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4-1. Before driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When the vehicle is parked
● Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine
and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running .
If the vehicle is parked with the shift lever in P but the park ing brake is not
set, the vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an acci dent.
● If the shift lever is moved before the low speed four-wheel dri ve indicator
turns on/off, the transfer mode may not be shifted completely. The transfer
mode disengages both the front and rear driveshafts from the po wertrain
and allows the vehicle to move regardless of the shift position. (At this
time, the indicator blinks and the buzzer sounds.)
Therefore, the vehicle is free to roll even if the automatic transmission is in
P. You or someone else could be seriously injured. You must complete the
shifting of the transfer mode. ( P. 300)
● Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or i mmediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■ 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 sharp turns that require braking. In this case,
braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be depres sed more
firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase. Ha ve your
brakes fixed immediately.
● 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.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
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LC200_OM_OM60T03U_(U)
1854-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or
the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline com-
ponents or propel the vehicle forward or backward, causing an a ccident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
● Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same tim e during
driving, as this may restrain the engine output.
● Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■ When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P. F ailure to do so
may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate sud denly if
the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.
■ Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
● Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and ho ld it there for
an extended period of time.
Doing so may damage the power steering pump.
● When driving over bumps in the road, drive as slowly as possibl e to avoid
damaging the wheels, underside of the vehicle, etc.
■ If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the following situations. Hold the steering
wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to slow down the vehi-
cle.
● It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
● The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
● The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire. ( P. 544)
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4-1. Before driving
NOTICE
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. D oing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle:
● Engine stalling
● Short in electrical components
● Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle i s flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following:
● Brake function
● Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, trans-
mission, transfer, differentials, etc.
● Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspe nsion joints
(where possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc .
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4-1. Before driving
●Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before maki ng
a 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 crosswinds, on wet or slippe ry
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.
If in the S mode, the transmissi on shift range position must be in 6
or lower. ( P. 218)
● 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. 566)
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LC200_OM_OM60T03U_(U)
2054-1. Before driving
4
Driving
●Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trai ler’s
wheels when parking. Apply the parking brake firmly, and put th e
transmission in P. Avoid parking on a slope, but if unavoidable , do
so only after perform ing the following:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and
trailer’s wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in pl ace, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into P and turn off the engine.
● When restarting afte r parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the engine. Be sure to keep t he
brake pedal pressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
Release the parking brake and brake pedal, and slowly pull or
back away from the wheel bloc ks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
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4-1. Before driving
■Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
■ Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( P. 578)
● Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacture r’s recommen-
dation.
● All trailer lights work as required by law.
● All lights work each time you connect them.
● The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
● The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for imprope r tongue weight,
overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
● The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
● The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors ap propriate for tow-
ing purposes.
■ Break-in schedule
If your vehicle is new or equipped with any new power train com ponents
(such as an engine, transmission, differential or wheel bearing ), Toyota rec-
ommends that you do not tow a trailer until the vehicle has bee n driven for
over 500 miles (800 km).
After the vehicle has been driven for over 500 miles (800 km), you can start
towing. However, for the next 500 miles (800 km), drive the veh icle at a speed
of less than 50 mph (80 km/h) when towing a trailer, and avoid full throttle
acceleration. No matter which class of tow hitch
applies, for a more safe trailer hookup,
the trailer ball setup must be the proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
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4-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Engine (ignition) switch
Check that the parking brake is set.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message will be displayed on the multi-information displ ay.
If it is not displayed, the engine cannot be started.
Press the engine switch shortly
and firmly.
When operating the engine switch,
one short, firm press is enough.
It is not necessary to press and
hold the switch.
The engine will crank until it starts
or for up to 30 seconds, whichever
is less.
Continue depressing the brake
pedal until the engine is completely
started.
The engine can be started from
any engine switch mode.
Performing the following opera tions when carrying the elec-
tronic key on your person starts the engine or changes engine
switch modes.
Starting the engine
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4-2. Driving procedures
Stop the vehicle.
Set the parking brake (P. 225), and shift the shift lever to P.
Press the engine switch.
Release the brake pedal and chec k that the display on the instru-
ment cluster is off.
Stopping the engine
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