tow TOYOTA TERCEL 1997 Owners Manual

Publication No. OM16502U
Part No. 01999-16502
Printed in Japan 07- 9801- 04
Quick index If a service reminder indicator or warning buzzer comes on 65 . . . . .
If your vehicle will not start 119
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If your engine stalls while driving 122 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your vehicle overheats 123
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If you have a flat tire 124
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If your vehicle needs to be towed 131 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for driving during break- in period 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to start the engine 113
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General maintenance 142
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Complete index 183
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Gas station information
Fuel type: UNLEADAD gasoline , Research Octane Number 91 (Octane Rating) or
higher
See page 101 for detailed information.
Fuel tank capacity: 45 L (11.9 gal., 9.9 lmp. gal.)
Engine oil: API SH, energy- Conserving llº multigrade engine oil or ILSAC multigrade
engine oil is recommended.
Use SAE 5W- 30 if normal temperatures are above -18 C (0 F).
See page 156 for detailed information.
Tire information: See pages 159 through 163.
Tire pressure: See page 178. T6
I

12
To open the trunk lid from the outside, insert the master key and turn it clock- wise. See ºLuggage stowage precautionsº in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load- ing luggage.
To close the trunk lid, lower it and press
down on it. After closing the trunk lid, try
pulling it up to make sure it is securely closed.
CAUTION!
Keep the trunk lid closed while driv-
ing. This not only keeps the luggage
from being thrown out but also pre-vents exhaust gases from entering
the vehicle.
To open the trunk lid from the driver's
seat, pull up on the lock release lever.
Trunk lidÐ
ÐLock release lever

21
For easy access to the rear seat, do this.
1. Lift the seatback angle adjusting leveror press the pedal behind the seat- back.
The seat will slide forward slightly.
2. Move the seat to the front-most posi- tion.
After passengers are in, lift up the seat- back and return the seat until it locks.
CAUTION!
After pulling back the seat, try
pushing the seat forward and rear-
ward to make sure it is secured inplace.
Never allow anyone to rest their
foot on the release pedal while the
vehicle is moving.
1. Pull up the seatback security lock
lever 1 to the unlock position.
2. Pull out the lock release strap 2.
3 Fold down the seatback.
Each seatback may be folded separately.
This will enlarge the trunk room as far as the front seatbacks. See Luggage stow-
age precautionsº in Part 2 for precautions
to observe in loading luggage.
ÐMoving passenger's
seat for
rear seat entry (2-door models) Fold-down rear seat

48
CAUTION!
Push and pull the child restraint
system in different directions to be
sure it is secure. Follow all the
installation instructions provided
by its manufacturer.
4. To remove the infant seat, press the
buckle-release button and allow the
belt to retract completely. The belt will
move freely again and be ready towork for an adult or older child passen-
ger.(B) CONVERTIBLE SEAT INSTALLA- TION
A convertible seat is used in forward-
facing and rear-facing position de-
pending on the child's age and size.When installing, follow the manufac-
turer 's instruction about the applica-
ble child's age and size as well as di-
rection of a child restraint system.

58
High-Low beamsÐFor high beams,
turn the headlights on and push the lever away from you (position 1). Pull the lever toward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will tell
you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)ÐPull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights with the knob turned to OFFº.TURN SIGNALS
To signal a turn, push the headlight/
turn signal lever up or down to posi-
tion 1. The key must be in the ONº position. The lever automatically returns after you make a turn, but you may have to return it by hand after you change lanes.
To signal a lane change, move the lever
up or down to the pressure point (position 2) and hold it.
If the turn signal indicator lights (green
lights) on the instrument panel flash faster
than normal, a front or rear turn signal bulb has burned out.To turn on the emergency flashers,
push the switch.
All the turn signal lights will flash. To turn
them off, push the switch once again.
Turn on the emergency flashers to warn other drivers if your vehicle must be
stopped where it might be a traf fic hazard.
Always pull as far off the road as possible.
The turn signal light switch will not work
when the emergency flashers are operat- ing.
Emergency flashers

60
Type A
Type BTo turn on the windshield wipers, move the lever to the desired setting. The key must be in the ONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Slow
Position 3Fast
To squirt washer fluid, push the button
at the end of the lever (type A) or, pull
the lever toward your and release it
(type B).
If the windshield wipers are off, they will op-
erate a couple of times after the washer
squirts.
For instructions on adding washer fluid, see
Adding washer fluidº in Chapter 7- 3.
In freezing weather, warm the windshield
with the defroster before using the washer.
This will help prevent washer fluid from
freezing on your windshield, which could
block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the windshield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
Type A
Type B
Windshield wipers and washer (intermittent type)
Windshield wipers andwasher (mist type)

61
To turn on the windshield wipers, move the lever to the desired setting. The key must be in the ONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Slow
Position 2Fast
For a single sweep of the windshield, push the lever up and release it.
To squirt washer fluid, push the button
at the end of the lever (type A) or, pull
the lever toward you and release it
(type B).
For instructions on adding washer fluid, see Adding washer fluidº in Chapter 7-3.
In freezing weather, warm the windshield with the defroster before using the wash-
er. This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which
could block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the windshield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
To defog or defrost the rear window,
push the switch. The key must be in the ONº position.
The thin heater wires on the inside of the rear window will quickly clear the surface. An indicator light will illuminate to indicatethe defogger is operating. Push the switch once again to turn the de-
fogger off.
With timer: The system will automatically
shut off after the defogger has operated
about 15 minutes. Make sure you turn the defogger off when
the window is clear. Leaving the defogger
on for a long time could cause the battery
to discharge, especially during stop-and-
go driving. The defogger is not designed
for drying rain water or for melting snow.
NOTICE
Without timer: To prevent the bat-
tery from being discharged, turn
the switch on when the engine is
running.
When cleaning the inside of the rear window, be careful not toscratch or damage the heaterwires.
Rear window defogger

66(a) Brake System Warning Light This light has the following functions: Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the parking
brake is
fully released. The light should go
off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on while
you are driving, slowdown and pull off the
road. Then stop the vehicle carefully.There maybe a problem somewhere in
the brake system. Check the fluid level of
the see-through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has not
caused the warning light to come on,
check to see that the parking brake is fully
released.
If the brake fluid level is low...
At a safe place, test your brakes by start-
ing and stopping. If you judge that the brakes still work
adequately, drive cautiously to yournearest dealer or shop for repairs.
If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs. (For tow-
ing information, see Part 4.)
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level
is low. CAUTION
!
If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and Buzz-
er
Once the ignition key is turned to ONº or
STARTº, the reminder light and buzzer
come on if the driver's seat belt is not fas- tened. Unless the driver fastens the belt,
the light stays on and the buzzer stops af-
ter about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the chargingsystem.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, radio, e tc., and drive directly to the
nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are driv-
ing, pull off the road to a safe place and
stop the engine immediately. Call a Toyo-
ta dealer or qualified repair shop for assis-tance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on brief-
ly after a hard stop. There is no cause forconcern if it then goes out when the en-
gine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to indi- cate low oil level, and the oil level must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the warning light onÐeven for one
block. It may ruin the engine.

70Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of Pº position when the brake
pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ONº position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the engineº in Part 3. The trans- mission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
In Dº position, the automatic transmis-
sion system will select the most suitable
gear for running conditions such as nor-
mal cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting. CAUTION
!
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
Automatic transmission (3-speed type)

71
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift the transmission as follows:
Shift into the 2º position when the ve-
hicle speed is lower than the 84 km/h
(52 mph). The transmission will down-
shift to the second gear and more en-gine braking will be obtained.
Shift into the Lº position when the ve-
hicle speed is lower than 39 km/h (24
mph). The transmission will downshiftto the first gear and maximum enginebraking will be applied.
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin orskid. CAUTION
! (c) Using the 2º and Lº positions
The 2º and Lº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously. With the selector lever in 2º or Lº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in Dº. With the selector lever in 2º, the vehicle
will
start in the first gear and automatically
shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in Lº, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to
keep engine rpm from going into
the red zone. The approximatemaximum allowable speed for
each position is given below foryour reference: 2º 100 km/h (62 mph). . . . . .
Lº 55 km/h (34 mph) . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
2º or Lº position. This may cause severe automatic trasmis-sion damage from overheating. To
prevent such damage, Dº posi-
tion should be used in hill climb-ing or hard towing.
(d) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
Rº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.