1996 TOYOTA TACOMA oil dipstick

51
(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 driving,
pull off the road to a safe place and stop the
engine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer or
qualified repair shop for assistance.
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 bechecked 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. (f) 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 instruc- tions.)
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.
(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 T
oyota
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), thebrake system operates conventionally but
without anti-lock function. Vehicles with rear differential lock systemÐ
The anti-lock brake system does not op-
erate when the rear differential is locked.
It is normal operation for the ABSº warn-
ing light to be on at this time.
(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, inflator, warning light, interconnecting wiring and powersources.
If either of the following conditions occurs, this indicates a malfunction somewhere inthe 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) Light Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer will sound if the driver's door is opened while the ignition switch is turned to the LOCKº position with the
headlight switch on. Removing the key will
not stop the buzzer as long as the head-light switch is on.

102The 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 the fuel or moisture, making it
appear 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 as 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.
Failure to check the oil level
regularly could lead to serious
engine trouble due to insufficient oil.
NOTICE
For detailed information on the oil level
check, see Checking the engine oil levelº
in Chapter 7-2.
Your engine is fitted with twin ground electrode spark plugs.
Use only twin ground electrode
spark plugs for your engine perfor-
mance.
NOTICE
Twin ground electrode spark plugs (5VZ-FE engine)

144IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time whenrefueling.
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 information.
Engine oil level
Check the l evel 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 on the dipstick. The level
should be in the HOTº or COLDº range
depending on the fluid temperature. See Chapter 7-2 for additional information. 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.)
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 suspensionmovement
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 normal
Does your vehicle need repairing?

1481. Windshield washer fluid tank (type A)
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Fuse block
5. Battery
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Power steering fluid reservoir
8. Engine oil level dipstick
9. Windshield washer fluid tank (type B)
Engine compartment overview
2RZ-FE and 3RZ-FE engines

149
1. Windshield washer fluid tank
(type A)
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Brake fluid reservoir
4. Fuse block
5. Battery
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Engine oil level dipstick
8. Power steering fluid reservoir
9. Windshield washer fluid tank (type B)

5VZ-FE engine

Part 7Checking the engine oil level
155
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 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.):
2RZ-FE and 3RZ-FE engines
1.5 (1.6, 1.3)
5VZ-FE engine Two-wheel drive models 1.5 (1.6,1.3)
Four-wheel drive models 1.2 (1.3,1.1)

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