2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA four wheel drive

04_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0309)
145
2004 SEQUOIA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM34423U)
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push the overdrive switch. The “O/D
OFF” indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to third
gear.
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.Tw o −wheel drive models
110 km/h (68 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
Front drive control lever in “H”
(2WD) or “H” (4WD) 110 km/h (68 mph)
Front drive control lever in “L4” 39 km/h (24 mph)
Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
Tw o −wheel drive models
55 km/h (34 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
Front drive control lever in “H”
(2WD) or “H” (4WD) 55 km/h (34 mph)
Front drive control lever in “L4” 10 km/h (5 mph)
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift the transmission by
pushing and releasing the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not be enabled
because the cruise control is not can-
celled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 159 in this
Section.CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using the “2” and “L”, positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in “2” or “L”, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “2”, the vehicle
will start in first gear and automatically
shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.

04_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0309)
146
2004 SEQUOIA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM34423U)
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given above for your reference:
Twowheel drive models “2” 110 km/h (68 mph) . . . . . . .
“L” 60 km/h (38 mph) . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models Front drive control lever in “H”
(2WD) or “H” (4WD)“2” 110 km/h (68 mph) . . . . . . .
“L” 60 km/h (38 mph) . . . . . . . .
Front drive control lever in “L4” “2” 45 km/h (28 mph) . . . . . . . .
“L” 25 km/h (16 mph) . . . . . . . .
 Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, “D” position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(f) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(g) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal pressed down, fully depress the parking brake pedal
to apply the parking brake securely.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
If the automatic unlocking operation linked
to shift lever position is set, all doors are
automatically unlocked when the selector
lever is moved to “P” position after the
ignition switch is turned to “ON” position.
For details, see “—Automatic door locking
and unlocking functions” on page 16 in
Section 1 −2.
(h) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
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.

04_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0309)
147
2004 SEQUOIA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM34423U)
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.
“H” (2WD) MODE
“H” (4WD) MODE (center
differential unlock) or “L4”
MODE (center differential
unlock)
“H” (4WD) MODE (center
differential lock) or “L4”
MODE (center differential
lock)
Use the front drive control lever, “4WD”
switch and center differential lock
switch to select the transfer and center
differential modes.
The “H” and “L4” position of the front
drive control lever provide either lock or
unlock the mode of the center differential.
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 that the center differential
lock indicator light and “VSC OFF”
indicator light turn off.
Fourwheel drive system—
(a) Front drive control

04_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0309)
148
2004 SEQUOIA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM34423U)
“H” mode (high speed position, two
wheel drive): Front drive control lever at
“H”, “4WD” switch left out
Use this for normal driving on dry hard −
surfaced roads. This position gives greater
economy, quietest ride and least wear and
better vehicle control.
“H” mode (high speed position, four
wheel drive, center differential un-
locked): Front drive control lever at “H”,
“4WD” switch pushed once, center differ-
ential lock switch 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 provides greater traction than
two −wheel drive.
“H” mode (high speed position, four
wheel drive, center differential locked):
Front drive control lever at “H”, “4WD”
button pushed once center differential lock
switch pushed once
Use this for greater traction when you
experience a loss of power, such as
wheel slipping, in the center differential
unlock mode.
“N” mode (neutral position): Front drive
control lever at “N”
No power is delivered to the wheels. The
vehicle must be stopped. “L4” mode (low speed position, four
wheel drive, center differential un-
locked):
Front drive control lever at “L4”,
center differential lock switch left out
Use this for maximum power and traction.
Use this for climbing 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
“L4” (low position, four −wheel drive, center
differential locked) mode.
If you place the transmission shift lever at
“2” in this mode, the transmission auto-
matically shifts up from second gear. This
system is effective when starting your ve-
hicle in sand, mud, ice or snow. (Howev-
er, the transmission system may shift up
from first gear when the vehicle starts too
quickly.) “L4” mode (low speed position, four
wheel drive, center differential locked):
Front drive control lever at “L4”, center
differential lock switch pushed once
Use this for maximum power and traction.
Use this for hard pulling in situations the
vehicle cannot negotiate even in the “L4”
(low speed position, four
−wheel drive, cen-
ter differential unlocked) mode. Also, using
this mode when driving down steep off −
road inclines will help contribute to in-
creased vehicle stability.
The indicator shows which transfer and
center differential mode the vehicle is in.
When the shifting operation has not been
completed after moving the lever, the
indicator flashes. If the indicator light does
not go off when you push out the center
differential lock switch, drive straight
ahead while accelerating or decelerating,
or drive in reverse. If the indicator flashes
even if doing so, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. There may be
a trouble in the four wheel drive system.
See “(c) Shifting procedure” for further in-
structions.

04_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0309)
149
2004 SEQUOIA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM34423U)
Advice for driving on slippery roads in
“L4” (low speed position) mode
If you shift the front drive control lever to
“L4” and the automatic transmission 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 3000 rpm (normally engine speed is
under 3000 rpm when the wheels get un-
stuck).
The front drive control lever in the “L4”
position and the automatic transmission
lever in the “L” position or the automat-
ic transmission lever in the “D” or “2”
with the transmission downshifting to
the first gear
The front drive control lever in the “L4”
position and the automatic transmission
lever in the “R” position (As for the automatic transmission lever
positions, see “Automatic transmission” in
this Section.)
The A.D.D. can be engaged or disen-
gaged by the shifting operations des-
cribed in “(c) Shifting procedure”.
You should drive in four
−wheel drive for
at least 16 km (10 miles) each month.
This will assure that the front drive com-
ponents are lubricated.
(b) A.D.D. (automatic
disconnecting differential)

04_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0309)
154
2004 SEQUOIA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM34423U)
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come
on when the “VSC” warning light comes
on even if the “TRAC OFF” switch is not
pushed. The active traction control system auto-
matically helps prevent the spinning of
4 wheels (4WD mode) or rear wheels
(2WD mode) when the vehicle is started
or accelerated on slippery road sur-
faces.
When the ignition key is turned to “ON”,
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power against 4 wheels (4WD mode)
or rear wheels (2WD mode) cannot be
maintained, even though the active
traction control system is in opera-
tion. Do not drive the vehicle under
any speed or maneuvering conditions
which may cause the vehicle to lose
traction control. 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 present road condi-
tions.
Leave the system on during the ordi-
nary driving so that it can operate
when needed.
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, but does not indicate a mal-
function.
Active traction control system
(fourwheel drive models)

04_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0309)
157
2004 SEQUOIA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM34423U)
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.Fourwheel drive models only—
Pushing the center differential lock
switch automatically turns the vehicle
stability control system off. At this
time, the “VSC OFF” indicator comes
on with the center differential lock indi-
cator light.
“VSC OFF” indicator light comes on for a
few seconds when the ignition key is
turned to “ON”.In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The indicator light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned “ON”.
The indicator light remains on after the
ignition is turned on.
The indicator light comes on when the
system is on while driving.
NOTICE
Make sure that the center differential
lock indicator light goes off before
normal driving.

04_SEQUOIA_U (L/O 0309)
158
2004 SEQUOIA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM34423U)
“VSC/TRAC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the vehicle stability control
system, traction control system (two−wheel
drive models) or active traction control
system (four −wheel drive models).
The warning light will come on when the
ignition key is turned to “ON” and will go
off after a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, the
system does not work. However, as con-
ventional braking operates when applied,
there is no problem to continue your driv-
ing. In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
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