2009 TOYOTA 4RUNNER stop start

209
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
CAUTION
■Roof luggage carrier precautions
To use the roof rails as a roof luggag
e carrier, you must fit the roof rails
with two or more genuine Toyota cross rails or their equivalent.
When you load cargo on the roof luggage carrier, observe the following:
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is securely fastened on the roof
luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the r oof luggage carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneuvers, otherwise it may result in loss of
control or vehicle rollover due to failure to operate this vehicle correctly
and result in death or serious injury.
●If driving for a long distance, on rough roads, or at high speeds, stop
the vehicle now and then during the trip to make sure the cargo
remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 120 lb. (54 kg) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
■ Cross rail adjustment
Make sure the cross rails are locked securely by pushing forward and rear-
ward them.
Failure to do so may cause an unexpected accident or severe injury in the
event of emergency braking or a collision.
●Place the cargo so that its weight is
distributed evenly between the front
and rear axles.
●If loading long or wide cargo never
exceed the vehicle overall length or
width.
( P. 470)

221
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
Connecting trailer lights
Use the wire harness stored in the rear end under body.
Trailer towing tipsYour 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 the following 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. (Thi s 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.
● 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.

222 2-5. Driving information
●Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in jackknifing and
loss of control. This is especiall y true on wet or slippery surfaces.
● Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before mak-
ing a turn.
● Note that when making a turn, th e 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 v ehicles. 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.
● In order to maintain engine braking efficiency when driving on a
long steep downgrade, do not use the transmission in D.
Transmission shift position must be in 4.
● Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may
overheat on hot days (at temper atures over 85°F [30°C]) when
driving 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. 463)

223
2-5. Driving information
2
When driving
●
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. 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 blocks under both the vehicle and
trailer wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in pl ace, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into P and turn off the engine.
● When restarting after parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the engine. Be sure to keep
the brake pedal pressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
Release the parking brake and brake pedal, and slowly pull or
back away from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
■ Service connector for towing brake controller (if equipped)
Your vehicle is equipped with a service
connector for the trailer brake controller
as shown.

5
When trouble arises
433
5-1. Essential information
Fuel pump shut off system
Follow the procedure below to restart the engine after the system is
activated.Turn the engine switch to the ACC or LOCK position.
Restart the engine.
NOTICE
■Before starting the engine
Inspect the ground under the vehicle.
If you find that fuel has leaked onto the ground, the fuel system has been
damaged and is in need of repair. Do not restart the engine.
To minimize the risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls or an air-
bag inflates upon collision, the fu el pump shut off system stops sup-
plying fuel to the engine.

5
When trouble arises
463
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine overheats:
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the air condi-
tioning system.
Check to see if steam is coming out from under the hood.
If you see steam: Stop the engine. Carefully lift the hood after the steam
subsides and then restart the engine.
If you do not see steam: Leave the engine running and carefully lift the hood.
Check to see if the cooling fan is operating.
If the fan is operating: Wait until the temperature of the engine (shown on the
instrument cluster) begins to fall and then stop the
engine.
If the fan is not operating: Stop the engine immediately and call your local Toyota
dealer.

466
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If the vehicle becomes stuck
CAUTION
■When attempting to free a stuck vehicle
If you choose to rock the vehicle back and forth to free it, make sure the sur-
rounding area is clear, to avoid striki ng other vehicles, objects or persons.
The vehicle may also lunge forward or lunge back suddenly as it becomes
free. Use extreme caution.
■ When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may
cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
Carry out the following procedures if the tires spin or the vehicle
becomes stuck in mud, dirt, or snow.
Stop the engine. Set the parking brake and put the shift
lever in P.
Remove the mud, snow, or sand from around the stuck tire.
Place wood, stones or some other material to help provide
traction under the tires.
Restart the engine.
Turn off the VSC. ( P. 190)
Shift the shift lever to D or R position and carefully apply the
accelerator to free the vehicle.