Page 82 of 528
822. Instrument cluster
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
The brightness of the instrument panel lights can be adjusted.
Brighter
Darker
■The meters and display illuminate when
Vehicles without a smart key system
The engine switch is in the “ON” position.
Vehicles with a smart key system
The engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode.
■The brightness of the instrument panel lights
When the headlight switch is turned to on, the brightness will be reduced
slightly unless the control dial is turned fully upward.
Instrument panel light control
1
2
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the engine and its components
●Do not let the indicator needle of the tachometer enter the red zone, which
indicates the maximum engine speed.
●The engine may be overheating if the engine coolant temperature gauge is
in the red zone (H). In this case, immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place, and check the engine after it has cooled completely. (P. 452)
Page 165 of 528

1654-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire
due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to
death or a serious health hazard.
■When braking
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause
one side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
●If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking distance will
increase.
If this happens, do not continue to drive the vehicle. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
Page 184 of 528

1844-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
●Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before making
turn.
●Note that when making a turn, the 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 can destabilize the trailer.
●Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider-
able distance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of
your trailer, and be sure you have 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 over-
heat on hot days (at temperatures 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 conditioning (if in
use), pull your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot.
(P. 452)
Page 197 of 528

1974-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)■When the steering lock cannot be released
■Steering lock motor overheating prevention
To prevent the steering lock motor from overheating, the motor may be sus-
pended if the engine is turned on and off repeatedly in a short period of time.
In this case, refrain from operating the engine. After about 10 seconds, the
steering lock motor will resume functioning.
■When the engine switch indicator flashes in amber
The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer immediately.
■If the electronic key battery is depleted
P. 379
■Operation of the engine switch
When operating the engine switch, one short, firm press is enough. If the
switch is pressed improperly, the engine may not start or the engine switch
mode may not change. It is not necessary to press and hold the switch. The green indicator light on the engine
switch will flash. Press the engine switch
again while turning the steering wheel left
and right.
Page 203 of 528
2034-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
To set the parking brake, fully
depress the parking brake pedal
with your left foot while depress-
ing the brake pedal with your right
foot.
(Depressing the pedal again
releases the parking brake.)
■Usage in winter time
P. 269
Parking brake
U.S.A.Canada
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake components
overheating, which may affect braking performance and increase brake
wear.
Page 258 of 528

2584-5. Using the driving support systems
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
■Multi-terrain Select is temporarily canceled when
The front-wheel drive control lever is shifted to H4 when Multi-terrain Select is
in ROCK, MOGUL or LOOSE ROCK mode. The mode indicator will flash until
the lever is shifted back to L4.
■If the Multi-terrain Select indicator continues to flash
This may indicate a malfunction in the Multi-terrain Select system.
In this case, Multi-terrain Select is automatically canceled. Have your vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer.
■If the Multi-terrain Select indicator goes off while Multi-terrain Select is
operating
●One of the vehicle systems related to Multi-terrain Select may be malfunc-
tioning.
Have your vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer.
●
The brake actuator may be at risk of overheating.
A buzzer will sound, the “A-TRAC” indicator will go off and the “TRAC OFF”
indicator will come on. Stop the vehicle in a safe place. Refrain from using
Multi-terrain Select until the “A-TRAC” indicator comes back on and the
“TRAC OFF” indicator goes off. (The vehicle can still be driven, even if Multi-
terrain Select is inoperative.)
In the above cases, Multi-terrain Select is automatically canceled.
CAUTION
■Before driving
To avoid an accident, observe the precautions relating to off-road driving.
(P. 272)
■When using Multi-terrain Select
●Do not use the Multi-terrain Select system for normal (on-road) driving.
The Multi-terrain Select system is designed for off-road use only.
●Do not overly rely on Multi-terrain Select. This function does not extend
the vehicle’s performance limitations. Always check the terrain thoroughly
and drive safely.
●The recommended modes for the listed terrains (P. 253) are only a refer-
ence. The selected mode may not be suitable to actual off-road conditions
due to factors such as the type or unevenness of the terrain or the degree
of incline. Check the actual terrain thoroughly and drive safely.
●After selecting a mode, make sure that the Multi-terrain Select indicator
and the selected mode indicator come on. If any related indicator flashes,
the vehicle is not under Multi-terrain Select control.
Page 314 of 528

3145-4. Other interior features
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
CAUTION
■Using a power outlet
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury.
●Use of the power outlet when it is wet with water or snow may result in
electrical shocks and is extremely dangerous. The power outlet must be
thoroughly dried before use.
●Do not allow children to use or play with the power outlet.
●Be careful not to get any part of your body caught in the power outlet lid.
●When using electrical appliances, strictly follow any cautions and notices
written on their labels and in the manufacturers' instruction manuals.
●Do not modify, disassemble or repair the power outlet or its inverter in any
way. Doing so may result in unexpected malfunctions or accidents, which
could cause serious damage or injuries. Contact your Toyota dealer for
any necessary repairs.
■To prevent injuries and accidents, secure all electric appliances before
use and do not use any appliances that may do any of the following:
●Distract the driver while driving, or hamper safe driving.
●Result in a fire or burn injuries due to the appliance rolling, falling or over-
heating while driving.
●Emit steam while the windows of the cabin are closed.
■To prevent unexpected accidents, such as electric shocks, do not per-
form any of the following actions:
●Using the power outlet for electric heaters while sleeping.
●Contaminating the power outlet with liquid substances or mud.
●Handling electrical appliance plugs at the power outlet with wet hands or
feet.
●Inserting foreign objects into the power outlet.
●Using malfunctioning electric appliances.
●Inserting inappropriate or badly fitting plugs into the power outlet.
Page 452 of 528
4527-2. Steps to take in an emergency
4RUNNER (U)_(OM35B23U)
●The needle of the engine coolant temperature gauge (P. 8 1 )
enters the red zone or a loss of engine power is experienced.
(For example, the vehicle speed does not increase.)
●Steam comes out from under the hood.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the air conditioning sys-
tem, and then stop the engine.
If you see steam:
Carefully lift the hood after the steam subsides.
If you do not see steam:
Carefully lift the hood.
After the engine has cooled
down sufficiently, inspect the
hoses and radiator core (radia-
tor) for any leaks.
Radiator
Cooling fan
If a large amount of coolant leaks,
immediately contact your Toyota
dealer.
The coolant level is satisfactory
if it is between the “F” and “L”
lines on the reservoir.
Reservoir
“F” line
“L” line
Radiator cap
If your vehicle overheats
The following may indicate that your vehicle is overheating:
Correction procedures
1
2
3
1
2
4
1
2
3
4