2000 Toyota 4Runner Owners Manual - Page 178

BREAK- IN SCHEDULE PRE- TOWING SAFETY CHECK TRAILER TOWING TIPS When towing a trailer, your vehicle will handle differently than when not towing. The three main causes of vehicletrailer accidents are driver error, excessive speed and improper trailer loading. Keep these in mind when towing: D Toyota recommends that you do not tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a vehicle with any new power train component (engine, transmission, differential, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first 800 km (500 miles) of driving. MAINTENANCE D Check that your vehicle remains level when a loaded or unloaded trailer is hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has an abnormal nose- up or nose- down condition, and check for improper tongue load, overload, worn suspension or other possible causes. D If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will require more frequent maintenance due to the additional load. For this information, please refer to the scheduled maintenance information in the "Scheduled Maintenance Guide" or "Owner's Manual Supplement". D Make sure the trailer cargo is securely loaded so that it cannot shift. D Before starting out, check operation of the lights and all vehicle- trailer connections. After driving a short distance, stop and recheck the lights and connections. Before actually towing a trailer, practice turning, stopping and backing with a trailer in an area away from traffic until you learn the feel. D Check that your rear view mirrors conform to any applicable federal, state/ provincial or local regulation. If not, install the rear view mirrors required for towing purpose. D Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing ball and bracket after approximately 1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving. D Backing with a trailer is difficult and requires practice. Grip the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the left to move the trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to move the trailer to the right. (This procedure is generally opposite to that when backing without a trailer). Also, just turn the steering wheel a little at a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged turning. Have someone guide you when backing to reduce the risk of an accident. 192 2000 4Runner (OM35762U)