TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER 2001 Owners Manual (in English)

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
1042001 MR2 (OM17482U)
SC19031
2. Fix the cover by hitching the inside clipon the hood.
NOTICE
Do not place valuables in the front
box to prevent robbery.
 Do not place anything which weighs
over 5 kg (11 lb.) in the front box.
If something weighs over 5 kg (11
lb.) is placed in the front box while
driving, the front box may be dam-
aged.
 Be sure to lock the cover securely
when you close the trunk lid. If the
cover is not securely locked, it may
cause damage to the trunk lid.
SB19018
Front of vehicle
DRAINAGE OF THE FRONT BOX
In case that the water is pooled inside the
front box, remove the grommet on the
bottom of the box to drain the water.
NOTICE
Since the front box is not waterproof
completely, it is possible for the
things stored in the box to the
drenched.
Auxiliary box
SB19019
Instrument panel
To use the box, open it as shown in
the illustration.
CAUTION
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or a sudden stop,
always keep the auxiliary box closed
while driving.

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
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Luggage space
SB19027
Lean the seatback forward to use the
luggage space.
To open: Pull the lever.
To lock: Insert the master key and turn it
clockwise.
SB12059
Folding boardflare
CAUTION
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or a sudden stop,
always keep the luggage space door
closed while driving.
NOTICE
Do not place valuables in the lug-
gage space to prevent robbery.
 Do not lower the soft top while
placing a luggage which is higher
than the bottom edge of the flare
inside the luggage space.
The luggage may be damaged by
hitting the folding board or the im-
properly folded soft top may flap in
the wind and cause an accident.

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
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SB19030
When you load a long luggage
Remove the side trims on the both sides
in the luggage space when you need to
load a long luggage (except tapered
things) such as a golf bag.
The side trims can be removed by pulling
the clips (at two places).
SB19029
Removing the side trims
SB19028
Installing the side trims
NOTICE
Do not place tapered things or a
long luggage into the luggage
space. That may damage the water
receiving bag installed behind the
side trims.
 Do not lower the soft top with a
long luggage loaded. The luggage
may touch the lower portion of the
soft top side rails and may be dam-
aged.
 Never remove the side trims except
when loading a long luggage. Other-
wise, the luggage may move while
driving and damage the water re-
ceiving bag or the luggage may be
damaged when the soft top is
opened.

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
1072001 MR2 (OM17482U)
Cup holders
SB19013
Front
SB19014
Center console
The cup holders are designed for hold-
ing cups or drink−cans securely in its
holes.
Front: To use the cup holders, pull them
out.
CAUTION
Do not place anything else other
than cups or drink−cans on the cup
holders, as such items may be
thrown about in the compartment
and possibly injure people in the
vehicle during sudden braking or an
accident.
Front only: To reduce the chance of
injury in case of an accident or a
sudden stop while driving, keep the
cup holder closed when it is not in
use.
Floor mat
SB19023
Use a floor mat of the correct size.
If the floor carpet and floor mat have a
hole, then it is designed for use with a
locking clip. Fix the floor mat with locking
clip into the hole in the floor carpet.

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
1082001 MR2 (OM17482U)
SB19022
CAUTION
Make sure the floor mat is properly
placed on the floor carpet. If the floor
mat slips and interferes with the
movement of the pedals during driv-
ing, it may cause an accident.

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
1092001 MR2 (OM17482U)
INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Break−in period11 0
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Fuel 11 0
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Fuel pump shut off system 11 2
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Operation in foreign countries 11 2
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Three−way catalytic converter 11 3
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Engine exhaust cautions 11 4
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Facts about engine oil consumption 11 4
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Iridium−tipped spark plugs 11 5
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Brake system 11 6
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 11 8
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Luggage stowage precautions 11 9
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Limited−slip differential 11 9
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Your Toyota’s identification 120
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Theft prevention labels 121
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Suspension and chassis 121
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Types of tires 121
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SECTION 2

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
11 02001 MR2 (OM17482U)
Break−in period
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break−in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Do not drive over 88 km/h (55 mph).
Run the engine at moderate speed be-
tween 2000 and 4000 rpm.
Avoid full−throttle starts.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive slowly with the manual
transmission in a high gear.
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Fuel
FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only
unleaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mix−ups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three−
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research Oc-
tane Number 91) or higher.
Use of unleaded fuel with an octane num-
ber or rating lower than stated above will
cause persistent heavy knocking. If se-
vere, this will lead to engine damage.If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even when
using the recommended fuel, or if you
hear steady knocking while holding a
steady speed on level roads, consult your
Toyota dealer.
However, now and then, you may notice
light knocking for a short time while accel-
erating or driving up hills. This is no need
of concern.
GASOLINES CONTAINING DETERGENT
ADDITIVES
Toyota recommends the use of gaso-
lines that contain detergent additives to
avoid build−up of engine deposits.
However, all gasoline sold in the U.S con-
tains detergent additives to keep clean
and/or clean intake systems.

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
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QUALITY GASOLINE
Automotive manufacturers in the U.S., Eu-
rope and Japan have developed a specifi-
cation for quality fuel named World−Wide
Fuel Charter (WWFC) that is expected to
be applied world wide. The WWFC con-
sists of three categories that depend on
required emission levels. In the U.S.,
category 3 has been adopted. The WWFC
improves air quality by providing for better
emissions in vehicle fleets, and customer
satisfaction through better vehicle perfor-
mance.
CLEANER BURNING GASOLINE
Cleaner burning gasoline, including re-
formulated gasoline that contains oxy-
genates such as ethanol or MTBE is
available in many areas.
Toyota recommends the use of cleaner
burning gasoline and appropriately blended
reformulated gasoline. These types of gas-
oline provide excellent vehicle perfor-
mance, reduce vehicle emissions, and im-
prove air quality.OXYGENATES IN GASOLINE
Toyota allows the use of oxygenate
blended gasoline where the oxygenate
content is up to 10% ethanol or 15%
MTBE. If you use gasohol in your Toyo-
ta, be sure that it has an octane rating
no lower than 87.
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasoline containing methanol.
SULFUR IN GASOLINE
If your vehicle is certified to California
Emission Regulations, the vehicle is de-
signed to operate on California cleaner
burning gasoline (CBG) that contains
lower sulfer. If you cannot use Califor-
nia CBG, your emission control system
may suffer damage and turn on the
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.
If the malfunction is caused by the type
of fuel used, repairs may not be covered
by your warranty.
GASOLINE CONTAINING MMT
Some gasoline contain an octane en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
cropentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl).
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasoline that contains MMT. If fuel con-
taining MMT is used, your emission con-
trol system may be adversely affected.
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp on the in-
strument cluster may come on. If this hap-
pens, contact your Toyota dealer for ser-
vice.
GASOLINE QUALITY
In a very few cases, you may experience
drivability problems caused by the particu-
lar gasoline that you are using. If you
continue to have unacceptable drivability,
try changing gasoline brands. If this does
not rectify your problem, then consult your
Toyota dealer.

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
11 22001 MR2 (OM17482U)
NOTICE
Do not use gasohol other than
stated above. It will cause fuel sys-
tem damage or vehicle performance
problems.
 If driveability problems occur ( poor
hot starting, vaporizing, engine
knock, etc.), discontinue the use.
 Take care not to spill gasohol dur-
ing refueling. Gasohol may cause
paint damage.
FUEL TANK CAPACITY
48 L (12.7 gal., 10.6 Imp. gal.)
Fuel pump shut off system
The fuel pump shut off system stops sup-
plying fuel to the engine to minimize the
risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls
or an airbag inflates upon collision. To
restart the engine after the fuel pump shut
off system activates, turn the ignition
switch to ACC" or LOCK" once and start
it.
CAUTION
Inspect the ground under the vehicle
before restarting the engine. If you
find that liquid has leaked onto the
ground, it is the fuel system has
been damaged and it is in need of
repair. In this case, do not restart the
engine.
Operation in foreign countries
If you plan to drive your Toyota in
another country...
First, comply with the vehicle registration
laws.
Second, confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel (unleaded and minimum octane
number).

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
11 32001 MR2 (OM17482U)
Three−way catalytic converter
SB21013
The three−way catalytic converter is an
emission control device installed in the
exhaust system.
Its purpose is to reduce pollutants in the
exhaust gas.
CAUTION
Keep people and combustible mate-
rials away from the exhaust pipe
while the engine is running. The
exhaust gas is very hot.
Do not drive, idle or park your ve-
hicle over anything that might burn
easily such as grass, leaves, paper
or rags.
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the three−way catalytic
converter may cause it to overheat
and create a fire hazard. To prevent
this and other damage, observe the
following precautions:
Use only unleaded gasoline.
 Do not drive with an extremely low
fuel level; running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, creat-
ing an excessive load on the three−
way catalytic converter.
 Do not allow the engine to run at
idle speed for more than 20 min-
utes.
 Avoid racing the engine.
 Do not push−start or pull−start your
vehicle.
 Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.
 Keep your engine in good running
order. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electronic ignition
system/distributor ignition system
or fuel system could cause an ex-
tremely high three−way catalytic
converter temperature.
If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, take your
vehicle in for a check−up as soon
as possible. Remember, your Toyota
dealer knows your vehicle and its
three−way catalytic converter sys-
tem best.
 To ensure that the three−way
catalytic converter and the entire
emission control system operate
properly, your vehicle must receive
the periodic inspections required by
the Toyota Maintenance Schedule.
For scheduled maintenance
information, refer to the Scheduled
Maintenance Guide" or Owner’s
Manual Supplement".