check transmission fluid TOYOTA CAMRY CNG 1999 Owners Manual

120
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See Chapter 7−2 for recommended viscos-
ity. Leaving a heavy summer oil in your
vehicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, call your authorized
Toyota CNG dealer—he will be pleased to
help.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de−icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing. To open
a frozen look, try heating the key before
inserting it.
Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your autho-
rized Toyota CNG dealer and most auto
parts stores. Follow the manufacturer ’s
directions for how much to mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may dam-
age your vehicle’s paint.
Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
“P” and block the rear wheels. Do not use
the parking brake, or snow or water accu-
mulated in and around the parking brake
mechanism may freeze, making it hard to
release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the
vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a
passenger−carrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer will have an adverse effect on
handling, performance, braking, durability
and driving economy (fuel consumption,
etc.). Your safety and satisfaction depend
on the proper use of correct equipment
and cautious driving habits. For your
safety and the safety of others, you must
not overload your vehicle or trailer. Toyota
warranties do not apply to damage or
malfunction caused by towing a trailer for
commercial purposes. Ask your authorized
Toyota CNG dealer for further details
before towing.
WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total trailer
weight, gross vehicle weight, gross axle
weight and trailer tongue load are all with-
in the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station, build-
ing supply company, trucking company,
junk yard, etc.

131
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve-
hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in “P”
and apply the parking brake. Turn off
the air conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from the
radiator, hoses,and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-
gine immediately. Call your authorized
Toyota CNG dealer for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check
the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
6. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You should have it checked as
soon as possible at your authorized
Toyota CNG dealer.
If your vehicle overheats

153
Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Chapter 7−2 for
additional information. When checking the
tires, make sure no nuts are missing, and
check the nuts for looseness. Tighten
them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500
miles). See Chapter 7−2 for additional in-
formation.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking oil, water or
other fluid after the vehicle has been
parked for a while. If you smell fuel fumes
or notice any leak, have the cause found
and corrected immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including trunk lid
operate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. Make sure the engine hood sec-
ondary latch secures the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch is released.
INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing periodic
services, cleaning the vehicle, etc.Lights
Make sure the headlights, stop lights, tail
lights, turn signal lights, and other lights
are all working. Check headlight aim.
Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers function properly.
Steering wheel
Be alert for changes in steering condition,
such as hard steering or strange noise.
Seats
Check that all front seat controls such as
seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. op-
erate smoothly and that all latches lock
securely in any position. Check that the
head restraints move up and down
smoothly and that the locks hold securely
in any latched position.
Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as
buckles, retractors and anchors operate
properly and smoothly. Make sure that the
belt webbings not cut, frayed, worn or
damaged.Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
uneven pedal effort or catching.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
that the pedal has the proper clearance.
Check the brake booster function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do
not pull to one side when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the lever has the proper travel
and that, on a safe incline, your vehicle
is held securely with only the parking
brake applied.
Automatic transmission “Park” mecha-
nism
Check the lock release button of the se-
lector lever for proper and smooth opera-
tion. On a safe incline, check that your
vehicle is held securely with the selector
lever in “P” position and all brakes re-
leased.

161
Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.
Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers or
onto the ground. Call your autho-
rized Toyota CNG dealer or a ser-
vice station for information con-
cerning recycling or disposal.
NOTICE
Remember that battery and ignition
cables carry high currents or volt-
ages. Be careful of accidentally
causing a short circuit.
Be careful not to touch the fuel
pipe unintentionally. If an excessive
force is applied on the pipe, gas
may leak from its connections.
Add only demineralized or distilled
water to fill the radiator. And if you
spill some of the coolant, be sure
to wash off with water to prevent it
from damaging the parts or paint.
Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plugholes.
Use only spark plugs of the speci-
fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
Do not reuse platinum−tipped spark
plugs by cleaning or regapping.
Do not overfill automatic transmis-
sion fluid, or the transmission
could be damaged.
Do not drive with the air cleaner
filter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the engine
compartment.
Be careful not to scratch the glass
surface with the wiper frame.
When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-
gotten any tools, rags, etc.
Parts and tools
Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need on performing do−it−yourself mainte-
nance. Remember all Toyota parts are de-
signed in metric sizes, so your tools must
be metric.
Checking the engine oil level
Parts (if level is low):
Engine oil API grade SJ,
“Energy−Conserving” or ILSAC multi-
grade having viscosity proper for your
climate
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding oil)
Checking the engine coolant level
Parts (if level is low):
“TOYOTA Long Life Coolant” or equiva-
lent
See Chapter 7−2 for details about cool-
ant type selection.
Demineralized or distilled water
Tools:
Funnel (only for adding coolant)

162
Checking brake fluid
Parts (if level is low):
SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
brake fluid
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding fluid)
Checking power steering fluid
Parts (if level is low):
Automatic transmission fluid
DEXRON®II or III
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding fluid)
Checking battery condition
Tools:
Warm water
Baking soda
Grease
Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)Checking and replacing fuses
Parts (if replacement is necessary):
Genuine Toyota fuse or equivalent with
same amperage rating as original
Adding washer fluid
Parts:
Water
Washer fluid containing antifreeze (for
winter use)
Tools:
Funnel
Replacing light bulbs
Parts:
Bulb with same number and wattage
rating as original (See charts in “Re-
placing light bulbs” in Chapter 7−3.)
Tools:
Screwdriver
Flat−bladed screwdriver

167
Clean all dirt from outside of the reservoir
tank and look at the fluid level. If the fluid
is cold, the level should be in the “COLD”
range. Similarly, if it is hot, the fluid level
should be in the “HOT” range. If the level
is at the low side of either range, add
automatic transmission fluid DEXRONII
or III to bring the level within the range.
To remove the filler cap, turn it counter-
clockwise and lift up. To reinstall it, turn
it clockwise. After replacing the filler cap,
visually check the steering box case, vane
pump and hose connections for leaks or
damage.
CAUTION
The reservoir tank may be hot so be
careful not to burn yourself.
NOTICE
Avoid overfilling, or the power steer-
ing could be damaged.
Checking tire pressure
Keep your tire pressures at the proper
level.
The recommended cold tire pressures, tire
size and the vehicle capacity weight are
given in Part 8. They are also on the tire
pressure label as shown.
You should check the tire pressures every
two weeks, or at least once a month. And
don’t forget the spare!
Incorrect tire pressure can reduce tire
life and make your vehicle less safe to
drive.Low tire pressure results in excessive
wear, poor handling, reduced fuel econo-
my, and the possibility of blowouts from
overheated tires. Also, low tire pressure
can cause poor sealing of the tire bead.
If the tire pressure is excessively low,
there is the possibility of wheel deforma-
tion and/or tire separation.
High tire pressure produces a harsh ride,
handling problems, excessive wear at the
center of the tire tread, and a greater
possibility of tire damage from road haz-
ards.
If a tire frequently needs refilling, have it
checked by your authorized Toyota CNG
dealer.
The following instructions for checking
tire pressure should be observed:
The pressure should be checked only
when the tires are cold. If your ve-
hicle has been parked for at least 3
hours and has not been driven for
more than 1.5 km or 1 mile since, you
will get an accurate cold tire pressure
reading.
Always use a tire pressure gauge.
The appearance of a tire can be mis-
leading. Besides, tire pressures that
are even just a few pounds off can
degrade handling and ride.

187
COOLING SYSTEM
Total capacity, L (qt., Imp. qt.):
6.9 (7.3, 6.1)
Coolant type:
“TOYOTA Long Life Coolant” or equiva-
lent
With ethylene−glycol type coolant for a
proper corrosion protection of aluminum
components
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or
plain water alone.
BATTERY
Open voltage
∗ at 20C (68F):
12.6—12.8V Fully charged
12.2—12.4V Half charged
11.8—12.0V Discharged
∗: Voltage that is checked 20 minutes af-
ter the key is removed with all the
lights turned off
Charging rates:
5 A max.AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
Automatic transmission
Fluid capacity (drain and refill),
L (qt., Imp. qt.):
Up to 2.5 (2.6, 2.2)
Fluid type:
Automatic transmission fluid D−ll or
DEXRONIIl (DEXRONII)
Differential
Fluid capacity L (qt., Imp. qt.):
1.6 (1.7, 1.4)
Fluid type:
Automatic transmission fluid D−II or
DEXRONIII (DEXRONII)
BRAKES
Minimum pedal clearance when depressed
with the pressure of 490 N (50 kgf, 110
lbf) with the engine running, mm (in.):
70 (2.8)
Pedal free play, mm (in.):
1—6 (0.04—0.24)
Pad wear limit, mm (in.):
1.0 (0.04)
Lining wear limit, mm (in.):
1.0 (0.04)
Parking brake adjustment when pulled with
the force of 196 N (20 kgf, 44 lbf):
5—8 clicksFluid type:
SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
STEERING
Wheel free play:
Less than 30 mm (1.2 in.)
Power steering fluid type:
Automatic transmission fluid DEXRONII
or III