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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Ignition switch, Transmission and Parking brake
Ignition switch136
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . . . . . .
Automatic transmission 137
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
.
Four–wheel drive system 141
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
Active traction control system 144
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle stability control system 146
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire pressure warning system 148
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake 155
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control 155
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Active height control suspension (AHC) 158
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Skyhook TEMS (Skyhook Toyota electronic modulated suspension) .
166
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 page 252.
“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.
To turn the key from “ACC” to the “LOCK”
position, you must put the selector lever
in the “P” position.
Once you remove the key, the engine im-
mobilizer system is automatically set. (See
“Engine immobilizer system” on page 12.)
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.
It is not a malfunction if the needles on
all meters and gauges more slightly when
the key is turned to the “ACC” or “START”
position.Several hours after the engine is turned
off, you may hear a sound coming from
underneath the luggage compartment for
several minutes. This is normal operation
and does not indicate a malfunction. (See
page ix.)
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the “ON”
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
electronic ignition system could be
damaged.
Ignition switch
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Automatic transmission
The shift position is displayed on the instrument cluster
P:
Parking, engine starting and key removal position
R: Reverse position
N: Neutral position
D: Normal driving position
(Shifting into overdrive position)
4: Position for engine braking (Shifting into overdrive not possible)
3,2: Position for more powerful engine braking
Driving pattern selector button for selecting a driving pattern suited to existing driving
conditions
Normal mode for general driving condition“PWR” (power) mode for powerful acceleration
This indicator lights on the instrument panel
Second start mode selector button for selecting either second start mode or no\
rmal driving mode Second start mode
This indicator lights on the instrument panel in the second
start mode
L:
Position for maximum engine braking
Shift while pressing the brake pedal.
(Ignition switch must be in the “ON” posi-
tion) Selector lever position
When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift from “D” to “4”, engine braking will not be enabled because the cr
uise control
is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed, see “Cruise control” on page 155.
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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 252. 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” 129 km/h (80 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “L” 51 km/h (32 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” 88 km/h (55 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “L” 35 km/h (22 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” 37 km/h (23 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Four
–wheel drive control lever
in “L” 14 km/h (9 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 155.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.
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(c) Using “3”, “2” and “L” positions
The “3”, “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in “3”, “2” or “L”,
you can start the vehicle in motion as
with the lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “3” and “2”, the
vehicle will start in first gear and automat-
ically shift to third or second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.NOTICE
Be careful not to over-rev 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 below for your reference:
km/h (mph)
Transmission Transfer HL
4 178 (111) 72 (45) . . . . . . .
3 127 (79) 52 (32) . . . . . . .
2 87 (54) 36 (22) . . . . . . .
L 51 (32) 20 (12) . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“3”, “2” or “L” position. This may
cause severe automatic transmis-
sion damage from overheating. To
prevent such damage, “4” position
should be used in hill climbing or
hard towing.
(d) 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.
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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) Driving in “2nd STRT” (second start) 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.
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(i) 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 290.
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.
When the operation is not completed, the
indicator blinks. 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. The center differential lock system opera-
tion is not completed within 5 seconds
while the cruise control system is set,
cancel the cruise control system. To can-
cel the cruise control system, see “Cruise
control” on page 155.
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.