traction control TOYOTA CAMRY 1997 Owners Manual

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1. Power rear view mirror control
switch
2. Headlight and turn signal switch
3. Wiper and washer switches
4. Clock
5. Emergency flasher switch
6. Car audio
7. Rear window and outside rear view
mirror defoggers switch
8. Air conditioning controls
9. Front ashtray
10. Power outlet
11. Cigarette lighter
12. Ignition switch
13. Cruise control switch
14. Tilt steering lock release lever
15. Traction control system off switch
16. Instrument panel light control knob
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Automatic transmission indicator light.Traction control system off
indicator/warning light *1
Turn signal indicator lights.
Headlight high beam indicator light
Overdrive-of f indicator lighrt.
Cruise control indicator light*
2
Slip indicator light.
*1: For details, see Service reminder indicators and
warning buzzersº in Chapter 1-5.
*
2: If this light flashes, see Cruise controlº in Chapter 1-6.
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Front
RearThe cup holder is designed for holding
cups or drink-cans fit snugly in its
holes.
Front: To use the holder, open the lid.
Rear: To use the holder, pull it out.

Do not place anything else on the
cup holder, as such items may be
thrown about and possible injure
people in the vehicle during sud-
den braking or accident.

Keep the cup holder shut when not
in use.
CAUTION!
Slip indicator light
TRAC OFFº indicator/warning light
Cup holder Traction control system
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AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL
SYSTEM
The traction control system automati-
cally controls spinning of the front
wheels which may occur when accel-
erating on slippery road surfaces, thus
assisting driver control and driving
power to the front wheels. When you
turn the ignition switch on, the trac-
tion control system always turns on
automatically, and the slip indicator/
warning light will come on. the indica-
tor lights will go off after about 3 sec-
onds.
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 slight clicking noise in the
engine compartment when the engine is
started. This means that the traction con-
trol system is in the self-check mode.,
and does not indicate malfunction. When
the traction control system is operating,
you may feel vibration of your vehicle,
caused by operation of brakes. This indi-
cates the system is functioning properly.When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the traction control system
will operate to prevent the wheels from
spinning. Even though the accelerator
pedal is fully depressed, the engine speed
will be restrained to a certain level.
MANUAL OPERATION
You can turn off the traction control
system by pushing the TRAC OFFº
switch. The TRAC OFFº indicator/
warning light will come on. Pushing
the TRAC OFFº switch a second time
turns on the traction control system
and the TRAC OFFº indicator/warn-
ing light will go off.
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Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full stability of the vehicles
and power to the front wheels can-
not be maintained, even though the
traction control system is in opera-
tion. In situations where the road
surface is covered with ice or snow,
your vehicle should be fitted with
snow tires or tire chains and driven
at a more cautious pace.CAUTION
!
Use a floor mat of the correct size.
If the floor mat has a hole, then it is de-
signed for use with a locking clip. Fix the
floor mat and locking clip into the hole in
the floor carpet.
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
driving, it may cause an accident.CAUTION
! Floor Mat
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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 facilitat-
ing the tracing and recovery of parts from
stolen vehicles. The label is designed so
that once it is applied to a surface, any at-
tempt to remove it will result in destroying
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
violate certain state or federal laws.
CAUTION!
Do not modify the suspension/
chassis with lift kits, spacers,
springs, etc. It can cause danger-
ous vehicle handling characteris-
tics, resulting in loss of control.Determine what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with
Summer tires.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
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 ad-
equate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance compared
with summer tires in highway driving.
Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada) Suspension and chassis Types of tires
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To equalize tire wear and help extend
tire life, Toyota recommends that you
rotate your tires every 12000 km (7500
miles). However, the most appropriate
timing for tire rotation may vary ac-
cording to your driving habits and
road surface conditions.
See If you have a flat tireº in Part 4 for tire
change procedure.
When rotating tires, check for even wear
and damage. Abnormal wear is usually
caused by incorrect tire pressure, improp-
er wheel alignment, out-of-balance
wheels, or severe braking.
CAUTION!
Do not include a compact spare tire
when rotating the tires. It is
designed for temporary use only.WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recom-
mended 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 tires of
the same size, construction and load
capacity as the original tires on your
Toyota. Do not use tires other than
those mentioned above.
Do not install studded tires without first
checking local regulations for possible re-
strictions.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the front wheels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires which would cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place. Mark the di-
rection of rotation and be sure to install
them in the same direction when replac-
ing.
Rotating tiresInstalling snow tires and
chains
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Instrument panel
14. DOME 7.5 A: Theft deterrent system,
daytime running light system, clock,
locking with wireless remote control
system, ignition switch light, personal
light, trunk light, electric moon roof
lamp, interior light, vanity mirror light,
door courtesy light, power door lock
system
15. ECU-B 7.5 A: Cruise control system,
anti-lock brake system, SRS airbag
system
16. DRL NO. 2 5 A (vehicles sold in Can-
ada): Daytime running light system
17. HEAD (LH-LO) 10 A: Left-hand
headlight18. HEAD (RH-LO) 10 A: Right-hand
headlight
19. SEAT-HEA TER 20 A: No circuit
20. HEATER 10 A: Air conditioning sys-
tem, rear window defogger, starting
system
21. 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
22. WIPER 20 A: Windshield wipers and
washer
23. MIRROR-HEA TER 10A: Outside
rear view mirror defogger
24. ECU-IG 15 A: Cruise control system,
anti-lock brake system, power anten-
na, SRS airbag system, theft deterrent
system, shift lock control system, trac-
tion control system, daytime running
light system, locking with wireless re-
mote control system, multiport fuel in-
jection system/sequential multiport
fuel injection system25. IGN 5A: Gauges and meters, charging
system, SRS airbag system, multiport
fuel injection system/sequential multi-
port fuel injection system
26. STOP 15 A: Stop lights, cruise control
system, high-mounted stoplight, anti-
lock brake system, shift lock control
system, multiport fuel injection sys-
tem/sequential multiport fuel injection
system
17. TAIL 10 A: Parking lights, license
plate lights, tail lights, front side mark-
er lights, daytime running light system,
multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system
28. POWER-OUTLET 15 A: Power outlet
29. OBD 7.5 A: On-board diagnosis sys-
tem
30. FOG 15 A: No circuit
31. STARTER 5 A: Gauges and meters,
multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system
32. DOOR 25 A: Power door lock system,
theft deterrent system, fuel filler door
control system
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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
vehicle tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to
these grades. These quality grades are
molded on the sidewall.
TreadwearÐThe treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified govern-
ment 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 conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.Traction A, B, CÐThe traction grades,
from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C,
and they represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor trac-
tion 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, CÐThe temperature
grades are A (the highest), B, and C, rep-
resenting the tire's resistance to the gen-
eration of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specific indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire life, and ex-
cessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance 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 proper-
ly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive load-
ing, wither separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire
failure.
Uniform tire quality grading
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