Get Interior features -> Using the air conditioning system and defogger Guide for Toyota 4 Runner SUV Sixth Generation (2025-2026)

454

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

5-1.Using the air conditioning system and defogger

*

Manual air conditioning system

*

: If equipped

Air conditioning controls

Temperature control dial

Fan speed control dial

“ON/OFF” switch

“A/C” switch

Outside/recirculated air mode switch

Airflow mode control switch

Rear window defogger and outside rear view mirror defoggers

switch

Windshield defogger switch

■ Adjusting the temperature

setting

(increase) or counterclockwise

(decrease).

Press the “ON/OFF” switch to turn

the fan off.

To adjust the temperature set-

ting, turn the temperature con-

trol dial clockwise (warm) or

counterclockwise (cool).

■ Change the airflow mode

Operate the air flow mode con-

trol switch

If “A/C” switch is not pressed, the

system will blow ambient tempera-

ture air or heated air.

The airflow mode changes as fol-

lows each time the switch is oper-

ate.

■ Fan speed setting

To adjust the fan speed, turn the

fan speed control dial clockwise

455

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

switch.

Set the outside/recirculated air

mode switch to outside air mode

if the recirculated air mode is

used.

To defog the windshield and the

side windows quickly, turn the

air flow and temperature up.

To return to the previous mode,

press the windshield defogger

switch again when the wind-

shield is defogged.

1 Upper body

2 Upper body and feet

3 Feet

When the windshield defogger

switch is on, the indicator illumi-

nates on the windshield defog-

ger switch.

4 Feet and the windshield

defogger operates

■ Defogging the rear window

and outside rear view mir-

rors

5

■ Switching between outside

air and recirculated air

modes

Defoggers are used to defog the

rear window, and to remove

raindrops, dew and frost from

the outside rear view mirrors.

Press the outside/recirculated

air mode switch.

The mode switches between out-

side air mode (the indicator is off)

and recirculated air mode (the indi-

cator is on) each time the switch is

pressed.

Press the rear window and out-

side rear view mirror defoggers

switch.

The defoggers will automatically

turn off after 15 minutes. (Depend-

ing on the surrounding environment

and outside temperature, the

■ Set cooling and dehumidifi-

cation function

Press the “A/C” switch.

defogger may continue to operate

after 15 minutes have elapsed.)

When the function is on, the indica-

tor illuminates on the “A/C” switch.

When the rear window and outside

rear view mirror defoggers switch is

on, the indicator illuminates on the

rear window and outside rear view

mirror defoggers switch.

■ Defogging the windshield

Defoggers are used to defog the

windshield and front side win-

dows.

Press the windshield defogger

456

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

■When the outside temperature

falls to nearly 32°F (0°C)

■When the outside temperature

exceeds 75°F (24°C) and the air

conditioning system is on

The dehumidification function may

not operate even when “A/C” switch

is pressed.

●In order to reduce the air condi-

tioning power consumption, the air

conditioning system may switch to

recirculated air mode automati-

cally.

■Ventilation and air conditioning

odors

●To let fresh air in, set the air condi-

tioning system to the outside air

mode.

This may also reduce fuel con-

sumption.

●Recirculated air mode is selected

as a default mode when the

engine switch is turned to ON.

It is possible to switch to outside

air mode at any time by pressing

the outside/recirculated air mode

switch.

●During use, various odors from

inside and outside the vehicle may

enter into and accumulate in the

air conditioning system. This may

then cause odor to be emitted

from the vents.

●To reduce potential odors from

occurring:

■Fogging up of the windows

It is recommended that the air con-

ditioning system be set to outside air

mode prior to turning the vehicle off.

●The windows will easily fog up

when the humidity in the vehicle is

high. Turning “A/C” switch is on

will dehumidify the air from the

outlets and defog the windshield

effectively.

■Air conditioning filter

P.557

■Air conditioning system refrig-

●If you turn “A/C” switch is off, the

windows may fog up more easily.

erant

●A label regarding the refrigerant of

the air conditioning system is

attached to the hood at the loca-

tion shown in the following illustra-

tion.

●The windows may fog up if the

recirculated air mode is used.

■When driving on dusty roads

Close all windows. If dust thrown up

by the vehicle is still drawn into the

vehicle after closing the windows, it

is recommended that the air intake

mode be set to outside air mode and

the fan speed to any setting except

off.

■Outside/recirculated air mode

●Setting to the recirculated air

mode temporarily is recom-

mended in preventing dirty air

from entering the vehicle interior

and helping to cool the vehicle

when the outside air temperature

is high.

●During cooling operation, setting

the recirculated air mode will also

cool the vehicle interior effectively.

457

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

●The meaning of each symbol on

the label are as follows:

Windshield wiper de-icer

This feature is used to prevent

ice from building up on the wind-

shield and wiper blades.

Caution

Press the rear window and out-

side rear view mirror defoggers

switch.

Air conditioning sys-

tem

Air conditioning sys-

tem lubricant type

The windshield wiper de-icer will

automatically turn off after 15 min-

utes.

Requires registered

technician to service

air conditioning sys-

tem

Turning the rear window and out-

side rear view mirror defoggers on

will turn the windshield wiper deicer

on.

Flammable refrigerant

When the rear window and outside

rear view mirror defoggers switch is

on, the indicator illuminates on the

rear window and outside rear view

mirror defoggers switch.

WARNING

5

■To prevent the windshield

from fogging up

WARNING

Do not use the windshield defog-

ger switch during cool air opera-

tion in extremely humid weather.

The difference between the tem-

perature of the outside air and

that of the windshield can cause

the outer surface of the wind-

shield to fog up, blocking your

vision.

■To prevent burns

Do not touch the glass at lower

part of the windshield or to the

side of the front pillars when the

windshield wiper deicer is on.

■When the outside rear view

mirror defoggers are operat-

ing

Do not touch the outside rear view

mirror surfaces, as they can

become very hot and burn you.

NOTICE

■To prevent battery discharge

Do not leave the air conditioning

system on longer than necessary

when the engine is off.

458

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

Air outlet layout and oper-

ations

■ Location of air outlets

The air outlets and air volume

changes according to the

selected air flow mode.

■ Opening/closing the air out-

lets

 Front side

■ Adjusting the air flow direc-

tion

 Front

Direct air flow to the left or right,

up or down

1 Open the vent

2 Close the vent

 Front center

 Rear

Direct air flow to the left or right,

up or down

1 Open the vent

2 Close the vent

459

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

 Rear

1 Open the vent

2 Close the vent

WARNING

■To not interrupt the wind-

shield defogger from operat-

ing

Do not place anything on the

instrument panel which may cover

the air outlets. Otherwise, air flow

may be obstructed, preventing the

windshield defoggers from defog-

ging.

5

460

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

*

Automatic air conditioning system

*

: If equipped

Air outlets and fan speed are automatically adjusted accord-

ing to the temperature setting.

Air conditioning controls

 Vehicles with the DUAL mode

 Vehicles without the DUAL mode

“S-FLOW” switch

Left-hand side temperature control dial

Right-hand side temperature control dial

“SYNC” switch (if equipped)

“A/C” switch

Rear window defogger and outside rear view mirror defoggers

switch

Windshield defogger switch

461

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

Fan speed control switch

Outside/recirculated air mode switch

Air flow mode control switch

“OFF” switch

“AUTO” switch

Fan speed control dial

The airflow mode changes as fol-

lows each time the switch is oper-

ate.

■ Adjusting the temperature

setting

To adjust the temperature set-

ting, turn the temperature con-

trol dial clockwise (warm) or

counterclockwise (cool).

If the “A/C” switch is not pressed,

the system will blow ambient tem-

perature air or heated air.

5

■ Setting the fan speed

 Vehicles with the DUAL mode

Operate the fan speed control

switch upwards to increase the

fan speed and downwards to

decrease the fan speed.

1 Air flows to the upper body.

Press the “OFF” switch to turn the

fan off.

2 Air flows to the upper body

and feet.

 Vehicles without the DUAL

mode

3 Air flows to the feet.

4 Air flows to the feet and the

windshield defogger oper-

ates.

To adjust the fan speed, turn the

fan speed control dial clockwise

(increase) or counterclockwise

(decrease).

■ Switching between outside

air and recirculated air

modes

Press the “OFF” switch to turn the

fan off.

Press the outside/recirculated

air mode switch.

■ Change the airflow mode

Operate the air flow mode con-

trol switch

The mode switches between out-

side air mode (the indicator is off)

and recirculated air mode (the indi-

462

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

cator is on) each time the switch is

pressed.

drops, dew and frost from the

outside rear view mirrors.

■ Set cooling and dehumidifi-

cation function

Press the rear window and out-

side rear view mirror defoggers

switch.

Press the “A/C” switch.

The defoggers will automatically

turn off after 15 minutes. (Depend-

ing on the surrounding environment

and outside temperature, the

defogger may continue to operate

after 15 minutes have elapsed.)

Vehicles with the DUAL mode:

When the function is on, “A/C ON”

indicator will illuminate. When the

function is off, “A/C OFF” indicator

will illuminate.

Vehicles without the DUAL mode:

When the function is on, the indica-

tor on the “A/C” switch illuminates.

When the rear window and outside

rear view mirror defoggers switch is

on, the indicator illuminates on the

rear window and outside rear view

mirror defoggers switch.

■ Defogging the windshield

Defoggers are used to defog the

windshield and front side win-

dows.

■When the outside temperature

exceeds 75°F (24°C) and the air

conditioning system is on

Press the windshield defogger

switch.

●In order to reduce the air condi-

tioning power consumption, the air

conditioning system may switch to

recirculated air mode automati-

cally.

Press the outside/recirculated air

mode switch if the recirculated air

mode is used. (It may switch auto-

matically.)

This may also reduce fuel con-

sumption.

To defog the windshield and the

side windows quickly, turn the air

flow and temperature up.

●Recirculated air mode is selected

as a default mode when the

engine switch is turned to ON.

To return to the previous mode,

press the windshield defogger

switch again when the windshield is

defogged.

It is possible to switch to outside air

mode at any time by pressing the

outside/recirculated air mode

switch.

■Fogging up of the windows

When the windshield defogger

switch is on, the indicator illumi-

nates on the windshield defogger

switch.

●The windows will easily fog up

when the humidity in the vehicle is

high. Turning the cooling and

dehumidification function on will

dehumidify the air from the outlets

and defog the windshield effec-

tively.

■ Defogging the rear window

and outside rear view mir-

rors

●If you turn the cooling and dehu-

midification function off, the win-

dows may fog up more easily.

Defoggers are used to defog the

rear window and to remove rain-

●The windows may fog up if the

463

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

recirculated air mode is used.

helping to reduce odors that occur

when starting the vehicle.

■When driving on dusty roads

■Air conditioning filter

P.557

■Air conditioning system refrig-

Close all windows. If dust thrown up

by the vehicle is still drawn into the

vehicle after closing the windows, it

is recommended that the air intake

mode be set to outside air mode and

the fan speed to any setting except

off.

erant

●A label regarding the refrigerant of

the air conditioning system is

attached to the hood at the loca-

tion shown in the following illustra-

tion.

■Outside/recirculated air mode

●Setting to the recirculated air

mode temporarily is recom-

mended in preventing dirty air

from entering the vehicle interior

and helping to cool the vehicle

when the outside air temperature

is high.

●Outside/recirculated air mode may

automatically switch depending on

the temperature setting or the

inside temperature.

■When the outside temperature

falls to nearly 32°F (0°C)

5

●The meaning of each symbol on

the label are as follows:

The dehumidification function may

not operate even when “A/C” switch

is pressed.

Caution

■Ventilation and air conditioning

odors

Air conditioning sys-

tem

●To let fresh air in, set the air condi-

tioning system to the outside air

mode.

Air conditioning sys-

tem lubricant type

●During use, various odors from

inside and outside the vehicle may

enter into and accumulate in the

air conditioning system. This may

then cause odor to be emitted

from the vents.

Requires registered

technician to service

air conditioning sys-

tem

●In order to suppress odors that

occur when the air conditioning

system starts, the air flow mode

may change to blow air to the feet

or air may stop blowing for a short

period of time immediately after

the air conditioning system is

started in automatic mode.

Flammable refrigerant

■Customization

Some functions can be customized.

(Customizable features: P.637)

●When parking, the system auto-

matically switches to outside air

mode to encourage better air cir-

culation throughout the vehicle,

464

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

automatic mode indicator goes

WARNING

off. However, automatic mode

for functions other than that

operated is maintained.

■To prevent the windshield

from fogging up

Do not use the windshield defog-

ger switch during cool air opera-

tion in extremely humid weather.

The difference between the tem-

perature of the outside air and

that of the windshield can cause

the outer surface of the wind-

shield to fog up, blocking your

vision.

■Using automatic mode

Fan speed is adjusted automati-

cally according to the temperature

setting and the ambient conditions.

Therefore, the fan may stop for a

while until warm or cool air is ready

to flow immediately after the auto-

matic mode switch is pressed.

■When the outside rear view

mirror defoggers are operat-

ing

Adjusting the temperature

for driver and front pas-

senger seats simultane-

ously (“SYNC” mode) (if

equipped)

Do not touch the rear view mirror

surfaces when the outside rear

view mirror defoggers are on.

NOTICE

■To prevent battery discharge

To turn on the “SYNC” mode,

operate the “SYNC” switch.

Do not leave the air conditioning

system on longer than necessary

when the engine is off.

The driver’s side temperature con-

trol dial can be used to adjust the

temperature for the driver’s and

front passenger’s side. To enter

individual mode, operate the front

passenger’s side temperature con-

trol dial or press the “SYNC” switch

again.

■When repairing/replacing

parts of the air conditioning

system

Have repair/replacement per-

formed by your Toyota dealer.

When a part of the air conditioning

system, such as the evaporator, is

to be replaced, it must be

replaced with a new one.

When the “SYNC” mode is on, the

“SYNC” indicator is illuminate.

Using automatic mode

Using front seat concen-

trated airflow mode (S-

FLOW)

1 Press the “AUTO” switch.

2 Adjust the temperature set-

ting.

Directing airflow to the front

seats only and to all seats can

be switched via switch opera-

tion. Unnecessary air condition-

ing is suppressed, contributing

3 To stop the operation, press

the “OFF” switch.

If the fan speed setting or air

flow modes are operated, the

465

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

to increased fuel efficiency.

Press on the air conditioning

WARNING

■To prevent burns

Do not touch the glass at lower

part of the windshield or to the

operation panel and switch the

airflow.

side of the front pillars when the

windshield wiper deicer is on.

Indicator illuminated: Airflow to

the front seats only

Air outlet layout and oper-

ations

Indicator off: Airflow to all the

seats

■ Location of air outlets

Even if the function is switched to

directing airflow to only the front

seats, when a rear seat is occupied,

it may automatically direct airflow to

all seats.

The air outlets and air volume

change according to the

selected air flow mode.

Windshield wiper de-icer

This feature is used to prevent

ice from building up on the wind-

shield and wiper blades.

5

Press the rear window and out-

side rear view mirror defoggers

switch.

■ Adjusting the air flow direc-

The windshield wiper de-icer will

automatically turn off after 15 min-

utes.

tion

 Front

Direct air flow to the left or right,

up or down

Turning the rear window and out-

side rear view mirror defoggers on

will turn the windshield wiper de-

icer on.

When the rear window and outside

rear view mirror defoggers switch is

on, the indicator illuminates on the

rear window and outside rear view

mirror defoggers switch.

466

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

 Rear

Direct air flow to the left or right,

up or down

1 Open the vent

2 Close the vent

■ Opening/closing the air out-

WARNING

lets

■To not interrupt the wind-

shield defogger from operat-

ing

 Front side

Do not place anything on the

instrument panel which may cover

the air outlets. Otherwise, air flow

may be obstructed, preventing the

windshield defoggers from defog-

ging.

1 Open the vent

2 Close the vent

 Front center

1 Open the vent

2 Close the vent

467

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

Heated steering

NOTICE

*

wheel /seat heat-

■To prevent damage to the

seat heaters and seat ventila-

tors

*

ers /seat ventilators

*

Do not put heavy objects that

have an uneven surface on the

seat and do not stick sharp

objects (needles, nails, etc.) into

the seat.

: if equipped

 Heated steering wheel

Warms up the grip of the

steering wheel

■To prevent battery discharge

 Front seat heaters

Do not use the functions when the

engine is off.

Warm up the seat upholstery

 Front seat ventilators

Operating instructions

Maintain good ventilation by

pulling air through the seat

upholstery

■ Heated steering wheel (if

equipped)

Turns heated steering wheel

on/off.

When the heated steering wheel

is on, the indicator illuminates

on the heated steering wheel

switch.

WARNING

5

■To prevent minor burn inju-

ries

Care should be taken if anyone in

the following categories comes in

contact with the steering wheel or

seats when the heater is on:

●Babies, small children, the

elderly, the sick and the physi-

cally challenged

●Persons with sensitive skin

●Persons who are fatigued

●Persons who have taken alco-

hol or drugs that induce sleep

(sleeping drugs, cold remedies,

etc.)

468

5-1. Using the air conditioning system and defogger

■ Front seat heaters (if

equipped)/seat ventilators

(if equipped)

WARNING

■To prevent overheating and

minor burn injuries

Observe the following precautions

when using the seat heaters.

●Do not cover the seat with a

blanket or cushion when using

the seat heater.

●Do not use seat heater more

than necessary.

Adjust the front seat heater

temperature level

Each time the switch is pressed,

the operation condition changes as

follows.

Hi (3 segments lit)  Mid (2 seg-

ments lit)  Lo (1 segment lit) 

Off

The level indicator (red) light up

during operation.

Adjust the front seat ventila-

tor fan speed level

Each time the switch is pressed,

the operation condition changes as

follows.

Hi (3 segments lit)  Mid (2 seg-

ments lit)  Lo (1 segment lit) 

Off

The level indicator (blue) light up

during operation.

■The heated steering wheel, seat

heaters and seat ventilators can

be used when

The engine switch is in ON.

Interior features -> Using the air conditioning system and defogger for Your Toyota 4 Runner SUV Sixth Generation (2025-2026)

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