TOYOTA CELICA 1997 Owners Manual

125
CAUTION!
Do not modify the suspension/
chassis with lift kits, spacers,
springs, etc. It can cause danger-
ous handling characteristics, re-
sulting in loss of control.Determine what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with.
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.
CAUTION!

Do not mix summer and all season
tires on your vehicle as this can
cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of con-
trol.

Do not use tires other than the
manufacturer 's designated tires,
and do not mix tires or wheels of
the sizes different from the
originals.
Suspension and chassis Types of tires
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126ProCarManuals.com

Part 3How to start the engineÐ
(a) Before cranking
Before starting the engine
127
STARTING AND
DRIVING

Before starting the engine

How to start the engine

Tips for driving in various
conditions

Winter driving tips

Trailer towing

How to save fuel and make your
vehicle last longer, too
1. Check the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle,
head restraint height and steering wheel
angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view
mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3.
Manual transmission: Press the
clutch pedal to the floor and shift the trans-
mission into neutral. Hold the clutch pedal
to the floor until the engine is started. A
starter safety device will prevent the start-
er from operating if the clutch pedal is not
fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the selec-
tor lever in Pº. If you need to restart the
engine while the vehicle is moving, put the
selector lever in Nº. A starter safety de-
vice will prevent the starter from operating
if the selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it to the
floor until driving off.
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128
Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in (a) Before crank-
ingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system in
your engine automatically controls the
proper air-fuel mixture for starting. You
can start a cold or hot engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped-
al, crank the engine by turning the key to
STARTº. Release it when the engine
starts.
2. After the engine runs for about 10
seconds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the en-
gine warm up for a few minutes before
driving.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not start-
See If your vehicle will not startº in Part 4.NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 15 sec- onds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult tostart or stalls frequently, have theengine checked immediately.

Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. This will allow you much better
control.

Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp-edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage result-
ing in tire bursts.

When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so that
the vehicle will not roll. Apply the park-
ing brake, and place the transmission
in Pº (automatic) or in first or reverse
(manual). If necessary, block the
wheels.

Washing your vehicle or driving
through deep water may get the
brakes wet. To see whether they are
wet, check that there is no traffic near
you, and then press the pedal lightly. If
you do not feel a normal braking force,
the brakes are probably wet. To dry
them, drive the vehicle cautiously
while lightly pressing the brake pedal
with the parking brake pulled. If they
still do not work safely, pull to the side
of the road and call a T oyota dealer for
assistance.
(b) Starting the engine Tips for driving in various
conditions
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129
CAUTION

Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake if fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.

Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.

Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.

To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.

Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, down shifting or braking
on a slippery surface. Sudden ac-
celeration or engine braking, could
cause the vehicle to spin or skid.!
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.

Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a lon-
ger stopping distance, and it may
pull to one side when the brakes are
applied. Also, the parking brake
will not hold the vehicle securely. Make sure you have ethylene-glycol
antifreeze in the radiator.
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze.
NOTICE
Check the condition of the battery and
cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any battery, so it must be in top shape to
provide enough power for winter starting.
Chapter 7-3 tells you how to visually in-
spect the battery. Your Toyota dealer and
most service stations will be pleased to
check the level of charge.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See Chapter 7-2 for recommended vis-
cosity.
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 Toyota 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 lock, try heating the key before in-
serting it.
Winter driving tips
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130
Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer's directions for how
much to mix with water.
Do not use engine antifreeze or anyother substitute because it may
damage your vehicle's paint.
NOTICE
Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
Pº (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or wa-
ter accumulated 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 ve-
hicle are tire chains, window scraper, bag
of sand or salt, flares, small shovel, jump-
er cables, etc.
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a
passenger-carrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer will have an adverse effect on han-
dling, 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 safe-
ty and the safety of others, you must not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Toyota
warranties do not apply to damage or mal-
function caused by towing a tailer for com-
merical purposes. Ask your local Toyota
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,
building supply company, trucking com-
pany, junk yard, etc.
Trailer towing
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131
CAUTION

The total trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo load) must
not exceed the following:
7A-FE engine 680 kg (1500 lb.)
5S-FE engine 907 kg (2000 lb.)
Exceeding this weight is dan-
gerous.!
The gross vehicle weight must not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) indicated on the
Certification Label. The gross ve-
hicle weight is the sum of weights
of the unloaded vehicle, driver,
passengers, luggage, hitch and
trailer tongue load. It also includes
the weight of any special equip-
ment installed on your vehicle.

The load on either the front or rear
axle resulting from distribution of
the gross vehicle weight on both
axles must not exceed the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) listed
on the Certification Label.

The trailer cargo load should be
distributed so that the tongue load
is 9 to 11% of the total trailer weight,
not exceeding the maximum of the
following:
7A-FE engine 68 kg (150 lb.)
5S-FE engine 90 kg (200 lb.)

Never load the trailer with more
weight in the back than in the front.
About 60% of the trailer load
should be in the front half of the
trailer and the remaining 40% in the
rear.
HITCHES

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

Follow the directions supplied by the
hitch manufacturer and bolt the hitch
securely to the rear bumper. 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.
After removing the hitch, seal any
mounting holes in the vehicle body to
prevent entry of pollutants such as ex-
haust fumes, dirt, water, etc.
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132
Do not use axle-mounted hitches asthey can cause damage to the axle
housing, wheel bearings, wheels ortires. Also, never install a hitch
which may interfere with the normalfunction of an Energy Absorbing
Bumper.
NOTICE
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. See Chapter 7-2 for
instructions.

The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the
trailer manufacturer in respect to the
total trailer weight.
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.
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133

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 w ith 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.

Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.

Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this
by making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.

Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay atten-
tion to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed.
Steer straight ahead. If you make no
extreme correction with the steering or
brakes, the vehicle and trailer will sta-
bilize.

Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.

In order to maintain engine braking ef-
ficiency, do not use fifth gear (manual
transmission) or overdrive (automatic
transmission).
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134

Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
305C [85 5F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the
air conditioning (if in use), pull off the
road and stop in a safe spot. Refer to
If your vehicle overheatsº in Part 4 of
this manual.

Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firm-
ly. Put the transmission in Pº (auto-
matic) or in first or reverse (manual).
Avoid parking on a slope with a trailer,
but if it cannot be avoided, do so only
after performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release your brakes slowly until the blocks
absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake frimly.
5. Shift into first or reverse (manual) or
Pº (automatic) and turn off the engine.
When restarting out after parking on a
slope: 1. With the transmission in Pº position
(automatic) or the clutch pedal depressed
(manual), start the engine. (With an
auto-
matic transmission, be sure to keep the
brake pedal depressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot
brake on automatic transmission ve-
hicles) and slowly pull or back away from
the wheels blocks. Stop and apply your
brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blocks.

Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because insta-
bility (swaying) of a towing vehicle
trailer combination usually in-
creases as the speed increases, ex-
ceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may
cause loss of control.

Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden down-
shifts

Avoid holding the pedal down too
long or too frequently. This could
cause the brakes to overheat and re-
sult in reduced braking efficiency.
CAUTION!
Getting more kilometers/mileage from a li-
ter/gallon of fuel is easy-just take it easy.
It will help make your vehicle last longer,
too. Here are some specific tips on how to
save money on both fuel and repairs:

Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See Chapter
7-2 for instructions.

Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.

Avoid lenghty warm-up idling.
Once the engine is running smoothly,
begin drivingÐbut gently. Remember,
however, that on cold winter days this
may take a little longer.

Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high
gear as quickly as possible.

Avoid long engine idling. If you have
a long wait and you are not in traffic, it
is better to turn off the engine and start
again later.

Avoid engine lug or overrevving.
Use a gear position suitable for the
road on which you are travelling.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too
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