1997 TOYOTA CAMRY tow

78
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to
keep engine rpm from going into
the red zone. The approximate
maximum allowable speed for
each position is given below for
your reference:
2º 125 km/h (77 mph). . . . . .
Lº 69 km/h (42 mph). . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
2º or Lº position. This may
cause severe automatic transmis-
sion damage from overheating.
To prevent such damage, Dº
position should be used in hill
climbing or hard towing.
(d) 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.
(e) 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 posi-
tion.
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
!
(f) Good driving practice

If the transmission is repeatedly up-
shifted and downshifted between third
gear and overdrive when climbing a
gentle slope, the overdrive switch
should be turned off. Be sure to turn
the switch on immediately afterward.

When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
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.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
If you rock your vehicle to make it
out when it becomes stuck in snow,
mud, sand, etc., first check that
there are no physical objects or
people around the vehicle. During
the rocking operation the vehicle
may suddenly move forward or
backward as it becomes unstuck,
causing injury or damage to nearby
people or objects.CAUTION
!
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79
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent
damage to the transmission and
other parts.
Do not depress the accelerator
pedal while shifting the selector
lever or before the transmission is
completely shifted to forward or
reverse gear.
Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
(h) 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.
The shift pattern is conventional as
shown above.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, and then release it slowly. Do not
rest your foot on the pedal while driving,
because it will cause clutch trouble. And
do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
when stopped on an uphill grade-use the
parking brake.
Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized
and upshifting or downshifting is easy.
For the best compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at the follow-
ing speeds:gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64 (40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72 (45)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if accel-
eration is needed when you are cruising
below the above downshifting speeds.
Upshifting too soon or downshifting too
late will cause lugging, and possibly, ping-
ing. Regularly revving the engine to maxi-
mum speed in each gear will cause exces-
sive engine wear and high fuel consump-
tion.
Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower traf-
fic, maximum acceleration may be neces-
sary. Make sure you observe the following
maximum allowable speeds in each gear:
gear km/h (mph)
1 52 (32)
2 93 (57)
3 147 (91)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going
faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.
Manual transmission
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80
Good driving practice

If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put
the transmission in neutral, release
the clutch pedal momentarily, and then
try again.

When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use the fifth gear.
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into re-
verse.
Type A
Type BWhen parking, firmly apply the park-
ing brake to avoid inadvertent creep-
ing.
To set: Pull up the lever. For better holding
power, first depress the brake pedal and
hold it while setting the brake.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly, press
the thumb button, and lower.
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light in the
instrument panel remains on until you re-
lease the parking brake.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off.CAUTION
! Parking brake
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89
Heating
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed -Any setting except OFFº
Temperature - Towards WARM
(red zone) to heat;
Air intake -FRESH (outside air)
Air flow -FLOOR
Air Conditioning -OFF

For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the win-
dows from fogging, select fresh after
the vehicle interior has been warmed.

Press the A/Cº button on for dehumid-
ified heating.

Choose floor/windshield air flow to
heat the vehicle interior while defrost-
ing or defogging the windshield.Air conditioning
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed -Any setting except OFFº
Temperature - Towards COLD
(blue zone) to heat;
Air intake -FRESH (outside air)
Air flow -PANEL
Air Conditioning -ON
For quick cooling, move the air intake
selector to recirculate for a few min-
utes.
Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed -Any setting except OFFº
Temperature - Towards COLD
(blue zone) to heat;
Air intake -FRESH (outside air)
Air flow -PANEL
Air Conditioning -OFF
Defogging
The inside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed -Any setting except OFFº
Temperature - Towards WARM
(red zone) to heat;
COLD (blue zone) to
cool
Air intake -FRESH (outside air)
Air flow -WINDSHIELD
Vehicles withA/Cº button-
Turning the air flow control knob to wind-
shield position turns on the defroster-
linked air conditioning. At this time, the
A/Cº button indicator comes on regard-
less of whether or not the A/Cº button is
pressed in. This is to clean up the front
view more quickly.
When the A/Cº button is not pressed in,
turning the air flow control knob to another
position turns off the air conditioning.

On humid days, do not blow cold air on
the windshieldÐthe difference be-
tween the outside and inside tempera-
tures could make the fogging worse.
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90
Defrosting
The outside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed -Any setting except OFFº
Temperature - Towards WARM
(blue zone) to heat;
Air intake -FRESH (outside air)
Air flow -WINDSHIELD
Vehicles with A/Cº buttonÐ
Turning the air flow control knob to wind-
shield position turns on the defroster-
linked air conditioning. At this time, the
A/Cº button indicator comes on regard-
less of whether or not the A/Cº button is
pressed in. This is to clean up the front
view more quickly.
When the A/Cº button is not pressed in,
moving the air flow control lever to anoth-
er position turns off the air conditioning.

To heat the vehicle interior while de-
frosting the windshield, choose floor/
windshield air flow.
If air flow control is not satisfactory, check
the instrument panel vents. The instru-
ment panel vents may be opened or
closed as shown.
ÐInstrument panel vents
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Part 2Break-in period
Fuel
129
INFORMATION
BEFORE DRIVING
YOUR TOYOTA

Break-in period

Fuel

Operation in foreign countries

Three-way catalytic converter

Engine exhaust cautions

Facts about engine oil consumption

Twin ground electrode spark plugs

Brake system

Brake pad wear limit indicators

Luggage stowage precautions

Your Toyota's idenitification

Theft prevention labels

Suspension and chassis

Types of tiresDrive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of your
vehicle:

Do not drive over 88 km/h (55 mph).

Run the engine at moderate speed be-
tween 2000 and 4000 rpm.

Avoid full-throttle starts.

Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).

Do not drive slowly with the manual
transmission in a high gear.

Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.

Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles)FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a new smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with unleaded
fuel will fit it, but the larger standard nozzle
on pumps with leaded gas will not.
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the
three-way catalytic converter to
lose its effectiveness and the emis-
sion control system to function im-
properly. Also, this can increase
maintenance costs.
NOTICE
OCTANE NUMBER
5S-FE engine: Select Research Octane
Number 91 (Octane Rating 87) or higher.
1MZ-FE engine: Select Research Oc-
tane Number 91 (Octane Rating 87) or
higher. For improved vehicle perfor-
mance, the use of premium unleaded
gasoline with a research Octane Num-
ber of 96 (Octane Rating 91) or higer is
recommended.
ProCarManuals.com

137
When stowing luggage or cargo in the ve-
hicle, observe the following:

Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when
at all possible. Be sure all items are se-
cured in place.

Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.

For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION!

To prevent luggage or packages
from sliding forward during brak-
ing, do not stack anything in the
luggage compartment higher
than the seatbacks. Keep luggage
or packages low, as close to the
floor as possible.

Never allow anyone to ride in the
luggage compartment. It is not
designed for passengers. They
should ride in their seats with
their seat belts properly fastened.
Otherwise, they are much more
likely suffer serious bodily injury,
in the event of sudden braking or
a collision.

Do not place anything on the filler
panel behind the rear seatback or
luggage cover. Such items may
be thrown about and possibly in-
jure people in the vehicle during
sudden braking or an accident.

Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver's
field of view. Or they may move
during sharp vehicle acceleration
or turning, and impair the driver's
control of the vehicle. In an acci-
dent they may injure the vehicle
occupants.
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight specified in
Part 8.
NOTICE
The vehicle identification number
(VIN) is the legal identifier for your ve-
hicle. This number is on the left top of
the instrument panel, and can be seen
through the windshield from outside.
This is the primary identification number
for your Toyota. It is used in registering the
ownership of your vehicle.
Luggage stowage precautionsYour Toyota's identification-
-V ehicle identification number
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Part 3
How to start the engineÐ
(a) Before cranking
Before starting the engine
141
STARTING AND
DRIVING
Before starting the engine
How to start the engine
Tips for driving in various
conditions
Winter driving tips
Trailer towing
How to save fuel and make your
vehicle last longer, too
1. Check the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle,
head restraint height and steering
wheel angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view
mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts.1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3.Manual transmission: Press the
clutch pedal to the floor and shift the
transmission into neutral. Hold the
clutch pedal to the floor until the engine
is started. A starter safety device will
prevent the starter from operating if
the clutch pedal is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the se-
lector lever in Pº. If you need to restart
the engine while the vehicle is moving,
put the selector lever in Nº. A starter
safety device will prevent the starter
from operating if the selector lever is in
any drive position.
4.Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it to the
floor until driving off.
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