snow chains TOYOTA SOLARA 2006 Owners Manual (in English)

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NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going
faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.
Good driving practice
If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put
the transmission in neutral, release the
clutch pedal momentarily, and then try
again.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into reverse.
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.
Traction control system

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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.
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
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.“VSC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the vehicle stability control
system or the traction control system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON” and will go off after
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.

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If the warning light comes on:1. Check that the tire inflation pressure is at the specified level. (See “Tires”
on page 330 in Section 8.)
2. If the tire inflation pressure is low, adjust the tire inflation pressure.
Push the tire pressure warning sys-
tem reset switch for approximately 1
second and make sure the warning
light goes off.
3. If the tire inflation pressure is nor- mal, the low tire pressure warning
system may not have been set cor-
rectly. Push and hold the tire pres-
sure warning system reset switch
until the warning light blinks three
times to reset the system.
For details, see “TIRE PRESSURE
WARNING SYSTEM RESET SWITCH”.
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 once every
second:
The low tire pressure warning system may
be malfunctioning. Contact your Toyota
dealer.
If the warning light blinks twice every
second:
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”.)
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 0
C
(32 F) or above 40 C (104 F).

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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.
For the U.S.A.
For Canada
“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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NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may dam-
age your vehicle’s paint.
Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
“P” (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or
water accumulated in and around the
parking brake mechanism may freeze,
making it hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the
vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with four wheels on the
ground) behind a motorhome.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle with four
wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to your vehicle.
Your vehicle can be dinghy towed (with
four wheels on the ground) from the
front behind a motorhome.
CAUTION
Dinghy towing requires special equip-
ment and accessories. Please refer to
your service outlet of the motorhome
manufacture for the recommended
equipment.
NOTICE
Dinghy towing does not eliminate the
possibility of damage to your vehicle.
Dinghy towing
(with automatic transmission)Dinghy towing
(with manual transmission)

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DOITYOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level300
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Checking the engine coolant level 302
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the radiator and condenser 303
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking brake fluid 304
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. . . .
Checking power steering fluid 304
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Checking tire inflation pressure 305
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking and replacing tires 308
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating tires 310
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. . . . . . . . . . .
Installing snow tires and chains 311
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Replacing wheels 313
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Aluminum wheel precautions 313
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SECTION 7 2

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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.
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 side wall of the
tire and the Certification Label, see
pages 233 and 230.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.
Toyota recommends all four tires,
or at least both of the front or rear
tires be replaced at a time as a set.
See “If you have a flat tire” on page
261 for tire change procedure.
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.
Initial adjustment of the tire pres-
sure warning system is necessary
after you have rotated your tires.
See “Tire pressure warning sys-
tem” on page 150 in Section 17.

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CAUTION
Do not include a compact spare
tire when rotating the tires. It is
designed for temporary use only.
Initial adjustment of the tire pres-
sure warning system is necessary
after you have rotated your tires.
See “Tire pressure warning sys-
tem” on page 150 in Section 17.
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
Do not use snow tires other than the
manufacturer ’s recommended size, as
this may cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in loss of
control. Otherwise, an accident may
occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the front 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 replac-
ing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires
incorrectly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.
Installing snow tires and
chains

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WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR WHEELS
If you have wheel damage such as
bending, cracks or heavy corrosion, the
wheel should be replaced.
If you fail to replace a damaged wheel,
the tire may slip off the wheel or cause
loss of handling control.
WHEEL SELECTION
When replacing wheels, care should be
taken to ensure that the wheels are re-
placed by ones with the same load ca-
pacity, diameter, rim width, and offset.
Correct replacement wheels are available
at your Toyota dealer.
A wheel of a different size or type may
adversely affect handling, wheel and bear-
ing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odom-
eter calibration, stopping ability, headlight
aim, bumper height, vehicle ground clear-
ance, and tire or snow chain clearance to
the body and chassis.Replacement with used wheels is not rec-
ommended as they may have been sub-
jected to rough treatment or high mileage
and could fail without warning. Also, bent
wheels which have been straightened may
have structural damage and therefore
should not be used. Never use an inner
tube in a leaking wheel which is designed
for a tubeless tire.
CAUTION
Do not use wheels other than the
manufacturer ’s recommended size, as
this may cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in loss of
control. Otherwise, an accident may
occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.
Initial adjustment of the tire pressure
warning system is necessary after you
have rotated your tires. See “Tire pres-
sure warning system” on page 150 in
Section 17.
When installing aluminum wheels,
check that the wheel nuts are tight
after driving your vehicle the first 1600
km (1000 miles).
If you have rotated, repaired, or
changed your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight after driving
1600 km (1000 miles).
When using tire chains, be careful not
to damage the aluminum wheels.
Use only Toyota wheel nuts and
wrench designed for your aluminum
wheels.
When balancing your wheels, use only
Toyota balance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber hammer.
As with any wheel, periodically check
your aluminum wheels for damage. If
damaged, replace immediately.
Replacing wheels
Aluminum wheel precautions