1996 TOYOTA CAMRY coolant level

Part 1Fuel gauge
63
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-5
Gauges, Meters
and Service reminder
indicators

Fuel gauge

Engine coolant temperature
gauge

Tachometer

Odometer and trip meter

Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
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 level approaches Eº or the low fuel
level warning light comes on, fill the fuel
tank as soon as possible.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.
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152If your engine stalls while driving0
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see If your ve-
hicle will not startº.
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual.CAUTION
!
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if you
hear a loud knocking or pinging noise,
the engine has probably overheated.
You should follow this procedure0
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle
and turn on your emergency flashers. Put
the transmission in Pº (automatic) or neu-
tral (manual) and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the air conditioning if it is being
used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine. Wait
until the steam subsides before opening
the hood. If there is no coolant boiling over
or steam, leave the engine running and
make sure the electric cooling fan is oper-
ating. If it is not, turn the ignition off.
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant
is a sign of very high pressure.CAUTION
!
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from
the radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has been
used.
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.CAUTION
!
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-
gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer for
assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the
coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add coolant to
the reservoir while the engine is running.
Fill it about half full.
Do not attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap when the engine and radia-
tor are hot. Serious injury could re-
sult from scalding hot fluid and
steam blown out under pressure.CAUTION
!
6. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If necessary,
bring it up to half full again. Serious cool-
ant loss indicates a leak in the system.
You should have it checked as soon as
possible at your Toyota dealer.
If your vehicle overheats
(5S-FE engine) If your engine stalls while
driving
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153 If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if you
hear a loud knocking or pinging noise,
the engine has probably overheated.
You should follow this procedure0
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle
and turn on your emergency flashers. Put
the transmission in Pº (automatic) or neu-
tral (manual) and apply the parking brake.
Turn off the air conditioning if it is being
used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine. Wait
until the steam subsides before opening
the hood. If there is no coolant boiling over
or steam, leave the engine running.
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant
is a sign of very high pressure.CAUTION
!
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from
the radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has been
used.
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.CAUTION
!
4.
If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-
gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer for
assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the
coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add coolant to
the reservoir while the engine is running.
Fill it about half full.
Do not attempt to remove the en-
gine coolant filler cap when the en-
gine and radiator are hot. Serious
injury could result from scalding
hot fluid and steam blown out un-
der pressure.CAUTION
!
6. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If necessary,
bring it up to half full again. Serious cool-
ant loss indicates a leak in the system.
You should have it checked as soon as
possible at your Toyota dealer.1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place well away from the
traffic. Avoid stopping on the center divid-
er of a highway. Park on a level spot with
firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emer-
gency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put
the transmission in Pº (automatic) or re-
verse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle
on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thor-
oughly.
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the possibil-
ity of personal injury:

Follow jacking instructions.

Use a jack only for lifting your ve-
hicle during wheel changing.

Never get beneath the vehicle
when supported by a jack.

Do not start or run the engine
while your vehicle is supported by
a jack.CAUTION
! If your vehicle overheats
1MZ-FE engine)If you have a flat tireÐ
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174IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See Chapter 7-3 for additional infor-
mation.
Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the FULLº and LOWº lines on the see-
through reservoir. See Chapter 7-2 for
additional information.
Battery electrolyte level
Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower level
lines on the case. Add only distilled water
when replenishing. See Chapter 7-3 for
additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa-
tion.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with the en-
gine turned off and the vehicle parked on
a level spot. See Chapter 7-2 for addition-
al information.Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir. The
level should be in the HOTº or COLDº
range depending on the fluid temperature.
See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa-
tion.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, have
the cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See engine exhaust cautions in
Part 2.)ProCarManuals.com

175 Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip-offs that in-
dicate service is needed. Some important
clues are as follows:

Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging

Appreciable loss of power

Strange engine noises

A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)

Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monox-
ide leak. Drive with the windows open
and have the exhaust system checked
immediately.)

Flat-looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear

Vehicle pulls to one side when driving
straight on a level road

Strange noises related to suspension
movement

Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking

Engine coolant temperature continual-
ly higher than normalIf you notice any of these clues, take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. It probably needs adjustment or
repair.
Do not continue driving with the ve-
hicle unchecked. It could result in
serious vehicle damage and possi-
bly personal injury.CAUTION
! Does your vehicle need repairing?
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183
NOTICE
Remember that battery and igni-
tion cables carry high currents or
voltages. Be careful of accidental-
ly causing a short circuit.
Add only demineralized or dis-
tilled water to fill the radiator. And
if you spill some of the coolant, be
sure to wash off with water to pre-
vent it from damaging the parts or
paint.
Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug
holes.
Use only spark plugs of the speci-
fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
Do not reuse platinum-tipped
spark plugs by cleaning or regap-
ping.
Do not overfill automatic trans-
mission fluid, or the transmission
could be damaged.
Do not drive with the air cleaner
filter removed, or excessive en-
gine wear could result. Also back-
firing could cause a fire in the en-
gine compartment.
Be careful not to scratch the glass
surface with the wiper frame.
When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-
gotten any tools, rags, etc.
Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need on performing do-it-yourself main-
tenance. Remember all Toyota parts are
designed in metric sizes, so your tools
must be metric.
Checking the engine oil level
Parts (if level is low):

Engine oil API SH, Energy-Conserv-
ing IIº multigrade or ILSAC multigrade
having viscosity proper for your cli-
mate
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding oil)
Checking the engine coolant level
Parts (if level is low):

Ethylene-glycol antifreeze

Demineralized or distilled water
Tools:

Funnel (only for adding coolant)
Checking brake fluid
Parts (if level is low):

SAE J1703 or FMVSS No. 116 DOT 3
brake fluid
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding fluid)
Parts and tools
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Part 7Checking the engine oil level
185
DO-IT-YOURSELF
MAINTENANCEÐ
Chapter 7-2
Engine and Chassis

Checking the engine oil level

Checking the engine coolant
level

Checking brake fluid

Checking power steering fluid

Checking tire pressure

Checking and replacing tires

Rotating tires

Installing snow tires and chains

Replacing wheels

Aluminum wheel precautions
With the engine at operating tempera-
ture and turned off, check the oil level
on the dipstick.
1. To get a true reading, the vehicle
should be on a level spot. After turning off
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil
to drain back into the bottom of the en-
gine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, and wipe it clean
with a rag.
3. Reinsert the dipstick'push it in as far
as it will go, or the reading will not be cor-
rect.
4. Pull the dipstick out and look at the oil
level on the end.
CAUTION!
Be careful not to touch the hot ex-
haust manifold.
If the oil level is below or only slightly
above the low level line, add engine oil
of the same type as already in the en-
gine.
Remove the oil filler cap and add engine
oil in small quantities at a time, checking
the dipstick.
The approximate quantity of oil needed to
fill between the low level line and the full
level line on the dipstick is indicated below
for reference.
When the level reaches within the correct
range, install the filler cap hand-tight.
Oil quantity, L (qt., Imp. qt.):
5S-FE engine 1.0 (1.1, 0.9)
1MZ-FE engine 1.5 (1.6, 1.3)
NOTICE
Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
Check the oil level on the dipstick
once again after adding the oil.
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187
The ILSAC (International Lubricant Stan-
dardization and Approval Committee)
Certification Mark is displayed on the front
of the container.Look at the see-through coolant res-
ervoir when the engine is cold. The
coolant level is satisfactory if it is be-
tween the FULLº and LOWº lines on
the reservoir. If the level is low, add
ethylene-glycol type coolant.
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the LOWº line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the FULLº
line.
Use only ethylene-glycol type coolant.
See information in the next column.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the ra-
diator, hoses, engine coolant filler cap, ra-
diator cap and drain cock and water
pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check for
leaks in the cooling system.
CAUTION!
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the
engine is hot.Coolant type selection
Your coolant must contain ethylene-gly-
col antifreeze. In addition to preventing
freezing and subsequent damage to the
engine, this will also prevent corrosion.
Further supplemental inhibitors or addi-
tives are neither needed nor recom-
mended.
Read the antifreeze container for informa-
tion on freeze protection. Follow the
manufacturer 's directions for how much
to mix with water. The total capacity of the
cooling system is given in Part 8. We rec-
ommend 50% solution be used for your
Toyota, or a sufficient quantity to provide
protection to about -35C (-31F).
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze
or plain water alone.
Checking the engine coolant
level
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