1997 TOYOTA TERCEL Owners Manual

103
If you plan to drive your Toyota in
another country... First,
comply with the vehicle registration
laws. Second, confirm the availability of the
correct fuel (unleaded and minimum oc- tane number).
The three-way catalytic converter is
an emission control device installed in
the exhaust system.
The purpose is to reduce pollutants in the exhaust gas.
CAUTION!
Keep people and combustible ma- terials away from the exhaust pipe
while the engine is running. The ex-
haust gas is very hot.
Do not drive, idle or park your ve-
hicle over anything that might burn
easily such as grass, leaves, paper
or rags.
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the three-way catalytic
converter may cause it to overheatand create a fire hazard. To prevent this and other damage, observe thefollowing precautions:
Use only unleaded gasoline.
Do not drive with an extremely lowfuel level; running out of fuelcould cause the engine to misfire,
creating an excessive load on the
three-way catalytic converter.
Do not allow the engine to run atidle speed for more than 20 min-utes.
Avoid racing the engine.
Do not push-start or pull-start
your vehicle.
Do not turn off the ignition whilethe vehicle is moving.
NOTICE
Three-way catalytic converter
Operation in foreign countries

104
Keep
your engine in good running
order. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electronic igni-tion system/distributor ignitionsystem or fuel systems could
cause an extremely high three- way catalytic converter tempera-ture.
If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, take your
vehicle in for a check-up as soon
as possible. Remember, your To-yota dealer knows your vehicleand its three-way catalytic con-
verter system best.
To ensure that the three-way cata-lytic converter and the engine
emission control system operateproperly, your vehicle must re-ceive the periodic inspections re-
quired by the Toyota Maintenance
Schedule. For scheduled mainte- nance information, refer to the
separate Owner's Manual Sup-
plement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
CAUTION!
Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide,
which is a colorless and odorless
gas. It can cause unconsciousness
or even death.
Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.
Do not run the engine in a garage or
enclosed area except for the time
needed to drive the vehicle in or
out. The exhaust gases cannot es-
cape, making this a paticularly dan-
gerous situation.
Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the engine run-
ning. If it is unavoidable, however,
do so only in an unconfined areaand adjust the heating or cooling
system to force outside air into the vehicle.Keep the trunk lid closed while
driving. An open or unsealed trunk
lid may cause exhaust gases to be
drawn into the vehicle. If you must
drive with the trunk lid open to ac-
commodate a large object, close
the windows, open all the instru-
ment panel vents and have the
heating or cooling system deliver fresh air into the vehicle by turning
the fan to high speed with the air
intake control lever set at the out-side air position.
To allow proper operation of your
vehicle's ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or
other obstructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, drive with the windows
open and the trunk lid closed.
Have the cause immediately lo-cated and corrected.
Engine exhaust cautions

105
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of lu-
bricating and cooling the inside of the en-
gine,
and plays a major role in maintaining
the engine in proper working order. ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are
as follows. Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil is left on the cylinder wall when a piston
moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated
when the vehicle is decelerating sucks
some of this oil into the combustion
chamber. This oil as well as some part
of the oil film left on the cylinder wall is
burned by the high temperature com-
bustion gases during the combustionprocess.
Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil is
sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve stems.
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
diluted 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 itappear 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 bechecked every time you refuel the vehicle.
Failure to check the oil level
regularly could lead to serious
engine trouble due to insufficientoil.
NOTICE
For detailed information on the oil level
check, see Checking the engine oil levelº
in Chapter 7-2.
Facts about engine oil consumption

106
Your engine is fitted with twin ground electrode spark plugs.
Use only twin ground electrodespark plugs for your engine
performance.
NOTICE
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 fa il, the other will 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.
CAUTION!
Do not drive your vehicle with only
a single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
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 reserve
vacuum for one or two stops - but no more!
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 t han nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
be longer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (with
ABSº warning light)
The anti-lock brake system is designed to automatically prevent lock-up of the
wheels during sudden braking or braking on slippery road surfaces. This assists in
providing directional stability and steering performance of the vehicle under these circumstances.
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
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Brake system
Twin ground electrode spark plugs

107
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 pumpthe 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 capab ility 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 highspeeds, 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.
Type A
Type B

108ABSº 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 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 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 ABSº
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 wheel can lock-up dur-
ing sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces. Have your vehicle checked
by your Toyota dealer as soon as pos- sible.
The brake pad 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. When stowing luggage or cargo in the ve-
hicle, observe the following:
Put luggage in the trunk when at all pos -
sible. Be sure all items are secured in
place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-anced. Locating the weight as far
forward as possible helps maintain balance.
For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.To prevent luggage or packages
from sliding forward during brak-
ing, do not stack anything in the en- larged trunk room. Keep luggage or
packages low, as close to the flooras possible.
Never allow anyone to ride in theenlarged trunk room. It is not de-
signed for passengers. They
should ride in their seats with their
seat belts properly fastened. O ther-
wise, they are much more likely to
suffer serious bodily injury, in the
event of sudden braking or a colli- sion.
CAUTION!
Brake pad wear limit indicators Luggage stowage precautions

109
Do not place anything on the filler
panel behind the rear seatback,
Such items may be thrown about and possibly injure 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 turn-
ing, and impair the driver's control
of the vehicle. In an accident 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. Its location is shown in the il-lustration.
The vehicle indentification number (VIN)
is also on the Certification Label or on the
manufacturuer 's plate.
This is the primary identification number
for your T oyota. It is used in registering the
ownership of your vehicle.The vehicle identification number (VIN) is
also on the Certification Label.
Your Toyota's identification-
-V ehicle identification number

11 0
The engine number is stamped on the
engine block as shown.Your new vehicle carries theft preven-
tion labels which are approximately 56 mm (2.20 inches) by 16 mm 0.63 inch).
The purpose of these labels is to reduce
the incidence of vehicle thefts by facilitat- ing the tracing and recovery of parts from
stolen vehicles. The label is designed so
that
once it is applied to a surface, any at-
tempt to remove it will result in destroying
the integrity of the label. Transferringthese labels intact from one part to anoth-
er, will be impossible.You should not attempt to remove
the theft prevention labels as it may
violate certain state or federal laws.
NOTICE
CAUTION!
Do not modify the suspension/ chassis with lift kits, spacers,
springs, etc. It can cause dangerous
handling characteristics, resulting
in the loss of control.
Suspension and chassis
Theft prevention labels(except for Canada)
-Engine number