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CAUTION
The driver or front passenger who is
too close to the steering wheel or
dashboard during airbag deployment
can be killed or seriously injured.
Toyota strongly recommends that:
The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
The front passenger sit as far back
as possible from the dashboard.
All vehicle occupants be properly
restrained using the available seat
belts.
For instructions and precautions con-
cerning the seating position, see
“—Front seat precautions” in this
Section.Do not sit on the edge of the seat
or lean against the dashboard when
the vehicle is in use, since the
front passenger airbag could inflate
with considerable speed and force.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, an airbag when it inflates,
can be killed or seriously injured.
Sit up straight and well back in the
seat, and always use your seat belt
properly.Toyota strongly recommends that all
infants and children be placed in
the rear seat of the vehicle and be
properly restrained.
Do not allow a child to stand up or
kneel on the front passenger seat,
since the front passenger airbag
could inflate with considerable
speed and force. Otherwise, the
child may be killed or seriously in-
jured.
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Do not hold a child on your lap or
in your arms. Use a child restraint
system in the rear seat. For instruc-
tions concerning the installation of
a child restraint system, see “Child
restraint” in this Section.
Do not put anything or any part of
your body on or in front of the
dashboard or steering wheel pad
that houses the airbag system. They
might restrict inflation or cause
death or serious injury as they are
projected rearward by the force of
the deploying airbags. Likewise, the
driver and front passenger should
not hold objects in their arms or on
their knees.
Do not modify or remove any wir-
ing. Do not modify, remove, strike
or open any components such as
the steering wheel pad, steering
wheel, column cover, dashboard
near the front passenger airbag,
front passenger airbag cover, front
passenger airbag or airbag sensor
assembly. Doing so may prevent the
airbag system from activating cor-
rectly, cause sudden activation of
the system or disable the system,
which could result in death or seri-
ous injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.
Consult your Toyota dealer about any
repair and modification.
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NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can in-
terfere with proper operation of the
SRS airbag system in some cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile two way radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
Modification of the front end struc-
ture
Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment to
the front end
Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure, con-
sole, steering column, steering
wheel or dashboard near the front
passenger airbag
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the “ON” position.
It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the SRS airbags are operating
properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
inflators, warning light, interconnecting wir-
ing and power sources. (For details, see
“Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers” in Section 1 −6.) If any of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction of the airbags
or seat belt pretensioners. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
When the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position, the light does not come
on, remains on or flashes.
The light comes on or starts flashing
while driving.
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In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The SRS front airbags have been in-
flated.
The front of the vehicle (shaded in the
illustration) was involved in an accident
that was not severe enough to cause
the SRS airbags to inflate.
The pad section of the steering wheel
or front passenger airbag cover
(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables
before contacting your Toyota dealer.Indicator light
This on off switch is designed to dis-
able the front passenger airbag in order
to allow usage, if necessary, of a mem-
ber of a passenger risk group identified
in TABLE 1 is occupying the right front
passenger seating position. (For details,
see “SRS driver airbag and front pas-
senger airbag” in this Section.)
Operate on off switch as follows:
Insert key into the keyhole and turn it.
To turn front passenger airbag on: Turn
the key clockwise to the “ON” position.
To turn front passenger airbag off: Turn
the key counterclockwise to the “OFF”
position.
Passenger airbag manual
on off switch
(on some models)
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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Steering wheel and Mirrors
Tilt steering wheel106
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . .
Outside rear view mirrors 106
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
Anti −glare inside rear view mirror 108
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sun visors 109
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1 4
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To change the steering wheel angle:
Hold the steering wheel, pull the lock
release lever toward you, tilt the steer-
ing wheel to the desired angle and re-
lease the lever.
When the steering wheel is in a low posi-
tion, it will spring up as you release the
lock release lever.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. Doing
so may cause the driver to mishan-
dle the vehicle and an accident may
occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.
After adjusting the steering wheel,
try moving it up and down to make
sure it is locked in position.
Adjust the mirror so that you can just
see the side of your vehicle in the mir-
ror.
Be careful when judging the size or dis-
tance of any object seen in the outside
rear view mirror on the passenger ’s side
because it is a convex mirror. Any object
seen in a convex mirror will look smaller
and farther away than when seen in a flat
mirror.
Tilt steering wheelOutside rear view mirrors—
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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Ignition switch, Transmission and Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering lock132
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic transmission 133
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
.
Manual transmission 138
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Four −wheel drive system 140
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
Traction control system 144
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. .
”AUTO LSD” system 146
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Vehicle stability control system 148
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear differential lock system 150
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake 152
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control 153
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Clutch start cancel switch 155
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
SECTION 1 7
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“START”—Starter motor on. The key
will return to the “ON” position when
released.
For starting tips, see Section 3.
“ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
“ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position and open the driver’s
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
“LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.Vehicles with manual transmission—
You must push in the key to turn the key
from “ACC” to the “LOCK” position.
Vehicles with automatic transmission—
You must shift the selector lever into the
“P” position before turning the key from
“ACC” to the “LOCK” position.
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the “LOCK” position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key gently.CAUTION
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the ve-
hicle is moving, as this will lock the
steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the “ON”
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
ignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock