2012 TOYOTA TUNDRA Owners Manual

5
When trouble arises
649
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■
Starting the engine when the battery is discharged
The engine cannot be started by push-starting.
■ Avoiding a discharged battery
●Turn off the headlights and the audio system while the engine is turned
off.
● Turn off any unnecessary electrical components when the vehicle is run-
ning at a low speed for an extended period, such as in heavy traffic, etc.
■ When the battery is removed or discharged
●The moon roof must be initialized. ( P. 107)
● Flex-fuel vehicles: The information recorded in the computer will be
cleared, which may cause the engine to run roughly and reduce driving
performance for a while when the engine is first started. In this case, wait
until the engine runs normally.
If the vehicle is running on E85, the engine may stall.
In this case, restart the engine, repeatedly if necessary.
■ Charging the battery
The electricity stored in the battery will discharge gradually even when the
vehicle is not in use, due to natural discharge and the draining effects of cer-
tain electrical appliances. If the vehicle is left for a long time, the battery may
discharge, and the engine may be unable to start. (The battery recharges
automatically during driving.)

650 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
CAUTION
■Avoiding battery fires or explosions
Observe the following precautions to prevent accidentally igniting the flam-
mable gas that may be emitted from the battery.
●Make sure the jumper cable is connected to the correct terminal and that it
is not unintentionally in contact with any part other than the intended termi-
nal.
● Do not allow a jumper cable to come into contact with both “+” and “-” ter-
minals.
● Do not smoke, use matches, cigarette lighters or allow open flame near
the battery.
■ Battery precautions
The battery contains poisonous and corrosive acidic electrolyte, while
related parts contain lead and lead compounds. Observe the following pre-
cautions when handling the battery.
●When working with the battery, always wear safety glasses and take care
not to allow any battery fluids (acid) to come into contact with skin, clothing
or the vehicle body.
● Do not lean over the battery.
● In the event that battery fluid comes into contact with the skin or eyes,
immediately wash the affected area with water and seek medical attention.
Place a wet sponge or cloth over the affected area until medical attention
can be received.
● Always wash your hands after handling the battery support, terminals, and
other battery-related parts.
● Do not allow children near the battery.
NOTICE
■When handling jumper cables
Be careful that the jumper cables do not become tangled in the cooling fan
or any of the belts when connecting or disconnecting them.

5
When trouble arises
651
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.

652 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The engine has cooled down sufficiently.
The engine coolant temperature gauge indicates C.
Check the engine coolant level.
Look for obvious coolant leaks from the radiator, hoses and
under the vehicle.
Note that water draining from the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
Add engine coolant if required.
Water can be used in an emer-
gency if engine coolant is
unavailable. ( P. 673)
Have the vehicle checked at your nearest Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.

5
When trouble arises
653
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■
Overheating
If you observe the following, your vehicle may be overheating.
●The engine coolant temperature gauge enters the red zone or a loss of
power is experienced.
● Steam is coming from under the hood.
● “ENGINE COOLANT HOT” is shown on the multi-information display
(vehicles with multi-information display).
CAUTION
■To prevent an accident or injury when inspecting under the hood of
your vehicle
●If steam is seen coming from under the hood, do not open the hood until
the steam has subsided. The engine compartment may be very hot, caus-
ing serious injury such as burns.
● Keep hands and clothing away from the fan and other belts while the
engine is running.
● Do not loosen the radiator cap while the engine and radiator are hot.
Serious injury, such as burns, may result from hot coolant and steam
released under pressure.
NOTICE
■When adding engine coolant
Wait until the engine has cooled down before adding engine coolant.
When adding coolant, do so slowly. Adding cool coolant to a hot engine too
quickly can cause damage to the engine.

654
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.
NOTICE
■To avoid damaging the transmission and other components
●Avoid spinning the wheels and do not rev the engine.
● If the vehicle remains stuck after trying these procedures, the vehicle may
require towing to be freed.
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. 2 4 6 251, 252, 253)
Shift the shift lever to D or R and carefully apply the accel-
erator to free the vehicle.

5
When trouble arises
655
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency
Only in an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way, stop the vehicle using the following pro-
cedure:
Steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet and firmly
depress it.
Do not pump the brake pedal repeatedly as this will increase the
effort required to slow the vehicle.
Shift the shift lever to N.
If the shift lever is shifted to N After slowing down, stop the vehi cle in a safe place by the
road.
Stop the engine.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted to N Keep depressing the brake pedal with both feet to reduce
vehicle speed as much as possible.
Stop the engine by turning the
engine switch to the ACC
position.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place by the road.

656 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
CAUTION
■If the engine has to be turned off while driving
●Power assist for the brakes and steering wheel will be lost, making the
brake pedal harder to depress and the steering wheel heavier to turn.
Decelerate as much as possible before turning off the engine.
● Never attempt to remove the key, as doing so will lock the steering wheel.