engine TOYOTA SOLARA 2000 (in English) User Guide

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Fuel gauge
Low fuel level
warning light
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
Nearly fullNeedle at "F"
Nearly emptyNeedle at "E"
It is a good idea to keep the tank over
1/4 full.
This fuel gauge has a non−return type
needle which remains at the last indicated
position when the ignition switch is turned
off.
If the fuel level approaches "E" or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible.On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the fuel gauge
needle may fluctuate or the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature when the ignition switch is
on. The engine operating temperature
will vary with changes in weather and
engine load.
If the needle moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow the
engine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
Engine coolant temperature
gauge

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Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop−and−go traffic.
Towing a trailer.
NOTICE

Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
 Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See "If your ve-
hicle overheats" in Section 4.
Tachometer
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm
( revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and overrevving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Odometer and two trip meters
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. OdometerShows the total distance the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip metersShow two different distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.

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(c) Front Passenger’s Seat Belt Re-minder Light
This light reminds you to buckle up the
front passenger ’s seat belt.
Once the ignition key is turned to "ON" or
"START", the reminder light comes on if
a passenger sits in the front passenger
seat and does not fasten the seat belt.
Unless the front passenger fastens the
belt, the light stays on. This light reminds
you to backle up, the front passenger ’s
seat belt.
If luggage load is placed on the front
passenger seat, depending on its weight
and how it is placed on the seat, built−in
sensors in the seat cushion may detect
the pressure, causing the reminder light to
come on.
(d) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being
discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging
system.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, radio, etc., and drive directly to
the nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine
drive belt is broken or loose.
(e) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See
"Fuel gauge" in Section 1−5 for instruc-
tions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See "Fuel tank cap" in Section
1−2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electrical
system.
If it comes on while you are driving in
case c, have your vehicle checked/re-
paired by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
(f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual. (g) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe place
and stop the engine immediately. Call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on
briefly after a hard stop. There is no
cause for concern if it then goes out when
the engine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to
indicate low oil level, and the oil level
must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light oneven for one block.
It may ruin the engine.

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(n) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer reminds you to remove the
key when you open the driver ’s door with
the ignition key in the "ACC" or "LOCK"
position.
CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER INDICA-
TORS (except the low fuel level warning
light and low windshield washer fluid
level warning light)1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open one of the doors. The open door warning light should
come on.
3. Close the door. The open door warning light should go
off.
4. Turn the ignition key to "ACC". The SRS warning light should come on.
It goes off after about 6 seconds.
5. Turn the ignition key to "ON", but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex-
cept the open door warning light and
SRS warning light should come on. The
"ABS" warning light goes off after a
few seconds. If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described
above, either the bulb is burned out or the
circuit is in need of repair. Have it
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. 

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"START"Starter motor on. The key
will return to the "ON" position when
released.
For starting tips, see Section 3.
"ON"Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
"ACC"Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the "ACC" or
"LOCK" position and open the driver’s
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
"LOCK"Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.You must push in the key to turn the key
from "ACC" to the "LOCK" position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be put in the "P"
position before pushing the key.
Vehicles with engine immobiliser system
Once you remove the key, the engine im-
mobiliser system is automatically set. (See
"Engine immobiliser system" in Section
1−2.)
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the "LOCK" position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key gently.
CAUTION
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the ve-
hicle is moving, as this will lock the
steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the "ON"
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
ignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock

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Automatic transmission
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of P" position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ON" position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Selector lever
The shift position is also displayed on the
instrument cluster.
P:Parking, engine starting and
key removal
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
D: Normal driving (with overdrive on)
2: Stronger engine braking
L: Maximum engine braking
Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while holding the lock release
button in. (The ignition switch must
be in ON" position.) Shift while holding the
lock release button in
Shift normally Selector lever
Overdrive
switch

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(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either a third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The O/D OFF" indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The O/D OFF" indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will be on automatically.Vehicles with cruise controlWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be applied because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise control" in this section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in "How to start the engine" in Section 3. The
transmission must be in "P" or "N".
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to "D".
When the lever is in the D" position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into overdrive
gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push the overdrive switch. The "O/D
OFF" indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the "2" position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and stronger engine braking will
be enabled. 5S−FE engine...... 106 km/h (65 mph)
1MZ−FE engine.... 122 km/h (75 mph)
Shift into the "L" position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.5S−FE engine........ 46 km/h (28 mph)
1MZ−FE engine..... 54 km/h (33 mph)

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Vehicles with cruise controlWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing off the overdrive switch, engine
braking is not applied because the cruise
control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see "Cruise control" in this section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using "2" and "L" positions
The "2" and "L" positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in "2" or "L", you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in "D".
With the selector lever in "2", the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in "L", the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
"2"................. 125 km/h (77 mph)
"L".................. 69 km/h (42 mph)
 Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
"2" or "L" position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, "D" position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(f) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
"R" position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(g) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the "P" posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into "P" position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(h) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.

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CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. It
can cause the transmission to over-
heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(i) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock your vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the ve-
hicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes un-
stuck, causing injury or damage to
nearby people or objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reverse
gear.
 Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
(j) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of "P" position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
"P" position even though the brake pedal
is depressed, use the shift lock override
button. For instructions, see "If you cannot
shift automatic transmission selector lever"
in Section 4.

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Manual transmission
The shift pattern is conventional as
shown above.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, and then release it slowly. Do not
rest your foot on the pedal while driving,
because it will cause clutch trouble. And
do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
when stopped on an uphill gradeuse the
parking brake.Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized and
upshifting or downshifting is easy.
For the best compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at the following
speeds:
gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64 (40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72 (45)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if accel-
eration is needed when you are cruising
below the above downshifting speeds.
Upshifting too soon or downshifting too
late will cause lugging, and possibly ping-
ing. Regularly revving the engine to maxi-
mum speed in each gear will cause ex-
cessive engine wear and high fuel
consumption. Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower
traffic, maximum acceleration may be nec-
essary. Make sure you observe the follow-
ing maximum allowable speeds in each
gear:
gear km/h (mph)1 52 (32)
2 93 (57)
3 147 (91)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going
faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.