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134 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
If a warning light comes on or a
buzzer sounds while you are
driving, immediately stop the
vehicle in a safe place and
perform checks.
Slow down sufficiently when
approaching a curve. Applying the
brakes or sharply turning the
steering wheel while turning the
curve could cause the cargo to
shift, the tires to slip and the
vehicle to tip onto its side.
Avoid scraping the tire sidewalls
against curbstones or driving over
dips and protrusions in the road
surface. You could damage the
tires, resulting in a blowout or
flat tire.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Pulling Away After Stopping
and Parking
Before pulling away, check that
there are no children or obstructions
around the vehicle and confirm that
it is safe to pull away.
If you cannot see the area behind
your vehicle well enough to confirm
it is safe to back up, get out of the
vehicle and check behind it.
Make it a habit to look around and
confirm that it is safe to pull away
after a temporary stop (at traffic
lights, for example).
If the Windshield Fogs Up
Use the heater to blow hot air on the
windshield or dehumidify the cabin
using the air conditioner and place
the outlet selector knob in the
5or
4position.
Place the air selector lever in the
outside air position.
Nighttime Visibility
If there is an old film on the
windshield, the lights of oncoming
traffic will be reflected in many directions, making it hard for you to
see ahead. Use glass cleaner to
clean the glass and the wiper
blades.
Worn wiper blades cannot wipe the
windshield clean and thus cannot
maintain visibility. When the wiper
blades become worn, replace them
with new ones.
Do Not Attach Accessories to
the Windshield or Windows
{Warning
Do not attach ornaments, films or
other accessories to the
windshield or windows. They
would impair visibility. Also, any
plastic suction cups used to
attach accessories could cause a
fire or other accident by acting as
lenses.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
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Driving and Operating 139
Caution (Continued)
warning light comes on during
operation, have brake system
checked immediately.
Refer to Warning Lights, Gauges,
and Indicators 076.
When the Brakes Do Not Work
{Warning
It is very dangerous to suddenly
pull the parking brake lever all the
way while moving at high speed.
Reduce speed first by shifting
down and then gradually pull the
parking brake lever.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
(Diesel Only) The exhaust brake
should be turned on as soon as
service brake malfunction is
detected. This will slow the engine
speed. With the engine speed under
control and providing the grade conditions permit, the transmission
can be progressively downshifted
using the exhaust brake in each
gear. Eventually the exhaust brake
should slow the vehicle to a
controllable
“crawl.”Gradually pull
the parking brake lever while firmly
holding on to the steering wheel.
Stop the vehicle on the side of the
road. The vehicle should not be
driven further until corrective
measures are taken.
See Exhaust Brake (Diesel Only)
0 222 andParking Brake 0221.
(Gasoline Only) If the brakes do not
work in an unexpected situation,
promptly shift down from D6, D4,
2nd and then to 1st gear using the
selector lever to reduce the speed
and gradually pull the parking brake
lever to stop the vehicle on the side
of the road while firmly holding on to
the steering wheel.
See Parking Brake 0221. Riding the Brake
{Warning
"Riding the brake" by resting your
foot on the pedal, when you do
not intend to brake, can overheat
the brakes and wear out the
brake linings faster. This may also
damage the brakes and will waste
fuel. It can also result in reduced
braking performance.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Applying the Parking Brake
Except in an emergency, do not
apply the parking brake until the
vehicle has come to a complete
stop. Applying the parking brake
before the vehicle has stopped can
cause a breakdown.
Refer to
Parking Brake 0221.
Parking Safely on a Slope
Avoid parking your vehicle on a
slope as much as possible and
choose a level and flat place. If you
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Driving and Operating 141
Warning (Continued)
down a slope without the engine
running, you would not be able to
properly control the vehicle and
could have an accident.
Parking, or Leaving
Driver’s Seat
{Danger
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the selector lever is
not fully in "P" (Park) or the
parking brake is not applied all
the way. Your vehicle can roll or
move suddenly.
To be sure your vehicle will not
move, even when you are parking
on level ground, follow the steps
below. (If you have to park on a
hill, also turn your front wheels so
the vehicle will roll away from
traffic.)
You and others could be seriously
injured or killed. 1. Hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot and
apply the parking brake all the
way before shifting the
transmission. Follow the
Parking Brake instructions in
this manual for your vehicle.
2. To move the selector lever to "P" (Park), hold in the button
on the lever and push the lever
all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Turn the key to "LOCK".
4. Remove the key and take it with you.
5. Before you leave the driver's seat, be sure the vehicle is not
moving, or check that your
vehicle is in Park by trying to
pull the selector lever out of "P"
(Park) by pulling the selector
lever toward you without
pushing the button. If you can
do this, it means that the
selector lever was not fully
locked into "P" (Park). Do Not Touch the Selector Lever
While the Vehicle is Stationary
with the Engine Idling
(Gasoline Only)
(Diesel) Do not touch the selector
lever while the vehicle is stationary
with the engine idling. If you touch
the selector lever at this time, a gear
could be selected and the vehicle
could move even with the parking
brake applied. The risk of knocking
against the selector lever and
causing an accident is particularly
great when you move in or out of
your seat.
Driving Down a Long Slope
When driving down a long slope,
use the exhaust brake (diesel) or
engine brake (gasoline) together
with the foot brakes. Using the
exhaust brake (diesel) or engine
brake (gasoline) and low-gears
reduces the work load on the foot
brakes and yields greater braking
force. Even so, use the foot brakes
appropriately to prevent the engine
over-revving.
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142 Driving and Operating
Frequent use of the foot brakes can
cause vapor lock and brake fade,
resulting in reduced brake
effectiveness.
Brake Fade :Frequent use of the
brakes can cause the brakes to
overheat so that the frictional force
of the brake linings decreases and
the brakes become less effective
than normal. This phenomenon is
called brake fade.
Vapor Lock : If the brakes overheat
due to frequent use, the heat can
cause the brake fluid to boil so that
air bubbles are created in the brake
fluid. Pressing the brake pedal
simply compresses the air bubbles;
pressure is not transmitted to the
wheel cylinders, so the brakes'
effectiveness sharply deteriorates.
This phenomenon is called
vapor lock.
Even so, you should be very careful
when using engine braking in a low
gear because the engine is likely to
over-rev.
See Exhaust Brake (Diesel Only)
0 222 andSelector Lever 0214. On diesel vehicles, do not adjust the
exhaust brake valve.
The engine should never be allowed
to exceed the governed speed.
Supplement the exhaust brake with
vehicle service brakes intermittently
and/or shift to higher transmission
gear to prevent engine overspeed.
A rule of thumb for gear selection is
that the vehicle should be driven
down a grade in the same gear that
would be used to climb that grade.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of personal
injury, before going down a steep
or long grade, reduce speed, turn
on the exhaust brake and shift the
transmission to the next lower
gear. This will help control your
speed. Do not hold the brake
pedal down too long or too often
while going down a steep or long
grade. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and not to work
as well. As a result, the truck will
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
not slow down at the usual rate.
Failure to take these steps could
result in loss of vehicle control.
You and others could be seriously
injured.
Brake Effectiveness When the
Vehicle Has Been Driven on a
Flooded Road or Washed
{Warning
When the vehicle is driven on a
flooded road, parked on a flooded
road or washed, water can get
into the brakes and reduce their
effectiveness. If the brakes do not
work well afterward, drive slowly
and gently press the brake pedal
several times until the brakes dry
out and start working normally.
Always do this after driving
through water or washing the
vehicle to help reduce the risk of(Continued)
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166 Driving and Operating
engine is running. If it stays on,
shut the engine off and find the
cause.
2. Look at the engine coolant temperature gauge. If the
gauge reaches the H (HOT)
area, stop the engine and find
the cause of the overheating.
3. Check that the battery warning light has gone out. The light
should go off and stay off at
normal idle speeds. If the light
does not go out or comes on
during normal operation, have
the charging system checked.
4. Check that the brake low vacuum warning light is out
and that the vacuum buzzer is
not sounding. It is normal for
the warning buzzer to sound
for a few seconds after the
engine starts. If the light and
buzzer remain on, do not drive
the vehicle until the cause has
been found and corrected.
5. Look at the brake system warning light. It should be out
when the parking brake is
released and the engine is running. If it stays on, it could
mean that the brake fluid level
is low. Check the brake fluid
reservoir. This condition must
be corrected before moving the
vehicle.
Caution
To reduce the chance of personal
injury and/or vehicle damage due
to engine overheating, never
leave the engine idling without an
alert driver present. If the engine
should overheat, as indicated by
the engine coolant temperature
gauge, immediate action is
required to correct the condition.
Continued operation of the
engine, even for a short time, may
result in a fire.
Starting the Engine
Do not keep the engine control
switch in the START position for
more than about 10 seconds.
Operating the starter for too long
might cause starter and battery
failure or may result in overheating. When the engine does not start,
wait for 20 to 30 seconds and then
turn the engine control switch again.
Before starting the engine sit in the
driver seat, check that the parking
brake is firmly engaged, the selector
lever is in the P or N (P is preferred)
position and the shift indicator also
shows P or N, and firmly press the
brake pedal to start the engine. See
Ignition Positions
0163.
{Warning
Do not keep the starter motor
engaged for more than
10 seconds at a time, or the
starter motor and the battery will
be adversely affected. Also, fire
may occur due to overheating.
Repeat the steps after a 20 to
30 seconds break.
1. Shift your selector lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral). Your
engine will not start in any
other position-that's a safety
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Driving and Operating 167
feature. To restart when you're
already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if
your vehicle is moving. If you
do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when your vehicle is
stopped.
2. Do not push the accelerator pedal before starting your
engine. In some other vehicles
you might need to do this, but
because of your vehicle's
computer systems, you do not
need to.
3. Turn your ignition key to Start. When the engine starts, let go
of the key. The idle speed will
go down as your engine
gets warm.
4. If it does not start right away, hold your key in START. If it
doesn't start in 3 seconds,
push the accelerator pedal
about one-quarter of the way
down for 12 more seconds,
or until it starts. 5. If your engine still will not start
(or starts but then stops), it
could be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try this: Wait 20 to
30 seconds to let the starter
motor cool down. Then push
your accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor. Hold it there.
Then, hold the key in START
for no more than 10 seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine.
If the engine still does not start, wait
another 20 to 30 seconds and do
Step 5 again.
Hot Engine Restart
If your engine is already hot and
then stalls, turn your ignition key to
ACC. Then, turn your key to ON,
and wait about 20 to 30 seconds
before you restart your engine.
When the engine starts, let go of the
key and the accelerator pedal.
Your engine is designed to work
with the electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change the
way the fuel injection system operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you do not, your engine might not
perform properly.
If you ever have to have your
vehicle towed, see the part of this
manual that tells how to do it without
damaging your vehicle. See
Towing
the Vehicle 0332.
Recommendations for Warming
Up the Engine
The engine is sufficiently warmed
up when the needle of the engine
coolant temperature gauge starts
to move.
. Do not race the engine or
quickly accelerate before the
engine has sufficiently warmed
up. Oil would not have
adequately reached and
lubricated components, and a
breakdown may result.
. The exhaust pipe becomes
extremely hot while the engine is
idling. Before warming up the
engine, make sure there is no
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168 Driving and Operating
flammable material, such as
grass, waste paper, oil, or old
tires near the exhaust pipe.
Cold Weather Starting
If you plan ahead for cold weather,
starting and driving your vehicle
should be no problem.
Oil gets thicker as it gets colder,
which slows down the engine
cranking speed.
To be sure the engine can turn fast
enough to start, use SAE 0W-30
viscosity engine oil when prevailing
temperatures drop below 0 °C (32 °
F). See the oil quality and oil
viscosity recommendations. Using
the proper viscosity oil will make
starting easier down to -23 °C (-10 °
F). When prevailing temperatures
drop below -23 °C (-10 °F), the
optional engine block heater may be
needed for starting.
Stopping the Engine
When stopping the gasoline engine,
take the following steps: 1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop. 2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Move the selector lever to the
P position and make sure that
the shift indicator shows P.
4. Allow the engine to idle for approximately 3 minutes.
5. Turn the engine control switch to the ACC or LOCK position.
To prevent the battery from going
dead, turn the engine control switch
to the ACC or LOCK position after
stopping the engine. If you leave the
vehicle for an extended period of
time, place the engine control switch
in the LOCK position.
If the Vehicle Has Not Been Used
for a Long Period
If the vehicle is to be placed in
storage for a prolonged period of
time, certain precautions must be
taken to prevent deterioration. See
your authorized dealer for more
detailed information.
. Before using a vehicle that has
not been driven for a long
period, check the engine and
transmission for oil leakage, and make sure the oil is at the
required levels. If there is
insufficient oil, it will not
adequately reach and lubricate
components, and a breakdown
will result.
. Start the engine and allow it to
idle for at least 5 minutes. Check
for abnormal noises.
. For instructions on warming up
the engine, refer to “Starting the
Engine” previously in this
section.
Starting and Stopping the
Vehicle (Diesel Only)
Check around the Vehicle before
Starting the Engine
Proper care and operation will not
only extend the service life of your
vehicle but also improve fuel
economy.
Before pulling away, perform a
thorough safety check, making sure
there are no children or obstructions
around the vehicle. Take off the
chocks after confirming that the
parking brake is securely applied.
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Driving and Operating 169
Sit behind the wheel, adjust the seat
position, and buckle up the seat
belt. The passengers are also
required to buckle up the seat belts.
Adjust the positions of the steering
wheel and mirrors. Lock the doors.
Turn the power of the dome light or
accessories OFF before starting the
engine. SeeSeat Position 044,
Seat Belts 049, Steering Wheel
Adjustment 072, and Mirrors039.
Keep the Floor Around the
Driver's Seat Clean and Tidy
{Warning
It is extremely dangerous to have
empty cans, empty bottles or
other items rolling around on the
floor because they could get
trapped under the brake pedal
and prevent brake application.
For proper pedal operation, it is
also essential to lay floor mats
properly. Incorrectly installed floor
mats would hinder free movement
of the pedals. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Do not use the dashboard pocket
or the top of the dashboard as a
place to put items that could roll,
which could interfere with your
driving. You and others could be
seriously injured.
Choose Your Footwear Suitable
for Driving
{Warning
Choose footwear that ensures
proper operation of pedals when
driving the vehicle. Use of
footwear unsuitable for driving
may cause an accident.
Starting the Engine
Do not keep the engine control
switch in the START position for
more than about 10 seconds.
Operating the starter for too long
might cause starter and battery
failure or may result in overheating. When the engine does not start,
wait for 20 to 30 seconds and then
turn the engine control switch again.
Before starting the engine sit in the
driver seat, check that the parking
brake is firmly engaged, the selector
lever is in the P or N (P is preferred)
position and the shift indicator also
shows P or N, and firmly press the
brake pedal to start the engine.
When stopped on a slope, start the
engine with the selector lever in the
P position. See
Ignition Positions
0 163.
1. Make sure that the selector lever is in the P or N position
and firmly press the brake
pedal.
2. When the engine control switchis turned to the ON position,
the wait-to-start light comes on
and it goes out in about