2006 TOYOTA TACOMA cooling

1492006 TACOMA from Jan.’06 Prod. (OM35871U)
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop−and− go traffic.
Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
 Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See “If your ve-
hicle overheats” in Section 4.
LS16003
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm (revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and overrevving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
LS16004
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. Odometer—Shows the total distance the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip meters—Show two different distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.
Tachometer Odometer and two trip meters

2312006 TACOMA from Jan.’06 Prod. (OM35871U)
Fan speed selector
Turn the knob to adjust the fan speed—to
the right to increase, to the left to de-
crease.
Temperature selector
Turn the knob to adjust the temperature—
to the right to warm, to the left to cool.
G18021
Air flow selector
Turn the knob to select the vents used for
air flow.1. Panel— Air flows mainly from the
instrument panel vents.
2. Bilevel— Air flows from both the floor
vents and the instrument panel vents.
3. Floor— Air flows mainly from the floor
vents.
4. Floor/Windshield— Air flows mainly
from the floor vents and windshield
vents.
Turning the air flow selector to the
floor/windshield position turns on the
defogging/defrosting function with the
purpose of clearing the windshield. In this position, air intake selector
mode changes to FRESH automatically
to clear the windshield quickly. If you
want to return the setting to RECIRCU-
LATE mode, press the air intake selec-
tor button once again.
Vehicles with “A/C” button—
Press the “A/C” button for dehumidified
heating or cooling. This setting clears
the windshield more quickly.
5. Windshield— Air flows mainly from the
windshield vents.
Turning the air flow selector to the
windshield position turns on the defog-
ging/defrosting function with the pur-
pose of clearing the windshield.
In this position, air intake selector
mode changes to FRESH automatically
to clear the windshield quickly. It is not
possible to return to RECIRCULATE in
this position.
Vehicles with “A/C” button—
Press the “A/C” button for dehumidified
heating or cooling. This setting clears
the windshield more quickly.
For details about air flow selector settings,
see “Air flow selector settings” described
below.

2342006 TACOMA from Jan.’06 Prod. (OM35871U)
If following another vehicle on a dusty
road, or driving in windy and dusty
conditions, it is recommended that the
air intake selector be temporarily set to
RECIRCULATE, which will close off the
outside passage and prevent outside
air and dust from entering the vehicle
interior.Heating
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed— Any setting except “OFF”
Temperature— Towards red zone
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—FLOOR
Air conditioning—OFF
For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the
windows from fogging, select fresh af-
ter the vehicle interior has been
warmed.
Press the “A/C” button on for dehumidi-
fied heating.
Choose floor/windshield air flow to heat
the vehicle interior while defrosting or
defogging the windshield. Air conditioning
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed— Any setting except “OFF”
Temperature— Towards blue zone
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—PANEL
Air conditioning—ON
For most effective cooling, move the
air intake selector to recirculate.
Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed— Any setting except “OFF”
Temperature— Towards blue zone
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—PANEL
Air conditioning—OFF

2352006 TACOMA from Jan.’06 Prod. (OM35871U)
Defogging
Condition: Moisture is on the inside of the
windshield.
For best results, set controls to:Fan speed— Any setting except “OFF”
Temperature— Towards red zone to heat;
blue zone to cool
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
Turning the air flow selector to the wind-
shield or floor/windshield position turns on
the defogging function with the purpose of
clearing the windshield.
When turning the air flow selector to wind-
shield or floor/windshield position, air in-
take selector mode changes to FRESH
automatically to clear the windshield
quickly. If you want to return the setting
to RECIRCULATE mode, press the air in-
take selector button once again. However,
if the air flow selector is in the windshield
position, it is not possible to return to
RECIRCULATE.
Vehicles with “A/C” button—
Press the “A/C” button for dehumidified
heating or cooling. This setting clears the
front view more quickly.
On humid days, do not blow cold air
on the windshield—the difference be-
tween the outside and inside tempera-
tures could make the fogging worse.
When side windows fog up, turn the
side vents toward the windows.
Defrosting
Condition: Moisture is on the outside of
the windshield.
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed— Any setting except “OFF”
Temperature— Towards red zone
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
Turning the air flow selector to the wind-
shield or floor/windshield position turns on
the defrosting function with the purpose of
clearing the windshield.
When turning the air flow selector to wind-
shield or floor/windshield position, air in-
take selector mode changes to FRESH
automatically to clear the windshield
quickly. If you want to return the setting
to RECIRCULATE mode, press the air in-
take selector button once again. However,
if the air flow selector is in the windshield
position, it is not possible to return to
RECIRCULATE. Vehicles with “A/C” button—
Press the “A/C” button for dehumidified
heating or cooling. This setting clears the
front view more quickly.
To heat the vehicle interior while de-
frosting the windshield, choose floor/
windshield air flow.

2502006 TACOMA from Jan.’06 Prod. (OM35871U)
The power supply starts a few seconds
after the main switch is pressed.
If the main switch is pressed repeatedly
at short intervals, the indicator light may
remain unchanged, but this does not indi-
cate a malfunction.
When the power outlet is in operation, the
sound of the cooling fan may be heard
from the rear console box. This is normal
and does not indicate a malfunction.
After removing a plug from the power out-
let, ensure that the power outlet lid is
properly closed.
CAUTION
Use of the power outlet when it is
wet with rain, drinking water or
snow may result in electrical
shocks and is extremely dangerous.
The power outlet must be thorough-
ly dried before use.
Do not allow children to use or
play with the power outlet.
Be careful not to get any part of
your body caught in the power out-
let lid.
When using electrical appliances,
strictly follow any cautions and no-
tices written on their labels and in
the manufacturers’ instruction man-
uals.
Do not modify, disassemble or
repair the power outlet or its
inverter, in any way. Doing so may
result in unexpected malfunctions
or accidents, which could cause
serious damage or injuries. Contact
a Toyota dealer for any necessary
repairs.
To prevent injuries and accidents, se-
curely fix all electric appliances be-
fore use and do not use any ap-
pliances that may do any of the fol-
lowing:
Distract the driver while driving, or
hamper safe driving.
Result in a fire or burn injuries due
to the appliance rolling, falling or
overheating while driving.
Emit steam, while the windows of
the cabin are closed.
Do not perform any of the following.
Doing so is very dangerous and may
cause unexpected accidents, such as
electric shocks.
Using the power outlet for electric
heaters while sleeping.
Contaminating the power outlet with
liquid substances or mud, or using
it in rainy and snowy weather.
Handling electrical appliance plugs
at the power outlet with wet hands
or feet.
Inserting foreign objects into the
power outlet.
Using malfunctioning electric ap-
pliances.
Inserting inappropriate or badly fit-
ting plugs into the power outlet.

2732006 TACOMA from Jan.’06 Prod. (OM35871U)
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the threeway catalytic
converter may cause it to overheat
and create a fire hazard. To prevent
this and other damage, observe the
following precautions:
Use only unleaded gasoline.
 Do not drive with an extremely low
fuel level; running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, creat-
ing an excessive load on the three
way catalytic converter.
 Do not allow the engine to run at
idle speed for more than 20 minu-
tes.
 Avoid racing the engine.
 Do not pushstart or pullstart your
vehicle.
 Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.
Keep your engine in good running
order. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electronic ignition
system/distributor ignition system
or fuel systems could cause an ex-
tremely high threeway catalytic
converter temperature.
 If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, take your
vehicle in for a checkup as soon
as possible. Remember, your Toyota
dealer knows your vehicle and its
threeway catalytic converter sys-
tem best.
 To ensure that the threeway cata-
lytic converter and the entire emis-
sion control system operate proper-
ly, your vehicle must receive the
periodic inspections required by the
Toyota Maintenance Schedule. For
scheduled maintenance information,
refer to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment”.CAUTION
Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide, which
is a colorless and odorless gas. It
can cause unconsciousness or even
death.
Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.
Do not run the engine in a garage
or enclosed area except for the
time needed to drive the vehicle in
or out. The exhaust gases cannot
escape, making this a particularly
dangerous situation.
Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the engine run-
ning. If it is unavoidable, however,
do so only in an unconfined area
and adjust the heating or cooling
system to force outside air into the
vehicle.
Engine exhaust cautions

2742006 TACOMA from Jan.’06 Prod. (OM35871U)
To allow proper operation of your
vehicle’s ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, open the windows and
close the rear window to ensure
plenty of fresh air enters the ve-
hicle. If you can smell exhaust
fumes even though there are no
other vehicles in the surrounding
area, have your vehicle checked by
your Toyota dealer. Continued in-
halation of exhaust fumes can lead
to death by gas poisoning.
Toyota does not recommend occu-
pying the rear cargo area when it is
fitted with a slidein camper, camp-
er shell or other type cover while
the engine is running. This caution
applies to both driving and stopped
or parked situations with the engine
running. Particular care should be
taken to prevent exhaust gases
from entering camper bodies, trail-
ers or other enclosures on or
around your vehicle. If exhaust
fumes are detected, open all win-
dows and thoroughly ventilate the
area.
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.
Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a pis-
ton moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated when
the vehicle is decelerating sucks some
of this oil into the combustion chamber.
This oil as well as some part of the oil
film left on the cylinder wall is burned
by the high temperature combustion
gases during the combustion process.
Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high
−speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
Oil consumption: Max. 1.0 L per 1000
km (1.1 qt./600 miles, 0.9 lmp. qt./600
miles)
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds.
Facts about engine oil
consumption

3622006 TACOMA from Jan.’06 Prod. (OM35871U)
To ensure excellent lubrication perfor-
mance for your engine, “Toyota Genuine
Motor Oil” is available, which has been
specifically tested and approved for all
Toyota engines.
Please contact your Toyota dealer for fur-
ther details about “Toyota Genuine Motor
Oil”.Look at the seethrough coolant reser-
voir when the engine is cold. The cool-
ant level is satisfactory if it is between
the “FULL” and “LOW” lines on the
reservoir. If the level is low, add the
coolant. (For the coolant type, see
“Coolant type selection” described be-
low.)
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the “LOW” line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the “FULL”
line.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the
radiator, hoses, radiator cap and drain
cock and water pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check
for leaks in the cooling system.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot.
Coolant type selection
Use of improper coolants may damage
your engine cooling system.
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
or similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non−
silicate, non −amine, non− nitrite,
and non− borate coolant with long −life
hybrid organic acid technology. (Coolant
with long− life hybrid organic acid
technology is a combination of low
phosphates and organic acids.)
For the U.S.A.—“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is a mixture of 50% coolant and
50% deionized water. This coolant pro-
vides protection down to about −35 C
( − 31 F).
For Canada—“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is a mixture of 55% coolant and
45% deionized water. This coolant pro-
vides protection down to about −42 C
( − 44 F).
NOTICE
Do not use plain water alone.
Checking the engine coolant
level