2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER ignition

’03 4Runner_U (L/O 0305)
281
2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
Do not connect the cable to or near
any part that moves when the engine
is cranked.
CAUTION
When making the connections, to
avoid serious injury, do not lean over
the battery or accidentally let the
jumper cables or clamps touch any-
thing except the correct battery termi-
nals or the ground.
5. Start your engine in the normal way.
After starting, run it at about 2000 rpm
for several minutes with the accelerator
pedal lightly depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover cloths—they may now contain sulfuric
acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is
not apparent (for example, lights left on),
you should have it checked at your Toyota
dealer. If your engine stalls while driving...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Turn the ignition key to “ACC” or “LOCK”, and try starting the engine
again.
If the engine will not start, see “If your
vehicle will not start” on page 278 in this
Section.CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
If the engine speed does not increase when
the accelerator pedal is depressed, there may
be a problem somewhere in your electronic
throttle control system.
At this time, vibration may occur. Howev-
er, if you depress the accelerator pedal
more firmly and slowly, you can drive your
vehicle at low speeds. Have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic
throttle control system is corrected during
low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and
the ignition key is turned to “ACC” or
“LOCK” position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
If your engine stalls while
driving If you cannot incr
ease the
engine speed

’03 4Runner_U (L/O 0305)
294
2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
TOWING PRECAUTIONS:
Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly.
CAUTION
Vehicles with rear height control air
suspension: When your vehicle is
towed, put the vehicle height in the
“N” (normal) mode and push the
“HEIGHT CONTROL OFF” switch to
turn off the rear height control air
suspension. Otherwise, the vehicle
height may be changed in the auto-
matic leveling function, resulting in
accident. For details, see “Rear
height control air suspension” on
page 158 in Section 16.
Twowheel drive models—
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From front—
Use a towing dolly under the rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,
as this may cause serious damage to
the transmission.
From rear—Place the ignition key in the
“ACC” position.
NOTICE
 When lifting wheels, take care to
ensure adequate ground clearance
for towing at the opposite end of
the raised vehicle. Otherwise, the
bumper and/or underbody of the
towed vehicle will be damaged dur-
ing towing.
 Do not tow with the key removed or
in the “LOCK” position, as the
steering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the front
wheels straight while towing.
(b) Using flat bed truck Fourwheel drive models—
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
FULLTIME FOUR WHEEL DRIVE
MODELS
Use a towing dolly under the wheels not
lifted by the truck.
MULTIMODE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE
MODELS
From front—
Use a towing dolly under the rear wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle from the front
with the rear wheels on the ground,
as this may cause serious damage to
the transmission.
From rear—
We recommend using a tow-
ing dolly under the front wheels. If you do
not use a towing dolly, place the ignition
key in the “ACC” position, put the trans-
mission in “N” and the multimode control
switch knob in “H2”.

’03 4Runner_U (L/O 0305)
298
2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of “P” position to other positions
even though the brake pedal is de-
pressed, use the shift lock override but-
ton as follows:
1. Turn the ignition key to “LOCK” position. Make sure the parking
brake is set.
2. Pry up the cover with a flatbladed screwdriver or equivalent.3. Insert the screwdriver or equivalentinto the hole to push down the shift
lock override button. You can shift
out of “P” position only while push-
ing the button.
4. Shift into “N” position.
5. Insert the cover.
6. Start the engine. For your safety, keep the brake pedal depressed.
Be sure to have the system checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible. You can purchase a new key at your
Toyota dealer if you can give them the
key number and master key.
Even if you lose only one key, contact
your Toyota dealer to make a new key. If
you lose all your master keys, you cannot
make new keys; the whole engine immobi-
liser system must be replaced.
See the suggestion given in “Keys” on
page 10 in Section 12.
If your keys are locked in the vehicle and
you cannot get a duplicate, many Toyota
dealers can still open the door for you,
using their special tools. If you must
break a window to get in, we suggest
breaking the smallest side window be-
cause it is the least expensive to replace.
Be extremely cautious to avoid cuts from
the glass.
If you cannot shift automatic
transmission selector lever
If you lose your keys

’03 4Runner_U (L/O 0305)
319
2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)
Right after driving, the engine
compartment—the engine, radiator,
exhaust manifold, power steering
fluid reservoir and spark plug
boots, etc.—will be hot. So be care-
ful not to touch them. Oil, fluids
and spark plugs may also be hot.
If the engine is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the drain
plugs to prevent burning yourself.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flammable.
Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it. Al-
ways use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.
Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under your vehicle
where you may be exposed to flying
or falling material, fluid spray, etc.
Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as in-
flammation or skin cancer, so care
should be taken to avoid prolonged
and repeated contact with it. To re-
move used engine oil from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap
and water.
Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.
Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers or
onto the ground. Call your dealer or
a service station for information
concerning recycling or disposal.
Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals
and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and reproductive
harm. Wash hands after handling.
NOTICE
Remember that battery and ignition
cables carry high currents or volt-
ages. Be careful of accidentally
causing a short circuit.
 Add only demineralized or distilled
water to fill the radiator. And if you
spill some of the coolant, be sure
to wash it off with water to prevent
it from damaging the parts or paint.
 Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug holes.
 Use only spark plugs of the speci-
fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
 Do not reuse iridiumtipped spark
plugs by cleaning or regapping.
 Do not overfill automatic transmis-
sion fluid, or the transmission
could be damaged.
 Do not drive with the air cleaner
filter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the engine
compartment.

’03 4Runner_U (L/O 0305)
328
2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
If any of the above parts are extremely
dirty or you are not sure of their condi-
tion, take your vehicle to a Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, be care-
ful not to touch the radiator or con-
denser when the engine is hot.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the radiator
and condenser, do not perform the
work by yourself.
To check the fluid level, simply look at
the seethrough reservoir. The level
should be between the “MAX” and
“MIN” lines on the reservoir.
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go
down slightly as the brake pads wear or
when the fluid level in the accumulator is
high.
If the reservoir needs frequent ref illing, it
may indicate a serious mechanical prob-
lem.
If the level is low, add SAE J1703 or
FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 brake fluid to the
brake reservoir. Refilling brake fluid:
1. Turn the ignition switch off.
2. Depress the brake pedal more than 40 times.
3. Remove the reservoir cover by hand. Add brake fluid up to the “MAX” line.
If you do not follow the procedure above,
the reservoir may overflow.
Use only newly opened brake fluid. Once
opened, brake fluid absorbs moisture from
the air, and excess moisture can cause a
dangerous loss of braking.CAUTION
Take care when filling the r eservoir
because brake fluid can harm your
eyes and damage painted surfaces. If
fluid gets in your eyes, flush your
eyes with clean water immediately. If
you still feel uncomfortable with your
eyes, go to the doctor.
Checking the radiator and
condenser Checking brake fluid

’03 4Runner_U (L/O 0305)
342
2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
Ty p e CGood Blown
Good
Good
Blown
Blown
If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work, check the
fuses. If any of the fuses are blown,
they must be replaced.
See “Fuse locations” on page 318 in Sec-
tion 71 for locations of the fuses.
Turn the ignition switch and inoperative
component off. Pull a suspected fuse
straight out and check it.
Determine which fuse may be causing the
problem. The lid of the fuse box shows
the name of the circuit for each fuse. See
page 356 in Section 8 of this manual for
the functions controlled by each circuit. Type A fuses can be pulled out by using
the pullout tool. The location of the pull
out tool is shown in the illustration.
If you are not sure whether the fuse has
blown, try replacing the suspected fuse
with one that you know is good.
If the fuse has blown, push a new fuse
into the clip.
Only install a fuse with the amperage rat-
ing designated on the fuse box lid.
If you do not have a spare fuse, in an
emergency you can pull out the “PWR
OUTLET” or “HEATER NO.2” fuse, which
may be dispensable for normal driving,
and use it if its amperage rating is the
same.
If you cannot use one of the same amper-
age, use one that is lower, but as close
as possible to the rating. If the amperage
is lower than that specified, the fuse
might blow out again but this does not
indicate anything wrong. Be sure to get
the correct fuse as soon as possible and
return the substitute to its original clip.
It is a good idea to purchase a set of
spare fuses and keep them in your ve-
hicle for emergencies.
Checking and replacing fuses

’03 4Runner_U (L/O 0305)
344
2003 4RUNNER from Apr. ’03 Prod. (OM 35820U)
The following illustrations show how to
gain access to the bulbs. When replacing
a bulb, make sure the ignition switch and
light switch are off. Use bulbs with the
wattage ratings given in the table.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, do not
replace the light bulbs while they
are hot.
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas
inside and require special handling.
They can burst or shatter if
scratched or dropped. Hold a bulb
only by its plastic or metal case.
Do not touch the glass part of a
bulb with bare hands.
NOTICE
Only use a bulb of the listed type.
The inside of the lens of exterior lights
such as headlights may temporarily fog up
when the lens becomes wet in the rain or
in a car wash. This is not a problem
because the fogging is caused by the
temperature difference between the outside
and inside of the lens, just like the
windshield fogged up in the rain. However,
if there is a large drop of water on the
inside of the lens, or if there is water
pooled inside the light, contact your
Toyota dealer.
Replacing light bulbs—