tire type TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER 2004 W30 / 3.G Owners Manual

1292004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your Toyota
Break−in period 130
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Fuel 130
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Fuel pump shut off system 132
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Operation in foreign countries 132
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Three −way catalytic converter 132
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Engine exhaust cautions 133
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Facts about engine oil consumption 134
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Iridium −tipped spark plugs 135
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Brake system 135
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 138
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Limited −slip differential 139
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Your Toyota’s identification 139
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Theft prevention labels 140
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Suspension and chassis 140
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Tire information 141
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Vehicle load limits 149
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Cargo and luggage 149
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Types of tires 152
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SECTION 2

1392004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
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 transmitting 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-
edslip differential could possibly oc-
cur with another tire type.
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.
SB21024
The vehicle identification number (VIN) is
also on the Certification Label.
Limitedslip differential
(on some models) Your Toyota’s identification—
—Vehicle identification
number

1422004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
7. Uniform tire quality grading—For details, see “Uniform tire quali-
ty grading” that follows.
8. Tire ply composition and mate- rials— Plies mean a layer of rub-
ber −coated parallel cords. Cords
mean the strands forming the plies
in the tire.
9. “TUBELESS” or “TUBE TYPE”— A tubeless tire does not
have a tube inside the tire and air
is directly filled in the tire. A tube
type tire has a tube inside the tire
and the tube maintains the air
pressure.
10.Radial tires or biasply tires— A
radial tire has “RADIAL” on the
sidewall. A tire not marked with
“RADIAL” is a bias −ply tir e.
11. Summer tire or all season tire— An all season tire has “M+S”
on the sidewall. The tire not
marked with “M+S” is a summer
tire. For details, see “Types of
tires” on page 152.
SB21022a
This illustration indicates typical DOT
and Tire Identification Number (TIN).
1. “DOT” symbol
2. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3. Tire manufacturer ’s identification mark
4. Tire size code
5. Manufacturer ’s optional tire type code
6. Manufacturing week
7. Manufacturing year The “DOT” symbol certifies that the
tire conforms to applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
—DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)

1472004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
Ti r e relat ed ter mMeaning
Normal occupant weight68 kg (150 lb.) times the number of occupants specified in the second column
of Table 1 that follows
Occupant distributiondistribution of occupants in a vehicle as specified in the third column of Table
1 that follows
Production options weight
the combined weight of those installed regular production options weighing over
2.3 kg (5 lb.) in excess of those standard items which they replace, not pre-
viously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim
Recommended inflation pressurecold tire inflation pressure recommended by a manufacturer
Rima metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon which the tire beads
are seated
Rim diameter (Wheel diameter)nominal diameter of the bead seat
Rim size designationrim diameter and width
Rim type designationthe industry of manufacturer ’s designation for a rim by style or code
Rim widt hnominal distance between rim flanges
Vehicle capacity weight
(Total load capacity)the rated cargo and luggage load plus 68 kg (150 lb.) times the vehicle’s desig-
nated seating capacity
Vehicle maximum load on the tirethe load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight and dividing by two
Vehicle normal load on the tire
the load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and normal occupant weight
(distributed in accordance with Table 1 that follows) and dividing by two

1522004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
Types of tires
Determine what kind of tires your
vehicle is originally equipped with.1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high −speed capabil-
ity tires best suited to highway driving
under dry conditions.
Since summer tires do not have the
same traction performance as snow
tires, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow −covered or icy roads.
For driving on snow −covered or icy
roads, we recommend using snow
tires. If installing snow tires, be sure
to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to pro-
vide better traction in snow and to be
adequate for driving in most winter
conditions, as well as for use all year
round.CAUTION
 Do not mix summer and all sea-
son tires on your vehicle as
this can cause dangerous han-
dling 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 as this can
cause dangerous handling
characteristics, resulting in
loss of control.

1562004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
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 highspeed 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 highspeed 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.
Winter driving tips
Make sure your coolant is properly pro-
tected against freezing.
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
or similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non−silicate, non −amine, non −nitrite,
and non −borate coolant with long −life hy-
brid organic acid technology. (Coolant with
long− life hybrid organic acid technology is
a combination of low phosphates and or-
ganic acids.)
See “Checking the engine coolant level” in
Section 7 −2 for details of coolant type
selection.
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a mix-
ture of 50% coolant and 50% deionized
water. This coolant provides protection
down to about −35 C ( −31 F).
NOTICE
Do not use plain water alone.
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 start-
ing. Section 7−
3 tells you how to visually
inspect 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 page 208 in Section 7 −2 for recom-
mended viscosity. Leaving a heavy sum-
mer 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.
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.

1692004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
SB41069a
The spare tire with turning direc-
tion indicators is of a unidirec-
tional type and is intended for use
on the passenger side of the ve-
hicle.
This spare tire has the same size and
the same turning direction as the
standard tire of the front passenger
side. However, the spare tire must
only be used temporary because the
wheel differs from the standard tire.
CAUTION
The spare tire was designed
especially for your Toyota. Do
not use it on any other vehicle.
 Do not use more than one
spare tire at the same time.
 Do not exceed 80 km/h (50
mph) when driving with the
spare tire.
 The standard tire should be re-
paired and reinstalled as soon
as possible.
 Avoid sudden a cceleration,
sudden d eceleration and sharp
turns with the spare tire.
SB41053a
Spare tire
SB41054b
Tool bag
—Spare tire with turning
direction indicators —R eq u ired to o ls an d sp are
tire

2172004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
This applies also to the spare tire and
tires stored for future use.
REPLACING YOUR TIRES
When replacing a tire, use a tire of
the same size and construction,
and the same or greater maximum
load as the originally installed
tires. Also, all the tires must be the
same brand and have the same
tread patterns.
Using any other size or type of tire
may seriously affect handling, ride,
speedometer/odometer calibration,
ground clearance, and clearance be-
tween the body and tires or snow
chains.Check that the maximum load of the
replaced tire is greater than 1/2 of the
Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR)
of either the front axle or the rear
axle, whichever is greater. As for the
maximum load of the tire, see the load
limit at maximum cold tire inflation
pressure mentioned on the sidewall
of the tire, and as for the Gross Axle
Weight Ratings (GAWR), see the Cer-
tification Label. For details about the
sidewall of the tire and the Certifica-
tion Label, see pages 141 and 139.CAUTION
Observe the following instruc-
tions. Otherwise, an accident
may occur resulting in death or
serious injuries.

Do not mix radial, bias belted,
or biasply tires on your ve-
hicle, as this may cause dan-
gerous handling characteris-
tics resulting in loss of control.
 Do not use tires other than the
manufacturer’s recommended
size, as this may cause danger-
ous handling characteristics
resulting in loss of control.
 Do not use tires of different
brands, sizes, construction or
tread patterns, as this may
cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in
loss of control.

2182004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
Toyota recommends all four tires,
or at least both front or rear tires
be replaced at a time as a set.
See “If you have a flat tire—” on page
167 in Section 4 for tire change proce-
dure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect ve-
hicle handling and tire life. Wheels
can get out of balance with regular
use and should therefore be balanced
occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the
air valve should also be replaced
w i t h a new on e.
Rotating tires
SB72017Tu r ning dir ec t ion
Turning direction indicators
SB72019
Do not rotate the tires as the tire
sizes are different such as with
front to rear, left to right or using
the spare tire. Performing such tire
rotation may result in the tires in-
terfering with the body or in un-
even wear of the tires, so that
steerability of the vehicle is im-
paired.
Tires with turning direction indicator—
The tire is a uni −directional type and
cannot be used for tire rotation. Using
the tire on the opposite side to the
designated side will impair the tire
performance.
The spare tire—
The tire is designed for temporary use
only and cannot be used for tire rota-
tion.

2192004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recommended
when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires.
SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select tires of
the same size, construction and load
capacity as the originally installed tires.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
CAUTION
Observe the following instructions.
Otherwise, an accident may occur re-
sulting in death or serious injuries.
Do not use snow tires other than the
manufacturer ’s recommended size, as
this may cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in loss of
control.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the rear wheels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure
to install them in the same direction when
replacing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires
incorrectly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.
TIRE CHAIN SELECTION
Use the tire chains which are the cor-
rect size for your rear tires.
For 215/45R16 tires, use genuine Toyota
tire chains or equivalent for use on the
MR2.
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary according to location or
type of road, so always check local reg-
ulations before installing chains.
NOTICE
If the wrong combination of tire and
chain is used, the chains could dam-
age the vehicle body.
MR2 genuine tire chains
(Part No.08325−11020)
Installing snow tires and
chains