2021 TOYOTA TACOMA brakes

1704-1. Before driving
■When starting off on an uphill (v ehicles with the hill-start assist control
system)
The hill-start assist control will activate. ( P. 318)
■ Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-
dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
● Refrain from high speeds when driving on an expressway in the r ain,
because there may be a layer of water between the tires and the road sur-
face, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properl y.
■ Engine speed while driving (vehic les with an automatic transmission)
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high w hile driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to
meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
● The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
● When the brake pedal is depressed while power mode is selected
■ Restraining the engine out put (Brake Override System)
● When the accelerator and brake pedals are depressed at the same time, the
engine output may be restrained.
● A warning message is displayed on the multi-information display while the
system is operating. ( P. 487)
■ Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control: vehicles with an automatic
transmission)
● When the following unusual operation is performed, the engine o utput may
be restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P to
R (D includes S) with the accelerator pedal depressed, a warnin g mes-
sage appears on the multi-information display.
• When the accelerator pedal is depressed too much while the veh icle is in
reverse.
● While Drive-Start Control is being activated, your vehicle may have trouble
escaping from the mud or fresh snow. In such case, perform the following
actions to cancel Drive-Start Control so that the vehicle may b ecome able to
escape from the mud or fresh snow.
• Deactivate TRAC ( P. 318)
• When the AUTO LSD system is turned on.
(P. 301)
• 4WD models: The four-wheel drive control switch is in “4L” pos ition.
(P. 297)

1724-1. Before driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle (vehic les with an automatic transmission)
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ 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 accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to di fficulty
in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals proper ly.
• 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.
● 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. 467
● 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. 210, 215)
● 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.

1734-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving 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.
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
● Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippa ge and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
● Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads m ay prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected.
■ When shifting the shift lever
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not let the vehi cle roll
backward while the shift lever is in a driving position, or rol l forward while
the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake an d steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, do not shift the sh ift lever to P
while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss o f vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the ve hicle is moving
backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss o f vehicle
control.
● Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available w hen N is
selected.
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, be careful not to s hift the shift
lever with the accelerator pedal depressed. Shifting the shift lever to a
gear other than P or N may lead to moving unexpectedly of the vehicle
that may cause an accident.

1754-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coate d with a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunligh t may cause
the glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.
● On vehicles with an automatic transmission, always apply the pa rking
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.
● 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 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.
Have 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.
■ 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.

1854-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■TWR (Trailer Weight Rating)
The maximum allowable gross
trailer weight. The gross trailer
weight is the sum of the trailer
weight and the weight of the
cargo in the trailer.
TWR is calculated assuming
base vehicle with one driver,
one front passenger, towing
package (if available), hitch and
hitch systems (if required).
Additional optional equipment, passengers and cargo in the vehicle will
reduce the trailer weight rating so as not to exceed GCWR, GVWR and
GAWR.
If the gross trailer weight exceeds 3000 lb. (1360 kg), it is r ecommended
to use a trailer with 2 or more axles.
■
Unbraked TWR (Unbraked Trailer Weight Rating)
The trailer weight rating for tow-
ing a trailer without a trailer ser-
vice brake system.
■Tongue Weight
The load placed on the trailer
hitch ball. ( P. 189)
(With brakes)
(Without brakes)

1864-1. Before driving
●The gross trailer weight must never exceed the TWR described in
the table. ( P. 1 8 7 )
● The gross combination weight must never exceed the GCWR
described in the table. ( P. 1 8 7 )
● The gross vehicle weight must never exceed the GVWR indicated
on the Certification Label.
● The gross axle weight on each axle must never exceed the GAWR
indicated on the Certification Label.
● If the gross trailer weight is over the unbraked TWR, trailer s ervice
brakes are required.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 2000 lb. (907 kg), a sway c ontrol
device with sufficient capacity is required.
● If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2268 kg), a weigh t distrib-
uting hitch with suffici ent capacity is required.
Weight limits
Access Cab modelsDouble Cab models

1944-1. Before driving
●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.
● Vehicles with an automatic transmission: To maintain engine bra k-
ing efficiency and charging system performance when using engin e
braking, do not use the transmission in D. If in the S mode, th e
transmission shift range posit ion must be in 5 or lower.
● Vehicles with a manual transmiss ion: To maintain engine braking
efficiency and charging system performance when using engine
braking, do not use the sixth gear.
● 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. 528)

1954-1. 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 (automatic transmission) or in 1 or R (manual
transmission). 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 (automatic transmission) or 1 or R (manual transmi s-
sion) and turn off the engine.
● When restarting afte r parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P (autom atic transmission) or the clutch
pedal (manual transmission) depr essed, start the engine. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission, be sure to keep the
brake pedal pressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
Release the parking brake (and also the brake pedal on vehicles
with an automatic transmission), and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blocks. S top and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
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