1996 TOYOTA COROLLA Owners Manual

68
The gauge indicates the engine cool-
ant temperature when the ignition
switch is on. The engine operating
temperature will vary with changes in
weather and engine load.
If the needle points to the red zone or high-
er, stop your vehicle and allow the engine
to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:

Driving up a long hill on a hot day.

Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.

Idling for a long period with the air con-
ditioning on in stop-and-go traffic.

Towing a trailer.NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to
control the flow of coolant to keep
the temperature of the engine
within the specified operating
range.
Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See If your
vehicle overheatsº in Part 4.
The tachometer indicates engine
speed in thousands of rpm (revolutions
per minute). Use it while driving to se-
lect correct shift points and to prevent
engine lugging and overrevving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Tachometer Engine coolant temperature
gauge
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69
The odometer records the total dis-
tance the vehicle has been driven. The
trip meter may be set to zero to record
the distance on each trip. To reset the
trip meter, press the trip meter reset
knob.
The black digits on white indicate tenths of
kilometers or miles.
Odometer and trip meterService reminder indicators
and warning buzzers
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70(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 operate,
however, until the battery is discharged.
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) 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.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light onÐeven for one
block. It may ruin the engine.
(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.
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71 (f) 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.
(g) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the side
doors and back door are completely
closed.
(h) 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 air-
bag sensor assembly, inflators, warning
light, interconnecting 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.
(i) 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. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electri-
cal system.
If it comes on while you are driving in case
b, have your vehicle checked/repaired by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
(j) 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.(k) Light Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer will sound if the driver's door
is opened with the key removed from the
ignition switch and the headlight switch
left on.
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 indicators or warn-
ing buzzer do 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.ProCarManuals.com

72ProCarManuals.com

Part 1Ignition switch with steering lock
73
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
AND CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-6
Ignition switch,
Transmission
and Parking brake

Ignition switch with steering lock

Automatic transmission

Manual transmission

Parking brake

Cruise control
StartºÐStarter motor on. The key will
return to the ONº position when re-
leased.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
ONºÐEngine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
ACCºÐAccessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ACCº or
LOCKº position and open the driver's
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.LOCKºÐEngine is off and the steer-
ing wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.
You must push in the key to turn the key
from ACCº to the LOCKº position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in the Pº posi-
tion before pushing the key.
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the LOCKº position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key gently.
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the ve-
hicle is moving, as this will lock the
steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ONº
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
ignition could be damaged.
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74
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of Pº position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ONº position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Normal Driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How
to start the engineº in Part 3. The trans-
mission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
In Dº position, the automatic transmis-
sion system will select the most suitable
gear for running conditions such as nor-
mal cruising, hill climbing, hard towing,
etc.
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.CAUTION
!
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:

Shift into the 2º position when the ve-
hicle speed is lower than the maximum
allowable speed for second gear. The
transmission will downshift to the sec-
ond gear and more engine braking will
be obtained.

Shift into the Lº position when the ve-
hicle speed is lower than the maximum
allowable speed for Lº position. The
transmission will downshift to the first
gear and maximum engine braking will
be applied.
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SPEEDS
2º 112 km/h (70 mph). . . . . . . . . . . .
Lº 62 km/h (38 mph). . . . . . . . . . . . .
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.CAUTION
! Automatic transmission
(3-speed type)
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75
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to
keep engine rpm from going into
the red zone. The maximum allow-
able speed (approximate) for each
position is given above for your
reference.
Do not continue hill climbing for a
long time in the 2º or Lº position.
This may cause severe automatic
transmission damage from over-
heating. To prevent such damage,
use Dº position for hill climbing
or hard towing.
(c) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with
your foot, shift the selector lever to the Rº
position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the
vehicle is moving.
(d) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to
securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down,
shift the selector lever to the Pº position.
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into Pº position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical dam-
age and loss of vehicle control may
result.CAUTION
!
(e) Good driving practice
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an
upgrade with the accelerator pedal.
It can cause the transmission to
overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.
(f) If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of Pº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
Pº position even though the brake pedal
is depressed, use the shift lock override
button. For instructions, see If you can-
not shift automatic transmission selector
leverº in Part 4.
Automatic transmission
(4-speed type)
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