TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER 2001 Owners Manual (in English)

01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
11 42001 MR2 (OM17482U)
Engine exhaust cautions
CAUTION
Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide, which
is a colorless and odorless gas. It
can cause unconsciousness or even
death.
Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.
Do not run the engine in a garage
or enclosed area except for the
time needed to drive the vehicle in
or out. The exhaust gases cannot
escape, making this a particularly
dangerous situation.
Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the engine run-
ning. If it is unavoidable, however,
do so only in an unconfined area
and adjust the heating or cooling
system to force outside air into the
vehicle.
To allow proper operation of your
vehicle’s ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, drive with the windows
open. Have the cause immediately
located and corrected.
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.
Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a pis-
ton moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated when
the vehicle is decelerating sucks some
of this oil into the combustion chamber.
This oil as well as some part of the oil
film left on the cylinder wall is burned
by the high temperature combustion
gases during the combustion process.
Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.
Facts about engine oil
consumption

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The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high−speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds.IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in prop-
er vehicle maintenance is to keep the en-
gine oil at the optimum level so that oil
function will not be impaired. Therefore, it
is essential that the oil level be checked
regularly. Toyota recommends that the oil
level be checked every time you refuel
the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine trouble
due to insufficient oil.
For detailed information on oil level check,
see Checking the engine oil level" on
page 190 in Section 7−2.
Iridium−tipped spark plugs
SB21011
Your engine is fitted with iridium−tipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridium−tipped spark plugs
and do not adjust gaps for your en-
gine performance and smooth drive-
ability.

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Brake system
The tandem master cylinder brake system
is a hydraulic system with two separate
sub−systems. If either sub−system should
fail, the other will still work. However, the
pedal will be harder to press, and your
stopping distance will be longer. Also, the
brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a
single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
power−assist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserved
vacuum for one or two stops but no more!
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your reserved vacu-
um.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
be longer.
ANTI−LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
The anti−lock brake system is designed
to automatically help prevent lock−up of
the wheels during a sudden braking or
braking on slippery road surfaces. This
assists in providing directional stability
and steering performance of the vehicle
under these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal:
When the anti−lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti−lock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking
performance.
The anti−lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on the manhole
cover, the steel plate under the construc-
tion, joints in the bridge, etc. on a rainy
day tends to activate the anti−lock brake
system.
You may hear a click or motor sound in
the engine compartment for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just after
the vehicle is started. This means that the
anti−lock brake system is in the self
check mode, and does not indicate a mal-
function.

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When the anti−lock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:
You may hear the anti−lock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the ve-
hicle body and steering wheel. You
may also hear the motor sound in the
engine compartment even after the ve-
hicle is stopped.
At the end of the anti−lock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the anti−lock
brake system: Although the anti−lock
brake system assists in providing ve-
hicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care and maintain
a moderate speed and safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you, be-
cause there are limits to the vehicle
stability and effectiveness of steering
wheel operation even with the anti−
lock brake system on.
If tires grip performance exceeds its
capability, or if hydroplaning occurs
during high speed driving in the rain,
the anti−lock brake system does not
provide vehicle control.
Anti−lock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at the moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles without an
anti−lock brake system, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping dis-
tance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow−
covered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road.
Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at
appropriate pressure: The anti−lock
brake system detects vehicle speeds
using the speed sensors for respec-
tive wheels’ turning speeds. The use
of tires other than specified may fail
to detect the accurate turning speed
resulting in a longer stopping dis-
tance.

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SB21014
ABS" warning light
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ON" position. If the anti−
lock brake system works properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds. There-
after, if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the ABS" warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti−lock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.When the ABS" warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti−lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions
occur, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the parts monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ON" posi-
tion, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light fuming on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
SB21015
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to where
replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.

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Luggage stowage precautions
When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the front box
or luggage space when at all possible.
Be sure all items are secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION
Never allow anyone to ride in the
luggage space. It is not designed
for the passenger. The passenger
should ride in the seat with the
seat belt properly fastened. Severe
injuries to an unrestrained passen-
ger can occur during sudden brak-
ing or a collision.
Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver’s field
of view. Or they may move during
sharp vehicle acceleration or turn-
ing, and impair the driver’s control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.Some Toyotas are equipped with a limit-
ed−slip differential. If one of the rear
wheels begins to spin, the limited−slip dif-
ferential is designed to aid traction by
automatically transmittiing driving force to
the other rear wheel. If you are not sure
whether your vehicle is equipped with one,
you can ask your Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by a jack.
The vehicle could be driven off the
jack and could pose a danger or re-
sult in serious injury.
NOTICE
Use only a compact spare tire of the
same size, construction and load ca-
pacity as the original tires on your
Toyota because damage to the limit-
ed−slip differential could possibly oc-
cur with another tire type.
Limited−slip differential
(on some models)

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SB21009
The vehicle identification number (VIN)
is the legal identifier for your vehicle.
This number is on the left top of the
instrument panel, and can be seen
through the windshield from outside.
This is the primary identification number
for your Toyota. It is used in registering
the ownership of your vehicle.
SB21017
The vehicle identification number (VIN) is
also on the Certification Label.
Engine number
SB21010
The engine number is stamped on the
engine block as shown.
Your Toyota’s identification
Vehicle identification
number

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Theft prevention labels
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
attempt to remove it will result in destroy-
ing 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 vio-
late certain state or federal laws.
Suspension and chassis
CAUTION
Do not modify the suspension/chassis
with lift kits, spacers, springs, etc. It
can cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of control.
Types of tires
Determine what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with.
Summer tires
Summer tires are high−speed capab ility
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.
CAUTION
Do not mix summer and other tires
on your vehicle as this can cause
dangerous handling characteristics,
resulting in loss of control.
Do not use tires other than the
manufacture’s designated tires, and
never mix tires or wheels of the
sizes different from the originals.

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01MY MR2(U) L/O 0008
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STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the engine124
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How to start the engine 124
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Tips for driving in various conditions 125
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Winter driving tips 126
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Dinghy towing 127
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Trailer towing 128
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How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too 128
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SECTION 3