
5
1
8 7
6
5
4
3
2
9
4RUNNER (U)6-1.  Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 390
Cleaning and protecting  the vehicle interior ........... 393
6-2.  Maintenance Maintenance requirements ................... 396
General maintenance ........ 398
Emission inspection and  maintenance (I/M) 
programs ......................... 401
6-3.  Do-it-yourself  maintenance
Do-it-yourself service  precautions ..................... 402
Hood.................................. 405
Engine compartment ......... 406
Tires .................................. 420
Tire inflation pressure........ 434
Wheels .............................. 437
Air conditioning filter .......... 440
Wireless remote control/ electronic key battery ...... 442
Checking and replacing  fuses ............................... 445
Light bulbs ......................... 448 7-1.  Essential information
Emergency flashers ........... 464
If your vehicle has to be stopped in 
an emergency.................. 465
If the vehicle is trapped  in rising water .................. 467
7-2.  Steps to take in  an emergency
If your vehicle needs  to be towed ...................... 468
If you think something  is wrong ........................... 475
Fuel pump shut off  system ............................. 476
If a warning light turns  on or a warning buzzer 
sounds ............................. 477
If a warning message  is displayed...................... 487
If you have a flat tire .......... 492
If the engine will not  start ................................. 507
If you cannot operate  back door opener ............ 509
If the electronic key  does not operate 
properly ........................... 510
If the vehicle battery  is discharged ................... 513
If your vehicle  overheats......................... 517
If the vehicle becomes  stuck ................................ 520
6Maintenance and care7When trouble arises 

15Pictorial index
4RUNNER (U)
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 420
Tire size/inflation pressure  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . P. 530
Winter tires/tire chain  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . P. 330
Checking/rotation/tire pressur e warning system . . . . . . . . .P. 420
Coping with flat tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . P. 492
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 405
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 405
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 525
Coping with overheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 517
Headlights/daytime running lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 225
Front side marker lights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 225
Front turn signal/parking lights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 225
Fog lights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 235
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 223
Stop/tail lights/rear side marker lights  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 225
License plate lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 225
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . .  P. 218
6
7
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P. 448, Wattages: P. 531)
*: Vehicles with a smart key system
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15 

892. Instrument cluster
2
Instrument cluster
4RUNNER (U)
Switches  between  odometer  and
trip  meter  displays.  When  the  trip
meter  is  displayed,  pressing  and
holding  the  button  will  reset  the
trip meter.
The brightness of the instrumen t 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.
Changing the display
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. 517) 

1794-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
● Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and accel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal. 
• Accidentally  depressing  the  accelerator  pedal  instead  of  the  b rake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an ac cident.
• When  backing  up,  you  may  twist  your  body  around,  leading  to  a  diffi-
culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals  properly.
• Make  sure  to  keep  a  correct  driving  posture  even  when  moving  t he
vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and  accelera-
tor pedals properly.
• Depress  the  brake  pedal  using  your  right  foot.  Depressing  the  brake
pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency,  result-
ing in an accident.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The  exhaust  system  and  exhaust  gases  can  be  extremely  hot. Thes e  hot
parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
■ When driving the vehicle
● During  normal  driving,  do  not  turn  off  the  engine.  Turning  the  engine  off
while  driving  will  not  cause  loss  of  steering  or  braking  contro l,  but  the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it m ore difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle a s soon as it
is safe to do so. 
However, in  the  event of  an emergency, such  as if  it becomes  im possible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 465
● Use  engine  braking  (downshift)  to  maintain  a  safe  speed  when  driving
down a steep hill. 
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat  and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 218)
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
● Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of  their body
are not outside the vehicle.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal sp eed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicl e has high-
speed  capability  tires.  Driving  over  85  mph  (140  km/h)  may  resu lt  in  tire
failure,  loss  of  control  and  possible  injury.  Be  sure  to  consult  a  tire  dealer
to  determine  whether  the  tires  on  your  vehicle  are  high-speed  c apability
tires or not before driving at such speeds. 

1814-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions. 
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■If you hear a squealing or scrap ing noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer  as soon
as possible. 
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It  is  dangerous  to  drive  the  vehicle  when  the  wear  limits  of  the  brake  pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.
■ When the vehicle is stopped
● Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
● In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away,  always keep
depressing  the  brake  pedal  while  the  engine  is  running,  and  app ly  the
parking brake as necessary.
● If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent ac cidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the  brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake as needed.
● Avoid revving or racing the engine. 
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped m ay cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby. 

1834-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
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  acc ident or  fire
due  to  engine  overheating. Additionally,  if  the  vehicle  is  park ed  in  a  poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicl e, 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 ma y cause
one  side  of  the  vehicle  to  brake  differently  than  the  other  sid e. Also,  the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
● If the brake booster device does not operate, do not follow oth er vehicles
closely and avoid hills or shar p turns that require braking. 
In  this  case,  braking  is  still  possible,  but  the  brake  pedal  sh ould  be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance wi ll 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 dist ance will
increase.
If  this  happens,  do  not  continue  to  drive  the  vehicle.  Have  you r  brakes
fixed immediately.  

2024-1. Before driving
4RUNNER (U)
●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering  and sharp turns, and slow down before maki ng
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 mak ing
a wider than normal turning radius.
● Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slipp ery
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  lengt h  of
your  trailer,  and  be  sure  you  have  plenty  of  room  before  changi ng
lanes.
● To  maintain  engine  braking  efficiency  and  charging  system  perfo r-
mance  when  using  engine  braking,  do  not  put  the  transmission  in
D.
● Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or lo ng
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 bra kes
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  drivin g
up  a  long  or steep  grade.  If  the  engine  coolant  temperature  gau ge
indicates overheating, immediately turn off the air conditionin g (if in
use), pull your vehicle off the  road and stop in a safe spot. 
(  P. 517) 

2114-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
4RUNNER (U)
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver's seat. Do  not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the engine under any circumsta nces.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious in jury.
■ Caution when driving
Do not turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position while driving. If, in an
emergency,  you  must  turn  the  engine  off  while  the  vehicle  is  mo ving,  turn
the engine switch only to the “ACC” position to stop the engine. An accident
may result if the engine is stopped while driving.
NOTICE
■ To prevent battery discharge
Do  not  leave  the  engine  switch  in  the  “ACC” or  “ON”  position  fo r  long  peri-
ods of time without the engine running.
■ When starting the engine
● Do  not  crank  the  engine  for  more  than  30  seconds  at  a  time.  This  may
overheat the starter and wiring systems.
● Do not race a cold engine.
● If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently,  have the engine
checked immediately.