Page 269 of 528

2694-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
Perform the following according to the driving conditions:
●Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is frozen.
Pour warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice. Wipe away
the water immediately to prevent it from freezing.
●To ensure proper operation of the climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents in
front of the windshield.
●Check for and remove any excess ice or snow that may have accu-
mulated on the exterior lights, vehicle’s roof, chassis, around the
tires or on the brakes.
●Remove any snow or mud from the bottom of your shoes before
getting in the vehicle.
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced speed suitable to road con-
ditions.
Park the vehicle and move the shift lever to P without setting the park-
ing brake. The parking brake may freeze up, preventing it from being
released. If necessary, block the wheels to prevent inadvertent sliding
or creeping.
Before driving the vehicle
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle
Page 275 of 528

2754-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
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 spokes 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. Therefore, the driver and all passengers
should fasten their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving.
●When driving off-road or in rugged terrain, 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 343 of 528

3436-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
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 clearance
from the floor? (P. 467)
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of
free play? (P. 467)
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 lock
securely?
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 amount
of free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds coming
from the steering wheel.
Page 404 of 528
4047-1. Essential information
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
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.
●Vehicles without a smart key system:
Never attempt to remove the key, as doing so will lock the steering wheel.
Page 407 of 528
4077-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
If a tow truck is not available in an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using cables or chains secured to the emergency
towing eyelet(s). This should only be attempted on hard surfaced
roads for at most 50 miles (80 km) at under 18 mph (30 km/h).
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes. The
vehicle’s wheels, drive train, axles, steering and brakes must be in
good condition.
Vehicles with front covers only:
Before using the front emer-
gency towing eyelet(s), remove
the cover(s).
Removing the clips
Installing the clips
Emergency towing
Emergency towing procedure
1
1
2
Page 408 of 528

4087-2. Steps to take in an emergency
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
Securely attach cables or
chains to the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehi-
cle body
Vehicles without a smart key system: Enter the vehicle being towed
and start the engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the engine switch to the “ON” posi-
tion.
Vehicles with a smart key system: Enter the vehicle being towed
and start the engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the engine switch to IGNITION ON
mode.
Part-time 4WD models:
Ty p e A
Shift the front-wheel drive control lever to H2.
Ty p e B
Push the “UNLOCK” button and turn the front-wheel drive control
switch to H2.
Full-time 4WD models: Push the “UNLOCK” button and turn the
four-wheel drive control switch to H4F. (The center differential is
unlocked.)
Shift the shift lever to N and release the parking brake.
When the shift lever cannot be shifted: P. 4 4 4
■While towing
If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes and steering will
not function, making steering and braking more difficult.
■Wheel nut wrench
Wheel nut wrench is stored in the tool bag. (P. 429)
2
3
4
5
Page 420 of 528

4207-2. Steps to take in an emergency
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
CAUTION
■If the tire pressure warning light comes on
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause a loss of vehicle control and result in death or serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as soon as possible. Adjust the tire
inflation pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes on even after tire inflation pres-
sure adjustment, it is probable that you have a flat tire. Check the tires.
If a tire is flat, change it with the spare tire and have the flat tire
repaired by the nearest Toyota dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the steering wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air leakage should occur
The tire pressure warning system may not activate immediately.
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label (tire and load information label). (If your vehicle has tires of a dif-
ferent size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label [tire and load information label], you should determine
the proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS-tire pressure warning system) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure warning light) when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure warning light) illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS (tire pressure warning system) is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached
the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).
Page 438 of 528

4387-2. Steps to take in an emergency
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
CAUTION
■Replacing a flat tire
●Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in serious injury:
• Lower the spare tire completely to the ground before removing it
from under the vehicle.
• Do not try to remove the wheel ornament by hand. Take due care in
handling the ornament to avoid unexpected personal injury.
• Do not attach a heavily damaged wheel ornament, as it may fly off
the wheel while the vehicle is moving.
• Do not touch the disc wheels or the area around the brakes immedi-
ately after the vehicle has been driven.
After the vehicle has been driven the disc wheels and the area
around the brakes will be extremely hot. Touching these areas with
hands, feet or other body parts while changing a tire, etc. may result
in burns.
●Failure to follow these precautions could cause the wheel nuts to
loosen and the tire to fall off, resulting in death or serious injury.
• Have the wheel nuts tightened with a torque wrench to 83 ft•lbf (112
N•m, 11.4 kgf•m) steel wheels, 76 ft•lbf (103 N•m, 10.5 kgf•m) alumi-
num wheels, as soon as possible after changing wheels.
• When installing a tire, only use wheel nuts that have been specifi-
cally designed for that wheel.
• If there are any cracks or deformations in the bolt screws, nut
threads or bolt holes of the wheel, have the vehicle inspected by
your Toyota dealer.
• When installing the wheel nuts, be sure to install them with the
tapered ends facing inward. (P. 375)