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Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of “P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed with the ignition
switch in “ON” position.
(a) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 235. The
transmission must be in “P” or “N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to “D”.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always use the “D” position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. If the engine
coolant temperature is low, the transmis-
sion will not shift into the overdrive gear
even in the “D” position.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Shift into the “4” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to fourth gear
and engine braking will be enabled.
Shift into the “3” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to third gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than following speed for third
gear, and more powerful engine braking
will be enabled. Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “H” 124 km/h (77 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “L” 49 km/h (31 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than following speed for sec-
ond gear, and more powerful engine
braking will be enabled.
Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “H” 83 km/h (52 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “L” 33 km/h (21 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than following speed for “L”
position and maximum engine braking
will be enabled.
Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “H” 43 km/h (27 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “L” 17 km/h (11 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift from “D” to “4”,
engine braking will not be enabled be-
cause the cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 146.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
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(e) Parking1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
If the four–wheel drive control is in the
“N” position while the selector lever is in
the “P” position, the transmission will
damage and the wheels will not lock.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into “P” position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(f) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between fourth gear and ov-
erdrive gears when climbing a gentle
slope, shift the selector lever to the “4”
position. Be sure to shift the selector
lever to the “D” position immediately
afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.
(g) Driving in “PWR” (Power) mode
In the “PWR” mode, the transmission is
shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the Normal mode and a
more powerful acceleration is achieved. To
set the “PWR” mode, push in the driving
pattern selector button. The “PWR” mode
indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the Normal mode to improve fuel
economy.
(h) If you cannot shift the selector le- ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” on page 271.
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(i) Driving in “2nd STRT” (secondstart) mode
In the “2nd STRT” (Second start) mode,
the transmission system shifts up from
second gear. Use this mode when starting
your vehicle in sand, mud, ice or snow.
To set the “2nd STRT” mode, push the
“2nd” button. In the “2nd STRT” mode, the
“2nd STRT” indicator light comes on.
The “PWR” mode is automatically can-
celled when you push the “2nd” button.
Use the four wheel drive control lever
and center differential lock button to
select the transfer and center differen-
tial modes.
The “H” and “L” position of the four −wheel
drive control lever provides either lock or
unlock mode of the center differential de-
pending on the center differential lock but-
ton position. Use the center differential lock system if
your wheels get stuck in a ditch, or when
you are driving on a slippery or bumpy
surface. When the center differential is
locked, the vehicle stability control system
is automatically turned off and the center
differential lock and “VSC OFF” indicator
lights come on because the function that
controls engine performance interferes
with the process of freeing your wheels.
NOTICE
As soon as the center differential lock
switch is turned on, the “VSC OFF”
indicator light comes on. After the
wheels are out of the ditch or off the
slippery or bumpy surface, turn the
center differential lock switch off.
Make sure the center differential lock
indicator light and vehicle stability
control system off indicator light turn
off.
Four–wheel drive system—
(a) Four–wheel drive contro
l
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“H” (high speed position, center differ-
ential unlocked): Lever at “H”, center dif-
ferential lock button left out
Use this for normal driving on all types of
roads, from dry hard −surfaced roads to
wet, icy or snow −covered roads. This
position gives greater economy, quietest
ride, least wear and better vehicle control.
“H” (high speed position, center differ-
ential locked): Lever at “H”, center differ-
ential lock button pushed in
Use this for greater traction when you
experience a loss of power, such as
wheel slipping, in the center differential
unlock mode.
“N” (neutral position): Lever at “N”
No power is delivered to the wheels. The
vehicle must be stopped.
“L” (low speed position, center differen-
tial unlocked): Lever at “L”, center differ-
ential lock button left out
Use this for maximum power and traction.
Use this for climbing or descending 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
“L” (low position, center differential locked)
mode.
“L” (low speed position, center differen-
tial locked):
Lever at “L”, center differen-
tial lock button pushed in.
Use this for maximum power and traction.
Use this for hard pulling in situations the
vehicle cannot negotiate even in the “L”
(low speed position, center differential un −
locked) mode. Also, using this mode when
driving down steep off −road inclines will
help contribute to increased vehicle stabil-
ity.
The indicator light tells when the differen-
tial lock is engaged. Note that the differ-
ential is not still locked as long as the
indicator light remains off.
If the indicator light does not go off when
you push out the center differential lock
button, drive straight ahead while acceler-
ating or decelerating, or drive in reverse.
See “(b) Shifting procedure” for further in-
structions. Advice for driving on slippery roads in
“L” (low speed position) mode
If you shift the four
−wheel drive control
lever to “L” and the automatic transmis-
sion lever to “2” when you drive in steep
off −road areas, the output of the brake
can be controlled effectively by the active
traction control system, which assists the
driver to control the driving power of 4
wheels.
Use the “L” position of the automatic
transmission lever for maximum power
and traction when your wheels get stuck
or when you drive down a steep incline.
In the following cases, the output of the
brake can be controlled by the active trac-
tion control system if the engine speed is
under 3,000 rpm (normally engine speed
is under 3,000 rpm when the wheels get
unstuck).
The four −wheel drive control lever in
the “L” position and the automatic
transmission lever in the “L” position or
the automatic transmission lever in the
“D”, “4”, “3” or “2” with the transmis-
sion downshifting to the first gear
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The four−wheel drive control lever in
the “L” position and the automatic
transmission lever in the “R” position
(As for the automatic transmission lever
positions, see “Automatic transmission” on
page 139.)
(b) Shifting procedure
SHIFTING BETWEEN “H” (UNLOCKED)
AND “H” (LOCKED)
To shift between unlock and lock
modes in “H”, push the center differential
lock button.
SHIFTING BETWEEN “L” (UNLOCKED)
AND “L” (LOCKED)
To shift between unlock and lock
modes in “L”, push the center differential
lock button.
SHIFTING BETWEEN “H” AND “L”
Stop the vehicle, put the transmission into
“N” and move the four −wheel drive control
lever.
CAUTION
Never move the four–wheel drive con-
trol lever if wheels are slipping. Wait
until the wheels have stopped slip-
ping or spinning before shifting.
NOTICE
For normal driving on dry and hard
surface roads, unlock the center dif-
ferential. To prevent damage to the
center differential lock system, do not
push the center differential lock but-
ton when the vehicle is cornering or
when its wheels are spinning freely
off the ground. If the indicator light
does not go off when unlocking the
center differential, drive straight
ahead while accelerating or decelerat-
ing, or drive in reverse.
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2004 L/C100 from Aug ’03 Prod. (OM60A04U)
Active traction control system indicator
light
The active traction control system auto-
matically helps control the spinning of
4 wheels which may occur when accel-
erating on slippery road surfaces, by
controlling the output of the brake and
engine. Thus, the system assists driver
to control the driving power of 4
wheels. When you turn the ignition
switch on, the active traction control
system always turns on automatically,
and the active traction control indicator
light will come on. The indicator light
will go off after a few seconds.When active traction control is applied,
the active traction control system indi-
cator light blinks.
You may hear a 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 ac-
tive traction control system is in the self
−
check mode, and does not indicate mal-
function. When the active traction control
system is operating, you may feel vibra-
tion or hear noise of your vehicle, caused
by operation of the brakes. This indicates
the system is functioning properly.
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the active traction control
system will help operate to prevent the
wheels from spinning.Active traction control system failure
warning
This light warns when there is a problem
somewhere in the active traction control
system.
If the “VSC/TRAC” warning light comes
on, have your vehicle checked by your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
Active traction control system
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2004 L/C100 from Aug ’03 Prod. (OM60A04U)
The brake actuator temperature increases
during the active traction control system
or vehicle stability control system operat-
ing. If the brake actuator temperature be-
comes too high while the active traction
control system or vehicle stability control
system is operating, a buzzer will start to
sound intermittently to indicate that the
active traction control system can no lon-
ger operate. 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 control system temporarily stops
operating in order to protect the brake
actuator. (Although the active traction con-
trol system does not operate, there is no
problem to continue your driving.) The
system will be automatically restored after
a short time and “VSC/TRAC” warning
light goes off if the accelerator pedal is
released.
When the “ABS” warning light come on,
the active traction control system is not
operating.
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light will come
on when the ignition key is turned “ON”,
and will go off after a few seconds.The “VSC/TRAC” warning light may stay
on for 60 seconds after the ignition key
is turned to “ON” position. It is normal if
it goes off after a few seconds.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the “VSC/TRAC” warning
light. It is normal if it goes off after a few
seconds.
When the “VSC/TRAC” warning light
comes on the active traction control sys-
tem is not operating, but there is no prob-
lem if you continue to drive.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The “VSC/TRAC” warning light does not
come on after the ignition key is turned
“ON”.
The “VSC/TRAC” remains on after the
ignition key is turned “ON”.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicles and
power to 4 wheels may not be main-
tained, even though the active trac-
tion control system is in operation.
Do not drive the vehicle under any
speed or maneuvering conditions
which will cause the vehicle to lose
traction. 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 road conditions pres-
ent.