2008 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER wheel

163
2−5. Driving information
2
When driving
CAUTION
 Offroad driving precautions
Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of serious per−
sonal 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 espe−
cially your thumbs on the outside of the rim.
 Always check your brakes for effectiveness 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 underbody. 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 person 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 moving.
 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.

164 2−5. Driving information
NOTICE
 To prevent the water damage
 Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the
engine or other components does not occur.
Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage.
Water entering the automatic transmission will cause deterioration in shift
quality, locking up of your transmission accompanied by vibration, and ulti−
mately damage.
 Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and pre−
mature failure, and may also enter the differentials, transmission and
transfer case, reducing the gear oil’s lubricating qualities.
 When you drive through water
If driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first check
the depth of the water and the bottom of the river bed for firmness. Drive
slowly and avoid deep water.
 Inspection after offroad driving
 Sand and mud that has accumulate
d in brake drums and around brake
discs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system compo−
nents.
 Always perform a maintenance inspection after each day of off−road driv−
ing that has taken you through rough terrain, sand, mud, or water. For
scheduled maintenance information, refer to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.

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2−5. Driving information
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When driving
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary preparations and inspections before driving
the vehicle in winter. Always drive the vehicle in a manner appropri
ate to the prevailing weather conditions.
 Prewinter preparations
 Use fluids that are appropriate to the prevailing outside tem−
peratures.
Engine oil
Engine coolant
Washer fluid
 Have a service technician inspect the level and specific grav−
ity of battery electrolyte.
Have the vehicle fitted with four snow tires or purchase a set
of tire chains for the rear tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same size and brand, and that chains
match the size of the tires.
 Before driving the vehicle
Perform the following according to the driving conditions.

Do not try to forcibly open a window, scrape an outside rear
view mirror surface or move a wiper or outside rear view mir−
ror that is frozen. Pour warm water over the frozen area to
melt the ice. Wipe away the water immediately to prevent it
from freezing.
To ensure proper operation of th e climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents
in front of the windshield.
Remove any ice that has accumulated on the vehicle chassis.

Periodically check for and remo ve any excess ice or snow
that may have accumulated in the wheel well or on the
brakes.

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2−5. Driving information
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When driving
CAUTION
 Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failing to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or
serious injury.
 Use tires of the size specified for your vehicle.
Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
Do not drive in excess of 75 mph (120 km/h) regardless of the type of
snow tires being used.
 Snow tires should be installed on all wheels.
4WD models:
Do not mix tires of different makes, models, tread patterns or treadwear.
 Driving with snow chains
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failing to do so may result in the vehicle being unable to be driven safely,
and may cause death or serious injury.
 Do not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tire chains being
used or 30 mph (50 km/h), whichever is lower.
Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.
Avoid sudden turns and braking.

Slow down sufficiently before entering a curve to ensure that vehicle con−
trol is maintained.
NOTICE
 Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs of and obtain replacement snow tires from Toyota dealers or
legitimate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the opera−
tion of the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters.
 Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function correctly
when tire chains are fitted.

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2−5. Driving information
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When driving
 Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:

Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 370)
 Trailer tires should be inflated according to the trailer manufacturer ’s rec−
ommendation.
All trailer lights work to be legal.
Confirm all lights work each time you connect them.
The trailer ball is set up at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
Check that your vehicle remains level when a loaded or unloaded trailer
is hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle is not level, and check for improper
tongue load, overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
 Make sure the trailer cargo is securely loaded.
Check that your rear view mirrors conform to any federal, state/provincial
or local regulations. If they do not, in
stall rear view mirrors appropriate for
towing purposes.
Breakin schedule
Toyota recommends that you do not use a new vehicle or a vehicle with
any new power train components (engine, transmission, differential,
wheel bearings, etc.) to tow a trailer for the first 500 miles (800 km) of
driving.
 Maintenance
 If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance
due to the additional load. (See “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.)
 Retighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after approxi−
mately 600 miles (1000 km).

178 2−5. Driving information
Trailer towing tips
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. The three
main causes of vehicle−trailer ac cidents are driver error, excessive
speed and improper trailer loading. Keep these in mind when towing.

Before starting out, check the trailer ’s light and the vehicle−trailer
connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
 Practice turning, stopping and reve rsing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel
of the vehicle.
 Reversing with a trailer attached is
difficult and requires practice.
Grip the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This generally opposite to reversing
without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when reversing to reduce the risk of an acci−
dent.
 As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle−to−
vehicle distance should be increased. For each 10 mph (16 km/h)
of speed, allow at least o
ne vehicle and trailer length.
 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 acceleration. Vehicles with a manual
transmission, prevent excessive cl
utch slippage by keeping engine
rpm low and not racing the engine. Always start out in first gear.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before mak−
ing a turn.

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2−5. Driving information
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When driving
 Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by making
a larger than normal turning radius.
 Crosswinds and rough roads will adversely affect handling of your
vehicle and trailer, causing sway . Periodically check the rear to
prepare for being passed by large trucks or buses, which may
cause your vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying occurs, firmly grip
the steering wheel, reduce speed immediately but gradually, and
steer straight ahead. Never increase speed. If you make no
extreme correction with the stee ring or brakes, your vehicle and
trailer will stabilize.
Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider−
able distance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of
your trailer, and be sure you hav
e plenty of room before changing
lanes.

In order to maintain engine braking efficiency, do not use the trans−
mission in D (automatic transmiss
ion) or 6 (manual transmission).
 Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may
overheat on hot days (at temperatures over 85°F [30°C]) when
driving up a long or steep grade. If the engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, immedi
ately turn off the air condition−
ing (if in use), pull your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot.
(
P. 356)

180 2−5. Driving information
 Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle and the trailer
wheels when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly, and put the
transmission in P (automatic transmission) or in 1 or R (manual
transmission). Avoid parking on a slope, but if unavoidable, do so
only after performing the following:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel bloc
ks under both the vehicle and
trailer wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in place, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into 1 or R (manual transmission) or P (automatic trans−
mission) and turn off the engine.
 When restarting after parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P (automatic transmission) or the
clutch pedal (manual transmission) depressed, start the
engine. On vehicles with an au tomatic transmission, be sure
to keep the brake pedal pressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
Release the parking brake (also
brake pedal on vehicles with
an automatic transmission), and slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.