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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) 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.
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.
“H” (2WD) mode
“H” (4WD) or
“L4” (UNLOCKED) mode
“L4” (LOCKED) mode
Four wheel drive system—
(a) Front drive control
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Use the transmission shift lever, front
drive control lever and “4WD” switch to
select the transfer and center differen-
tial modes.
The “H” and “L4” position of the front
drive control lever and the “L” position of
the transmission shift lever provide either
lock or unlock the mode of the center
differential.
“H” mode (high speed position, two
wheel drive): Front drive control lever at
“H”
Use this for normal driving on dry hard
surfaced roads. This position gives greater
economy, quietest ride and least wear and
better vehicle control.
“H” mode (high speed position, four
wheel drive, center differential un-
locked): Front drive control lever at “H”,
“4WD” switch pushed once
Use this for normal driving on all types of
roads, from dry hard surfaced roads to
wet, icy or snow covered roads. This
position provides greater traction than
two wheel drive.
“N” mode (neutral position): Front drive
control lever at “N”
No power is delivered to the wheels. The
vehicle must be stopped. “L4” mode (low speed position, four
wheel drive, center differential un-
locked):
Transmission shift lever except
at “L”, front drive control lever at “L4”
Use this for maximum power and traction.
Use this for climbing steep hills, off road
driving, and hard pulling in sand or mud.
In this mode, the braking feeling that oc-
curs when the wheels are negotiating a
sharp corner is further reduced than in the
“L4” (low position, four wheel drive, center
differential locked) mode.
If you place the transmission shift lever at
“2” in this mode, the transmission auto-
matically shifts up from second gear. This
system is effective when starting your ve-
hicle in sand, mud, ice or snow. (Howev-
er, the transmission system may shift up
from first gear when the vehicle starts too
quickly.) “L4” mode (low speed position, four
wheel drive, center differential locked):
Transmission shift lever at “L”, front drive
control lever at “L4”
Use this for maximum power and traction.
Use this for hard pulling in situations the
vehicle cannot negotiate even in the “L4”
(low speed position, four wheel drive, cen-
ter differential unlocked) mode. Also, using
this mode when driving down steep off
road inclines will help contribute to in-
creased vehicle stability.
The indicator shows which transfer and
center differential mode the vehicle is in.
When the shifting operation has not been
completed after moving the lever, the
indicator flashes. If the indicator light does
not go off when you move the transmis-
sion shift lever and/or front drive control
lever, drive straight ahead while accelerat-
ing or decelerating, or drive in reverse. If
the indicator flashes even if doing so,
contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. There may be a trouble in the
four wheel drive system.
See “(c) Shifting procedure” for further in-
structions.
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NORMAL DRIVING MODE
Leave the system on during the ordi-
nary driving so that it can operate
when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the traction
control system is in the self check mode,
but does not indicate a malfunction.When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
rear wheels. At this time, the slip indi-
cator light blinks.
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.
TRACTION CONTROL OFF MODE
If your wheels get stuck in a ditch
when you are driving on a severe off
road and sand, turn off the traction
control system. This system that con-
trols engine performance interferes with
the process of freeing your wheels.
To turn off: Push “TRAC OFF” switch.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come
on.
To turn on: Push “TRAC OFF” switch
once again.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will go off.
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The traction control system will automati-
cally go on, and the “TRAC OFF” indicator
light will go off when you drive over 30
km/h (19 mph) even if the “TRAC OFF”
switch is pushed to cancel the traction
control system.
“TRAC OFF” indicator light comes on for
a few seconds when the ignition key is
turned to “ON”. It will come on again
when you push the “TRAC OFF” switch to
turn off the system.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The indicator light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned “ON”.
The indicator light remains on after the
ignition is turned on.
The indicator light comes on with the
normal driving mode while driving.
“VSC/TRAC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the traction control system
or the vehicle skid control system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON” and will go off after
a few seconds.The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the traction
control system or vehicle skid control sys-
tem such as on slippery roads. If the
brake actuator temperature becomes too
high while the traction control system or
vehicle skid control system is operating,
a buzzer will start to sound intermittently
to indicate that the traction control system
can no longer operate. In this case, imme-
diately stop your vehicle at a safe place.
If the system continues to operate, the
buzzer sound changes from intermittent to
continuous. (The continuous buzzer
sounds for about 3 seconds.)
At the time the “VSC/TRAC” warning light
will come on and the traction control sys-
tem temporarily stops operating in order to
protect the brake actuator. (Although the
traction control system does not operate,
there is no problem to continue your driv-
ing.) The system will be automatically re-
stored after a short time and the warning
light goes out.
If the light comes on while driving, the
traction control system does not work.
However, as conventional braking operates
when applied, there is no problem to con-
tinue your driving.
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In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.The active traction control system auto-
matically helps prevent the spinning of
4 wheels (4WD mode) or rear wheels
(2WD mode) when the vehicle is started
or accelerated on slippery road sur-
faces.
When the ignition key is turned to “ON”,
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power against 4 wheels (4WD mode)
or rear wheels (2WD mode) cannot be
maintained, even though the active
traction control system is in opera-
tion. Do not drive the vehicle under
any speed or maneuvering conditions
which may cause the vehicle to lose
traction control. In situations where
the road surface is covered with ice
or snow, your vehicle should be fitted
with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious
speed for the present road condi-
tions.
Leave the system on during the ordi-
nary driving so that it can operate
when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the active
traction control system is in the self
check mode, but does not indicate a mal-
function.
Active traction control system
(four wheel drive models)
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When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
4 wheels (4WD mode) or rear wheels
(2WD mode). At this time, the slip indi-
cator light blinks.
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.
“VSC/TRAC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the active traction control
system or the vehicle skid control system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON” and will go off after
a few seconds. The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the active
traction control system or vehicle skid
control system such as on slippery roads.
If the brake actuator temperature becomes
too high while the active traction control
system or vehicle skid control system is
operating, a buzzer will start to sound
intermittently to indicate that the active
traction control system can no longer op-
erate. In this case, immediately stop your
vehicle at a safe place.
If the system continues to operate, the
buzzer sound changes from intermittent to
continuous. (The continuous buzzer
sounds for about 3 seconds.)
At the time, the “VSC/TRAC” warning light
will come on and the active traction con-
trol system temporarily stops operating in
order to protect the brake actuator. (Al-
though the active traction control system
does not operate, there is no problem to
continue your driving.) The system will be
automatically restored after a short time
and the warning light goes out.
If the light comes on while driving, the
active traction control system does not
work. However, as conventional braking
operates when applied, there is no prob-
lem to continue your driving.
02_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0108)
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In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.The vehicle skid control system helps
provide integrated control of the sys-
tems such as anti lock brake system,
traction control, engine control, etc.
This system automatically controls the
brakes and engine to help prevent the
vehicle from skidding when cornering
on a slippery road surface or operating
steering wheel abruptly.
The vehicle skid control activates when
the vehicle speed is more than the follow-
ing speed.
Front drive control lever in “H”
15 km/h (9 mph)
Front drive control lever in “L4” 30 km/h (18 mph)
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the system is
in the self check mode but does not indi-
cate a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle skid control system. Even if
the vehicle skid control system is
operating, you must always drive
carefully and attentively to avoid
serious injury. Reckless driving will
result in an unexpected accident. If
the slip indicator light flashes,
sounding an alarm sounds, special
care should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacture, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, or different type or
size, the vehicle stability control
system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” on
page 289 in Section 7 2.)
Vehicle skid control system
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If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.Four wheel drive models only—
This switch can function only when the
four wheel drive system is selected.
If your wheels get stuck in a ditch
when you are driving on a severe off
road and sand, turn off the vehicle skid
control system. This system that con-
trols engine performance interferes with
the process of freeing your wheels.
To turn off: Push “VSC OFF” switch.
The “VSC OFF” indicator light will come
on.
To turn on: Push “VSC OFF” switch
once again.
The “VSC OFF” indicator light will go off.When you turn the ignition switch on, this
system always turns on.
“VSC OFF” indicator light comes on for a
few seconds when the ignition key is
turned to “ON”. It will come on again
when you push the “VSC OFF” switch to
turn off the system.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The indicator light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned “ON”.
The indicator light remains on after the
ignition is turned on.
The indicator light comes on when the
system is on while driving.
NOTICE
Make sure that the “VSC OFF” indica-
tor light goes off before normal driv-
ing.