TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER 2000 Owners Manual (in English)

SC71003
MR2 U
1782000 MR2 (OM17475U)
1. Fuse block
2. Battery
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Engine oil level dipstick
5. Engine coolant reservoir
Engine compartment overview

SB71100
MR2 U
1792000 MR2 (OM17475U)
1. Brake fluid reservoir
2. Fuse block
3. Power steering fluid reservoir
4. Windshield washer fluid tank
Trunk room overview

MR2 U
1802000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Fuse locations
SB71010
SB71011
SB71017
SB71013
SB71014

MR2 U
1812000 MR2 (OM17475U)
If 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".
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:CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)
Right after driving, the engine
compartment and trunk roomthe
engine, radiator, exhaust manifold,
power steering fluid reservoir and
spark plug boots, etc.will be hot.
So be careful not to touch them.
Oil, fluids and spark plugs may also
be hot.
If the engine is hot, do not remove
the coolant reservoir cap or air re-
lease valve or loosen the drain
plugs to prevent burning yourself.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flammable.
Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it. Al-
ways use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.
Be sure that the ignition is off if
you work near the electric cooling
fans or radiator grille. With the
ignition on, the electric cooling fans
will automatically start to run if the
engine coolant temperature is high
and/or the air conditioning is on.
Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under your vehicle
where you may be exposed to flying
or falling material, fluid spray, etc.
Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as in-
flammation or skin cancer, so care
should be taken to avoid prolonged
and repeated contact with it. To re-
move used engine oil from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap
and water.
Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.
Do−it−yourself service
precautions

MR2 U
1822000 MR2 (OM17475U)
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 dealer or
a service station for information
concerning recycling or disposal.
Take care when filling the brake and
clutch fluid reservoirs because
brake fluid can harm your eyes and
damage painted surfaces. If fluid
gets in your eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water.
NOTICE
Remember that battery and ignition
cables carry high currents or volt-
ages. Be careful of accidentally
causing a short circuit.
 Add only demineralized or distilled
water to fill the radiator. And if you
spill some of the coolant, be sure
to wash it off with water to prevent
it from damaging the parts or paint.
Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug holes.
 Do not pry the outer electrode of a
spark plug against the center elec-
trode.
 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 iridium−tipped spark
plugs by cleaning or regapping.
 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 or
trunk, check to see that you have
not forgotten 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
multigrade 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 Section 7−2 for details about cool-
ant type selection.
Demineralized or distilled water
Tools:
Funnel (only for adding coolant)
Checking brake fluid
Parts (if level is low):
SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
brake fluid

MR2 U
1832000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding fluid)
Checking power steering fluid
Parts (if level is low):
Toyota P.S fluid EH or equivalent
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
Replacing light bulbs" in Section
7−3.)
Tools:
Screwdriver
SB71008
Front of vehicle
If you use the garage jack to lift up
your vehicle, you must select the cor-
rect jack point as shown.
Jack position
. . . . . . . . . .
Front− Front crossmember
Rear− Rear engine mounting braket
Support position and
Pantograph jack
. . . . . .
Vehicle jack up and support
locations

MR2 U
1842000 MR2 (OM17475U)
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe the
following to reduce the possibility of
personal injury:
Follow jacking instructions.
Do not put any part of your body
under the vehicle supported by a
jack. Personal injury may occur.
Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by the
jack.
Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking brake
and put the transmission in reverse.
Block the wheel diagonally opposite
to the one being changed if neces-
sary.
Make sure to set the jack properly
in the jack point. Raising the ve-
hicle with jack improperly posi-
tioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow the vehicle to fall off the
jack and cause personal injury.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack
alone; use vehicle support stands.
Use the jack only for lifting your
vehicle during wheel changing.
Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do not
put an object on or under the jack.
Raise the vehicle only high enough
to remove and change the tire.
NOTICE
Never apply the jack at other than the
specified jack point. Otherwise, your
vehicle may be damaged.

MR2 U
1852000 MR2 (OM17475U)
DO−IT−YOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level186
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the engine coolant level 187
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking brake fluid 188
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. . . .
Checking power steering fluid 189
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking tire pressure 190
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. .
Checking and replacing tires 191
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating tires 192
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . .
Installing snow tires and chains 192
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing wheels 194
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. . . . . . .
Aluminum wheel precautions 194
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 7− 2

MR2 U
1862000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Checking the engine oil level
SB72010
Low levelFull level
Add oil O.K.
To o f u l l
With the engine at operating tempera-
ture and turned off, check the oil level
on the dipstick.
1. To get a true reading, the vehicle should be on a level spot. After turning
off the engine, wait a few minutes for
the oil to drain back into the bottom of
the engine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, and wipe it clean with a rag.
3. Reinsert the dipstickpush it in as far as it will go, or the reading will not be
correct.
4. Pull the dipstick out and look at the oil level on the end.
CAUTION
Be careful not to touch the hot ex-
haust manifold.
If the oil level is below or only slightly
above the low level, add engine oil of
the same type as already in the engine.
Remove the oil filler cap and add engine
oil in small quantities at a time, checking
the dipstick.
The approximate quantity of oil needed to
fill between the low level and the full level
on the dipstick is indicated below for ref-
erence.
When the level reaches within the correct
range, install the f iller cap hand−tight.
Oil quantity, L (qt., lmp. qt.): 1.3(1.4,1.1)
NOTICE
Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
 Check the oil level on the dipstick
once again after adding the oil.
ENGINE OIL SELECTION
Use API grade SJ, Energy−Conserving"
or ILSAC multigrade engine oil.
Recommended viscosity (SAE):
SAE 5W−30 is the best choice for your
vehicle, for good fuel economy, and
good starting in cold weather.
If you use SAE 10W−30 engine oil in
extremely low temperatures, the engine
may become difficult to start, so SAE
5W−30 engine oil is recommended.

MR2 U
1872000 MR2 (OM17475U)
API service symbol
ILSAC certification mark
Oil identification marks
Either or both API registered marks are
added to some oil containers to help
you select the oil you should use.
The API Service Symbol is located any-
where on the outside of the container.
The top portion of the label shows the oil
quality by API (American Petroleum
Institute) designations such as SJ. The
center portion of the label shows the SAE
viscosity grade such as SAE 5W−30.
Energy−Conserving" shown in the lower
portion, indicates that the oil has
fuel−saving capabilities.
The ILSAC (International Lubricant Stan-
dardization and Approval Committee) Certi-
fication Mark is displayed on the front of
the container. Look at the see−through coolant reser-
voir when the engine is cold. The cool-
ant level is satisfactory if it is between
the FULL" and LOW" lines on the
reservoir. If the level is low, add ethyl-
ene−glycol type coolant for a proper
corrosion protection of aluminum com-
ponents.
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the LOW" line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the FULL"
line.
Always use ethylene−glycol type coolant
for a proper corrosion protection of alumi-
num components. See information in the
next column.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the
radiator, hoses, drain cock and water
pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check
for leaks in the cooling system.
Checking the engine coolant
level