1594-1. Before driving
4
Driving
requires practice. Grip the
bottom of the steering wheel
and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the
right to move the trailer to
right. (This is generally oppo-
site to reversing without a
trailer attached.) Avoid sharp
or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when
reversing to reduce the risk of
an accident.
As stopping distance is
increased when towing a
trailer, vehicle-to vehicle dis-
tance should be increased.
For each 10 mph (16 km/h) of
speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length.
Avoid sudden braking as you
may skid, resulting in the
trailer jackknifing and a loss of
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
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. Com-
pensate 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
considerable distance. After
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty
of room before changing
lanes.
To maintain engine braking
efficiency and charging sys-
tem performance when using
engine braking, do not put the
transmission in D. If in the M
mode, the transmission shift
range position must be in 6 or
lower. ( P.168)
Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending
steep or long downhill grades.
Before descending, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts
while descending steep or
long downhill 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 overheat on hot days (at
temperatures over 85°F
[30°C]) when driving up a long
1604-1. Before driving
or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air condi-
tioning (if in use), pull your
vehicle off the road and stop
in a safe spot. (P.423)
Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Put the transmission
in P and apply the parking
brake. Avoid parking on a
slope, but if unavoidable, do
so only after performing the
following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep
them applied.
2 Have someone place wheel
blocks under both the vehi-
cle’s and trailer’s wheels.
3 When the wheel blocks are in
place, release the brakes
slowly until the blocks absorb
the load.
4 Shift into P and apply the
parking brake.
5 Turn off the engine.
When restarting after parking
on a slope:
1 With the transmission in P,
start the engine. Be sure to
keep the brake pedal
depressed.
2 Shift into a forward gear. If
reversing, shift into R. 3
If the parking brake is in man-
ual mode, release the park-
ing brake. ( P.172)
4 Release the brake pedal, and
slowly pull or back away from
the wheel blocks. Stop and
apply the brakes.
5 Have someone retrieve the
blocks.
1684-2. Driving procedures
*: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noise, shift the shift lever
to D for normal driving.
■To protect the continuously
variable transmission
If the transmission fluid tempera-
ture is high, “Transmission Oil Temp
High Stop in a Safe Place and See
Owner’s Manual” will be displayed
while driving, make sure to return to
D position driving and reduce speed
by easing off the accelerator pedal.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place, shift
the shift lever to P and let the engine
idle until the warning message goes
out.
When the warning message goes out, the vehicle can be driven again.
If the warning message does not go
out after waiting a while, have your
vehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
■Restraining sudden start
(Drive-Start Control)
P.147
■After recharging/reconnecting
the battery
P.421
:While the engine switch is in
ON and the brake pedal
depressed
*, shift the shift lever
Continuously variable
transmission
Select the shift position
depending on your purpose
and situation.
Shift position purpose
and functions
Shift posi- tionObjective or function
PParking the vehi-
cle/starting the engine
RReversing
N
Neutral
(Condition in which the power is not transmit- ted)
DNormal driving*
M
10-speed sport sequen-tial shiftmatic mode driving ( P.170)
WARNING
■When driving on slippery
road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift the shift
gears suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine brak-
ing may cause the vehicle to spin
or skid, resulting in an accident.
Shifting the shift lever
1694-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
while pushing the shift release
button on the shift knob.:Shift the shift lever while
pushing the shift release button
on the shift knob.
:Shift the shift lever normally.
When shifting the shift lever
between P and D, make sure that
the vehicle is completely stopped
and the brake pedal is depressed.
*: For the vehicle be able to be
shifted from P, the brake pedal
must be depresse d before the
shift release button is pushed. If
the shift release button is pushed
first, the shift lock will not be
released.
■Continuously variable transmis-
sion fail-safe control
The system detects malfunctioning
parts targeted (all of the solenoids
that perform the shifting function) by
the On-Board Diagnostics, and per-
forms fail-safe mechanisms, such
as restricting the shifting function or
transmission ratio control.
In this event, the malfunction indica-
tor lamp turns on.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to
prevent accidental operation of the
shift lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P
only when the engine switch is in
ON and the brake pedal is being
depressed.
■If the shift lever cannot be
shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal
is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted
with your foot on the brake pedal,
there may be a pr oblem with the
shift lock system. Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
The following steps may be used as
an emergency measure to ensure
that the shift lev
er can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1 Set the parking brake.
2 Turn the engine switch off.
3 Depress the brake pedal.
4 Ply the cover up with a flathead
screwdriver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damaging the cover,
wrap the tip of the flathead
screwdriver with a tape.
5 Press and hold the shift lock
override button and then push
the shift release button on the
shift knob.
The shift lever can be shifted while
the button is pressed.
1704-2. Driving procedures
To enter 10-speed sport
sequential shiftmatic mode, shift
the shift lever to M position.
Gear steps can then be selected
by operating the shift lever,
allowing you to drive in the gear
step of your choosing.
1Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The gear changes once every time
the shift lever is operated. The selected gear step, from M1 to
M10, will be dis
played on the
multi-information display.
However, even when in the M
position, the gear steps will be
automatically changed if the
engine speed is too high, or too
l o w.
■Gear step functions
●You can choose from 10 levels of
engine braking force.
●A lower gear step will provide
greater engine braking force than
a higher gear step, and the engine
speed will also increase.
■When the vehicle comes to a
stop with the shift lever in the M
position
●The transmission will automati-
cally downshift to M1 once the
vehicle is stopped.
●After a stop, the vehicle will start
off in M1.
●When the vehicle is stopped, the
transmission is set at M1.
■Downshifting restriction warn-
ing buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving
performance, dow nshifting opera-
tion may sometimes be restricted. In
some circumstances, downshifting
may not be possible even when the
shift lever is operated. (A buzzer will
sound twice.)
■If the 10-speed sport sequential
shiftmatic mode indicator does
not come on even after shifting
the shift lever to M
This may indicate a malfunction in
the continuously variable transmis-
sion system. Have the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
(In this situation, the transmission
will operate in the same manner as
when the shift lever is in D.)
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when
releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock
override button, make sure to set
the parking brake and depress the
brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is acci-
dentally depressed instead of the
brake pedal when the shift lock
override button is pressed and the
shift lever is shifted out of P, the
vehicle may suddenly start, possi-
bly leading to an accident result-
ing in death or serious injury.
Changing gears in the M
position
2834-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
NOTICE
■To prevent water damage
Take all necessary safety mea-
sures to ensure that water dam-
age to the engine or other
components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine air
intake will cause severe engine
damage.
●Water entering the continuously
variable transmission will cause
deterioration in shift quality,
locking up of your transmission
accompanied by vibration, and
ultimately damage.
●Water can wash the grease
from wheel bearings, causing
rusting and premature failure,
and may also enter the differen-
tials, continuously variable
transmission and transfer (AWD
models) case, reducing the gear
oil’s lubricating qualities.
■When you drive through
water
If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the riverbed for
firmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
■Inspection after off-road driv-
ing
●Sand and mud that has accu-
mulated around brake discs
may affect braking efficiency
and may damage brake system
components.
●Always perform a maintenance
inspection aft er each day of
off-road driving that has taken
you through rough terrain, sand,
mud, or water. For scheduled
maintenance information, refer
to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.
3857-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
7-2.Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a
problem with your transmission.
Contact your Toyota dealer or
commercial towing service
before towing.
The engine is running but the
vehicle does not move.
The vehicle makes an abnor-
mal sound.
From the front (2WD models)
Release the parking brake.
Turn automatic mode off. ( P.173)
From the front (AWD models)
Use a towing dolly under the
rear wheels.
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels.
If your vehicle needs
to be towed
If towing is necessary, we
recommend having your
vehicle towed by your Toy-
ota dealer or commercial
towing service, using a
wheel-lift type truck or flat-
bed truck.
Use a safety chain system
for all towing, and abide by
all state/provincial and local
laws.
Situations when it is nec-
essary to contact dealers
before towing
Towing with a wheel-lift
type truck
3927-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■Charging system warning light (warning buzzer)
■Low engine oil pressure warning light* (warning buzzer)
*: This light illuminat es on the multi-information display.
■Malfunction indicator lamp (warning buzzer)
■SRS warning light
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates a malfunction in the vehicle’s charging system
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates that the engine oil pressure is excessively low
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
(U.S.A.)
or
(Canada)
Indicates a malfunction in:
The electronic engine control system;
The electronic thrott le control system;
The electronic continuously variable transmission control
system; or
The Stop & Start system
Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
Warning lightDetails/Actions
Indicates a malfunction in:
The SRS airbag system; or
The seat belt pretensioner system
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.