2004 TOYOTA TACOMA ABS

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2004 TACOMA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM35814U)
The front airbag sensors constantly moni-
tor the forward deceleration of the vehicle.
If an impact results in a forward decelera-
tion beyond the designed threshold level,
the system triggers the airbag inflators. At
this time a chemical reaction in the infla-
tors very quickly fills the airbags with
non− toxic gas to help restrain the forward
motion of the occupants. The airbags then
quickly deflate, so that there is no ob-
struction of the driver ’s vision should it be
necessary to continue driving.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
loud noise and release some smoke and
residue along with non −toxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This smoke may
remain inside the vehicle for some time,
and may cause some minor irritation to
the eyes, skin or breathing. Be sure to
wash off any residue as soon as possible
to prevent any potential skin irritation with
soap and water. If you can safely exit
from the vehicle, you should do so imme-
diately. Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is desi
gned to reduce serious inju-
ries, primarily to the head and chest, it
may also cause other, less severe injuries
to the face, chest, arms and hands. These
are usually in the nature of minor burns
or abrasions and swelling, but the force of
a deploying airbag can cause more seri-
ous injuries, especially if an occupant’s
hands, arms, chest or head is in close
proximity to the airbag module at the time
of deployment. This is why it is important
for the occupant to: avoid placing any
object or part of the body between the
occupant and the airbag module; sit
straight and well back into the seat; wear
the available seat belt properly; and sit as
far as possible from the airbag module,
while still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, airbag cover and inflator) may be hot
for several minutes after deployment, so
do not touch! The airbags inflate only
once. The windshield may be damaged by
absorbing some of the force of the inflat-
ing airbag.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.

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2004 TACOMA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM35814U)
The SRS airbag system consists mainly of
the following components, and their loca-
tions are shown in the illustration.1. Front airbag sensors
2. Airbag module for driver (airbag and inflator)
3. Airbag module for front passenger (airbag and inflator)
4. Airbag sensor assembly
5. SRS warning light
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor. The front airbag sensors constantly moni-
tor the forward deceleration of the vehicle.
If an impact results in a forward decelera-
tion beyond the designed threshold level,
the system triggers the airbag inflators. At
this time a chemical reaction in the infla-
tors very quickly fills the air
bags with
non− toxic gas to help restrain the forward
motion of the occupants. The airbags then
quickly deflate, so that there is no ob-
struction of the driver ’s vision should it be
necessary to continue driving.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
loud noise and release some smoke and
residue along with non −toxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This smoke may
remain inside the vehicle for some time,
and may cause some minor irritation to
the eyes, skin or breathing. Be sure to
wash off any residue as soon as possible
to prevent any potential skin irritation with
soap and water. If you can safely exit
from the vehicle, you should do so imme-
diately. Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is desi
gned to reduce serious inju-
ries, primarily to the head and chest, it
may also cause other, less severe injuries
to the face, chest, arms and hands. These
are usually in the nature of minor burns
or abrasions and swelling, but the force of
a deploying airbag can cause more seri-
ous injuries, especially if an occupant’s
hands, arms, chest or head is in close
proximity to the airbag module at the time
of deployment. This is why it is important
for the occupant to: avoid placing any
object or part of the body between the
occupant and the airbag module; sit
straight and well back into the seat; wear
the available seat belt properly; and sit as
far as possible from the airbag module,
while still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, airbag cover and inflator) may be hot
for several minutes after deployment, so
do not touch! The airbags inflate only
once. The windshield may be damaged by
absorbing some of the force of the inflat-
ing airbag.

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2004 TACOMA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM35814U)
CAUTION
If any of the following conditions oc-
curs, immediately stop your vehicle at
a safe place and contact your Toyota
dealer.
The light does not turn off even
after the parking brake is released
while the engine is running.
The warning buzzer comes on to-
gether with the warning light.
In either case, this can indicate that
the brakes may not work properly
and your stopping distance will be-
come longer. Depress the brake
pedal firmly and bring the vehicle
to an immediate stop.
The brake system warning light re-
mains on together with the “ABS”
warning light.
In this case, not only the antilock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely un-
stable during braking.
Any of the following conditions may oc-
cur, but do not indicate the malfunc-
tion:
The light may stay on for about 60
seconds after the ignition key is turned
to the “ON” position. It is normal if it
turns off after a while.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the warning light and
buzzer. It is normal if the light turns off
and the buzzer stops sounding after a
few seconds.
You may hear a small sound in the
engine compartment after the engine is
started or the brake pedal is depressed
repeatedly. This is a pump pulsating
sound of the brake system, and it is
not a malfunction.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and Buzz- er
This light and buzzer remind you to
buckle up the driver’s seat belt.
Once the ignition key is turned to “ON” or
“START”, the reminder light flashes and
buzzer comes on if the driver’s seat belt
is not fastened. Unless the driver fastens
the belt, the light stays on and the buzzer
sounds for about 4 to 8 seconds. (c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being
discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging
system.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, radio, etc., and drive directly to
the nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine
drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Engine Oil Pressure Warning
Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe place
and stop the engine immediately. Call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.

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2004 TACOMA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM35814U)
(f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
(g) “ABS” Warning Light (without ve-hicle stability control system)
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti −
lock brake system works properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds. There-
after, if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti −lock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti −lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces. If either of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the parts monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion, or the light remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
With rear differential lock: However, it is
a normal operation for the light to be on
with rear differential locked. At this time,
the anti −lock brake system does not oper-
ate.
“ABS” Warning Light (with vehicle
stability control system)
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti −
lock brake system and the brake assist
system work properly, the light turns off
after a few seconds. Thereafter, if either
of the systems malfunctions, the light
comes on again. When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
following systems do not operate, but the
brake system still operates conventionally.
Anti
−lock brake system
Brake assist system
Traction control system
“AUTO LSD” system
Vehicle stability control system
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti −lock brake system does not operate,
so that the wheels will lock up during a
sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions oc-
curs, this indicates a malfunction some-
where in the components monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are dri-
ving.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.

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2004 TACOMA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM35814U)
CAUTION
If the “ABS” warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, not only the antilock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
Either of the following conditions may
occur, but do not indicate a malfunc-
tion:
The light may stay on for about 60
seconds after the ignition key is turned
to the “ON” position. It is normal if it
turns off after a while.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the light. It is normal if it
turns off after a few seconds.(h) “VSC TRAC” Warning Light
The light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the following.
Traction control system
“AUTO LSD” system
Vehicle stability control system
The light will come on when the ignition
key turned to “ON”, and will go off after
a few seconds.
It is not a malfunction that the warning
light may stay on for 60 seconds after the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” position.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the lights. It is normal if they
go out after a few seconds.
There is no problem when the “VSC
TRAC” warning light comes on when the
brake actuator temperature becomes high.
If the light comes on while driving, the
above mentioned systems do not work.
However, as conventional braking operates
when applied, there is no problem to con-
tinue your driving. 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.
(i) SRS Warning Light
This light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the “ON” position.
After about 6 seconds, the light will go
off. This means the system of the air-
bag and front seat belt pretensioners
are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, front seat belt pretensioner assem-
blies, inflators, warning light, interconnect-
ing wiring and power sources.

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2004 TACOMA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM35814U)
If either of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion or remains on.
The light comes on or flashes while
driving.
(j) Unengaged “Park” Warning Light (vehicles with automatic transmis-
sion)
This light warns that the transmission
“Park” mechanism is not engaged. If the
front drive control lever is in the “N” posi-
tion while the selector lever is in the “P”
position, the transmission will disengage
and the wheels will not lock.
CAUTION
To restore the park function, shift the
front drive control lever out of “N”,
or the vehicle can move.
(k) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem- perature Warning Light
This light warns that the automatic trans-
mission fluid temperature is too high.
If this light comes on while you are driv-
ing, slow down and pull off the road. Stop
the vehicle at a safe place and put the
selector lever in “P”. With the engine id-
ling, wait until the light goes off. If the
light goes off, you may start the vehicle
again. If the light does not go off, call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
(l) Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level Warning Light (on some models)
The light warns that the windshield washer
fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at
your earliest opportunity. (For instructions,
see “Adding washer fluid” in Section 7 −3.)
(m) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer reminds you to remove the
key when you open the driver’s door with
the ignition key in the “ACC” or “LOCK”
position. CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER
INDICATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light and low windshield
washer fluid level warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to “ON”, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators
should come on.
The following service reminder indica-
tors go off after a few seconds:
“ABS” warning light
“VSC TRAC” warning light
“VSC OFF” indicator light
(four −wheel drive models)
“AUTO LSD” indicator light
Slip indicator light
The SRS warning light goes off after
about 6 seconds.
There may be the case that the “ABS”
warning light (brake assist system
warning light), “VSC TRAC” warning
light and “VSC OFF” (four −wheel drive
models) indicator light stay on for
about 60 seconds after the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. It is
normal if they go out after a while.

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2004 TACOMA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM35814U)
CAUTION
Do not use the rear differential lock
in the conditions other than above.
Large steering effort and careful cor-
nering control will be required.
To lock the rear differential, push the
switch.
Be sure to stop the wheels before locking
the differential.
For easy locking, depress the clutch ped-
al, push the lock switch and slowly re-
lease the clutch pedal.
The indicator light will blink when the
switch is turned on. Wait a few seconds
for the system to complete operation. Af-
ter the differential is locked, the light will
stop blinking and remain on.
The anti−lock brake system does not oper-
ate when the rear differential is locked. It
is normal operation for the “ABS” warning
light to be on at this time.
CAUTION
Do not lock the differential until the
wheels have stopped spinning.
Otherwise, the vehicle may move in
an unexpected direction when the
differential lock is engaged, result-
ing in an accident. This may also
lead to possible damage to differen-
tial lock component parts.
Do not drive over 8 km/h (5 mph)
when the differential is locked.
To unlock the differential, push the
switch once again.
Unlock the differential as soon as the ve-
hicle moves out.
For easy unlocking, slightly turn the steer-
ing wheel in either direction while the ve-
hicle is in motion.
When the differential lock is disengaged,
the indicator light will go out.
Except for Pre Runner models—
The differential will also unlock if you shift
the front drive control lever out of “L4”.
Never forget to turn off the switch after
using this feature.

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2004 TACOMA from Sep. ’03 Prod. (OM35814U)
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your reserved vacu-
um.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
increase.
BRAKE BOOSTER (with vehicle stability
control system)
The brake booster uses brake fluid pres-
surized by the pump to power −assist the
brakes. If the brake booster fails during
driving, the brake system warning light
comes on and buzzer sounds continuous-
ly. In this case, the brakes may not work
properly. If they do not work well, depress
the brake pedal firmly. If the brake system
warning light comes on, immediately stop
your vehicle and contact your Toyota deal-
er. It is not a malfunction that the brake sys-
tem warning light may stay on for 60 sec-
onds after the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position.
Depressing the brake pedal repeatedly
may turn on the brake system warning
light and buzzer. It is normal if the light
turns off and the buzzer stops sounding
after a few seconds.
You may hear a small sound in the engine
compartment after the engine is started or
the brake pedal is depressed repeatedly.
This is a pump pulsating sound of the
brake system, and it is not a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your brake fluid
pressure reserve.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
increase.
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(with “ABS” warning light)
The antilock brake system is designed
to help prevent lockup of the wheels
during a sudden braking or braking on
slippery road surfaces. This assists in
providing directional stability and steer-
ing performance of the vehicle under
these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal:
When the anti −lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti −lock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking performan-
ce.
The anti −lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).