2008 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 4 wheel drive

212 2−5. Driving information
CAUTION
nOffroad driving precautions
Always observe the following precautions to help minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your vehicle:
lDrive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving
in dangerous places.
lDo 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.
lAlways check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving in
sand, mud, water or snow.
lAfter 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.
l
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.

213
2−5. Driving information
2
When driving
NOTICE
nTo prevent the water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the
engine or other components does not occur.
lWater entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage.
lWater entering the automatic transmission will cause deterioration in shift
quality, locking up of your transmission accompanied by vibration, and ulti−
mately damage.
lWater 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.
nWhen 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.
nInspection after offroad driving
l
Sand and mud that has accumulat ed in brake drums and around brake
discs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system compo−
nents.
l
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”.

223
2−5. Driving information
2
When driving
nBefore driving the vehicle
Perform the following according to the driving conditions.
lDo not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is
frozen. Pour warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice.
Wipe away the water immediately to prevent it from freezing.
l
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.
l
Remove any ice that has accumulated on the vehicle chassis.
lPeriodically check for and remo ve any excess ice or snow
that may have accumulated in the wheel well or on the
brakes.
nWhen driving the vehicle
Accelerate the vehicle slowly and drive at a reduced speed suit−
able to road conditions.
n
When parking the vehicle
Park the vehicle and move the shift lever to “P” without setting
the parking brake. The parking brake may freeze up, preventing
it from being released.

225
2−5. Driving information
2
When driving
CAUTION
nDriving 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.
lUse tires of the size specified for your vehicle.
lMaintain the recommended level of tire inflation pressure.
lDo not drive in excess of 75 mph (120 km/h), regardless of the type of
snow tires being used.
lSnow tires should be installed on all wheels.
nDriving with tire 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.
lDo not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tire chains being
used, or 30 mph (50 km/h), whichever is lower.
lAvoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.
lAvoid sudden turns and braking, as use of chains may adversely affect
vehicle handling.
l
Slow down sufficiently before entering a curve to ensure that vehicle con−
trol is maintained.

233
2−5. Driving information
2
When driving
Trailer towing tips
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. The 3 main
causes of vehicle−trailer accidents
are driver error, excessive speed
and improper trailer loading. Keep the following in mind when towing.
l
Before starting out, check the trailer lights and the vehicle−trailer
connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
lPractice 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.
l
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 right. (This
is 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.
lAs 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.
lAvoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in jackknifing and
loss of control. This is especiall
y true on wet or slippery surfaces.
lAvoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
l
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before mak−
ing turns.

234 2−5. Driving information
lNote 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.
lCrosswinds 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.
lTake care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider−
able distance. After passing a vehi
cle, do not forget the length of
your trailer, and be sure you hav e plenty of room before changing
lanes.
lIn order to maintain engine braking efficiency when driving on a
long steep downgrade, do not use overdrive. Transmission shift
range position must be in “4”, in “S” mode.
lDue to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may
overheat on hot days (at temperatur
es over 85°F [30°C] when driv−
ing up a long or steep grade. If the engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, immediately turn off the air condition−
ing (if in use), pull your vehicle off
the road and stop in a safe spot.
( P. 488)

236 2−5. Driving information
nBefore towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
lThe vehicle’s tires are properly inflated.
lTrailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacturer ’s recom−
mendation.
lAll trailer lights work.
lAll lights work each time you connect them.
lThe trailer ball is set up at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
lThe 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.
lThe trailer cargo is securely loaded.
lThe rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors appropriate for
towing purposes.
nBreakin schedule
Toyota recommends that you do not use a new vehicle or a vehicle with any
new power train components (engine, transmission, differential, wheel bear−
ings, etc.) to tow a trailer for the first 500 miles (800 km) of driving.
nMaintenance
lIf 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”.)
lRetighten the fixing bolts of the towing ball after approximately 600 miles
(1000 km) of trailer towing.

399
4−3. Do−it−yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
CAUTION
n Tire pressure warning system operation
The tire pressure warning system may not provide warning immediately
if a tire bursts or if
sudden air leakage occurs.
n When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidents. Failure to do so
may cause damage to parts of the drive train, as well as dangerous han−
dling characteristics, which may le
ad to fatal or injury accidents.
lDo not mix tires of different makes, models, tread patterns or tread−
wear.
lDo not use tire sizes other than those recommended by Toyota.
lDo not mix radial, bias−belted, or bias−ply tires.
lDo not mix summer, all season and winter tires.
lDo not use tire that have been used on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not know they were used previously.
n When initializing the tire pressure warning system
Do not press the tire pressure warning reset switch without first adjusting
the tire inflation pressure to the spec
ified level. Otherwise, the tire pres−
sure warning light may not come on ev en if the tire inflation pressure is
low, or it may come on when the tire
inflation pressure is actually normal.
NOTICE
n Repairing or replacing tires, wheels and tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters
When removing or fitting the wheels, tires or the tire pressure warning
valve and transmitter, contact your Toyota dealer as the tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter may be damaged if not handled correctly.
n To avoid damaging the tire pressure warning valves and transmit
ters
Do not use liquid sealants on flat tires.