2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER light

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Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the brake system warning
light and buzzer. It is normal if the light
turns off and the buzzer stops sounding
after a few seconds.
You may hear a small sound in the engine
compartment after the engine is started or
the brake pedal is depressed repeatedly.
This is a pump pulsating sound of the
brake system, and it is not a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your brake fluid
pressure reserve.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
increase.
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(with “ABS” warning light)
The antilock brake system is designed
to help prevent lockup of the wheels
during a sudden braking or braking on
slippery road surfaces. This assists in
providing directional stability and steer-
ing performance of the vehicle under
these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal: When the antilock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the antilock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking performan-
ce.
The antilock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph). Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on a manhole cov-
er, a steel plate at a construction site,
joints in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day
tends to activate the antilock brake sys-
tem.
You may hear a click or motor sound in
the engine compartment for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just after
the vehicle begins to move. This means
that the antilock brake system is in the
selfcheck mode, and does not indicate a
malfunction.
When the antilock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:
You may hear the antilock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the ve-
hicle body and steering wheel. You
may also hear the motor sound in the
engine compartment even after the ve-
hicle is stopped.
At the end of the antilock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.

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“ABS” warning light
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti
lock brake system and the brake assist
system work properly, the light turns off
after a few seconds. Thereafter, if either
of the systems malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
following systems do not operate, but the
brake system still operates conventionally.
Antilock brake system
Traction control system
(twowheel drive models)
Active traction control system
(fourwheel drive models)
Vehicle stability control system
Downhill assist control system
(fourwheel drive models)
Hillstart assist control system
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
antilock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels will lock up during a
sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces. “VSC TRAC” warning light may come on
with the “ABS” warning light (brake assist
system warning light) when there is a mal-
function somewhere in the antilock brake
system (brake assist system).
If either of the following conditions oc-
curs, this indicates a malfunction some-
where in the components monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are dri-
ving.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the “ABS” warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, not only the antilock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
Either of the following conditions may
occur, but do not indicate a malfunc-
tion:
The light may stay on for about 60
seconds after the ignition key is turned
to the “ON” position. It is normal if it
turns off after a while.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the light. It is normal if it
turns off after a few seconds.
DRUMINDISC TYPE PARKING BRAKE
SYSTEM
Your vehicle has a drumindisc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system n eeds beddingdown of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.

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Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
dingdown.
BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM
When you slam the brakes on, the
brake assist system judges as an emer-
gency stop and provides more powerful
braking for a driver who cannot hold
down the brake pedal firmly.
When you slam the brakes on, more pow-
erful braking will be applied. At this time,
you may hear a sound in the engine
compartment and feel the vibrations of the
brake pedal. This does not indicate a mal-
function.
The brake assist system becomes opera-
tive after the vehicle has accelerated to
a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
For an explanation of this system’s warn-
ing light, see “Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers” on page 117 in Sec-
tion 15.
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to where
replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary. When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the luggage
compartment when at all possible. Be
sure all items are secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION
To prevent luggage or packages
from sliding forward during braking,
do not stack anything in the lug-
gage compartment higher than the
seatbacks. Keep luggage or pack-
ages low, as close to the floor as
possible.
Do not exceed 66 kg (145 lb.) of
cargo load in the luggage compart-
ment.
Do not place anything on the flat-
tened seat or it may slide forward
during braking.
Brake pad wear limit
indicators
Luggage stowage pr
ecautions

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1. Check the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, seat cushion angle, head restraint
height and steering wheel angle.
3. Adjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. Once you turn the ignition key to “START”
position and release it, the cranking hold
function continues to crank the engine in
“ON” position until it starts.
The function stops cranking the engine
after about 25 seconds maximum if the
engine has not started yet. When you
crank the engine again, wait a few sec-
onds and restart it.
If you hold the key in “START” position,
the function will keep cranking for about
30 seconds maximum. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3. Put the selector lever in “P”. If you need to restart the engine while the
vehicle is moving, put the selector le-
ver in “N”. A starter safety device will
prevent the starter from operating if the
selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it to the floor until driving off.
Before starting the engine How to start the engine—
—Cranking hold function
(a) Before cranking

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Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in “(a) Before crank-
ing”.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
tial multiport fuel injection system in your
engine automatically controls the proper
airfuel mixture for starting. You can start
a cold or hot engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped- al, turn the ignition key to “START”
position, then release it.
2. After the engine runs for about 10 se- conds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the
engine warm up for a few minutes before
driving.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not start...
See “If your vehicle will not start” on page
278 in Section 4.NOTICE
 Do not race a cold engine.
 If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
This will allow you much better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharpedged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage such
as a tire burst.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps
or travelling on a bumpy r oad. Other-
wise, the impact could cause severe
damage to the tires and/or wheels.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the
parking brake, and place the transmis-
sion in “P”. If necessary, block the
wheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake applied. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
(b) Starting the engine Tips for driving in various
conditions

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Vehicles with rear height control air
suspension: When you drive on a
bumpy road, it is recommended that
the vehicle height should be set in the
“N” (normal) or “H” (high) mode.
CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking on
a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
tion or engine braking, could cause
the vehicle to spin or skid.
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has highspeed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are highspeed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.
Vehicles with rear height control air
suspension: If you drive through
deep water over about 500 mm (20
in.) in depth, put the vehicle height
in the “H” (high) mode with the
height select switch and then turn
off the rear height control air sus-
pension by pushing the “HEIGHT
CONTROL OFF” switch. Drive your
vehicle at 30 km/h (19 mph) or low-
er speed.

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HITCHES
If you wish to install a trailer hitch, you
should consult with your Toyota dealer.
Use only a hitch recommended by the
hitch manufacturer and the one which
conforms to the total trailer weight re-
quirement.
According to the hitch receiver type,
the maximum gross trailer weight and
hitch that can be used differs. Refer to
the above illustrations to confirm the
hitch receiver type for your vehicle.
If you wish to install an aftermarket
hitch, the hitch must be bolted securely
to the vehicle frame and installed ac-
cording to the hitch manufactures’ in-
structions.
The hitch ball and king pin should have
a light coat of grease.
Toyota recommends the ball mount as-
sembly be removed when not towing to
prevent injury and to prevent damage
in the event of a rear end collision.
After removing the ball mount assem-
bly, install the grommet to the hitch to
prevent entry of dirt and mud.
NOTICE
Do not install weight distributing
hitch to weight carrying hitch re-
ceiver because it will be damaged
your vehicle.
 Do not use axlemounted hitches as
they can cause damage to the axle
housing, wheel bearings, wheels or
tires. Also, never install a hitch
which may interfere with the normal
function of an Energy Absorbing
Bumper, if so equipped.
1 Trailer ball load rating
2 Ball diameter
3 Shank length
4 Shank diameter

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TOWING CONNECTOR FOR TRAILER
LIGHTS
Your vehicle is equipped with a wire
harness stored in the rear end under
body. Some models are fitted with a
socket for trailer lights under the rear
bumper. Use either of them to connect
and operate the trailer lights. However,
the trailer lights must comply with fed-
eral, state/provincial and local regula-
tions. See your local recreational ve-
hicle dealer or rental agency for the
correct type of wiring and relays for
your trailer. Check for correct operation
of the turn signals and stop lights each
time you hitch up. Direct splicing may
damage your vehicle’s electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.
The towing connector can be also con-
nected to the trailer brake and trailer
sub battery.
BREAKIN SCHEDULE
Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving. MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the “Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner ’s
Manual Supplement”.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
CONNECTING A TRAILER (models with
rear height control air suspension)
Stop your vehicle and a trailer in line and
perform the following: 1. Put the rear height control air suspen- sion in the “LO” (low) mode. Turn the
ignition switch off or push the “HEIGHT
CONTROL OFF” switch to turn off the
rear height control air suspension.
2. Connect a trailer.
3. Turn the ignition switch on or push the “HEIGHT CONTROL OFF” switch to
turn on the rear height control air sus-
pension. Select the “N” (normal) mode
with the height select switch.