2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER coolant temperature

6
CY11062
1. Tachometer
2. Speedometer
3. Service reminder indicators andindicator lights 4. Fuel gauge
5. Low fuel level warning light
6. Engine coolant temperature gauge
7. Trip meter reset knob
8. Odometer and two trip meters
Instrument cluster overview

Ty p e A

7
CY11067
1. Service reminder indicators andindicator lights
2. Tachometer 3. Speedometer
4. Fuel gauge
5. Low fuel level warning light6. Engine coolant temperature gauge
7. Trip meter reset knob
8. Odometer and two trip meters

Ty p e B

145
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Gauges, Meters and Service reminder indicators
Fuel gauge146
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Engine coolant temperature gauge 146
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Tachometer 147
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Odometer and two trip meters 148
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Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers 149
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SECTION 1− 6

146
CY15001
Low fuel level
warning light
The gauge indicates the approximate
quantity of fuel remaining in the tank
when the engine switch is on.
Nearly fullNeedle at F"
Nearly emptyNeedle at E"
It is a good idea to keep the tank over
1/4 full.
The needle moves when braking, acceler-
ating or making turns. This is caused by
the movement of the fuel in the tank.
If the fuel level approaches E" or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible.On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the fuel gauge
needle may fluctuate or the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
CY15002
The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature when the engine switch is
on. The engine operating temperature
will vary with changes in weather and
engine load.
If the needle moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow the
engine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
Fuel gauge
Engine coolant temperature
gauge

147

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
vehicle overheats" on page 394 in
Section 4.CY15003
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 over−revving.
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.
Tachometer

164
(b) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the engine" on page 370 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
P" or N".
Vehicles with four−wheel drive control
When the four−wheel drive control and
switch knob is in L4" (low−speed position)
and center differential locked, the driving
pattern selector setting has no effect on
gear shift timing. (See Four−wheel drive
system (full−time four−w heel drive mod-
els)" on page 168 in this Section for in-
formation of the four−wheel drive control.)
Vehicles with multi−mode control
When the multi−mode control switch knob
is in L4" (low−speed position, four−wheel
drive) and center differential locked, the
driving pattern selector setting has no ef-
fect on gear shift timing. (See Four−wheel
drive system (multi−mode four−wheel drive
models)" on page 171 in this Section for
information of the multi−mode control.) 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.
Two−wheel drive models
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.
Vehicles with four−wheel drive control
Always use the D" position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. If the engine
coolant temperature is low or when the
four−wheel drive control switch knob is in
L4" (low−speed position) and center dif-
ferential locked, the transmission will not
shift into the overdrive gear even in the
D" position. (See Four−wheel drive sys-
tem (full−time four−wheel drive models)"
on page 168 in this Section for informa-
tion of the four−wheel drive control.) Vehicles with multi−mode control
Always use the D" position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. If the engine
coolant temperature is low or when the
multi−mode control switch knob is in L4"
(low−speed position, four−wheel drive) and
center differential locked, the transmission
will not shift into the overdrive gear even
in the D" position. (See Four−wheel drive
system (multi−mode four−w
heel drive
models)" on page 171 in this Section for
information of the multi−mode control.)
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.
If the automatic locking operation linked
with the shift position is set, all the side
doors and back door are automatically
locked when the shift lever is moved out
of the P" position with the engine running
and all the side doors and back door are
closed. For details, see Automatic door
locking and unlocking functions" on page
25 in Section 1−2.

385

Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle−to−vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.
Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room befo-
re changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking effi-
ciency, do not put the transmission in
D".
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
30
C [85 F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to If
your vehicle overheats" on page 394 in
Section 4.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in P". Avoid park-
ing on a slope with a trailer, but if it
cannot be avoided, do so only after
performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un- der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into P" and turn off the engine.

394
If engine speed does not increase when
the accelerator pedal is depressed, there
may be a problem somewhere in the elec-
tronic throttle control system.
At this time, vibration may occur. Howev-
er, if you depress the accelerator pedal
more firmly and slowly, you can drive your
vehicle at low speeds. Have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic
throttle control system is corrected during
low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and
the engine switch is turned to the ACC"
or LOCK" position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in P"
and apply the parking brake. Turn off
the air conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the engine drive belt is broken or thecoolant is leaking, stop the engine im-
mediately. Call a Toyota dealer for as-
sistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there are no obvious leaks, you may
help the engine cool down more quickly
by running it at about 1500 rpm for a
few minutes with the accelerator pedal
lightly depressed.
6. Check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add coolant to the reservoir while the
engine is running. Fill it about half full.
For the coolant type, see Coolant type
selection" on page 438 in Section 7−2.
If you cannot increase engine
speed If your vehicle overheats