2000 Toyota Tacoma Owners Manual - Page 86

'00 Tacoma(U) Your automatic transmission has a shift lock system to minimize the possibility of incorrect operation. This means you can only shift out of "P" position when the brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition switch in "ON" position and the selector lever pulled toward you). (a) Normal driving 1. Start the engine as instructed in "How to start the engine" in Section 3. The transmission must be in "P" or "N". 2. After starting the engine, always push in the overdrive switch. 3. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to "D". With the selector lever in the "D" position and the overdrive switch in the "ON" position, the automatic transmission will shift automatically from the first gear through the fourth gear and select the most suitable gear meeting the driving condition. Even during ordinary driving, keep the overdrive switch turned on. (At this time, the "O/D OFF" indicator light on the instrument cluster will be off.) Always keep the overdrive switch turned on for better fuel economy and quieter driving. If you have turned off the overdrive switch, be sure to turn the overdrive switch on again. If the engine coolant temperature is low, the transmission will not shift into the overdrive gear even with the overdrive switch on. D Shift into the "L" position when the vehicle speed drops down to or lower than 61 km/h (38 mph). The transmission will downshift to the first gear and maximum engine braking will be enabled. Vehicles with cruise control-When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift the transmission by turning off the overdrive switch, engine braking will not be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed, see "Cruise control" in this section. CAUTION Never put your foot on the accelerator pedal while shifting. 4. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal slowly for smooth starting. (b) Using engine braking To use engine braking, you can downshift the transmission as follows: CAUTION Be careful when downshifting on a slippery surface. Abrupt shifting could cause the vehicle to spin or skid. D Turn off the overdrive switch. The "O/D OFF" indicator light will come on and the transmission will downshift to the third gear. NOTICE To prevent engine overrevving, do not downshift if you are going faster than the above speed in each position. D Shift into the "2" position when the vehicle speed drops down to or lower than 106 km/h (66 mph). The transmission will downshift to the second gear and more powerful engine braking will be enabled. 86