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STARTING AND DRIVING
Starting and driving
Before starting the enginee235
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How to start the engine 235
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Tips for driving in various conditions 236
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Off −road driving precautions 237
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Winter driving tips 239
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Dinghy towing 240
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Trailer towing 240
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How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too 248
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SECTION 3
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Dinghy towing
30c001a
Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with four wheels on the
ground) behind a motorhome.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle with four
wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to your vehicle.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a
passenger−and− load− carrying vehicle. Tow-
ing a trailer will have an adverse effect on
handling, performance, braking, durability
and driving economy (fuel consumption,
etc.). Your safety and satisfaction depend
on the proper use of correct equipment
and cautious driving habits. For your safe-
ty and the safety of others, you must not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Ask your
local Toyota dealer for further details be-
fore towing.
WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total trail-
er weight, gross combination weight,
gross vehicle weight, gross axle weight
and trailer tongue load are all within
the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station, build-
ing supply company, trucking company,
junk yard, etc.CAUTION
The maximum gross trailer
weight (trailer weight plus cargo
weight) must never exceed
2948 kg (6500 lb.). If towing a
trailer and cargo weighing over
907 kg (2000 lb.), it is necessary
to use a sway control device
with sufficient capacity. The com-
bination of the gross trailer
weight added to the total weight
of the vehicle, occupants and ve-
hicle cargo must never exceed a
total of 5625 kg (12400 lb.). Ex-
ceeding the maximum weight of
the trailer, the vehicle, or the ve-
hicle and trailer combination, can
cause an accident resulting in
serious personal injuries.
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Trailer hitch assemblies have dif-
ferent weight capacities estab-
lished by the hitch manufacturer.
Even though the vehicle may be
physically capable of towing a
higher weight, the operator must
determine the maximum weight
rating of the particular hitch as-
sembly and never exceed the
maximum weight rating specified
for the trailer hitch. Exceeding
the maximum weight rating set
by the trailer hitch manufacturer
can cause an accident resulting
in serious personal injuries.
20c508
The gross vehicle weight must
not exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) indicated
on the Certification Label. The
gross vehicle weight is the sum
of weights of the unloaded ve-
hicle, driver, passengers, lug-
gage, hitch and trailer tongue
load. It also includes the weight
of any special equipment
installed on your vehicle.
The load on either the front or
rear axle resulting from distribu-
tion of the gross vehicle weight
on both axles must not exceed
the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) listed on the Certifica-
tion Label.
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Total trailer weight Tongue loadTongue load
Total trailer weight
100 = 9 to 11% (
∗1)
or 15% (∗2)
The trailer cargo load should be
distributed so that the tongue
load is 9 to 11% for weight car-
rying hitch (
∗1) or 15% for weight
distributing hitch (∗2) of the total
trailer weight, not exceeding the
maximum load of the following
Weight carrying hitch
295 kg (650 lb.)
Weight distributing hitch 442 kg (975 lb.)
Never load the trailer with more
weight in the back than in the
front. About 60% of the trailer load
should be in the front half of the
trailer and the remaining 40% in the
rear.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
requirement.
The hitch must be bolted securely to
the vehicle frame and installed accord-
ing to the hitch manufacturer ’s instruc-
tions.
The hitch ball and king pin should have
a light coat of grease.
Toyota recommends removing the trail-
er hitch whenever you are not towing
a trailer to reduce the possibility of
additional damage caused by the hitch
if your vehicle is struck from behind.
After removing the hitch, seal any
mounting holes in the vehicle body to
prevent entry of pollutants such as ex-
haust fumes, dirt, water, etc.
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1 Coupler
2 Trailer ball
MATCHING TRAILER BALL HEIGHT TO
TRAILER COUPLER HEIGHT
No matter which class of tow hitch ap-
plies, for a safe trailer hookup, the trailer
ball setup on must be the proper height
for the coupler on the trailer.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS
Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any applica-
ble federal and state/provincial regu-
lations.
A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain should
cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping to
the ground in case it becomes dam-
aged or separated. For correct safety
chain procedures, follow the hitch or
trailer manufacturer ’s recommenda-
tions.
CAUTION
If the total trailer weight exceeds
453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer brakes
are required.
Never tap into your vehicle’s hy-
draulic system as it would lower
its braking effectiveness.
Never tow a trailer without using
a safety chain securely attached
to both the trailer and the ve-
hicle. If damage occurs to the
coupling unit or hitch ball, there
is danger of the trailer wandering
over into another lane.
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TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are
properly inflated. Adjust the tire infla-
tion pressure indicated below:
tire inflation pressure, kPa (psi)Front 220 (32)
Rear 240 (35)
See Section 7 −2 and Section 8 for in-
structions.
The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS
Your vehicle is equipped with a wire
harness stored in the rear end under
body. Your vehicle is fitted with a sock-
et 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. BREAK IN 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
information, please refer to the
scheduled maintenance information in
the “Scheduled 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.
PRE TOWING SAFETY CHECK
Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose −up or nose −down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.
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Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulations. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these in mind when towing:
Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle −trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.
Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle −to −vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.
Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and
requires practice. Grip the bottom of
the steering wheel and move your hand
to the left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This pro-
cedure is generally opposite to that
when backing without a trailer). Also,
just turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you when
backing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize it-
self.
Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking and
electrical charging performance, do not
use the overdrive. Transmission must
be in the “4” position.
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2004 L/C100 from Aug ’03 Prod. (OM60A04U)
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
30°C [85 °F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to “If
your vehicle overheats” on page 255.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in “P”. Avoid park-
ing on a slope with a trailer, but if it
cannot be avoided, do so only after
performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into “P” and turn off the en- gine. When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in “P” posi- tion, start the engine. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the “3”, “2”, “L” or “R” position.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull or back
away from the wheel blocks. Stop
and apply your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph)
or the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because in-
stability (swaying) of a towing
vehicle trailer combination usual-
ly increases as the speed in-
creases, exceeding 72 km/h (45
mph) may cause loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long down-
hill grades. Do not make sudden
downshifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or too frequently.
This could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in reduced
braking efficiency.