2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER suspension

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To change the “LO” mode to “HI”, push
the switch twice. It takes about 30 sec-
onds until the “LO” mode changes to the
“HI” mode.
Selecting the “N” mode—
To change the “HI” mode to “N”, push
the height select switch on the “ ” side
once.
To change the “LO” mode to “N”, push
the height select switch on the “ ” side
once.
Selecting the “LO” mode—
Push the height select switch on the “ ”
side while the vehicle is stopped.
To change the “N” mode to “LO”, push
the switch once.
To change the “HI” mode to “LO”, push
the switch twice.
Even if the engine is stopped while the ve-
hicle height is being lowered, the operation
continues for up to 25 seconds. If , within
this 25 seconds, any of the side doors or the
back door is opened, operation will continue
for a further 15 seconds.NOTICE
If the vehicle height is changed fre-
quently when the vehicle is heavily
loaded, the compressor may over-
heat, causing the vehicle height ad-
justment operation to stop.
 Before you lower the vehicle height
with the height select switch, check
under the vehicle to make sure
nothing to damage the vehicle or
no one to be injured is there and
that the underbody of the vehicle
does not touch the ground.
 After unloading, the height of a ve-
hicle equipped with the rear height
control air suspension becomes
slightly higher than the normal ve-
hicle height. Take sufficient care
where the overhead height is re-
stricted.
 Do not select the “LO” mode in the
bumpy roads. If the underbody of
the vehicle touches the rugged road
surface, the vehicle may be dam-
aged.

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(d) Turning off the rear height control
air suspension
To turn off the rear height control air
suspension with the vehicle stopped,
push the “HEIGHT CONTROL OFF”
switch. The height control “OFF” indi-
cator light comes on and the vehicle
height is fixed in the same mode as the
height control switch is pushed.
This status is memorized in the system
even after the engine is stopped.
If you push the switch again, the height
control “OFF” indicator light goes out and
the rear height control air suspension is
turned on.
Even after the rear height control air suspen-
sion is turned off with the “HEIGHT CON-
TROL OFF” switch, if the vehicle speed ex-
ceeds 30 km/h (19 mph), the rear height
control air suspension automatically selects
the “N” mode.CAUTION
If you drive through deep water over
about 700 mm (28 in.) in depth, put
the vehicle height in the “HI” mode
with the height select switch and then
turn off the rear height control air
suspension by pushing the “HEIGHT
CONTROL OFF” switch.
NOTICE
When jacking up or insta lling tire
chains, be sure to turn off the rear
height control air suspension by
pushing the “HEIGHT CONTROL
OFF” switch and stop the engine.
Otherwise, the vehicle height may
change because of the automatic
leveling function, resulting in an un-
expected accident.
 If your vehicle must be towed, put
the vehicle height in the “N” mode
and turn off the rear height control
air suspension. Otherwise, the ve-
hicle height may change because of
the automatic leveling function, re-
sulting in an unexpected accident.
If your vehicle gets ditched, turn off
the rear height control air suspen-
sion with the “HEIGHT CONTROL
OFF” switch. Otherwise, the vehicle
height may change because of the
automatic leveling function resulting
in an unexpected accident.

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(e) Height control indicator lights
1. Height control indicator lights
2. Height control “OFF” indicator light
When the ignition switch is turned on, all the
indicator lights come on. The indicator light
showing the present mode only remains on
and all other lights go off after a few sec-
onds. This means the system operates correct-
ly.If you change the vehicle height mode,
the indicator lights change as follows:
When changing the vehicle height from
the “N” mode to “HI”:
1. The “N” mode indicator light goes off and the “HI” mode indicator light blinks.
2. After the vehicle height control reaches the “HI” mode, the “HI” mode indicator
light remains on.
If the underbody of the vehicle has
touched the surface on bumpy roads or
the area around the rear suspension is
coated with ice, the vehicle height cannot
be lowered with the height select switch.
The height control indicator lights change
as follows: 1. The present mode indicator light goes
off and the selected mode indicator
light blinks.
2. The selected mode indicator light goes off. (The vehicle height does not
change.) The present mode indicator
light comes on again.
In this case, even if the vehicle is moved
to its usual location or the ice is removed
and the height select switch is pressed,
vehicle height control cannot be operated.
Turn off the engine once and then restart
it.
Height control “OFF” indicator light:
When the ignition switch is turned on, this
light comes on. If it goes out after a few
seconds, the rear height control air sus-
pension operates correctly. If you push the
“HEIGHT CONTROL OFF” switch, the rear
height control air suspension is turned off.
The height control “OFF” indicator light
comes on.
In the following cases, there is a problem
somewhere in the rear height control air
suspension. Although there is no problem
to continue normal driving, have the rear
height control air suspension checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.

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The height control “OFF” indicator light
does not come on when the ignition
switch is turned on.
The height control “OFF” indicator light
blinks.
(f) Parking and stopping tips
If you immediately stop the engine to park
the vehicle after offroad driving, the ve-
hicle height is lowered slightly as the ve-
hicle becomes cool. When parking, make
sure there is nothing that will be in con-
tact with the underbody of the vehicle.
When you start the engine, the vehicle
returns to the previous height.
If you park the vehicle for a long time,
the vehicle height may be gradually low-
ered. When parking for a long time, make
sure there is nothing that will be in con-
tact with the underbody of the vehicle.
When you start the engine, the vehicle
returns to the previous height.
If you stop the engine, the vehicle height
may change in accordance with the
change in the temperature. When you
start the engine, the vehicle returns to the
previous height. (g) Rear height control failure warning
If there is a problem somewhere in the
rear height control air suspension, the “N”
mode is automatically selected. If this oc-
curs, the height control “OFF” indicator
light blinks and the vehicle height control
cannot be activated until the malfunction
is corrected. If this is the case, bring your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible and have it checked.
When parking, firmly apply the parking
brake to avoid inadvertent creeping.
To set: Fully depress the parking brake
pedal. For better holding power, first de-
press the brake pedal and hold it while
setting the parking brake.
To release: Depress the parking brake
pedal once again.
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light in
the instrument panel remains on until you
release the parking brake.
Parking brake

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INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your Toyota
Offroad vehicle precautions 242
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Breakin period 243
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Fuel 243
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Fuel pump shut off system 245
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Operation in foreign countries 245
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Threeway catalytic converters 246
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Engine exhaust cautions 247
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Facts about engine oil consumption 248
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Iridiumtipped spark plugs 249
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Brake system 249
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 253
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Luggage stowage precautions 253
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Limitedslip differential 254
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Your Toyota’s identification 254
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Theft prevention labels 256
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Suspension and chassis 256
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Types of tires 256
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SECTION 2

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Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its profile and
higher center of gravity, your ve-
hicle is more sensitive to side
winds than an ordinary passenger
car. Slowing down will allow you to
have better control.
When driving offroad or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and
chassis.
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar offroad ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
breakin. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Avoid full throttle acceleration when
starting and driving.
Avoid racing the engine.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles). FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5M93
in Canada.NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
Breakin period
Fuel

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Your new vehicle carries theft preven-
tion labels which are approximately 56
mm (2.20 in.) by 16 mm (0.63 in.).
The purpose of these labels is to reduce
the incidence of vehicle thefts by fac ilitat-
ing the tracing and recovery of parts from
stolen vehicles. The label is designed so
that once it is applied to a surface, any
attempt to remove it will result in destroy-
ing the integrity of the label. Transferring
these labels intact from one part to anoth-
er, will be impossible.
NOTICE
You should not attempt to remove the
theft prevention labels as it may vio-
late certain state or federal laws.
CAUTION
Do not modify the suspension/chassis
with lift kits, spacers, springs, etc. It
can cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics resulting in loss of control.
Determine what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are highspeed capab ility
tires best suited to highway driving under
dry conditions.
Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, sum-
mer tires are inadequate for driving on
snowcovered or icy roads. For driving on
snowcovered or icy roads, we recom-
mend using snow tires. If installing snow
tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions, as
well as for use all year round.
All season tires, however, do not have
adequate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accel-
eration and handling performance
compared with summer tires in highway
driving.
Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada) Suspension and chassis Types of tires

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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.