Page 275 of 524

2754-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B18U)
CAUTION
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of death, seri-
ous injury or damage to your vehicle:
● Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving
in dangerous places.
● Do not grip the steering wheel spok es 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.
● Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving in
sand, mud, water or snow.
● After 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.
● In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die
than a person wearing a seat belt. Ther efore, the driver and all passengers
should fasten their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving.
● When driving off-road or in rugged te rrain, 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.
Page 276 of 524

2764-6. Driving tips
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B18U)
NOTICE
■To prevent water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the
engine or other components does not occur.
● Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage.
● Water entering the automatic transmission will cause deterioration in shift
quality, locking up of your transmission accompanied by vibration, and ulti-
mately damage.
● Water 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.
■ When 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 riverbed for firmness. Drive
slowly and avoid deep water.
■ Inspection after off-road driving
● Sand and mud that has accumulated in brake drums and around brake
discs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system compo-
nents.
● 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”.
Page 333 of 524
333
Maintenance and care6
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B18U)6-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 334
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ........... 336
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ................... 339
General maintenance........ 341
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs......................... 344
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions ..................... 345
Hood ................................. 348
Engine compartment ......... 349
Tires .................................. 364
Tire inflation pressure ....... 369
Wheels .............................. 372
Air conditioning filter.......... 375
Wireless remote control/ electronic key battery ...... 377
Checking and replacing fuses ............................... 380
Light bulbs......................... 383
Page 334 of 524

334
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B18U)
6-1. Maintenance and care
●Working from top to bottom, liber ally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any dirt
and dust.
● Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a
chamois.
● For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thoroughly
with water.
● Wipe away any water.
● Wax the vehicle when the wate rproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors before washing the vehi cle. Start washing from the front of
the vehicle. Make sure to extend the mirrors before driving.
● Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface and
harm your vehicle’s paint.
● In certain automatic car washes, the roof antenna (if equipped) or rear
spoiler may interfere with machine operation. This may prevent the vehicle
from being cleaned properly or result in damage to the antenna or rear
spoiler.
■ High pressure car washes
●Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity of
the windows.
● Before using the car wash, check that the fuel filler door on your vehicle is
closed properly.
■ Aluminum wheels (if equipped)
●Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent. Do not use hard
brushes or abrasive cleaners. Do not use strong or harsh chemical clean-
ers.
Use the same mild detergent and wax as used on the paint.
● Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after
driving for long distance in the hot weather.
● Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.
Cleaning and prot ecting the vehicle
exterior
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in
prime condition:
Page 335 of 524

3356-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B18U)■
Bumpers and side moldings
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
CAUTION
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the engine compartment. Doing so may
cause the electrical components etc. to catch fire.
■ Precautions regarding the exhaust pipe
Exhaust gases cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has
cooled sufficiently, as touching hot exhaust pipe can cause burns.
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
● Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust,
iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
● If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
● To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
■ Cleaning the exterior lights
● Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
● Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■ High pressure car washes (vehicles with rear view monitor system)
When washing the vehicle, do not apply intensive bursts of water to the
camera or camera area. Doing so may result in the camera malfunctioning.
Page 342 of 524

3426-2. Maintenance
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B18U)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• The accelerator pedal should move smoothly(without uneven pedal effort or catching).
Automatic transmis-
sion “Park” mecha-
nism• When parked on a slope and the shift lever is in P,is the vehicle securely stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate clearancefrom the floor? ( P. 463)
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of
free play? ( P. 463)
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to one side when the
brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too close to the floor when the brakes are applied.
Head restraints• Do the head restraints move smoothly and locksecurely?
Indicators/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzers function properly?
Lights • Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake pedal move smoothly?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is on, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Seat belts• Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correct amountof free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds coming
from the steering wheel.
Page 343 of 524
3436-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B18U)
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors• Do the doors operate smoothly?
Engine hood• Does the engine hood lock system work properly?
Fluid leaks• There should not be any signs of fluid leakageafter the vehicle has been parked.
Tires
• Is the tire inflation pressure correct?
• The tires should not be damaged or excessively
worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the maintenance schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wipers/
rear window wiper
• The wiper blades should not show any signs of cracking, splitting, wear, contamination or
deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield/ rear window without streaking or skipping.
CAUTION
■ If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.
Page 365 of 524

3656-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B18U)
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and tr ansmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise. ( P. 415)
◆Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new ID codes must be registered in the tire pressure
warning computer and the tire pr essure warning system must be
initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID
codes registered by your Toyota dealer. ( P. 365)
◆Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a
unique ID code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter, it is necessary to register the ID code. Have the ID code
registered by your Toyota dealer.
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to
expose the fabric, and bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size
or location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.
■Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not reg-
istered, the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After driv-
ing for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1
minute and stays on to indicate a system malfunction.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even
if it has seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
Tire pressure warning system