1997 TOYOTA CAMRY Engine control

11
PANICº SWITCH
Pushing the PANICº switch for 2 sec-
onds blows the horn intermittently
and flashes the headlights, tail lights
and other exterior lights. The engine
cannot be started because the starter
circuit will be cut.
The PANICº switch is used to deter the
vehicle theft when you witness anyone at-
tempting to brake into or damage your ve-
hicle.
The alarm will last for one minute. To
stops this in the midway, push the PAN-
ICº switch once again. The starter circuitcut will be kept on until the PANICº mode
is cancelled.
To cancel the PANICº mode, unlock any
door with the key or tranmitter or turn the
ignition key from the LOCKº to ACCº
position.
The PANICº mode does not work when
the key is inserted in the ignition switch.
WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL
TRANSMITTER
The wireless remote control transmitter is
an electronic component. Observe the fol-
lowing instructions in order not to cause
damage on the transmitter.

Do not leave the transmitter on the
places where the temperature becomes
high such as on the dashboard.

Do not disaassemble it.

Avoid knocking it hard against other ob-
jects or dropping it.

Avoid putting it in water.
You can use up to 2 wireless remote con-
trol transmitters for the same vehicle.
Contact your Toyota dealer for detailed in-
formation.
If the wireless remote control transmitter
doew not actualte the doors or alarm, or
operate from a normal distance:
Check for closeness to a radio transmit-
ter such as a radio station or an airport
which can interfer with normal operation
of the transmitter.

The batteries may have been con-
sumed. Check the batteries in the trans-
mitter. To replace the batteries, see Re-
placing transmitter batteries.º
Replacing transmitter batteries
The expected lift of your transmitter bat-
teries is about one year. For replacement,
use DURACELL
[ DL2016 or equivalent.
a. Using a screwdriver, separate the two
halves of the transmitter with the transmit-
ter buttons facing down.
b. Remove and replace the transmitter
batteries.If yout touch a new battery with
your fingers, clean it with rubbing alcohol.
Skin oils may shorten the batteries' life.
c. Reassemble the transmitter case.
Make sure the gasket is properly installed
.After replaceing batteries, check that the
transmitter operates properly. If the trans-
mitter still does not operate properly, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
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59
To adjust the rear view mirror, simply op-
erate the control lever.
NOTICE
If ice should jam the mirror, do not
operate the control or scrape the
mirror fce. Use a spray de-icer to
free the mirror.
To adjust a mirror, use the switches.
1. Master switchÐTo select the mirror to
be adjusted
Place the switch at Lº (left) or Rº (right).
2. Control switchÐTo move the mirror
push the switch in the desired direc-
tion.
If the engine is not running, the key must
be in the ACCº position.
NOTICE
If ice should jam the mirror, do not
operate the control or scrape the
mirror face. Use a spray de-icer to
free the mirror.
To reduce glare from the headlights of
the vehicle behind you during night
driving, operate the lever on the lower
edge of the mirror.
Daylight drivingÐLever at position 1
The reflection in the mirror has greater
clarity at this position.
Night drivingÐLever at position 2
Remember that by reducing glare you
also lose some rear view clarity.
ÐRear view mirror remote
controlÐPower rear view mirror
controlAnti-glare inside rear view
mirror
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Part 1Headlights and turn signals
61
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-4
Lights, Wipers
and Defogger

Headlights and turn signals

Emergency flashers

Instrument panel light control

Interior light

Ignition switch light

Personal light

Windshield wipers and washer

Rear window and outside rear
view mirror defoggersHEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights: Twist
the headlight/turn signal lever knob.
Position 1ÐParking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights
Position 2ÐHeadlights and all of the
above
The lights automatically turn off when the
driver's door is opened with the ignition
turned off. To turn them on again, turn the
key to the ONº position or actuate the
headlight switch. If you are going to park
for over one week, make sure the head-
light switch is off.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being
discharged, do not leave the lights
on for a long period when the
engine is not running.
Daytime running light system (Canada
only)
The headlights turn on when the parking
brake is released with the engine started,
even with the light switch in the OFFº
position. They will not go off until the igni-
tion switch is turned off.
To turn on the other exterior lights and in-
strument panel lights, twist the knob to the
position 1.
Under the daytime running light system,
the headlights turn on at reduced intensi-
ty. Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
to full intensity for driving at night.
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63
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being
discharged, do not leave the lights
on for a long period when the engine
is not running.
To adjust the brightness of the instru-
ment panel lights, turn the knob.To turn on the interior light, slide the
switch.
The interior light has the following posi-
tion:
ONºÐKeeps the light on all the time.
OFFºÐTurns the light off.
DOORºÐTurns the light on when any of
the door is opened. The light goes off
when all the doors are closed. On some
models, the light remains on for some
time after all of the doors are closed.
Instrument panel light control Interior light
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Part 1Fuel gauge
67
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-5
Gauges, Meters and
Service reminder
indicators

Fuel gauge

Engine coolant temperature
gauge

Tachometer

Odometer and two trip meters

Service reminder indicators and
warning buzzers
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
Nearly fullÐNeedle at Fº
Nearly emptyÐNeedle at Eº
It is a good idea to keep the tank over 1/4
full.
This fuel gauge has a non-return type
needle which remains at the last indicated
position when the ignition switch is turned
off.
If the level approaches Eº or the low fuel
level warning light comes on, fill the fuel
tank as soon as possible.If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
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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 moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, 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 (revolu-
tions per minute). Use it while driving
to select correct shift points and to
prevent engine lugging and overrev-
ving.
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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Part 1Ignition switch with steering
lock
75
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
Startº - Starter motor on. The key will
return to the ONº position when re-
leased.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
ONº - Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
ACCº - Accessories such as the ra-
dio 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.
LOCKº - Engine 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 put in the Pº
position 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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Vehicles with cruise control - When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift the transmission by turning off the
overdrive switch, engine braking will not be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle
speed, see Cruise controlº in this chapter.
76Automatic transmissionProCarManuals.com