TOYOTA SOLARA 2008 Owners Manual (in English)

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Ti r e relat ed ter mMeaning
Te s t r i mthe rim on which a tire is fitted for testing, and may be any rim listed as appropri-
ate for use with that tire
Treadthat portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road
Tread riba tread section running circumferentially around a tire
Tread separationpulling away of the tread from the tire carcass
Treadwear indicators (TWI)the projections within the principal grooves designed to give a visual indication
of the degrees of wear of the tread
Wheel−holding fixturethe fixture used to hold the wheel and tire assembly securely during testing
Table 1—Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities
Designated seating capacity,number of occupants
Vehicle normal load, number of occupantsOccupant distribution in a normallyloaded vehicle
2 through 422 in front
5 through 1032 in front, 1 in second seat
11 through 1552 in front, 1 in second seat, 1 in third
seat, 1 in fourth seat
16 through 2072 in front, 2 in second seat, 2 in third
seat, 1 in fourth seat

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Vehicle load limits include total load
capacity, seating capacity, towing ca-
pacity and cargo capacity. Follow the
load limits shown below. Total load ca-
pacity and seating capacity are also
described on the tire and loading in-
formation label. For location of the tire
and loading information label, see
“Checking tire inflat ion pr es s ur e” on
page 349.
Total load capacity:
Coupe410 kg (900 lb.)
Convertible 342 kg (754 lb.)
Total load capacity means combined
weight of occupants, cargo and lug-
gage. Seating capacity:
CoupeTotal 5 (Front 2, Rear 3)
Convertible Total 4 (Front 2, Rear 2)
Seating capacity means the maximum
number of occupants whose esti-
mated average weight is supposed to
be 68 kg (150 lb.) per person. De-
pending on the weight of each person,
the seating capacity given may ex-
ceed the total load capacity.
NOTICE
Even if the number of occu-
pants are within the seating ca-
pacity, do not exceed the total
load capacity.
Towing capacity
Toyota does not recommend towing
a trailer with your vehicle. Your ve-
hicle is not designed for trailer towing.
Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or de-
crease depending on the size (weight)
and the number of occupants. For de-
tails, see “—Capacity and distribu-
tion” that follows.
CAUTION
Do not apply the load more than
each load limit. That may cause
not only damage to the tires, but
also deterioration to the steering
ability and braking ability, which
may cause an accident.
Veh icle lo ad limit s

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When stowing cargo and luggage in
the vehicle, observe the following: Put cargo and luggage in the trunk
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
forward as possible helps maintain
balance.
 For better fuel economy, do not
carry unneeded weight.
CAUTION
To prevent cargo and l uggage
from sliding forward during
braking, do not stack anything
in the enlarged trunk. Keep car-
go and luggage low, as close
to the floor as possible.
 Never allow anyone to ride in
the enlarged trunk. It is not de-
signed for passengers. They
should ride in their seats with
their seat belts properly fas-
tened. Otherwise, they are
much more likely to suffer
death or serious bodily injury,
in the event of sudden braking
or a collision.
 Do not place anything on the
package tray behind the rear
seatback. Such items may be
thrown about and possibly in-
jure people in the vehicle dur-
ing sudden braking or an acci-
dent.
 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 turning, and im-
pair the driver’s control of the
vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occu-
pants.Cargo capacity depends on the to-
tal weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load capac-
ity) – (Total weight of occupants)
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit—
(1) Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
kg or XXX lbs.” on your vehicle’s
placard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that
will be riding in your vehicle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
XXX kg or XXX lbs.
Cargo and luggage—
—Stowage precautions —Capacity and distribution

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(4) The resulting figure equals theavailable amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For exam-
ple, if the “ XXX” amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be five
150 lb passengers in your ve-
hicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity
is 650 lbs. (1400–750
(5x150)=650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being
loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the
available cargo and luggage load
capacity calculated in Step 4.
(6) If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
of your vehicle.
Toyota does not recommend towing
a trailer with your vehicle. Your ve-
hicle is not designed for trailer towing.
Cargo
capacity
Total load
capacity
Example on Your Vehicle
Coupe—In case that 2 people with the
combined weight of 166 kg (366 lb.)
are riding in your vehicle with the total
load capacity of 410 kg (900 lb.), the
available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity will be as follows:
410 kg – 166 kg = 244 kg. ( 900 lb. – 366 lb. = 534 lb. ) Convertible—In case that 2 people
with the combined weight of 166 kg
(366 lb.) are riding in your vehicle with
the total load capacity of 342 kg (754
lb.), the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity will be as
follows:
342 kg – 166 kg = 176 kg.
( 754 lb. – 366 lb. = 388 lb. )
From this condition, if 2 more passen-
gers with the combined weight of 93
kg (205 lb.) get on , the av ailable car-
go and luggage load will be reduced
as follows:
Coupe 244 kg – 93 kg = 151 kg.
( 534 lb. – 205 lb. = 329 lb. )
Convertible 176 kg – 93 kg = 83 kg.
( 388 lb. – 205 lb. = 183 lb. )

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As shown in the above example, if the
number of occupants increases, the
cargo and luggage load equaling the
combined weight of occupants who
got on later must be reduced. In other
words, if the increase in the number
of occupants causes the excess of
the total load capacity (combined
weight of occupants plus cargo and
luggage load), you have to reduce the
cargo and luggage on your vehicle.
For details about total load capacity,
see “Vehicle load limits” on page 284.
CAUTION
Even if the total load of occu-
pant’s weight and the cargo load
is less than the total load capac-
ity, do not apply the load uneven-
ly. That may cause not only dam-
age to the tire but also deteriora-
tion to the steering ability due to
imbalance of the vehicle possibly
causing an accident.
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. All season tires, however, do not have
adequate traction performance
compared with snow tires in heavy or
loose snow. Also, all season tires fall
short in acceleration and handling
performance compared with summer
tires in highway driving.
The details about how to distinguish
summer tires from all season tires are
described on page 271.
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
manufacturer’s designated
tires, and never mix tires or
wheels of the sizes different
from the originally equipped
tires and wheels.
Types of tires

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STARTING AND DRIVING
Starting and driving
Before starting the engine290
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How to start the engine 290
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Tips for driving in various conditions 291
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Driving in the rain 292
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Winter driving tips 293
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Dinghy towing 294
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Trailer towing 295
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How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer 296
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SECTION 3

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1. Check the area around the vehicle be-fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, seat cushion height, head restraint
height and steering wheel angle and
length.
3. Adjust the inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3. Manual transmission: Press the clutch
pedal to the floor and shift the trans-
mission into neutral. Hold the clutch
pedal to the floor until the engine is
started. A starter safety device will pre-
vent the starter from operating if the
clutch pedal is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the se-
lector lever in “P”. If you need to re-
start the engine while the vehicle is
moving, put the selector lever in “N”.
A starter safety device will prevent the
starter from operating if the selector
lever is in any drive position.
4. Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it to
the floor until driving off. Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in “(a) Before crank-
ing”.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
tial multiport fuel injection system in your
engine automatically controls the proper
air
−fuel mixture for starting. You can start
a cold or hot engine as follows:
With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
crank the engine by turning the engine
switch to “START”. Release it when the
engine starts.
Engine should be warmed up by driving,
not in idle. For warming up, drive with
smoothly turning engine until engine cool-
ant temperature is within normal range.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not start...
See “If your vehicle will not start” on page
300 in Section 4.
Before starting the engine H o w to st art th e en g in e—
(a) Before cranking
(b) Starting the engine

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NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 30 se-
conds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.
 Do not race a cold engine.
 If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
This will allow you much better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp −edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage such
as a tire burst.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps
or traveling on a bumpy road. Other-
wise, the impact could cause severe
damage to the tires and/or wheels.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the
parking brake, and place the transmis-
sion in “P” (automatic) or in first or
reverse (manual). If necessary, block
the wheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake applied. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Tips for driving in various
conditions

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Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking on
a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
tion or engine braking could cause
the vehicle to skid or spin.
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
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.
Driving on a slippery road surface
Drive carefully when it is raining, because
visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged−up, and the road will be
slippery.
Drive carefully when it starts to rain,
because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
Refrain from high speeds when driving
on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of water between
the tires and the road surface,
preventing the steering and brakes
from operating properly.
CAUTION
Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering when driving on a slippery
road surface may cause tire slip-
page and reduce your ability to
control the vehicle, resulting in an
accident.
Sudden changes in engine speed,
such as sudden engine braking,
may cause the vehicle to skid, re-
sulting in an accident.
After driving through a puddle,
lightly depress the brake pedal to
make sure that the brakes are func-
tioning properly. Wet brake pads
may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on
only one side are wet and not func-
tioning properly, steering control
may be affected, resulting in an ac-
cident.
Driving in the rain