1996 TOYOTA CAMRY warning light

Indicator symbols on the instrument panel
5
Brake system warning light*1
Seat belt reminder light*1
Discharge warning light*1
Malfunction indicator lamp*1
Low fuel level warning light*1
Low oil pressure warning light*1
Anit-lock brake system warning light*1
Open door warning light*1
Rear light failure warning light*1
SRS airbag warning light*1
Turn signal indicator lights
Headlight high beam indicator light
Overdrive-of f indicator light
PWRº mode indicator light
Cruise control indicator light*
2
Automatic transmission indicator lights
*
1: For details, see Service reminder indicators and warn-
ing buzzersº in Chapter 1-5.
*
2: If this light flashes, see Cruise controlº in Chapter 1-6.
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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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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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66(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light has the following functions:
Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the parking
brake is fully released. The light should go
off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on while
you are driving, slow down and pull off the
road. Then stop the vehicle carefully.
There may be a problem somewhere in
the brake system. Check the fluid level of
the see-through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has not
caused the warning light to come on,
check to see that the parking brake is fully
released.
If the brake fluid level is low...
At a safe place, test your brakes by start-
ing and stopping.

If you judge that the brakes still work
adequately, drive cautiously to your
nearest dealer or shop for repairs.

If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs. (For tow-
ing information, see Part 4.)
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level
is low.CAUTION
!
If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and Buzzer
Once the ignition key is turned to ONº or
STARTº, the reminder light and buzzer
come on if the driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened. Unless the driver fastens the belt,
the light stays on and the buzzer stops af-
ter about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being
discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging
system.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, radio, etc., and drive directly to the
nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the
engine drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty.
(See Fuel gaugeº in Chapter 1-5 for in-
structions.)b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See Fuel tank capº in Chapter
1-2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electri-
cal system.
If it comes on while you are driving in case
c, have your vehicle checked/repaired by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
(e) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level in
the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up the
tank as soon as possible.
(f) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are driv-
ing, pull off the road to a safe place and
stop the engine immediately. Call a Toyota
dealer or qualified repair shop for assis-
tance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on brief-
ly after a hard stop. There is no cause for
concern if it then goes out when the en-
gine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to indi-
cate low oil level, and the oil level must be
checked using the level dipstick.
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67
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light onÐeven for one
block. It may ruin the engine.
(g) ABSº Warning Light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in your anti-lock brake sys-
tem.
If the light comes on while you are driving,
have your vehicle checked by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to the ONº position. After
about 3 seconds, the light will go off.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
brake system operates conventionally but
without anti-lock function.
(h) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
and back door are completely closed.
(i) Rear Light Failure Warning Light
If this light comes on when the headlight
switch is turned on (at the first or second
clickstop), it indicates that one or more of
the tail lights are burned out.
If it comes on when the brake pedal is de-
pressed, one or more stop lights are
burned out.Have defective bulbs replaced as soon as
possible.
(j) SRS Airbag Warning Light
This light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ACCº or ONº
position. After about 6 seconds, the
light will go off. This means the airbag
system is operating properly.
The warning light system monitors the
front airbag sensors, center airbag sensor
assembly, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting wiring and power sources.
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.

The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position or remains on.

The light comes on while driving.
(k) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer reminds you to remove the
key when you open the driver's door with
the ignition key in the ACCº or LOCKº
position.CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER INDI-
CATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2 . Open one of the side doors or back door.
The open door warning light should come
on.
3. Close the door.
The open door warning light should go off.
4. Turn the ignition key to ACCº.
The SRS airbag warning light should
come on. It goes off after about 6 sec-
onds.
5. Turn the ignition key to ONº, but do not
start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators except
the open door warning light and SRS air-
bag warning light should come on. The
ABSº warning light goes off after about 3
seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described
above, either the bulb is burned out or the
circuit is in need of repair. Have it checked
by your Toyota dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
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76CANCELLING THE PRESET SPEED
You can cancel the preset speed by:
a. Pulling the control lever in the CAN-
CELº direction and releasing it.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
c. Depressing the clutch pedal (manual
transmission).
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40
km/h (25 mph), the preset speed will auto-
matically cancel out.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10
mph) below the preset speed, the preset
speed will also automatically cancel out.
If the preset speed automatically cancels
out other than for the above cases, have
your vehicle checked by your Toyota deal-
er at the earliest opportunity.
RESETTING AT A FASTER SPEED
Push the control lever upward in the
RES/ACCº direction and hold it. Release
the lever when the desired speed is at-
tained. While the lever is held upward, the
vehicle will gradually gain speed.
However, a faster way to reset is to accel-
erate the vehicle and then press the con-
trol lever downward in the SET/COASTº
direction.RESETTING AT A SLOWER SPEED
Push the control lever downward in the
SET/COASTº direction and hold it. Re-
lease the lever when the desired speed is
attained. While the lever is held down-
ward, the vehicle speed will gradually de-
crease.
However, a faster way to reset is to de-
press the brake pedal and then press the
control lever downward in the SET/
COASTº direction.
RESUMING THE PRESET SPEED
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling
the control lever or by depressing the
brake pedal or clutch pedal, pushing the
lever up in the RES/ACCº direction will
restore the speed set prior to cancellation.
However, once the vehicle speed falls be-
low about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset
speed will not be resumed.
CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE WARNING
If the CRUISEº indicator light in the in-
strument cluster flashes when using the
cruise control, there is some trouble in the
cruise control system. Contact your Toyo-
ta dealer and have your vehicle inspected.ProCarManuals.com

134TANDEM MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE
SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake sys-
tem is a hydraulic system with two sepa-
rate sub-systems. If either sub-system
should fail, the other will still work. Howev-
er, the pedal will be harder to press, and
your stopping distance will be longer.
Also, the brake system warning light may
come on.
CAUTION!
Do not drive your vehicle with only
a single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
power-assist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserve
vacuum for one or two stopsÐbut no
more!
CAUTION!

Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your vacuum re-
serve.

Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hardÐmuch harder than
normal. And your braking distance
will be longer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (with
ABSº warning light)
The anti-lock brake system is designed to
prevent lock-up of the wheels during sud-
den braking or braking on slippery road
surfaces. This assists the driver in con-
trolling the vehicle under these circum-
stances.
The anti-lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the anti-lock
brake system is in the self check mode,
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the anti-lock brake system function
is in action, you may feel the brake pedal
pulsating and hear a noise. In this situa-
tion, to let the anti-lock brake system
work for you, just hold the brake pedal
down more firmly. Do not pump the brake.The brake pedal pulsation caused by the
anti-lock brake system may indicate haz-
ardous road surface conditions. Although
the anti-lock brake system assists in pro-
viding vehicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care, because the anti-
lock brake system cannot overcome the
laws of physics that act on your vehicle:

Braking capability is dependent on tire
friction with the road surface.

Even though the anti-lock brake sys-
tem is operating, a driver cannot main-
tain full control on certain slippery road
surfaces, when cornering at high
speeds, or in violent maneuvers.

Avoid high speeds on wet roads. The
anti-lock brake system cannot elimi-
nate the risk of hydroplaning and loss
of tire friction.
Always maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you. Compared with ve-
hicles not fitted with an anti-lock brake
system, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:

Driving on rough, gravel or snow-cov-
ered roads.

Driving with tire chains installed.

Driving on roads where the road sur-
face is pitted or has other differences
in surface height.
Brake system
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135
ABSº warning light
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ONº position. After about
3 seconds, the light will go off.
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.

The light does not come on as de-
scribed above, or remains on.

The light comes on while driving.Even if the anti-lock brake system should
fail, the brake system will still operate con-
ventionally. Have your vehicle checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
DRUM-IN-DISC TYPE PARKING
BRAKE SYSTEM (all 1MZ-FE engined
vehicles, and some 5S-FE engined ve-
hicles with anti-lock brake system)
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system needs bedding-down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the park-
ing brake shoes and/or drums are re-
placed.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding-down.The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to
where replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
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