1997 TOYOTA CAMRY ABS

35
In a severe frontal impact, sensors detect
deceleration and the system triggers the
airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction
in the inflators momentairly fills the air-
bags with non-toxic nitrogen gas to help
restrain the forward motion of the occu-
pants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
along with the nitrogen or argon gas. This
is not harmful and does not indicate a fire.
Be sure to wash off any residue as soon
as possible to prevent minor skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happen in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swellings.
Parts of the airbag module (steering
wheel hub, dashboard) may be hot for
several minutes, but the airbags them-
selves will not be hot. The airbags are de-
signed to inflate only once.
A crash severe enough to inflate the air-
bags may break the windshield as the ve-
hicle buckles. In vehicles with a passen-
ger airbag the windshield may also be
damaged by absorbing some of the force
of the inflating airbag.
CAUTION!

The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the seat belt sys-
tems of the driver and front passen-
ger. The front seat occupants are
particularly susceptable to injury if
they do not wear their seat belts;
when sudden braking or a collision
occurs, they may be thrown for-
ward. To obtain maximum protec-
tion in an accident, the driver and
all passengers in the vehicle
should always wear their seat belts
when driving because serious in-
juries can result to unrestrainted
occupants. For instructions and
precautions concering the seat
belt systems, see Seat beltsº in
this chapter.

A baby or small child who is too
small to use a seat belt should be
properly secured in a rear seat us-
ing a child restraint system.

Never put a rear-facing child re-
straint system in the front seat be-
cause the force of the rapid infla-
tion of the passenger airbag can
cause severe injury to the child.
ProCarManuals.com

41
The built-in child restraint system mainly
consists of a child seat integrated in the
rear seat and 5-point seat belts. Refer to
the illustration to become familiar with the
parts of the system. This child restraint
system conforms to U.S. Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 213 and Canada Mo-
tor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213.4.
1. Shoulder belts
2. Head restraint lock release button
3. Storage bag (for the head restraint and
upper pad)
4. Head restraint and upper pad (for the
rear seat)
5. Maximum shoulder height indicator la-
bel
6. Removable pad
7. Seat belt buckle
8. Seat blet release strap (black)
9. Seat blet adjustment strap (gray)
10. Child seat cushion
11. Seat belt buckle release button
12. Seat belt tabs
13. Owner 's manual supplement
14. Shoulder belt, clip
ÐBuilt-in child restraint
ProCarManuals.com

45
7. Sit the child on the child seat. Place
a shoulder belt over each shoulder.
Insert the tabs into the buckle.
CAUTION!

When the built-in child restraint is
in use, do not use the adult lap and
shoulder belt instead of the built-
in child restraint seat belt as it can
cause severe injury to the child in
a sudden stop or crash.

After inserting the tabs, make sure
the tabs and buckle are locked and
that the shoulder belts and buckle
strap are not twisted.

Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tabs
and buckle.

If the seat belt does not function
normally, it cannot protect your
child from injury. Contact your To-
yota dealer immediately. Do not
use the built-in child restraint un-
til the seat belt is fixed.
8. Fasten the shoulder belt clip.
The purpose of the clup is to keep the
shoulder belts positioned correctly on the
shoulders.
CAUTION!
An unfastened shoulder belt clip
will not help keep the belts on the
child's shoulders. In a sudden stop
or crash, the child may go too far
forward and be seriously injured.
Make sure the belt clip is fastened
at all times.
ProCarManuals.com

71
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 Buzz-
er
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, ect., 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 Pressure 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 Level 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 Toyo-
ta 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.
(g) ABSº Warning Light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in your anti-lock brake sys-
tem.
ProCarManuals.com

72
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
anti-lock brake system is not assisting
brake performance so that the wheels can
lock-up during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces.
(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) Low Windshield Washer Fluid
Level Warning Light
The light warns that the windshield wash-
er fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at
your earliest opportunity. (For instruc-
tions, see Adding washer fluidº in Chap-
ter 7-3.)(l) TRAC OFFº Indicator/Warning
light
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to ONº, and will go off after 3
seconds. This means that the system is
operating properly.
If one of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitors by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.

The light remains on more than 3 sec-
onds after the ignition switch is turned
on.

The light comes on while driving even
if the TRAC OFFº switch is not
pushed.

The light flashes.
(m) 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.
ProCarManuals.com

73
CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER INDI-
CATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open one of the doors.
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, SRS airbag
warning light and automatic transmission
fluid temperature 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.
ProCarManuals.com

135
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
automatically help prevent lock- up of the
wheels during sudden braking or braking on
slippery road surfaces. This assists in pro-
viding directional stability and steering per -
formance of the vehicle under these cir -
cumstances.
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 approximate-
ly 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.
Effective way to press the ABSº brake
pedal: When the anti-lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti-lock brake
system work for you, just hold the brake
pedal down more firmly. Do not pump
the brake. This will result in reduced
braking performance.
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.
ProCarManuals.com

136
ABSº warning light
This 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. However, when the `ABS''
warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the anti-lock brake
system is not assisting brake perfor-
mance so that the wheels can lock-up
during sudden braking or braking on slip-
pery road surfaces. Have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible
DRUM-IN-DISC TYPE PARKING
BRAKE SYSTEM (1MZ-FE engine)
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type
parking brake system. This type 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 pas 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 indicator
ProCarManuals.com