2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER brakes

152
(a) Brake System Warning Light andBuzzer
This light comes on in the following cases
when the engine switch is in the ON"
position.
When the parking brake is applied...
This light comes on for a few seconds
when the engine switch is turned to the
ON" position even after the parking brake
is released.
When the brake fluid level is low...
CAUTION
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level is
low.
When the hydraulic brake booster
fails...
If the hydraulic booster causes a problem
resulting in poor braking performance, the
warning light comes on and buzzer sounds
continuously. Have your vehicle checked at your
Toyota dealer in the following cases:
The light does not come on even if the
parking brake is applied when the en-
gine switch is in the ON" position.
The light does not come on even if the
engine switch is turned on with the
parking brake released.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
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 anti−lock
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 engine switch is
turned to the ON" position. It is nor-
mal 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.

176
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to ON". If the indicator light does not
come on when the engine switch is turned
on, contact your Toyota dealer.
The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the traction
control system, the AUTO LSD" system,
the vehicle stability control system and
the hill−start assist control system such
as on slippery roads.
If the brake actuator temperature becomes
too high while any of the systems is oper-
ating, a buzzer will start to sound intermit-
tently to indicate that the traction control
system can no l onger operate. In this
case, immediately stop your vehicle at a
safe place.
If the system continues to operate, the
buzzer sound changes from intermittent to
continuous. (The continuous buzzer
sounds for about 3 seconds.) At the time the slip indicator light will
come on and the traction control system
temporarily stops operating in order to
protect the brake actuator. (Although the
traction control system does not operate,
there is no problem to continue your driv-
ing.) The system will be automatically re-
stored after a short time and the slip indi-
cator light goes out.
CY16075
TRACTION CONTROL OFF MODE
If your wheels get stuck in an ditch
when you are driving on a severe off
road and sand, turn off the traction
control system. This system that con-
trols engine performance interferes with
the process of freeing your wheels.
To turn off: Briefly push the VSC OFF"
switch.
The AUTO LSD" and slip indicator lights
will come on.
The vehicle stability control system is al-
ways activated, even if the traction control
system is turned off.

178
The active traction control system auto-
matically helps prevent the spinning of
4 wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the engine switch is turned to ON",
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power to the 4 wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction
control system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle under any speed or
maneuvering conditions which may
cause the vehicle to lose traction
control. In situations where the road
surface is covered with ice or snow,
your vehicle should be fitted with
snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious
speed for the present road condi-
tions.
CY16073
NORMAL DRIVING MODE
Leave the system on during the ordi-
nary driving so that it can operate
when needed.
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, but does not indicate a mal-
function.
When the active traction control system is
operating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
4 wheels. At this time, the slip indica-
tor light blinks.
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to ON". If the indicator light does not
come on when the engine switch is turned
on, contact your Toyota dealer.
The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the active
traction control system, the vehicle stabil-
ity control system, the downhill assist con-
trol system and the hill−start assist control
system such as on sli ppery roads. If the
brake actuator temperature becomes too
high while any of the systems is operat-
ing, a buzzer will start to sound intermit-
tently to indicate that the active traction
control system can no longer operate. In
this case, immediately stop your vehicle at
a safe place.
If the system continues to operate, the
buzzer sound changes from intermittent to
continuous. (The continuous buzzer
sounds for about 3 seconds.)
Active traction control system
(four−wheel drive models)

182
CY16074
VSC OFF" warning light
The light flashing warns that there is a
problem somewhere in the following.
AUTO LSD" system
Vehicle stability control system
Traction control system
(two−wheel drive models)
Active traction control system
(four−wheel drive models)
Downhill assist control system
(four−wheel drive models)
Hill−start assist control system
Traction control system
Vehicle stability control systemWhen the system is normal and the en-
gine switch is turned to the ON" position,
the light will come on and will go off after
a few seconds.
If the VSC OFF" warning light flashes
while driving, the AUTO LSD" system
does not work. However, as the brakes
operate normally when applied, it is no
problem to continue your driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the engine switch is turned to the
ON" position.
The warning light remains on after the
engine switch is turned to the ON"
position.
The warning light flashes while driving.
NOTICE
Do not drive with the AUTO LSD"
switch continuously turned on.

183
The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
systems such as anti−lock brake sys-
tem, traction control, engine control,
etc. This system automatically controls
the output of the brakes or engine to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding
when cornering on a slippery road sur-
face or operating steering wheel abrupt-
ly.
The vehicle stability control system is acti-
vated when the vehicle speed is more
than 15 km/h (9 mph).
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 sys-
tem is in the self−check mode, but does
not indicate a malfunction.CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the system is operating, it cannot
completely eliminate the possibility
of an accident. Always keep safe
driving in mind, as reckless driving
increases the risk of an accident. If
the slip indicator light blinks, spe-
cial care should be taken while
driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacturer, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, or different type or
size, the vehicle stability control
system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
Checking and replacing tires" on
page 443 in Section 7−2.)
CY16073
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
If the brake pedal is depressed while the
vehicle stability control system is active,
the brake pedal will become hard at an
earlier position than usual. However, the
brakes will respond to the pedal force if
depressed further.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to ON". If the indicator light does not
come on when the engine switch is turned
on, contact your Toyota dealer.
Vehicle stability control
system

198
CAUTION
If the tire pressure warning light
comes on, be sure to observe the
following precautions. Failure to do
so could cause loss of vehicle control
and result in death or serious injury.
Stop your vehicle in a safe place as
soon as possible. Adjust the tire
inflation pressure immediately.
If the tire pressure waring light
comes on even after tire inflation
pressure adjustment, it is probable
that you have a flat tire. Check the
tires. If the tire is flat, change to
the spare tire and have the flat tire
repaired by the nearest Toyota deal-
er.
Avoid abrupt maneuvering and brak-
ing. If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the steer-
ing wheel or the brakes.
The tire pressure warning light may turn
on due to natural causes such as natural
air leaks or tire inflation pressure changes
caused by temperature. In this case, ad-
justing the tire inflation pressure will turn
off the light after a few minutes.
The spare tire is also equipped with the
tire pressure warning valve and transmit-
ter. The tire pressure waning light will turn
on if the tire inflation pressure of the
spare tire is low. If a tire goes flat, even
though the flat tire is replaced with the
spare tire, the warning light does not turn
off. Replace the spare tire with the re-
paired tire and adjust the proper tire infla-
tion pressure. The tire pressure warning
light will turn off after a few minutes.CAUTION
Each tire, including the spare (if pro-
vided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label (tire
and load information label). (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label
(tire and load information label), you
should determine the proper tire infla-
tion pressure for those tires.)

345
CY20008a
Your engine is fitted with iridium−tipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridium−tipped spark plugs.
Do not adjust gaps for engine perfor-
mance or smooth driveability.
This brake system has 2 independent hy-
draulic circuits. If either circuit should fail,
the other will still work. However, the ped-
al will be harder to press, and your stop-
ping distance will increase. Also, the
brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a
single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
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 engine switch 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.
Iridium−tipped spark plugs
(4.7 L V8 [2UZ−FE] engine)
Brake system

348
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.
VSC OFF" warning light may flashes with
the ABS" warning light (brake assist sys-
tem warning light) when there is a mal-
function somewhere in the anti−lock brake
system (brake assist system).
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
engine switch is turned to the ON"
position, 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.
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 anti−lock
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 engine switch is
turned to the ON" position. It is nor-
mal 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.
DRUM−IN−DISC TYPE PARKING BRAKE
SYSTEM
Your vehicle has a drum−in−disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system n eeds bedding−down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drums are replaced. Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding−down.
BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM
When you slam the brakes on, the
brake assist system judges as an emer-
gency stop and provides more powerful
braking for a driver who cannot hold
down the brake pedal firmly.
When you slam the brakes on, more pow-
erful braking will be applied. At this time,
you may hear a sound in the engine
compartment and feel the vibrations of the
brake pedal. This does not indicate a mal-
function.
The brake assist system becomes opera-
tive 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).
For an explanation of this system’s warn-
ing light, see Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers" on page 149 in Sec-
tion 1−6.