2012 TOYOTA 4RUNNER stop start

256 2-4. Using other driving systems
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■Crawl Control is temp orarily canceled when
Vehicle speed exceeds 15 mph (25 km/h). The Crawl Control indicator
flashes until the vehicle speed is reduced.
■ Automatic system cancelation
In the following situations, the system will cease operation and a buzzer will
sound to alert the driver. The Crawl Control indicator will flash until the sys-
tem is turned off completely.
● When the shift lever is shifted to P or N
● When the front-wheel drive control lever is shifted to H4
● When the driver’s door is opened
● When the system is malfunctioning
● When the brake system overheats
Stop the vehicle in a safe place. (There is no problem with continuing
normal driving.)
● When the automatic transmission system overheats
Stop the vehicle in a safe place until the automatic transmission fluid tem-
perature warning light goes off.
■ Sounds and vibrations caused by the Crawl Control system
● A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the engine is
started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indi-
cate that a malfunction has occurred in Crawl Control system.
● Either of the following conditions may occur when the Crawl Control sys-
tem is 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.

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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
■Multi Terrain ABS (Anti-lock Brake System) (if equipped)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface, or in off-
road conditions (such as rough roads, sand and mud)
The Multi Terrain ABS operates in syn chronization with the Multi-terrain
Select.
■ 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)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the drive wheels from spin-
ning when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads
■Hill-start assist control (if equipped)
Helps to prevent the vehicle from rolling backward when starting on an
incline or slippery slope
■LSD (Limited Slip Differential) (if equipped)
Transfers drive power to the rear tires when front tires spin, and vice
versa, in order to improve traction

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When the VSC/TRAC systems are operating (2WD models)
If the vehicle is in danger of slip-
ping or if any of the drive wheels
spins, the slip indicator flashes to
indicate that the VSC/TRAC sys-
tems are operating.
When the VSC/TRAC/hill-start assist control systems are
operating (4WD models)If the vehicle is in danger of slip-
ping or rolling backward when
starting on an incline, or if any of
the drive wheels spins, the slip
indicator flashes to indicate that
the VSC/TRAC/hill-start assist
control systems are operating.
The stop lights and high mounted
stoplight turn on and a buzzer
(intermittent) sounds when the
hill-start assist control system is
operating.
■KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) (if equipped)
Enhances ride comfort and handling response by using a hydraulic
control system to control the suspension stabilizer bars in response to
road surface and driving conditions dur ing cornering or off-road driving
CTH24AS047
CTH24AS047

272 2-4. Using other driving systems
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■When the “TRAC OFF” indicator li ght comes on even if the VSC off
switch has not been pressed
TRAC, hill-start assist control, downhill assist control and Crawl Control can-
not be operated. Contact your Toyota dealer.
■ Hill-start assist control operation conditions
● The shift lever is in D or S.
● The brake pedal is not depressed.
● The rear differential is unlocked (if equipped).
■ If the brake system overheats
The hill-start assist control will cease operation and a buzzer will sound to
alert the driver. At this time, the “TRAC OFF” indicator will come on. Stop the
vehicle in a safe place. (There is no problem with continuing with normal
driving.)
The system will be automatically restored after a short time.
■ Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, Multi Terrain ABS (if
equipped), brake assist, VSC, TRAC and hill-start assist control (if
equipped) systems
● A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the engine is
started or just after the vehicle begins to move. This sound does not indi-
cate 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 or Multi Terrain
ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS or Multi Terrain ABS is activated.
■ Reactivation of the TRAC/VSC systems after turning off the engine
Turning off the engine after turning off the TRAC/VSC systems will automati-
cally reactivate them.

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■Reactivation of the VSC system linked to vehicle speed (2WD models)
When the TRAC system is turned off and the AUTO LSD system is turned
on, the VSC system will turn on when vehicle speed increases. However,
when the TRAC and VSC systems are turned off, the systems will not turn
on even when vehicle speed increases.
■ Reactivation of the TRAC/VSC systems (4WD models)
If the TRAC/VSC systems are turned off, the systems will not turn on even
when vehicle speed increases.
CAUTION
■The ABS and Multi Terrain ABS do not operate effectively when
● Tires with inadequate gripping ability are used (such as excessively worn
tires on a snow covered road).
● The vehicle hydroplanes while driving at high speed on wet or slick roads.
■ Stopping distance when the ABS or Multi Terrain ABS is operating may
exceed that of normal conditions
The ABS and Multi Terrain ABS are not designed to shorten the vehicle’s
stopping distance. Always maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you in the following situations:
● When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
● When driving with tire chains
● When driving over bumps in the road
● When driving over roads with potholes or roads with uneven surfaces
■ TRAC may not operate effectively when
Directional control and power may not be achievable while driving on slip-
pery road surfaces, even if the TRAC system is operating.
Do not drive the vehicle in conditions where stability and power may be lost.
■ Hill-start assist control does not operate effectively when
Do not overly rely on the hill-start assist control. The hill-start assist control
may not operate effectively on steep inclines and roads covered with ice.

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CAUTION
■Roof luggage carrier precautions
When you load cargo on the roof luggage carrier, observe the following:
●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. 634)
●Before driving, make sure the cargo is securely fastened on the roof
luggage carrier.
●Loading cargo on the roof luggage carrier will make the center of grav-
ity of the vehicle 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 cross rails
are fixed securely and that the cargo remains in its place.
●Do not exceed 120 lb. (54 kg) cargo weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
■When loading cargo
Be careful not to scratch th e surface of the moon roof.

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Trailer towing tips
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an accident, death or serious injury, 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.
● Toyota recommends that the vehicle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this limit, the
posted towing speed limit or the speed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s man ual, whichever is lowest. Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combin ation (trailer sway) increases as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of con-
trol.
● Before starting out, check the trailer lights, tires 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-trailer combination.
● 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.
● 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 the trailer jack-
knifing and a loss of vehicle control. This is especially true on wet
or slippery surfaces.

304 2-5. Driving information
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Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before mak-
ing 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 wider than normal turning radius.
● Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery
surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed c an destabilize the trailer.
● 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.
● To maintain engine braking efficiency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking, do not put the transmission in
D.
● Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or long
downhill grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This could cause the brakes to overheat and
result in reduced braking efficiency.
● 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. 627)