If Your Engine Stalls While Driving; If Your Vehicle Overheats - Toyota Tacoma 1996 Instruction Manual

If your engine stalls while
driving

If your engine stalls while driving...

1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see "If your ve-
hicle will not start".
CAUTION
!
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual.
122

If your vehicle overheats

If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if you
hear a loud knocking or pinging noise,
the engine has probably overheated.
You should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle
and turn on your emergency flashers. Put
the transmission in "P" (automatic) or neu-
tral (manual) and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the air conditioning if it is being
used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine. Wait
until the steam subsides before opening
the hood. If there is no coolant boiling over
or steam, leave the engine running.
CAUTION
!
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Visually check to see if the engine drive
belt (fan belt) is broken or loose. Look for
obvious coolant leaks from the radiator,
hoses, and under the vehicle. However,
note that water draining from the air condi-
tioning is normal if it has been used.
CAUTION
!
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the engine drive belt is broken or the
coolant is leaking, stop the engine immedi-
ately. Call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there
are no obvious leaks, you may help the en-
gine cool down more quickly by running it at
about 1500 rpm for a few minutes with the
accelerator pedal lightly depressed.
6. Check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry,
add coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
!
Do not attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap when the engine and radia-
tor are hot. Serious injury could re-
sult from scalding hot fluid and
steam blown out under pressure.
7. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If necessary,
bring it up to half full again. Serious cool-
ant loss indicates a leak in the system.
You should have it checked as soon as
possible at your Toyota dealer.