 4Runner (OM35762U)
DO- IT- YOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Introduction
Engine compartment overview230 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuse locations232 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Do- it- yourself service precautions232 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parts and tools234 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 7- 1
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