2001 TOYOTA TACOMA Owners Manual (in English)

’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
1232001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
Automatic transmission
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of P" position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ON" position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Selector lever
P:Parking, engine starting and
key removal
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
D: Normal driving (with overdrive on)
2: Stronger engine braking
L: Maximum engine braking
Overdrive
switch Selector lever
Lock release button
With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while holding the lock
release button in. (The ignition
switch must be in ON" position.) Shift while holding the
lock release button in.
Shift normally.
To prevent misshifting

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(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either 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 OFF" indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The O/D OFF" 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 controlWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise control" in this section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the engine" in Section 3. The
transmission must be in P" or N".
When the front drive control lever is in
L4" (low−speed position, four−wheel
drive), the driving pattern selector setting
has no effect on gear shift timing. (See
Four−wheel drive system" in this section
for information of the front drive control
lever.)
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to D".
When the lever is in the D" 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 switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low or
when the front drive control lever is in
L4" (low−speed position, four−wheel
drive), the transmission will not shift into
the overdrive gear even with the overdrive
on. (See Four−wheel drive system" in this
section for information of the front drive
control lever.)
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
OFF" indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to third
gear.

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1252001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
Shift into the 2" position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Two−wheel drive models except Pre
Runner2RZ−FE engine 105 km/h (65 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Four−wheel drive models and Pre Run-
ner Front drive control lever in H2" and
H4"3RZ−FE engine 106 km/h (66 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
5VZ−FE engine
114 km/h (71 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front drive control lever in L4" 3RZ−FE engine 36 km/h (22 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5VZ−FE engine 38 km/h (24 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shift into the L" position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
Two−wheel drive models except Pre
Runner
2RZ−FE engine 55 km/h (34 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Four−wheel drive models and Pre Run-
ner Front drive control lever in H2" and
H4"3RZ−FE engine 51 km/h (32 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5VZ−FE engine
55 km/h (34 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front drive control lever in L4" 3RZ−FE engine 9 km/h (6 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5VZ−FE engine 10 km/h (6 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicles with cruise controlWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking is not enabled because the cruise
control is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise control" in this section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using 2" and L" positions
The 2" and L" positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in 2" or L", you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in D".
With the selector lever in 2", the vehicle
will start in first gear and automatically
shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in L", the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.

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1262001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
NOTICE
Be careful not to over−rev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
Two−wheel drive models except Pre
Runner 2RZ−FE engine 2" 122 km/h (75 mph) . . . . . . . .
L" 64 km/h (39 mph) . . . . . . . .
Four−wheel drive models Front drive control lever in H2" or
H4"
3RZ−FE engine2" 113 km/h (70 mph) . . . . . . . .
L" 62 km/h (38 mph) . . . . . . . .
5VZ−FE engine 2" 119 km/h (73 mph) . . . . . . . .
L" 65 km/h (40 mph) . . . . . . . .
Front drive control lever in L4"
3RZ−FE engine2" 44 km/h (27 mph) . . . . . . . . .
L" 24 km/h (14 mph) . . . . . . . . .
5VZ−FE engine 2" 65 km/h (40 mph) . . . . . . . . .
L" 25 km/h (16 mph) . . . . . . . . .
Pre Runner models
3RZ−FE engineRegular cab2" 119 km/h (73 mph) . . . . . .
L" 65 km/h (40 mph) . . . . . .
Xtra−cab and double cab 2" 113 km/h (70 mph) . . . . . .
L" 62 km/h (38 mph) . . . . . .
5VZ−FE engine 2" 119km/h (73 mph) . . . . . . . .
L" 65 km/h (40 mph) . . . . . . . .
 Do not continue hill climbing for a
long time in the 2" or L" posi-
tion. This may cause severe auto-
matic transmission damage from
overheating. To prevent such dam-
age, use D" position for hill climb-
ing or hard towing.(f) 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
R" position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(g) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the P" posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into P" position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.

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1272001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
(h) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
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. It
can cause the transmission to over-
heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(i) Driving in POWER" mode (four−wheel drive models and Pre
Runner)
In the POWER" mode, the transmission
is shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the NORMAL" mode and a
more powerful acceleration is achieved. To
set the POWER" mode, push in the driv-
ing pattern selector button. The POWER
mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the NORMAL" mode to improve fuel
economy. (j) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock the vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the ve-
hicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes un-
stuck, causing injury or damage to
nearby people or objects.

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1282001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reverse
gear.
 Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
 If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
(k) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of P" position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the P" position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override lever. For instructions, see If you
cannot shift automatic transmission selec-
tor lever" in Section 4.
Manual transmission
The shift pattern is as shown above.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, and then release it slowly. Do not
rest your foot on the pedal while driving,
because it will cause clutch trouble. And
do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
when stopped on an uphill grade–use the
parking brake.
Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized and
upshifting or downshifting is easy.
For the best compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at the following
speeds: 2RZ−FE engine
Low altitude
1219 m (4000 ft.) or lower gear km/h(mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24(15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40(25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64(40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72(45)
High altitude
Higher than 1219 m (4000 ft.) Upshifting
gear km/h(mph)
1 to 2 24(15)
2 to 3 40(25)/58(36)∗
3 to 4 64(40)/72(45)∗
4 to 5 72(45)/85(53)∗
Downshifting
gear km/h(mph)
2 to 1 24(15)
3 to 2 40(25)
4 to 3 64(40)
5 to 4 72(45)
∗: Applicable under heavy acceleration conditions.

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1292001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
3RZ−FE engineUpshifting gear km/h(mph)
1 to 2 24(15)
2 to 3 40(25)/58(36)
∗
3 to 4 64(40)/72(45)∗
4 to 5 72(45)/85(53)∗
Downshifting gear km/h(mph)
2 to 1 24(15)
3 to 2 40(25)
4 to 3 64(40)
5 to 4 72(45)
∗: Applicable under heavy acceleration
conditions.
5VZ−FE engine
gear km/h(mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24(15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40(25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64(40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72(45)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if accel-
eration is needed when you are cruising
below the above downshifting speeds. Upshifting too soon or downshifting too
late will cause lugging, and possibly ping-
ing. Regularly revving the engine to maxi-
mum speed in each gear will cause ex-
cessive engine wear and high fuel
consumption.
Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower
traffic, maximum acceleration may be nec-
essary. Make sure you observe the follow-
ing maximum allowable speeds in each
gear:
Two−wheel drive models
2RZ−FE engine gear km/h(mph)1 48(29)
2 89(55)
3 137(85)
4 165(103)
5VZ−FE engine gear km/h(mph)
1 54(33)
2 101(62)
3 146(90)
4 180(111)\b Four−wheel drive models
3RZ−FE engine
gear km/h(mph)
H2" and H4" L4"
1 46(28) 17(10)
2 85(52) 33(20)
3 132(81) 51(31)
4 165(102) 70(43)
5VZ−FE engine gear km/h(mph) H2" and H4" L4"
1 47(29) 18(11)
2 88(54) 34(21)
3 127(78) 49(30)
4 165(102) 70(44)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going
faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.

’01 Tacoma U (L/O 0009)
1302001 TACOMA (OM35766U)
Good driving practice
If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put
the transmission in neutral, release the
clutch pedal momentarily, and then try
again.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use fifth gear.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into reverse.
Use the front drive control lever to se-
lect the following transfer modes.
H2" (high speed position, two−wheel
drive): Lever at H2"
Use this for normal driving on dry hard−
surfaced roads. This position gives greater
economy, quietest ride and least wear.
H4" (high speed position, four−wheel
drive): Lever at H4"
Use this for normal driving on wet, icy or
snow−covered roads. This position pro-
vides greater traction than two−wheel
drive. N" (neutral position):
Lever at N"
No power is delivered to the wheels. The
vehicle must be stopped.
L4" (low speed position, four−wheel
drive): Lever at L4"
Use this for maximum power and traction.
Use L4" for climbing or descending steep
hills, off−road driving, and hard pulling in
sand, mud or deep snow.
The four−wheel drive indicator light comes
on when the H4", N" or L4" mode is
selected.
See (c) Shifting procedure (lever type)"
for further instructions.
Four−wheel drive system
(a) Front drive control
(lever type)