Toyota 4Runner: Off-road driving

When driving your vehicle off-road, please observe the following precautions to ensure your driving enjoyment and to help prevent the closure of areas to off-road vehicles:

• Drive your vehicle only in areas where off-road vehicles are permitted to travel.

• Respect private property. Get owner’s permission before entering private property.

• Do not enter areas that are closed. Honor gates, barriers and signs that restrict travel.

• Stay on established roads. When conditions are wet, driving techniques should be changed or travel delayed to prevent damage to roads.

Additional information for off-road driving

For owners in U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Puerto Rico:

To obtain additional information pertaining to driving your vehicle off-road, consult the following organizations.

• State and Local Parks and Recreation Departments

• State Motor Vehicle Bureau

• Recreational Vehicle Clubs

• U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management

CAUTION

Off-road driving precautions

Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of death, serious injury or damage to your vehicle:

• Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in dangerous places.

• Do not grip the steering wheel spokes when driving off-road. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands and especially your thumbs on the outside of the rim.

• Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving in sand, mud, water or snow.

• After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check that there is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or trapped on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from the underbody. If the vehicle is used with these materials trapped or adhering to the underbody, a breakdown or fire could occur.

• In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. Therefore, the driver and all passengers should fasten their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving.

• When driving off-road or in rugged terrain, do not drive at excessive speeds, jump, make sharp turns, strike objects, etc. This may cause loss of control or vehicle rollover causing death or serious injury. You are also risking expensive damage to your vehicle’s suspension and chassis.

NOTICE

To prevent water damage

Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the engine or other components does not occur.

• Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage.

• Water entering the automatic 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 differentials, transmission and transfer 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 driving

• Sand and mud that has accumulated in brake drums and around brake discs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system components.

• Always perform a maintenance inspection after 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”.