STARTING AND DRIVING
Tips for driving in various
conditions
D Always slow down in gusty cross-winds.
D To drive down a long or steep hill, re-
duce your speed and downshift. Re-
member, if you ride the brakes exces-
sively, they may overheat and not
work properly.
This will allow you much better control.
D Drive slowly onto curbs and, if possible,
at a right angle. Avoid driving onto high,
sharp edged objects and other road haz-
ards. Failure to do so can lead to severe
tyre damage such as a tyre burst.
D Be careful when accelerating, upshift-
ing, downshifting or braking on a slip-
pery surface. Sudden acceleration or
engine braking could cause the vehi-
cle to skid or spin.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps or
travelling on a bumpy road. Otherwise,
the impact could cause severe damage
to the tyres and/or wheels.
D Do not continue normal driving when
the brakes are wet. If they are wet,
your vehicle will require a longer stop-
ping distance, and it may pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
Also, the parking brake will not hold
the vehicle securely.
D When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so that
the vehicle will not roll. Apply the parking
brake, and place the transmission in “P”.
If necessary, block the wheels.
D Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then press
the pedal lightly. If you do not feel a nor-
mal braking force, the brakes are prob-
ably wet. To dry them, drive the vehicle
cautiously while lightly pressing the brake
pedal with the parking brake applied. If
they still do not work safely, pull to the
side of the road and call a Toyota dealer
for assistance.
NOTICE
When driving on wet roads, avoid driv-
ing through large amounts of standing
water on the road. Large amounts of
water entering the engine compartment
may cause damage to the engine and/or
electrical components.
CAUTION
D Before driving off, make sure the
parking brake is fully released and the
parking brake reminder light is off.
D Do not leave your vehicle unattended
while the engine is running.
D Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause dan-
gerous overheating, needless wear,
and poor fuel economy.
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