Get Driving -> Driving the vehicle Guide for Toyota 4 Runner SUV Fifth Generation (2010-2024)

166

4-1. Before driving

Driving the vehicle

The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe

driving:

Starting the engine

P. 199

Driving

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3

With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. (P. 205)

Release the parking brake. (P. 211)

Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelera-

tor pedal to accelerate the vehicle.

Stopping

1

With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal until the vehicle

comes to a stop.

2

If necessary, set the parking brake.

If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift

lever to P or N. (P. 205)

Parking the vehicle

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2

With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.

Set the parking brake (P. 211), and shift the shift lever to P (P.

205).

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4

Press the engine switch to stop the engine.

Lock the door, making sure that you have the key on your person.

If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.

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4-1. Before driving

Starting off on a steep uphill

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Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.

Gently depress the accelerator pedal.

Release the parking brake.

■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 driving at high speeds in the rain, as there may be a layer of

water between the tires and the road surface, preventing the steering and

brakes from operating properly.

■Engine speed while driving

In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.

This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to

meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.

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●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill

●When the accelerator pedal is released

■Restraining the engine output (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.

■Restraining sudden start (Drive-Start Control)

●When the following unusual operation is performed, the engine output 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 warning mes-

sage appears on the multi-information display.

• When the accelerator pedal is depressed too much while the vehicle 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 become able to

escape from the mud or fresh snow.

• Deactivate TRAC (P. 324, 325)

• 2WD models: When the AUTO LSD system is turned on. (P. 304)

• Part-time 4WD models: The four-wheel drive control switch is in “L4”

position. (P. 294)

• Full-time 4WD models: The four-wheel drive control switch is in “L4L”

position. (P. 298)

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4-1. Before driving

■Breaking in your new Toyota

To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-

mended:

●For the first 200 miles (300 km):

Avoid sudden stops.

●For the first 500 miles (800 km):

Do not tow a trailer.

●For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):

• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.

• Avoid sudden acceleration.

• Do not drive continuously in low gears.

• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.

■Drum-in-disc type parking brake system

Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake

system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the

parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Toyota dealer per-

form the bedding down operation.

■Operating your vehicle in a foreign country

Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability

of the correct fuel. (P. 534)

■When turning off the engine

The emission system operating sounds may continue for a short time after

the engine is turned off. This is not a malfunction, and helps to ensure optimal

performance of the emission system.

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■When starting the vehicle

Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the engine

running. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.

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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 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 brake

pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.

• 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 the

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. These hot

parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.

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■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 control, but the

power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult to

steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it

is safe to do so.

However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible

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. 205)

●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 speed limit per-

mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-

speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result 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 capability

tires or not before driving at such speeds.

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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 driving on slippery road surfaces

●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and

reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.

●Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine

speed could cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.

●After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make

sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent

the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet

and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in

an accident.

■When shifting the shift lever

●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving posi-

tion, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.

Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering

performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.

●Do not shift the shift 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 of vehicle

control.

●Do not shift the shift lever to a driving position while the vehicle is moving

backward.

Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of 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 when N is

selected.

●Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.

Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected

rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in

death or serious injury.

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4-1. Before driving

WARNING

Observe the following precautions.

Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.

■If you hear a squealing or scraping 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 apply the

parking brake as necessary.

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●If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents 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 may cause

the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible

material is nearby.

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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

●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in

the vehicle when it is in the sun.

Doing so may result in the following:

• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a

fire.

• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and

plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.

• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the

interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle’s

electrical components.

●Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a

place such as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when

luggage is loaded or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.

●Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not place

containers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard.

Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehi-

cle.

●Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a

metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause

the glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.

●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 parking brake is not

set, the vehicle may start to move, possibly leading to an accident.

●Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately

after turning the engine off.

Doing so may cause burns.

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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 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 accident or fire

due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly

ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, 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 may cause

one side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the

parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.

●If the brake booster device does not operate, do not follow other vehicles

closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.

In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be

depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.

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●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 distance will

increase.

If this happens, do not continue to drive the vehicle. Have your brakes

fixed immediately.

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4-1. Before driving

NOTICE

■When driving the vehicle

●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time 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. Failure to do so

may cause the vehicle to move or the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if

the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.

■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts

●Do not turn the steering wheel fully in either direction and hold 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 possible 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 behave abnormally.

Information on what to do in case of a flat tire (P. 493)

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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. Doing 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 is 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 (4WD models), differentials, etc.

●Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft, bearings and suspension joints

(where possible), and the function of all joints, bearings, etc.

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4RUNNER (U)

Driving -> Driving the vehicle for Your Toyota 4 Runner SUV Fifth Generation (2010-2024)

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