traction control TOYOTA SOLARA 1999 Owners Manual

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Instrument panel overview
1. Side defroster outlets
2. Side vents
3. Instrument cluster
4. Center vents
5. Glovebox
6. Electric moon roof switch andpersonal light
7. Garage door opener or miscellaneous box
8. Power door lock switches
9. Power window switches
10. Traction control system off switch 11. Cup holders
12. Cup holder or rear ashtray
13. Parking brake lever
14. Automatic transmission selector lever or manual transmission gear shift lever
15. Auxiliary box
16. Hood lock release lever

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Indicator symbols on the instrument panel
Brake system warning light
*
1
Driver 's seat belt reminder light *
1
Discharge warning light *
1
Malfunction indicator lamp *
1
Low oil pressure warning light *
1
(type A)
(type B)Anti-lock brake system warning light
*
1
(type A)
(type B)
Open door warning light
*
1
Rear light failure warning light *
1
SRS airbag warning light *
1
Low windshield washer fluid level warning
light *
1
Traction control system off indicator/warning
light *
1
Front passenger 's seat belt reminder light *
1

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Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1- 8
Other equipment
Clock
Thermometer
Cigarette lighter and ashtrays
Power outlet
Glovebox
Garage door opener
Garage door opener box
Miscellaneous box
Auxiliary box
Cup holder
Traction control system
Floor mat
Clock
The digital clock indicates the time.
The key must be in the ``ACC'' or ``ON''
position.
To reset the hour: Push the ``H'' button.
To reset the minutes: Push the ``M'' but-
ton.
If the electrical power source has been
disconnected from the clock, the time dis-
play will automatically be set to 1:00 (one
o'clock).
When the instrument panel lights are
turned on, the brightness of the time in-
dication will be reduced.
ThermometerThe thermometer indicates the outside
air temperature when you push the
ºTEMPº selector button.
The key must be in the ºONº position.
Pushing the button once again will turn off
the display.
When the air conditioning system is on,
pushing the button once indicates the out-
side temperature and a second time
changes the display back to the air condi-
tioning temperature.

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Traction control system
Slip indicator light
ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning light
AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL SYS- TEM
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps control the spinning of the
front wheels which may occur when ac-
celerating on slippery road surfaces,
thus assisting driver to control the driv-
ing power of the front wheels. When
you turn the ignition switch on, the
traction control system always turns on
automatically, and the slip indicator
light and ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning
light will come on. The indicator lights
will go off after a few seconds.
Leave the system on during ordinary
driving so that it can operate when
needed. When traction control is ap-
plied, the slip indicator light blinks.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the traction
control system is in the self- check mode,
and does not indicate malfunction. When
the traction control system is operating,
you may feel vibration or noise of your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is func-
tioning properly.
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the traction control system
will help operate to prevent the wheels
from spinning.

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MANUAL OPERATION
You can turn off the traction control
system by pushing the ºTRAC OFFº
switch. The ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warn-
ing light will come on. Pushing the
ºTRAC OFFº switch a second time
turns on the traction control system
and the ºTRAC OFFº indicator/warning
light will go off.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicles and
power to the front wheels may not be
maintained, even though the traction
control system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle at any speed or con-
duct any during maneuver which will
cause the vehicle to lose traction. In
situations where the road surface is
covered with ice or snow, your ve-
hicle should be fitted with snow tires
or tire chains. Always drive at an ap-
propriate and cautious speed for the
road conditions present.
Floor mat
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.

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Your new vehicle carries theft preven-
tion labels which are approximately 56
mm (2.20 in.) by 16 mm (0.63 in.).
The purpose of these labels is to reduce
the incidence of vehicle thefts by fac
ilitat-
ing the tracing and recovery of parts from
stolen vehicles. The label is designed so
that once it is applied to a surface, any
attempt to remove it will result in destroy-
ing the integrity of the label. Transferring
these labels intact from one part to anoth-
er, will be impossible.
NOTICE
You should not attempt to remove the
theft prevention labels as it may vio-late certain state or federal laws.
Suspension and chassis
CAUTION
Do not modify the suspension/chassis
with lift kits, spacers, springs, etc. It
can cause dangerous vehicle handling
characteristics, resulting in loss of
control.
Types of tires
Determine what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high- speed capab ility
tires best suited to highway driving under
dry conditions.
Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, sum-
mer tires are inadequate for driving on
snow- covered or icy roads. For driving on
snow- covered or icy roads, we recom-
mend using snow tires. If installing snow
tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions, as
well as for use all year round.
All season tires, however, do not have
adequate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accel-
eration and handling performance
compared with summer tires in highway
driving.
Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada)

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CAUTION
Do not mix radial, bias belted, or
bias- ply tires on your vehicle. It
can cause dangerous handling char-
acteristics, resulting in loss of con-
trol.
Do not use tires or wheels other
than the manufacturer 's recom-
mended size.
Toyota recommends all four tires, or at
least both of the front or rear tires be
replaced at a time as a set.
See ºIf you have a flat tireº in Part 4 for
tire change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Wheels can get out
of balance with regular use and should
therefore be balanced occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the air
valve should also be replaced with a
new one. Rotating tires
To equalize the wear and help extend
tire life, Toyota recommends that you
rotate your tires approximately every
12000 km (7500 miles). However, the
most appropriate timing for tire rotation
may vary according to your driving hab-
its and road surface conditions.
See ºIf you have a flat tireº in Part 4 for
tire change procedure.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is usu-
ally caused by incorrect tire pressure, im-
proper wheel alignment, out- of- balance
wheels, or severe braking.
WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recommended
when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires.
SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select the same
size, construction and load capacity as
the original tires on your Toyota.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the front w
heels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capab ility between the front
and rear tires which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires you should
store them in a cool dry place. Mark the
direction of rotation and be sure to install
them in the same direction when replac-
ing. Installing snow tires and
chains

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Engine compartment (type B)
14. RADIO NO.1 20 A: Audio system
15. DOME 7.5 A: Theft deterrent system,
daytime running light system, clock,
locking with wireless remote control
system, ignition switch light, pers onal
light, trunk light, electric moon roof,
interior light, vanity mirror light, door
courtesy light, power door lock system
16. ECU- B 10 A: Cruise control system,
anti- lock brake system, SRS airbag
system, seat belt pretensi oners
17. DRL NO.2 5 A: Daytime running light
systemInstrument panel
18. H- LP LH(LWR) 10 A: Left- hand head-
light
19. H- LP RH(LWR) 10 A: Right- hand
headlight
20. SEAT- HEATER 20 A: No circuit
21. HEATER 10 A: Air conditioning system,
rear window defogger, starting system
22. GAUGE 10 A: Gauges and meters,
back- up lights, cruise control system,
charging system, traction control sys-
tem, daytime running light system,
power windows, service reminder indi-
cators and warning buzzers 23. WIPER 25 A:
Windshield wipers and
washer
24. MIRROR- HEATER 10 A: Outside rear
view mirror defogger
25. ECU- IG 15 A: Cruise control system,
anti- lock brake system, SRS airbag
system, seat belt pretensi oners, theft
deterrent system, shift lock control sys-
tem, traction control system, daytime
running light system, locking with wire-
less remote control system, multiport
fuel injection system/sequential multi-
port fuel injection system
26. IGN 5 A: Gauges and meters, charging
system, SRS airbag system, seat belt
pretensioners, multiport fuel injection
system/s equential multiport fuel injec-
tion system
27. STOP 15 A: Stop lights, cruise control
system, high- m ounted stoplight, anti-
lock brake system, shift lock control
system, multiport fuel injection system/
sequential multiport fuel injection sys-
tem
28. TAIL 10 A: Parking lights, license plate
lights, tail lights, front side marker
lights, daytime running light system,
multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
tial multiport fuel injection system
29. POWER- OUTLET 15 A: Power outlet

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Uniform tire quality grading
This information has been prepared in ac-
cordance with regulations issued by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration of the U.S. Department of Trans-
portation. It provides the purchasers and/
or prospective purchasers of Toyota
vehicles with information on uniform tire
quality grading.
Your Toyota dealer will help answer any
questions you may have as you read this
information.
DOT quality gradesÐAll passenger ve-
hicle tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to
these grades. These quality grades are
molded on the sidewall.
TreadwearÐ
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test
course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and a half (1- 1/2) times
as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may de-
part significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service prac-
tices and differences in road characteris-
tics and climate. Traction AA, A, B, CÐ
The traction
grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C, and they represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-
sured under controlled conditions on spe-
cified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, CÐ The temperature
grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ab ility to dissi-
pate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the material of the tire to de-
generate and reduce tire life, and exces-
sive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a lev-
el of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No.109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law. Warning: The temperature grades for this
tire are established for a tire that is prop-
erly inflated and not overloaded. Exces-
sive speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combina-
tion, can cause heat buildup and possible
tire failure.