Page 168 of 672
168
2-1. Driving procedures
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe driv-
ing.
■ Starting the engine ( P. 177)
■ Driving
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( P. 180)
Release the parking brake. ( P. 186)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
■ Stopping
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
When the vehicle is stopped for an extended period of time, shift
the shift lever to P or N. ( P. 180)
■Parking the vehicle
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 186)
Shift the shift lever to P. ( P. 180)
When parking on a hill, if necessary, block the wheels.
Turn the engine switch off to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your
person. 
     
        
        Page 169 of 672

169
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting on a steep uphill
With the brake pedal depressed, firmly set the parking brake
and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the
windows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be
especially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the rain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road
surface, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, the following precautions are recommended
to observe:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■ Drum-in disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of
brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or when-
ever the parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Toyota
dealer perform the bedding down. 
     
        
        Page 170 of 672

170 2-1. Driving procedures
■Operating your vehicle  in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. ( P. 606)
■ Normal characteristics afte r turning off the engine
Approximately five hours after the engine is turned off, you may hear sound
coming from under the vehicle for several minutes. This is the sound of a
fuel evaporation leakage check and, it does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
■ When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine run-
ning. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal. 
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident
that could result in death or serious injury.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi- culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly, allowing you to depress the brake and accelerator
pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or st op the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. This may
cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
● Do not let the vehicle roll backwards while the shift lever is in a driving
position, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle. 
     
        
        Page 200 of 672
200 2-2. Instrument cluster
Average Speed
Feature customizationThe vehicle can be customized  while the vehicle is stopped.
Press the SETUP US/M button to  select the item you want to
customize unit.
UNITS
KEYLESS ENTRY FEEDBACK
KEYLESS ENTRY RELOCK TIMER
KEYLESS ENTRY ALL DOORS UNLOCK
DOOR AUTO LOCKING
DOOR AUTO UNLOCKING
HEADLAMPS AUTO OFF TIMER
COURTESY LAMPS OFF TIMER
DEFAULT SETTING
Displays the average vehicle speed since the
engine was started or the function was reset.
The function can be reset by pushing the SELECT
RESET button for more than 2 seconds. 
     
        
        Page 228 of 672
228 2-4. Using other driving systems
When the AUTO LSD system is operatingVehicles with multi-information display If the rear wheels spin, the slip
indicator flashes to indicate that
the AUTO LSD system have
been controlled the spinning of
the rear wheels.
Vehicles without multi-information display
■ If the engine is turned off and restarted
The AUTO LSD system and the indicators are automatically turned off.
■ If the brake system overheats
The system will cease operation and a buzzer will sound to alert the driver.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place. (There is no problem with continuing normal
driving.)
The system will be automatically restored after a short time. 
     
        
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230
2-4. Using other driving systems
Driving assist systems
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following sys-
tems operate automatically in res ponse to various driving situations.
Be aware, however, that these systems are supplementary and
should not be relied upon too h eavily when operating the vehicle.
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface.
■Brake Assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed, when the system detects a panic stop situation.
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning
on slippery road surfaces.
■TRAC (Traction Control) for 2WD models and 2WD mode on
4WD models
Maintains drive power and prevents the rear wheels from spinning
when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads.
■A-TRAC (Active Traction Control) for 4WD mode on 4WD
models
Maintains drive power and prevents the all wheels from spinning when
starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads. 
     
        
        Page 233 of 672

233
2-4. Using other 
driving systems
2
When driving
To disable VSC and A-TRAC (4WD mode on 4WD models)
If the vehicle gets stuck in fresh snow or mud, VSC may reduce
power from the engine to the wheels. You may need to turn VSC and
A-TRAC off to enable you to rock the vehicle in order to free it. Stop the vehicle completely, and
press the VSC OFF switch for
more than 3 seconds.
The slip and VSC OFF indicators
will come on.
The system is all off mode.
Push the switch again to turn the
system back on.
■Automatic reactivation of TRAC, A-TRAC and VSC
Turning the engine switch off after turning off the TRAC, A-TRAC and VSC
systems will automatically re-enable them.
■ Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, TRAC, A-TRAC, VSC and
brake assist system
●A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the engine is
started and just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not
indicate that a malfunction has occurred in any of these systems.
● Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are
operating. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■ If the brake system overheats
TRAC or A-TRAC will cease operation and a buzzer will sound to alert the
driver. Stop the vehicle in a safe place. (There is no problem with continuing
normal driving.) 
     
        
        Page 264 of 672

264 2-5. Driving information
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.
● Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted towing speed limit.
● 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 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.
● 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.