2023 TOYOTA TACOMA Owners Manual

2094-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
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 circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious in jury.
■ Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the
doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Otherwise, the
steering lock function will activate and this may lead to an ac cident, result-
ing in death or serious injury.
■ Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving th e vehicle,
press and hold the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly
3 times or more in succession. ( P. 473)
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. Turning the engine off while driving will not cause loss of steering or
braking control, however, power assist to the steering will be lost. This will
make it more difficult to steer smoothly, so you should pull ov er and stop the
vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
■ When parking (except for New Caledonia)
Exhaust gases include harmful carbon monoxide (CO), which is co lorless
and odorless. Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may cause exhaust gases to enter the vehicle a nd may
lead to an accident caused by light-headedness, or may lead to death or a
serious health hazard.
● If the vehicle is in a poorly ventilated area or a closed area, such as a
garage, stop the engine.
● Do not leave the vehicle with the engine running for a long time. If such a
situation cannot be avoided, park the vehicle in an open space and ensure
that exhaust fumes do not enter the vehicle interior.
● Do not leave the engine running in an area with snow build-up, or where it
is snowing. If snowbanks build up around the vehicle while the engine is
running, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle.

2104-2. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
● Do not leave the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON mode
for long periods of time without the engine running.
● If “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION ON” is displayed on the multi-information
display while the engine is not running, the engine switch is not off. Exit the
vehicle after turning the engine switch off.
● Do not stop the engine when the shift lever is in a position ot her than P. If
the engine is stopped in another shift lever position, the engine switch will
not be turned off but instead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. If t he vehi-
cle is left in ACCESSORY mode, battery discharge may occur.
■ When starting the engine
● Do not race a cold engine.
● If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have your vehi-
cle checked by your Toyota dealer immediately.
■ Symptoms indicating a malfunction with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operating somewhat differently than usual,
such as the switch sticking slightly, there may be a malfunction. Contact
your Toyota dealer immediately.

2114-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Automatic transmission
Vehicles without a smart key system:While the engine switch is in the “ON” position, move the shiftlever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that t he vehi-
cle is completely stopped.
Vehicles with a smart key system:
While the engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode, move the shiftlever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that t he vehi-
cle is completely stopped.
: If equipped
Shifting the shift lever

2124-2. Driving procedures
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noises, set the shift lever in the D
position for normal driving.
*2: Selecting shift ranges using S mode restricts the upper limit of the possible
gear ranges, controls engine braking forces, and prevents unnec essary
upshifting.
Use when high levels of response and feeling are desirable, suc h as
when driving in m ountainous regions or when pulling a trailer.
Press the “ECT PWR” button to
select power mode.
The “ECT PWR” indicator comes
on.
Press the button again to cancel
power mode.
Shift position purpose
Shift positionFunction
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
(Condition in which the power is not transmitted)
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2 ( P. 213)
Selecting power mode

2134-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
When the shift lever is in the S position, the shift lever can be oper-
ated as follows:
Upshifting
Downshifting
The initial shift range in S mode is set automatically to 5 or 4 accord-
ing to vehicle speed. However, the initial shift range may be s et to 3 if
the AI-SHIFT has operated while the shift lever was in the D po sition.
(  P. 213)
■Shift ranges and their functions
● You can choose from 6 levels engine braking force.
● A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking force than
a higher shift range, and the engine speed will also increase.
■AI-SHIFT
AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitable gear according to t he driver per-
formance and driving conditions.
AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the shift lever is in the D position.
(Shifting the shift lever to the S position cancels the functio n.)
■ When driving with cruise cont rol activated (if equipped)
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of e nabling engine
braking, engine braking will not activate while driving in S mo de and down-
shifting to 5 or 4 because cruise control will not be canceled. (P. 280)
Selecting shift range s in the S position
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2

2144-2. Driving procedures
■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 the
“ON” position (vehicles without a smart key system) or IGNITION ON mode
(vehicles with a smart key system) and the brake pedal is being depressed.
■ If the shift lever cannot be shift from P
First, check whether the brake pedal is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted with your foot on the brak e pedal, there may
be a problem 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 ensu re that
the shift lever can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
Set the parking brake.
Vehicles without a smart key sys tem: Turn the engine switch to the
“LOCK” position.
Vehicles with a smart key syst em: Turn the engine switch off.
Depress the brake pedal.
Pry the cover up with a flathead
screwdriver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover,
cover the tip of the screwdriver with
a rag.
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2
3
4

2154-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Press the shift lock override
button.
The shift lever can be shifted while
the button is pressed.
■ If the “S” indicator does not come on even after shifting the shift lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in the automatic transmission system. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer, immediately.
■ Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer (S mode)
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting ope ration may
sometimes be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting may not be
possible even when the shift lever is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■ Transmission protection function
If the tires spin continually when the vehicle becomes stuck in mud, dirt or
snow, or if the accelerator pedal is depressed and released repeatedly while
driving, the automatic transmission temperature may become too high and
the automatic transmission may be damaged.
To avoid damaging the automatic transmission, the system may temporarily
lock the gear.
If the automatic transmission temperature falls, the gear locking is canceled
and the automatic transmission is returned to the normal operation.
5
WARNING
■ When driving on slippery road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may cause the vehicle to spin or skid,
resulting in an accident.
■ To prevent an accident when releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override button, make sure to se t the parking
brake and depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed instead of t he brake pedal
when the shift lock override button is pressed and the shift lever is shifted
out of P, the vehicle may suddenly start, possibly leading to an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.

2164-2. Driving procedures
Manual transmission
Fully depress the clutch pedal before operating the shift lever, and
then release it slowly.
: If equipped
Shifting the shift lever