tires TOYOTA SOLARA 2004 Owners Manual (in English)

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Tires and loading on your
To y o t a
Underinflated or overinflated tire pressure and the
excess load may result in the deterioration of
steering ability and braking ability, leading to an
accident. Check the tire inflation pressure periodi-
cally and be sure to keep the load limits given in
this Owner ’s Manual. For details about tire inflation
pressure and load limits, see pages 305 and 243.
Scrapping of your Toyota
The SRS airbag and seat belt pretensioner devices in your
Toyota contain explosive chemicals. If the vehicle is
scrapped with the airbags and pretensioners left as they
are, this may cause an accident such as fire. Be sure to
have the systems of the SRS airbag and seat belt preten-
sioner removed and disposed of by the qualified service
shop or by your Toyota dealer before you dispose of your
vehicle.

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If either of the following conditions occurs,
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.
When the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position, the light does not come
on or remains on for more than 6 sec-
onds.
The light comes on while driving.
(k) Low Tire Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the tire inflation pres-
sure of any one of the tires is critically
low. The light comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position. It goes
off after a few seconds. This indicates
that the low tire pressure warning system
is functioning properly.
If the light comes on while driving, adjust
tire inflation pressure to the specified lev-
el. (See “Tires” on page 330 in Section 8.)
After the tire inflation pressure is adjusted,
the light should go off after driving at
least 30 km/h (19 mph) for some time. If
the light still remains or blinks slowly
(every 0.5 seconds), have the low tire
pressure warning system checked at your
Toyota dealer.If the light blinks rapidly (every 0.25 sec-
onds), the low tire pressure warning sys-
tem needs to be initialized.
For details, see “Tire pressure warning
system” on page 151 in Section 1−7.
(l) Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level
Warning Light
The light warns that the windshield washer
fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at
your earliest opportunity. (For instructions,
see “Adding washer fluid” on page 319 in
Section 7−3.)
(m) “VSC” Warning Light
The light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the vehicle stability control
system or traction control system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON”, and will go off after
about a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, the
system does not work. However, as con-
ventional braking operates when applied,
there is no problem to continue your driv-
ing.In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come
on when the “VSC” warning light comes
on even if the “TR
AC OFF” switch is not
pushed.
(n) Engine Oil Replacement Reminder
Light (for vehicles sold in U.S.A.)
This light reminds you when to replace
the engine oil.
This light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON” and will go off after
about a few seconds.

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The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of front
wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition key is turned to “ON”,
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power against front wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction
control system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle under any speed or
maneuvering conditions which may
cause the vehicle to lose traction
control. In situations where the road
surface is covered with ice or snow,
your vehicle should be fitted with
snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious
speed for the present road condi-
tions.
NORMAL DRIVING MODE
Leave the system on during the ordi-
nary driving so that it can operate
when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the trac-
tion control system is in the self−check
mode, but does not indicate a malfunction.When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
front wheels. At this time, the slip indi-
cator light blinks.
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.
Traction control system

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In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come
on when the “VSC” warning light comes
on even if the “TRAC OFF” switch is not
pushed.The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
systems such as antilock brake sys-
tem, traction control, engine control,
etc. This system automatically controls
the brakes and engine to help prevent
the vehicle from skidding when corner-
ing on a slippery road surface or oper-
ating steering wheel abruptly.
This system will activate when your ve-
hicle speed reaches or exceeds 15 km/h
(9 mph), and will deactivate when the ve-
hicle speed reduces to below 15 km/h (9
mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self−check mode, but does
not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the vehicle stability control sys-
tem is operating, you must always
drive carefully and attentively to
avoid serious injury. Reckless driv-
ing will result in an unexpected ac-
cident. If the slip indicator light
flashes, an alarm sounds, and spe-
cial care should be taken while
driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacture, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, or different type or
size, the vehicle stability control
system may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” on
page 308 in Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
Vehicle stability control
system

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The tire pressure warning system is de-
signed to provide warning when tire
inflation pressure of any one of the
tires is critically low while the vehicle
is moving. The low tire pressure warn-
ing light comes on to inform you that
such low tire pressure may hamper
driving.
This system is not designed to operate
when the vehicle is stopped. Therefore,
check the tire inflation pressure regularly.
The recommended cold tire inflation pres-
sure, tire size and the vehicle capacity
weight are on the tire and loading informa-
tion label. (For instructions, see “Checking
tire inflation pressure” on page 305 in
Section 7−2.)
Installed tires should be of the specified
size. They should be of the same size
and construction. If tires other than the
specified size are used, or if tires of dif-
ferent sizes or constructions are mixed,
the tire pressure warning system will not
function properly.
LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. It goes off
after a few seconds. This indicates that
the tire pressure warning system is func-
tioning properly.
If the low tire pressure warning light
comes on or blinks while driving, do
the following.If the warning light comes on:
1. Adjust the tire inflation pressure to
the specified level as soon as pos-
sible. (See “Tires” on page 330 in
Section 8.)
2. Push the tire pressure warning sys-
tem reset switch for approximately
one second and make sure the warn-
ing light goes off.
If the light remains on after the reset
switch has been pushed, have the tire
pressure warning system checked at your
Toyota dealer.
If you have a flat tire, replace it with the
spare tire. For details, see “If you have
a flat tire” on page 261 in Section 4.
If the warning light blinks slowly (every
0.5 seconds):
The low tire pressure warning system may
be malfunctioning. Contact your Toyota
dealer.
If the warning light blinks rapidly (every
0.25 seconds):
The low tire pressure warning system
needs to be initialized. Reset the system
with the tire pressure warning system re-
set switch. (To reset the system, see
“TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM
RESET SWITCH”.)
Tire pressure warning system

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The tire pressure warning system does
not function properly under certain cir-
cumstances. In the following cases, the
low tire pressure warning light may not
come on even if the tire inflation pres-
sure is low, or it may come on when
the tire inflation pressure is actually
normal.
A compact spare tire, snow tires, or
tire chains are used.
The tire inflation pressure is excessive-
ly higher than specified, or tire inflation
pressure suddenly drops due to burst-
ing or other causes.
The vehicle is driven on a slippery
road surface such as rough or frozen
roads.
The vehicle speed is less than 30 km/h
(19 mph) or more than 100 km/h (62
mph), and the driving duration is less
than 5 minutes.
The tires differ in tread pattern or
manufacturer.
The tires are not the specified size.
The tread wear is very different among
the installed tires.
The pressure of two or more tires
drops at the same time.
Rapid acceleration/deceleration or
sharp turns is continued.
The loading is over the limit or imbal-
anced.
Initialization was not performed correct-
ly after replacing or rotating tires or
wheels.
The outside temperature is below 0C
(32F) or above 40C (104F).
CAUTION
When the tire pressure warning light
comes on, observe the following in-
structions:
Adjust the tire inflation pressure to
the specified level as soon as pos-
sible.
Avoid abrupt steering wheel maneu-
vering and braking. If the vehicle
tires deteriorate, you could lose
control of the steering wheel or the
brakes, causing death or serious in-
jury.
Note: The tire pressure monitoring
system on your vehicle will warn you
when one of your tires is significantly
underinflated and when some com-
binations of your tires are significant-
ly underinflated. However, there are
other combinations of significantly
underinflated tires for which your
tire pressure monitoring system may
not warn you. These other combina-
tions are relatively common, account-
ing for approximately half the
instances in which vehicles have sig-
nificantly underinflated tires. For ex-
ample, your system may not warn you
when both tires on the same side or
on the same axle of your vehicle are
significantly underinflated. It is par-
ticularly important, therefore, for you
to check the tire pressure in all of
your tires regularly and maintain
proper pressure.

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TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM
RESET SWITCH
The tire pressure warning system needs
to be initialized in the following condi-
tions:
When the low tire pressure warning
light blinks every 0.25 seconds
After replacing or rotating tires or
wheels
When initializing the system, the pres-
ent tire condition is stored as a stan-
dard.To initialize the system, perform the fol-
lowing:
1. Park the vehicle at a safe place and
apply the parking brake. Stop the en-
gine.
2. Adjust the pressure of all the installed
tires to the specified level. (See “Tires”
on page 330 in Section 8.)
3. Turn the ignition key to “ON”.
If the low tire pressure warning light
blinks, push the reset switch for a few
seconds and make sure the warning
light goes off.
4. Push and hold the reset switch until
the low tire pressure warning light
blinks three times.
Initialization is completed after driving at
the speeds of 30 km/h (19 mph) or over
for more than one hour. If the following
driving conditions are satisfied, initializa-
tion will be completed in about one hour.
The vehicle speed is between 50 km/h
(31 mph) and 100 km/h (62 mph).
The roads are dry, smooth and straight.
The number of passengers is 1 or 2
(including driver).
When initializing the system, make sure
the low tire pressure warning light blinks
three times. If the warning light does not
blink three times, initializing will not occur
and the tire pressure warning system will
not function properly.
Do not push the reset switch without ad-
justing the tire inflation pressure to the
specified level. Otherwise, the low tire
pressure warning light may not come on
even if the tire pressure is low, or it may
come on when the tire inflation pressure
is actually normal.
If you push the reset switch while the
vehicle is moving, initialization is not per-
formed.

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INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your Toyota
Break−in period222 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel222 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel pump shut off system224 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operation in foreign countries224 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Three−way catalytic converters225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust cautions226 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Facts about engine oil consumption227 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Iridium−tipped spark plugs228 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake system228 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake pad wear limit indicators232 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your Toyota’s identification232 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theft prevention labels234 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Suspension and chassis234 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire information235 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vehicle load limits243 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cargo and luggage243 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Types of tires246 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 2

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Antilock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at a moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles without an
antilock 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 antilock
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.
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
“ABS” warning light (vehicles without
vehicle stability control system)
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 oc-
curs, this indicates a malfunction some-
where in the components 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.

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This illustration indicates typical tire
symbols.
1. Tire size—F or det ails, see “— Ti re
size” on page 237.
2. DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)—For details, see
“—DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)” on page 236.
3. Uniform tire quality grading—
For details, see “Uniform tire quali-
ty grading” that follows.
4. The location of the tread wear
indicators—For details, see
“Checking and replacing tires” on
page 308.
5. 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.
6. Radial tires or biasply—A ra d i a l
tire has “RADIAL” on the sidewall.
A tire not marked with “RADIAL”
is a bias−ply tir e.
Tire information—
—Tire symbols