1996 TOYOTA CAMRY power steering

36

After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the seat belt extender is not
twisted.

Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.

If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact
your Toyota dealer.
CAUTION!
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection to the driver and
front passenger when added to the pri-
mary protection provided by the seat
belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact, the
SRS airbags work together with the seat
belts to prevent or reduce injury by inflat-
ing, in order to decrease the likelihood of
the driver's or front passenger's head or
chest directly hitting the steering wheel or
dashboard. The passenger airbag is acti-
vated even with no passenger in the front
seat.This indicator comes on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position. It goes off after about 6
seconds. This means the SRS airbags
are operating properly.
The SRS airbag warning light system
monitors the front airbag sensors, center
airbag sensor assembly, inflators, warn-
ing light, interconnecting wiring and power
sources.
SRS airbags
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145 TRAILER LIGHTS

Trailer lights must comply with federal,
state/provincial and local regulations.
See your local recreational vehicle
dealer or rental agency for the correct
type of wiring and relays for your trail-
er. Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each time
you hitch up. Direct splicing may dam-
age your vehicle's electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.
BREAK-IN SCHEDULE

Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a ve-
hicle with any new power train compo-
nent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE

If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will re-
quire more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the Own-
er 's Manual Supplement/Maintenance
Scheduleº.

Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.PRE-T OWING SAFETY CHECK

Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspen-
sion or other possible causes.

Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.

Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulation. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle-
trailer accidents are driver error, ex-
cessive speed and improper trailer
loading. Keep these in mind when tow-
ing:

Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle-trailer con-
nections. After driving a short dis-
tance, stop and recheck the lights and
connections. Before actually towing a
trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing with a trailer in an area away
from traffic until you learn the feel.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and re-
quires practice. Grip the bottom of the
steering wheel and move your hand to
the left to move the trailer to the left.
Move your hand to the right to move
the trailer to the right. (This procedure
is generally opposite to that when
backing without a trailer). Also, just
turn the steering wheel a little at a time,
avoiding sharp or prolonged turning.
Have someone guide you when back-
ing to reduce the risk of an accident.

Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle-to-vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.

Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion. If your vehicle has manual trans-
mission, prevent excessive clutch slip-
page by keeping engine rpm low and
not racing the engine. Always start out
in first gear.ProCarManuals.com

148
Keep the bottom of your vehicle
free from mud, etc. This not only
lessens weight but also helps prevent
corrosion.

Keep your vehicle tuned-up and in
top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.
all lower engine performance and con-
tribute to poor fuel economy. For lon-
ger life of all parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your ve-
hicle receives more frequent mainte-
nance (For scheduled maintenance in-
formation, please refer to the separate
Owner 's Manual Supplement/Main-
tenance Scheduleº).
CAUTION!
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering
and brake booster will not function
without the engine running. Also,
the emission control system oper-
ates properly only when the engine
is running.
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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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164
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck,
either from the front or rear. This
may cause body damage.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tem-
porarily towed by a cable secured to
one of the emergency towing eyelets
under the front of the vehicle.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer it
and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard-surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in neutral
(manual) or Nº (automatic). The key must
be in ACCº (engine off) or ONº (engine
running).
CAUTION!
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.
ÐEmergency towing
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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

184Checking power steering fluid
Parts (if level is low):

Automatic transmission fluid DEX-
RON
[-II or -III
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding fluid)
Checking battery condition
Non-maintenance batteriesÐ
Tools:

Warm water

Baking soda

Grease

Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Maintenance type batteriesÐ
Parts (if level is low):

Distilled water
Tools:

Warm water

Baking soda

Grease

Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)

Coin (for vent plugs)

Funnel (only for adding distilled water)Checking and replacing fuses
Parts (if replacement is necessary):

Genuine Toyota fuse or equivalent
with same amperage rating as original
Tools:

Screwdriver (for passenger's side kick
panel and instrument panel screw)

Conventional wrench (for passenger's
side kick panel nut)
Adding washer fluid
Parts:

Water

Washer fluid containing antifreeze (for
winter use)
Tools:

Funnel
Replacing light bulbs
Parts:

Bulb with same number and wattage
rating as original (See charts in Re-
placing light bulbsº in Chapter 7-3.)
Tools:

Screwdriver

Conventional wrench
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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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