2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER suspension

194
CY16015
(d) Turning off the rear height controlair suspension
To turn off the rear height control air
suspension with the vehicle stopped,
push the HEIGHT CONTROL OFF"
switch. The height control OFF" indi-
cator light comes on and the vehicle
height is fixed in the same mode as the
height control switch is pushed.
This status is memorized in the system
even after the engine is stopped.
If you push the switch again, the height
control OFF" indicator light goes out and
the rear height control air suspension is
turned on.
Even after the rear height control air sus-
pension is turned off with the HEIGHT
CONTROL OFF" switch, if the vehicle
speed exceeds 30 km/h (19 mph), the
rear height control air suspension automat-
ically selects the N" mode.CAUTION
If you drive through deep water over
about 700 mm (28 in.) in depth, put
the vehicle height in the HI" mode
with the height select switch and then
turn off the rear height control air
suspension by pushing the HEIGHT
CONTROL OFF" switch.
NOTICE
 When jacking up or installing tire
chains, be sure to turn off the rear
height control air suspension by
pushing the HEIGHT CONTROL
OFF" switch and stop the engine.
Otherwise, the vehicle height may
change because of the automatic
leveling function, resulting in an un-
expected accident.
 If your vehicle must be towed, put
the vehicle height in the N" mode
and turn off the rear height control
air suspension. Otherwise, the ve-
hicle height may change because of
the automatic leveling function, re-
sulting in an unexpected accident.

195
If your vehicle gets ditched, turn off
the rear height control air suspen-
sion with the HEIGHT CONTROL
OFF" switch. Otherwise, the vehicle
height may change because of the
automatic leveling function resulting
in an unexpected accident.
CY16018
(e) Height control indicator lights
1. Height control indicator lights
2. Height control OFF" indicator light
When the engine switch is turned on, all
the indicator lights come on. The indicator
light showing the present mode only re-
mains on and all other lights go off after
a few seconds. This means the system
operates correctly.
CY16019
If you change the vehicle height mode,
the indicator lights change as follows:
When changing the vehicle height from
the N" mode to HI": 1. The N" mode indicator light goes off and the HI" mode indicator light blinks.
2. After the vehicle height control reaches the HI" mode, the HI" mode indicator
light remains on.
If the underbody of the vehicle has
touched the surface on bumpy roads or
the area around the rear suspension is
coated with ice, the vehicle height cannot
be lowered with the height select switch.
The height control indicator lights change
as follows:

196
1. The present mode indicator light goesoff and the selected mode indicator
light blinks.
2. The selected mode indicator light goes off. (The vehicle height does not
change.) The present mode indicator
light comes on again.
In this case, even if the vehicle is moved
to its usual location or the ice is removed
and the height select switch is pressed,
vehicle height control cannot be operated.
Turn off the engine once and then restart
it.
Height control OFF" indicator light:
When the engine switch is turned on, this
light comes on. If it goes out after a few
seconds, the rear height control air sus-
pension operates correctly. If you push the
HEIGHT CONTROL OFF" switch, the rear
height control air suspension is turned off.
The height control OFF" indicator light
comes on.
In the following cases, there is a problem
somewhere in the rear height control air
suspension. Although there is no problem
to continue normal driving, have the rear
height control air suspension checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.The height control OFF" indicator light
does not come on when the engine
switch is turned on.
The height control OFF" indicator light
blinks.
(f) Parking and stopping tips
If you immediately stop the engine to park
the vehicle after off−road driving, the ve-
hicle height is lowered slightly as the ve-
hicle becomes cool. When parking, make
sure there is nothing that will be in con-
tact with the underbody of the vehicle.
When you start the engine, the vehicle
returns to the previous height.
If you park the vehicle for a long time,
the vehicle height may be gradually low-
ered. When parking for a long time, make
sure there is nothing that will be in con-
tact with the underbody of the vehicle.
When you start the engine, the vehicle
returns to the previous height.
If you stop the engine, the vehicle height
may change in accordance with the
change in the temperature. When you
start the engine, the vehicle returns to the
previous height. (g) Rear height control failure warning
If there is a problem somewhere in the
rear height control air suspension, the N"
mode is automatically selected. If this oc-
curs, the height control OFF" indicator
light blinks and the vehicle height control
cannot be activated until the malfunction
is corrected. If this is the case, bring your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible and have it checked.

337
INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Off−road vehicle precautions338
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Break−in period 339
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Fuel 339
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel pump shut off system 341
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Operation in foreign countries 341
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Three−way catalytic converters 342
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Engine exhaust cautions 343
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Facts about engine oil consumption 344
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Iridium−tipped spark plugs 345
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Brake system 345
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 349
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Limited−slip differential 349
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. .
Your Toyota’s identification 349
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theft prevention labels 351
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. .
Suspension and chassis 351
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Tire information 352
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Vehicle load limits 364
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Cargo and luggage 365
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Types of tires 368
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SECTION 2

339
Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its profile and
higher center of gravity, your ve-
hicle is more sensitive to side
winds than an ordinary passenger
car. Slowing down will allow you to
have better control.
When driving off−road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and
chassis.
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar off−road ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break−in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Avoid full throttle acceleration when
starting and driving.
Avoid racing the engine.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles).FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mix−ups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5−M93
in Canada.NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three−
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
Break−in period
Fuel

351
Your new vehicle carries theft preven-
tion labels which are approximately 47
mm (1.85 in.) by 12 mm (0.47 in.).
The purpose of these labels is to reduce
the incidence of vehicle thefts by facilitat-
ing the tracing and recovery of parts from
stolen vehicles. The label is designed so
that once it is applied to a surface, any
attempt to remove it will result in destroy-
ing the integrity of the label. Transferring
these labels intact from one part to anoth-
er, will be impossible.
NOTICE
You should not attempt to remove the
theft prevention labels as it may vio-
late certain state or federal laws.
CAUTION
Do not modify the suspension/chassis
with lift kits, spacers, springs, etc. It
can cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics resulting in loss of control.
Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada) Suspension and chassis

372
Vehicles with rear height control air
suspension: When you drive on a
bumpy road, it is recommended that
the vehicle height should be set in the
N" (normal) or H" (high) mode.
CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking on
a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
tion or engine braking, could cause
the vehicle to skid or spin.
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has high−speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are high−speed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.
Vehicles with rear height control air
suspension: If you drive through
deep water over about 700 mm (28
in.) in depth, put the vehicle height
in the H" (high) mode with the
height select switch and then turn
off the rear height control air sus-
pension by pushing the HEIGHT
CONTROL OFF" switch. Drive your
vehicle at 30 km/h (19 mph) or low-
er speed.

374
When driving your vehicle off−road, please
observe the following precautions to en-
sure your driving enjoyment and to help
prevent the closure of areas to off−road
vehicles.a. Drive your vehicle only in areas where off−road vehicles are permitted to trav-
el.
b. Respect private property. Get owner ’s permission before entering private prop-
erty.
c. Do not enter areas that are closed. Honor gates, barriers and signs that re-
strict travel.
d. Stay on established roads. When condi- tions are wet, driving techniques should
be changed or travel delayed to pre-
vent damage to roads.
For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and
Puerto Rico:
To obtain additional information pertaining
to driving your vehicle off−road, consult
the following organizations.
State and Local Parks and Recreation
Departments
State Motor Vehicle Bureau
Recreational Vehicle Clubs
U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management
CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
injury or damage to your vehicle:
Drive carefully when off the road.
Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous places.
Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off−road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel and
injure your hands. Keep both hands
and especially your thumbs on the
outside of the rim.
Always check your brakes for effec-
tiveness immediately after driving in
sand, mud, water or snow.
After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check
that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or
trapped on the underbody. Clear off
any such matter from the under-
body. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering
to the underbody, a breakdown or
fire could occur.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat
belt. Therefore, the driver and all
passengers should fasten their seat
belts whenever the vehicle is mov-
ing.
When driving off−road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and
chassis.
Off−road driving precautions