TOYOTA GT86 2018 Owners Manual (in English)
Page 321 of 532
321
4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal • Moves smoothly (without uneven 
pedal effort or catching)?
Automatic transmission “Park” 
mechanism • Can the vehicle be held securely 
on an incline with the shift lever in 
P?
Brake pedal • Moves smoothly?
• Does it have appropriate clear-
ance and correct amount of free 
play?
Brakes • Not pull to one side when 
applied?
• Loss of brake effectiveness?
• Spongy feeling brake pedal?
• Pedal almost touches floor?
Clutch pedal • Moves smoothly?
Head restraints • Move smoothly and lock 
securely?
Indicators/buzzers • Function properly?
Lights • Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake • Moves smoothly?
• Can hold the vehicle securely on 
an incline?
Seat belts • Does the seat belt system oper-
ate smoothly?
• Are the belts undamaged?
Seats • Do the seat controls operate 
properly?
Steering wheel • Moves smoothly?
• Has correct free play?
• No strange noises? 
Page 322 of 532
322 4-2. Maintenance
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Door/trunk • Operate smoothly?
Engine hood • The lock system works properly?
Fluid leaks • Is there any leakage after park-
ing?
Tire • Inflation pressure is correct?
• Tire surfaces not worn or dam-
aged?
• Tires rotated according to the  maintenance schedule?
• Wheel nuts are not loose?
Windshield wipers
•The wiper blades should not show 
any signs of cracking, splitting, 
wear, contamination or deforma-
tion.
•The wiper blades should clear the 
windshield without streaking or 
skipping.
WARNING
■ If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks. 
Page 323 of 532
323
4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs
Some  states  have  vehicle  emission  inspection  programs  which
include OBD (On Board Diagnostics) checks. The OBD system moni-
tors the operation of the emission control system.
■ If the malfunction i ndicator lamp comes on
The  OBD  system  determines  that  a  problem  exists  somewhere
in the emission control system. Y our vehicle may not pass the I/
M test and may need to be repaired. Contact your Toyota dealer
to service the vehicle.
■ Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test:
●When the battery is disconnected or discharged
Readiness  codes  that  are  set  during  ordinary  driving  are
erased. 
Also,  depending  on  your  driving  habits,  the  readiness  codes
may not be completely set.
● When the fuel t ank cap is loose
The malfunction indicator lamp comes on as a temporary mal-
function and your vehicle may not pass the I/M test.
■ When  the  malfunction  indicator  lamp  goes  off  after  several
driving trips
The error code in the OBD system  will not be cleared unless the
vehicle is driven 40 or more times.
■ If your vehicle does not pass the I/M test
Contact your Toyota dealer to pr epare the vehicle for re-testing. 
Page 324 of 532
324
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself  ser vice precautions
If  you  perform  maintenance  yourself, be sure to follow the correct
procedure as given in these sections.
ItemsParts and tools
Battery condition ( P. 339)•Warm water
• Baking soda
• Grease
• Conventional wrench
(for terminal clamp bolts)
• Distilled water
Brake fluid level ( P. 337)• FMVSS No.116 fresh DOT 3 
brake fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding  brake fluid)
Engine coolant level ( P. 335)• “TOYOTA Genuine 50/50 Pre-
mixed Super Long Life Coolant 
BLUE” or similar high-quality 
ethylene glycol-based non-
silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite 
and non-borate coolant with long-
life hybrid organic acid 
technology. 
“TOYOTA Genuine 50/50 Pre-
mixed Super Long Life Coolant 
BLUE” is pre-mixed with 50% 
coolant and 50% deionized 
water.
• Funnel (used only for adding  engine coolant)
Engine oil level ( P. 332)• “Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or 
equivalent
• Rag or paper towel, funnel (used  only for adding engine oil) 
Page 325 of 532
325
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
ItemsParts and tools
Fuses ( P. 367)• Fuse with same amperage rating 
as original
Light bulbs ( P. 375)• Bulb with same number and watt-
age rating as original
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Flathead screwdriver
Radiator and condenser (P. 337)
Tire inflation pressure ( P. 353) • Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source
Washer fluid
(P. 343) • Water washer fluid containing 
antifreeze (for winter use)
• Funnel 
Page 326 of 532
326 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
WARNING
The  engine  compartment  contains  many  mechanisms  and  fluids  that may
move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energized. To avoid death
or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
■ When working on the engine compartment
●Keep  hands,  clothing,  and  tools  away  from  the  moving  fan  and  en gine
drive belt.
● Be  careful  not  to  touch  the  engine,  radiator,  exhaust  manifold,   etc.  right
after driving as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids may also  be hot.
● Do not  leave  anything that  may burn easily,  such as  paper or ra gs,  in the
engine compartment.
● Do  not  smoke,  cause  sparks  or  expose  an  open  flame  to  fuel  or  t he  bat-
tery. Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.
● Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.
■ When working near the electric cooling fans or radiator grille
Vehicles  without  a  smart key  system:  Be  sure  the  engine switch  is off.  With
the  engine  switch  in  the  “ON”  position,  the  electric  cooling  fa ns  may  auto-
matically start to run if the air conditioning is on and/or the  coolant tempera-
ture is high. ( P. 337)
Vehicles  with  a  smart  key  system:  Be  sure  the  “ENGINE  START  STO P”
switch  is  off.  With  the  “ENGINE  START  STOP”  switch  in  IGNITION  ON
mode, the electric cooling fans may automatically start to run  if the air condi-
tioning is on and/or the coolant temperature is high. ( P. 337) 
■ Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc. from
getting in the eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove the air cleaner filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter removed may cause excessive  engine wear
due to dirt in the air. 
Page 327 of 532
327
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Hood
Release the lock from the inside of the vehicle to open the hood.
Pull the hood release lever.
The hood will pop up slightly.
Push  the  auxiliary  catch  lever
to the left and lift the hood.
Hold  the  hood  open  by  insert-
ing  the  supporting  rod  into  the
slot.
STEP 1 
STEP 2 
STEP 3  
Page 328 of 532
328 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
WARNING
■Pre-driving check
Check that the hood is fully closed and locked. 
If  the  hood  is  not  locked  properly  it  may  open  while  the  vehicl e  is  in  motion
and cause an accident, which may result in death or serious inj ury.
NOTICE
■When opening the hood
●Do not lift up or operate the wipers. Doing so may cause the ho od and wip-
ers to contact, scratching the hood.
● Use caution when opening the hood in windy weather as it may close sud-
denly in strong wind.
● Do  not  attach  any  accessories  other  than  genuine Toyota  product s  to  the
hood. Such additional weight on the hood may cause it to be too  heavy to
be supported by the supporting rod when opened.
■ When closing the hood
Do  not  apply  excessive  weight  or  force  when  closing  the  hood  as   doing  so
may result in damage. 
Page 329 of 532
329
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Positioning a floor jack
When  raising  your  vehicle  with a  floor  jack,  position  the  jack cor-
rectly. Improper placement may damage your vehicle or cause inj ury.
■Front
■ Rear 
Page 330 of 532
330 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
WARNING
■When raising your vehicle
Make  sure  to  observe  the  following  precautions  to  reduce  the  po ssibility  of
death or serious injury:
● When using a floor jack, follow the instructions of the manual  provided with
the jack.
● Do not use the jack that was supplied with your vehicle.
● Do  not  put  any  part  of  your  body  underneath  the  vehicle  when  it   is  sup-
ported only by the floor jack.
● Always  use  floor  jack  and/or  automotive  jack  stands  on  a  solid,   flat,  level
surface.
● Do not start the engine while the vehicle is supported by the floor jack.
● Stop the vehicle on level, firm ground, firmly set the parking  brake and shift
the shift lever to P (vehicles with an automatic transmission)  or R (vehicles
with a manual transmission).
● Make sure to set the floor jack properly at the jack point. 
Raising  the  vehicle  with  an  improperly  positioned  floor  jack  wi ll  damage
the vehicle and may cause the vehicle to fall off the floor jac k.
● Do not raise the vehicle while someone is in the vehicle.
● When raising the vehicle, do not place any object on top of or  underneath
the floor jack.
● When raising the vehicle, ensure that there is sufficient surrounding space.
The vehicle’s position may change slightly when lowered.
●Lift  up  the  vehicle  using  a  floor  jack
such  as  the  one  shown  in  the  illustra-
tion.