1996 TOYOTA SUPRA checking oil

53
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.
(c) 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.
(d) 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 dischar-
ged. Turn off the air conditioning, blower,
radio, etc., and drive directly to the near-
est Toyota dealer or repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine drive belt is broken or loose.
(e) 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.
(f) 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.
(g) 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.
(h) Low Engine Oil Level Warning Light
The light warns that the engine oil level is
too low. Add oil as soon as possible. (For instructions, see Checking the engine oil
levelº in Chapter 7-2.)
NOTICE
Continued engine operation with low engine oil will damage the
engine.

111
The amount of engine oil consumed
depends on
the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions
the vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high-speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel- eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may be- come diluted and make it difficult to
judge the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for re-
peated short trips, and consumes a nor- mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This is
because the oil is gradually becoming di-
luted with fuel or moisture, making it ap-
pear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds. IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL CHECK
One of the most important points in proper vehicle maintenance is to keep the engine
oil at the optimum level so that oil function
will
not be impaired. Therefore, it is essen-
tial that the oil level be checked regularly.
Toyota recommends that the oil level be checked every time you refuel the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly could lead to serious
engine trouble due to insufficientoil.
For detailed information on oil level check,
see Checking the engine oil levelº in Chapter 7-2. TANDEM 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 w
ill 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.
Do not drive your vehicle with only
a single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
CAUTION!
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 reservevacuum for one or two stopsÐbut no more!
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your vacuum re- serve.
CAUTION!
Brake system

144You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer's service department performs the
best
job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicleÐreliably and eco-
nomically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof that
all required maintenance has been per-
formed for warranty coverage. And if any
problems should arise with your vehicle
while under warranty, your Toyota dealer
will promptly take care of it. Again, be sure
to keep a copy of the repair order for any
service performed on your Toyota.
What about do-it-yourself mainte- nance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented in Part 7.
If you are a skilled do-it-yourself me-
chanic, the Toyota service manuals are recommended. Please be aware that do-
it-yourself maintenance can affect your
warranty coverage. See Owner's Guide,
Owner 's Manual Supplement or W arranty
Booklet for the details. Listed
below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre- quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any un-
usual noise, smell or vibration, you should
investigate the cause or take your vehicle
to your T oyota dealer or a qualified service
shop immediately. It is recommended thatany problem you notice be brought to theattention of your dealer or the qualified service shop for their advice.
Make these checks only where
adequate ventilation can be ob-
tained if you run the engine. CAUTION
!
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be per-
formed from time to time, unless other-
wise specified.
Tire pressure Check the pressure with a gauge every
two weeks, or at least once a month. See Chapter 7-2 for additional information. Tire surface and wheel nuts Check the tires carefully
for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Chapter 7-2 for
additional information. When checking the tires, make sure no nuts are missing,
and check the nuts for looseness. T ighten
them if necessary. Fluid leaks Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has been
parked for a while. If you smell fuel fumes
or notice any leak, have the cause found
and corrected immediately. Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including back door
operate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. M ake sure the engine hood secon-
dary latch secures the hood from opening
when the primary latch is released. INSIDE THE VEHICLE Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing period-
ic services, cleaning the vehicle, etc. Lights Make sure the headlights, stop lights, tail lights, turn signal lights, and other lights are all working. Check headlight aim.
General maintenance

152Here 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) Checking power steering fluid Parts (if level is low):
Automatic transmission fluid DEXRON )
-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):
Fuse with same amperage rating as original
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
Parts and tools

Part 7Checking the engine oil level
153
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. If the oil level is below or only slightly
above the low level, add engine oil of
the same type as already in the engine. 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 and the full level
on the dipstick is indicated below for refer- ence.
When the level reaches within the correct range, install the filler cap hand-tight.
Oil quantity, L (qt., Imp. qt.): 1.5 (1.6, 1.3)

Avoid overfilling, or the enginecould be damaged.
Check the oil level on the dipstick
once again after adding the oil.
NOTICE

Part 7Checking battery conditionÐ ÐPrecautions
163
DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCEÐ
Chapter 7-3 Electrical components
Checking battery condition
Battery recharging precautions
Checking and replacing fuses
Adding washer fluid
Checking the headlight aim
Replacing light bulbs
BATTERY PRECAUTIONS
The battery produces flammable
and explosive hydrogen gas.
Do not cause a spark from the bat-
tery with tools.
Do not smoke or light a match near
the battery.
The electrolyte contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid. Avoid contact with eyes, skin or clothes.
Never ingest electrolyte.
Wear protective safety glasses
when working near the battery.
Keep children away from the bat-
tery.
EMERGENCY MEASURES If electrolyte gets in your eyes,
flush your eyes with clean water
for at least 15 minutes and get im-
mediate medical attention. If pos-
sible, continue to apply water with
a sponge or cloth while en route to
the medical office.
If electrolyte gets on your skin,
thoroughly wash the contact area.
If you feel pain or burning, get
medical attention immediately. CAUTION
!
If electrolyte gets on your clothes,
there is a possibility of its soaking
through to your skin, so immedi- ately take off the exposed cloth-
ing and follow the procedure
above, if necessary.
If you happen to swallow electro-
lyte, drink a large quantity of wa-
ter or milk. Follow with milk of
magnesia, beaten raw egg or veg-
etable oil. Then go immediately
for emergency help.