312000 4Runner (OM35762U)
Fuel tank cap
1. To open the fuel filler door, pull the
lever.
When refueling, turn off the engine.
CAUTION
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames when refueling.
The fumes are flammable.
When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot weath-
er, fuel under pressure could cause
injury by spraying out of the filler
neck if the cap is suddenly re-
moved.
2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turn
the cap slowly counterclockwise,
then pause slightly before removing
it. After removing the cap, hang it
on the cap hanger.
It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When installing,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a
click.
If the cap is not tightened securely, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Make sure the cap is tightened securely.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
Make sure the cap is tightened se-
curely to prevent fuel spillage in
case of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel tank
cap for replacement. It has a built-
in check valve to reduce fuel tank
vacuum.
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872000 4Runner (OM35762U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Gauges, Meters and Service reminder indicators
Fuel gauge88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine coolant temperature gauge88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tachometer89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Odometer and two trip meters89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1- 5
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882000 4Runner (OM35762U)
Fuel gauge
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
Nearly fullÐNeedle at Fº
Nearly emptyÐNeedle at Eº
It is a good idea to keep the tank over
1/4 full.
If the fuel level approaches Eº or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the fuel gauge
needle may fluctuate or the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.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 moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, 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.
Engine coolant temperature
gauge
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892000 4Runner (OM35762U)
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 this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See If your ve-
hicle overheatsº in Section 4.
Tachometer
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm (revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and overrevving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Odometer and two trip meters
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. OdometerÐShows the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip metersÐShow two different
distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.
3. Trip meter reset knobÐResets the two
trip meters to zero, and also change
the meter display.
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922000 4Runner (OM35762U)
(d) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being
discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging
system.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, radio, etc., and drive directly to
the nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine
drive belt is broken or loose.
(e) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe place
and stop the engine immediately. Call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on
briefly after a hard stop. There is no
cause for concern if it then goes out when
the engine is accelerated slightly.The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to
indicate low oil level, and the oil level
must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light onÐeven for one block.
It may ruin the engine.
(f) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See
Fuel gaugeº in Section 1- 5 for instruc-
tions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See Fuel tank capº in Section
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) ABSº Warning Light
The light comes on with the ignition key
turned to ONº. If the anti- lock brake sys-
tem works properly, the light goes out
after a few seconds. Thereafter, if the
system malfunctions, the light comes on.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
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942000 4Runner (OM35762U)
(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 Pº. 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 automatic
transmission.
(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 Adding washer fluidº in Section 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 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 ACCº.
The SRS warning light should come on.
It goes off after about 6 seconds.
5. Turn the ignition key to ONº, but do
not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex-
cept the open door warning light and
SRS warning light should come on. The
ABSº 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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982000 4Runner (OM35762U)
(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either a third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The O/D OFFº indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The O/D OFFº indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will be on automatically.Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be applied because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise controlº in this section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How
to start the engineº in Section 3. The
transmission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
When the lever is in the Dº position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive 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 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.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push the overdrive switch. The O/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the 2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and stronger engine braking will
be enabled.
3RZ- FE engine
112 km/h (69 mph)
5VZ- FE engine
119 km/h (73 mph)
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1012000 4Runner (OM35762U)
(j) Driving in PWRº (Power) mode
In the PWRº mode, the transmission is
shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the NORMº (Normal) mode
and a more powerful acceleration is
achieved. To set the PWRº mode, push
in the driving pattern selector button. The
PWRº mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the NORMº mode to improve fuel
economy.(k) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of Pº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the Pº position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector leverº in Section 4.
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