ECU TOYOTA CAMRY 1996 Owner's Manual

136When stowing luggage or cargo in the ve-
hicle, observe the following:

Put luggage or cargo in the trunk or
luggage compartment when at all pos-
sible. Be sure all items are secured in
place.

Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far
forward as possible helps maintain
this.

For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION!

To prevent luggage or packages
from sliding forward during brak-
ing, do not stack anything in the
enlarged trunk room or the lug-
gage compartment higher than
the seatbacks. Keep luggage or
packages low, as close to the floor
as possible.

Never allow anyone to ride in the
enlarged trunk room or the lug-
gage compartment. It is not de-
signed for passengers. They
should ride in their seats with their
seat belts properly fastened.
Otherwise, they are much more
likely to suffer serious bodily inju-
ry, in the event of sudden braking
or a collision.

Do not place anything on the filler
panel behind the rear seatback or
luggage cover. Such items may be
thrown about and possibly injure
people in the vehicle during sud-
den braking or an accident.

Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver's field
of view. Or they may move during
sharp vehicle acceleration or turn-
ing, and impair the driver's control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.
NOTICE
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight specified in
Part 8.
The vehicle identification number
(VIN) is the legal identifier for your ve-
hicle. This number is on the left top of
the instrument panel, and can be seen
through the windshield from outside.
The vehicle identification number (VIN) is
also on the Certification Label.
This is the primary identification number
for your Toyota. It is used in registering the
ownership of your vehicle.
Luggage stowage precautions Your Toyota's identification
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144HITCHES

Use only a hitch which is recom-
mended by the hitch manufacturer and
conforms to the total trailer weight re-
quirement.

Follow the directions supplied by the
hitch manufacturer. Lubricate the hitch
ball with a light coat of grease.

Toyota recommends removing the
trailer hitch whenever you are not tow-
ing a trailer to reduce the possibility of
additional damage caused by the hitch
if your vehicle is struck from behind.
NOTICE
Do not use axle-mounted hitches
as they can cause damage to the
axle housing, wheel bearings,
wheels or tires. Also, never install a
hitch which may interfere with the
normal function of an Energy
Absorbing Bumper, if so equipped.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS

Toyota recommends trailers with
brakes that conform to any applica-
ble federal and state/provincial reg-
ulations.
A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain should
cross under the trailer tongue to
prevent the tongue from dropping
to the ground in case it becomes
damaged or separated. For correct
safety chain procedures, follow the
hitch or trailer manufacturer's rec-
ommendations.
CAUTION!

If the total trailer weight exceeds
453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer brakes are
required.

Never tap into your vehicle's hy-
draulic system as it would lower
its braking effectiveness.

Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling
unit or hitch ball, there is danger
of the trailer wandering over into
another lane.TIRES

Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. Adjust the tire pres-
sure to the recommended cold tire
pressure indicated below (see Chap-
ter 7-2 for instructions.):
Tire pressure, kPa (kgf/cm
2 or bar, psi)
Sedan and coupe
5S-FE engine
Front 210 (2.1, 30)
Rear 210 (2.1, 30)
1MZ-FE engine
Front 220 (2.2, 32)
Rear 220 (2.2, 32)
Wagon
5S-FE engine
Front 220 (2.2, 32)
Rear 240 (2.4, 35)
1MZ-FE engine
Front 220 (2.2, 32)
Rear 240 (2.4, 35)

The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the
trailer manufacturer in respect to the
total trailer weight.
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145 TRAILER LIGHTS

Trailer lights must comply with federal,
state/provincial and local regulations.
See your local recreational vehicle
dealer or rental agency for the correct
type of wiring and relays for your trail-
er. Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each time
you hitch up. Direct splicing may dam-
age your vehicle's electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.
BREAK-IN SCHEDULE

Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a ve-
hicle with any new power train compo-
nent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE

If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will re-
quire more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the Own-
er 's Manual Supplement/Maintenance
Scheduleº.

Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.PRE-T OWING SAFETY CHECK

Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspen-
sion or other possible causes.

Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.

Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulation. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle-
trailer accidents are driver error, ex-
cessive speed and improper trailer
loading. Keep these in mind when tow-
ing:

Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle-trailer con-
nections. After driving a short dis-
tance, stop and recheck the lights and
connections. Before actually towing a
trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing with a trailer in an area away
from traffic until you learn the feel.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and re-
quires practice. Grip the bottom of the
steering wheel and move your hand to
the left to move the trailer to the left.
Move your hand to the right to move
the trailer to the right. (This procedure
is generally opposite to that when
backing without a trailer). Also, just
turn the steering wheel a little at a time,
avoiding sharp or prolonged turning.
Have someone guide you when back-
ing to reduce the risk of an accident.

Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle-to-vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.

Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion. If your vehicle has manual trans-
mission, prevent excessive clutch slip-
page by keeping engine rpm low and
not racing the engine. Always start out
in first gear.ProCarManuals.com

155
1. Get the tool bag, jack and spare tire.
To prepare yourself for an emergency,
you should familiarize yourself with the
use of the jack, each of the tools and their
storage locations.When removing the jack, turn the joint by
hand towards the CONTRACT direction
until the jack is free. When storing, turn
the joint by hand towards the EXPAND di-
rection until the jack is firmly secured to
prevent it from flying forward during a col-
lision or sudden braking.To remove the spare tire:
1. Loosen the nut and remove it.
2. Remove the spare tire cover.
3. Loosen and remove the bolt and
spacer.
4. Take the spare tire out of the vehicle.
When storing the spare tire, put it in place
with the outer side of the wheel facing up.
Then secure the tire by repeating the
above removal steps in reverse order to
prevent it from flying forward during a col-
lision or sudden braking.
ÐRequired tools and spare
tire (sedan and coupe)
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156
1. Get the tool bag, jack and spare tire.
To prepare yourself for an emergency,
you should familiarize yourself with the
use of the jack, each of the tools and their
storage locations.When removing the jack, turn the joint by
hand towards the CONTRACT direction
until the jack is free. When storing, turn
the joint by hand towards the EXPAND di-
rection until the jack is firmly secured to
prevent it from flying forward during a col-
lision or sudden braking.To remove the spare tire:
1. Loosen the nut and remove it.
2. Remove the spare tire cover.
ÐRequired tools and spare
tire (wagon with third seat)
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157
3. Loosen and remove the bolt.
4. Take the spare tire out of the vehicle.
When storing the spare tire, put it in place
with the inner side of the wheel facing in-
ward. Then secure the tire by repeating
the above removal steps in reverse order
to prevent it from flying forward during a
collision or sudden braking.1. Get the tool bag, jack and spare tire.
To prepare yourself for an emergency,
you should familiarize yourself with the
use of the jack, each of the tools and their
storage locations.When removing the jack, turn the joint by
hand towards the CONTRACT direction
until the jack is free. When storing, turn
the joint by hand towards the EXPAND di-
rection until the jack is firmly secured to
prevent it from flying forward during a col-
lision or sudden braking.
ÐRequired tools and spare tire
(wagon without third seat)
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158
To remove the spare tire:
1. Loosen and remove the bolt and
spacer.
2. Take the spare tire out of the vehicle.
When storing the spare tire, put it in place
with the outer side of the wheel facing up.
Then secure the tire by repeating the
above removal steps in reverse order to
prevent it from flying forward during a col-
lision or sudden braking.2. Block the wheel diagonally oppo-
site the flat tire to keep the vehicle from
rolling when it is jacked up.
When blocking the wheel, place a wheel
block from the front for the front wheels or
from the rear for the rear wheels.3. Remove the wheel ornament.
Pry off the wheel ornament, using the bev-
eled end of the wheel nut wrench as
shown.
Do not try to pull off the ornament
by hand. Take due care in handling
the ornament to avoid unexpected
personal injury.CAUTION
! ÐRemoving wheel ornament ÐBlocking the wheel
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161
8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts finger
tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end in-
ward) and tighten them as much as you
can by hand. Press back on the tire and
see if you can tighten them more.9. Lower the vehicle completely and
tighten the wheel nuts.
Turn the jack handle counterclockwise to
lower the vehicle.
Use only the wheel nut wrench to tighten
the nuts. Do not use other tools or any
additional leverage other than your
hands, such as a hammer, pipe or your
foot. Make sure the wrench is securely en-
gaged over the nut.
Tighten each nut a little at a time in the or-
der shown. Repeat the process until all
the nuts are tight.10. Reinstall the wheel ornament.
Put the wheel ornament into position and
then tap it firmly with the side or heel of
your hand to snap it into place.
Take due care in handling the orna-
ment to avoid unexpected personal
injury.CAUTION
! ÐLowering your vehicle ÐReinstalling wheel ornament ÐReinstalling wheel nuts
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162
11.Check the air pressure of the re-
placed tire.
Adjust the air pressure to the specification
designated in Part 8. If the pressure is
lower, drive slowly to the nearest service
station and fill to the correct pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire inflation
valve cap as dirt and moisture could get
into the valve core and possibly cause air
leakage. If the cap is missing, have a new
one put on as soon as possible.
12. Restow all the tools, jack and flat
tire securely.
As soon as possible after changing
wheels, tighten the wheel nuts to the
torque specified in Part 8 with a torque
wrench and have a technician repair the
flat tire.
Before driving, make sure all the
tools, jack and flat tire are securely
in place in their storage location to
reduce the possibility of personal
injury during a collision or sudden
braking.CAUTION
!
Wagon with third seat onlyÐWhen storing
the flat tire, install the tire with the bolt
fitted in the upper hole of the tire stopper.
At this time, the spare tire cover cannot be
put on.
ÐAfter changing wheels
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164
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck,
either from the front or rear. This
may cause body damage.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed by a cable secured to
one of the emergency towing eyelets
under the front of the vehicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it
and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in neutral
(manual) or Nº (automatic). The key must
be in ACCº (engine off) or ONº (engine
running).
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.
ÐEmergency towing
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