139
(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.
140
(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.
141
(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
143
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
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 137.)
(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.
144
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
newly fallen 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