maintenance TOYOTA MATRIX 2006 E130 / 1.G User Guide

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
257
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Vehicle maintenance and care
Maintenance requirements258
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
General maintenance 259
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . .
Does your vehicle need repairing? 261
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) programs 262
. . . . . . . . .
For scheduled maintenance information, please refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
SECTION 6

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
258
Your Toyota vehicle has been designed for
fewer maintenance requirements with long-
er service intervals to save both your time
and money. However, each regular mainte-
nance, as well as day−to −day care, is
more important than ever before to ensure
smooth, and trouble− free, safe, and eco-
nomical drivings.
It is the owner ’s responsibility to make
sure the specified maintenance, including
general maintenance service, is performed.
Note that both the new vehicle and emis-
sion control system warranties specify that
proper maintenance and care must be per-
formed. See “Owner ’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment” for complete warranty information.
General maintenance
General maintenance items are those day −
to −day care practices that are important to
your vehicle for proper operation. It is the
owner ’s responsib ility to ensure that the
general maintenance items are performed
regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done
either by yourself or a qualified technician,
or if you prefer, your Toyota dealer will be
pleased to do them at a nominal cost. Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed in
the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement” are those
required to be serviced at regular inter-
vals.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide”
or “Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.
It is recommended that any replacement
parts used for maintenance or for the
repair of the emission control system
be Toyota supplied.
The owner may elect to use nonToyota
supplied parts for replacement pur-
poses without invalidating the emission
control system warranty. However, use
of replacement parts which are not of
equivalent quality may impair the effec-
tiveness of the emission control sys-
tems.
You may also elect to have mainte-
nance, replacement, or repair of the
emission control devices and system
performed by any automotive repair es-
tablishment or individual without invali-
dating this warranty. See “Owner’s War-
ranty Information Booklet” or “Owner’s
Manual Supplement” for complete war-
ranty information.Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are well−
trained spe-
cialists and are kept up to date with the
latest service information through technical
bulletins, service tips, and in −dealership
training programs. They learn to work on
Toyotas before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer ’s service department performs the
best job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicle—reliably and eco-
nomically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof that
all required maintenance has been per-
formed for warranty coverage. If any prob-
lems should arise with your vehicle while
under warranty, your Toyota dealer will
promptly take care of it. Again, be sure
to keep a copy of the repair order for any
service performed on your Toyota.
What about doityourself maintenance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented on page 263 in
Section 7.
Maintenance requirements

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
259
If you are a skilled do−it−yourself mechan-
ic, the Toyota service manuals are recom-
mended. Please be aware that do −it−your-
self maintenance can affect your warranty
coverage. See “Owner ’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment” for the details. Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer or a quali-
fied service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only with ade-
quate ventilation if you run the en-
gine.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See page 291 in Section 7
−3 for
additional information. Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the “FULL” and “LOW” lines on the see
−
through reservoir when the engine is cold.
See page 274 in Section 7 −2 for addition-
al information.
Radiator, condenser and hoses
Check that the front of the radiator and
condenser are clean and not blocked with
leaves, dirt, or insects. See page 275 in
Section 7 −2 for additional information.
Battery condition
Check the battery condition by the indica-
tor color. See page 288 in Section 7 −3 for
additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See page 275 in Section 7 −2 for addition-
al information.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with the
engine turned off and the vehicle parked
on a level spot. See page 272 in Section
7 −2 for additional information.
General maintenance

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
261
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors and back door includ-
ing glass hatch operate smoothly and all
latches lock securely. Make sure the en-
gine hood secondary latch secures the
hood from opening when the primary latch
is released.
Tire inflation pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge ev-
ery two weeks, or at least once a
month. See page 277 in Section 7−2
for additional information.
Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts,
damage or excessive wear. See page
280 in Section 7− 2 for additional in-
formation. 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 according to the
maintenance schedule. (For sched-
uled maintenance information, please
refer to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment”.) See page 283 in Section 7 −2
for additional information.
Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip −offs that
indicate service is needed. Some impor-
tant clues are as follows:
Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and
have the exhaust system checked im-
mediately.)
Flat −looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when driving
straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspension
movement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
Engine coolant temperature continually
higher than normal If you notice any of these clues, take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. It probably needs adjustment or
repair.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving with the ve-
hicle unchecked. It could result in se-
rious vehicle damage and possibly
personal injury.
Does your vehicle need
repairing?

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
262
Some states have vehicle emission in-
spection programs which include OBD
(On−Board Diagnostics) che cks.
The OBD system monitors the operation
of the emission control system. When the
OBD system determines that a problem
exists somewhere in the emission control
system, the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on. In this case, your vehicle may
not pass the I/M test and need to be
repaired. Contact your Toyota dealer to
service the vehicle.
Even if the malfunction indicator lamp
does not come on, your vehicle may not
pass the I/M test as readiness codes
have not been set in the OBD system.
Readiness codes are automatically set
during ordinary driving. However, when the
battery is disconnected or run down, the
codes are erased. Also, depending on
your driving habits, the codes may not be
completely set.
Also, if the malfunction indicator lamp had
come on recently due to temporary mal-
function such as a loose fuel tank cap,
your vehicle may not pass the I/M test. The malfunction indicator lamp will go off
after taking several driving trips, but the
error code in the OBD system will not be
cleared unless about 40 trips or more are
taken.
If your vehicle does not pass the I/M test
even the malfunction indicator lamp does
not come on, contact your Toyota dealer
to prepare the vehicle for re
−testing.
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance (I/M) programs

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
263
DOITYOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Introduction
Engine compartment overview264
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuse locations 266
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . .
Do −it− yourself service precautions 266
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parts and tools 268
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . .
Positioning the jack 269
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . .
SECTION 7 1

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
266
Spare
fusesIf you perform maintenance by yourself,
be sure to follow the correct procedure
given in this Section.
You should be aware that improper or in-
complete servicing may result in operating
problems.
Performing do−it−yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect your
warranty coverage. Read the separate
Toyota Warranty statement for details and
suggestions.
This Section gives instructions only for
those items that are relatively easy for an
owner to perform. As explained in Section
6, there are still a number of items that
must be done by a qualified technician
with special tools.
For information on tools and parts for do −
it −yourself maintenance, see “Parts and
tools” on page 268 in this Section.
Utmost care should be taken when work-
ing on your vehicle to prevent accidental
injury. Here are a few precautions that
you should be especially careful to ob-
serve:
Fuse locations Doityourself service
precautions

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
271
DOITYOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level272
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the engine coolant level 274
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the radiator and condenser 275
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking brake fluid 275
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Checking power steering fluid 276
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Precautions for tires of four −wheel drive models 277
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking tire inflation pressure 277
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking and replacing tires 280
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating tires 283
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . .
Installing snow tires and chains 284
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing wheels 285
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . .
Aluminum wheel precautions 286
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 7 2

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
283
To equalize tire wear and help ex-
tend tire life, Toyota recommends
that you rotate your tires accord-
ing to the maintenance schedule.
(For scheduled maintenance infor-
mation, please refer to the “Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide” or “Own-
er’s Manual Supplement”.)
However, the most appropriate tim-
ing for tire rotation may vary ac-
cording to your driving habits and
road surface conditions.
See “If you have a flat tire” on page
231 in Section 4 for tire change proce-
dure.When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is
usually caused by incorrect tire pres-
sure, improper 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.
Initial adjustment of the tire pres-
sure warning system is necessary
after you have rotated your tires.
See “Tire pressure warning sys-
tem” on page 126 in Section 17.
Turning direction
Ty pe A
Ty pe B
Vehicles equipped with
P215/50ZR17 tires: You have direc-
tional tires, and a turning indicator
marked on the side wall. Using
tires on the wrong side of the ve-
hicle will impair tire performance.
Rotating tires

’06 MATRIX_U (L/O 0508)
287
DOITYOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Electrical components
Checking battery condition288
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Battery recharging precautions 289
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking and replacing fuses 290
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adding washer fluid 291
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . .
Replacing light bulbs 292
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
SECTION 7 3