1997 TOYOTA TERCEL Owners Manual

Part 5Protecting your Toyota from corrosion
135
CORROSION
PREVENTION ANDAPPEARANCE CARE
Protecting your Toyota from corrosion
Washing and waxing your
Toyota
Cleaning the interior
Toyota, through its diligent research, de-
sign and use of the most advanced
technology available, has done its part to
help prevent corrosion and has provided you with the finest quality vehicle
construction. Now, it is up to you. Proper
care of
your Toyota can help ensure long-
term corrosion prevention.
The most common causes of corro-
sion to your vehicle are: The accumulation of road salt, dirt and
moisture in hard-to-reach areas un- der the vehicle.
Chipping of paint, or undercoating
caused by minor accidents or by
stones and gravel.
Care is especially important if you live
in particular areas or operate your ve-
hicle under certain environmentalconditions: Road salt or dust control chemicals will
accelerate corrosion, as will the pres-
ence of salt in the air near the sea-
coast or in areas of industrial pollution.
High humidity accelerates corrosion
especially when temperatures rangejust above the freezing point.
Wetness or dampness to certain parts
of your vehicle for an extended period
of time, may cause corrosion even
though other parts of the vehicle may
be dry.
High temperatures will cause corro-
sion to those components of the ve-
hicle which are prevented from quick-
drying due to lack of proper ventilation.
The above signifies the necessity to keep
your vehicle, particularly the underside,
as clean as possible and to repair any
damage to paint or protective coatings as
soon as possible.
To help prevent corrosion on your To-
yota, follow these guidelines:
Wash your vehicle frequently. It is, of
course, necessary to keep your vehicle
clean by regular washing, but to prevent corrosion, the following points should beobserved: If you drive on salted roads in the win-
ter or if you live near the ocean, you
should hose off the undercarriage atleast once a month to minimize corro- sion.

136
High pressure water or steam is effec-
tive for cleaning the vehicle's under-
side and wheel housings. Pay particu-
lar attention to these areas as it is
difficult to see all the mud and dirt. It
will do more harm than good to simply
wet the mud and debris without remov-
ing them. The lower edge of doors,
rocker panels and frame members
have drain holes which should not be
allowed to clog with dirt as trapped wa-
ter in these areas can cause corrosion.
Wash the underside of the vehicle
thoroughly when winter is over.
See Washing and waxing your Toyotaº
for more tips.
Check the condition of your vehicle's
paint and trim. If you find any chips or
scratches in the paint, touch them up im- mediately to prevent corrosion from start- ing. If the chips or scratches have gone
through the bare metal, have a qualified
body shop make the repair. Check the interior of your vehicle.
Wa-
ter and dirt can accumulate under the floor
mats and could cause corrosion. Occa-
sionally check under the mats to make sure the area is dry. Be particularly careful
when transporting chemicals, cleansers,
fertilizers, salt, etc; these should be trans-
ported in proper containers. If a spill or
leak should occur, immediately clean and dry the area.
Use mud shields on your wheels. If you
drive on salted or gravel roads, mud
shields help protect your vehicle. Full- size shields, which come as near to the
ground as possible, are the best. We rec-
ommend that the fittings and the area
where the shields are installed be treated
to resist corrosion. Your Toyota dealer will
be happy to assist in supplying and instal-
ling the shields if they are recommended for your area.
Do not park your vehicle in a damp, poorly ventilated garage. If you wash
your vehicle in the garage, or if you drive
it in covered with water or snow, your ga- rage may be so damp it will cause corro-
sion. Even if your garage is heated, a wet
vehicle can corrode if the ventilation is
poor. Washing your Toyota by hand
Work in the shade and wait until the ve-
hicle body is not hot to the touch.
CAUTION
When cleaning under floor or chas-
sis, be careful not to injure your hands.!
1. Rinse off loose dirt with a hose. Re- move any mud or road salt from the
underside of the vehicle or in the wheel
wells.
2. Wash with a mild car-wash soap, mixed according to the manufacturer's
instructions. Use a soft cotton mitt and
keep it wet by dipping it frequently into
the wash water. Do not rub hard-let the soap and water remove the dirt.
Plastic bumpers: Wash carefully. Do not
scrub with ab rasive cleaners. The bumper
faces are soft.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or
cleaners that are marked safe for painted surfaces.
Washing and waxing your
Toyota

137
Do not use gasoline or strongsolvents, which may be toxic or
cause damage.
NOTICE
3. Rinse thoroughly Ð dried soap can cause streaking. In hot weather you
may need to rinse each section right
after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a cl ean soft cotton towel. Do not
rub or press hard Ð you might scratch the paint.
Automatic car wash
Your vehicle may be washed in an auto-
matic car wash, but remember that the
paint can be scratched by some type of
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the
washing process itself. Scratching re-duces paint durability and gloss, especial-
ly on darker colors. The manager of thecar wash should be able to advise you whether the process is safe for the paint
on your vehicle.
To prevent damage to the antenna,
make sure it is retracted before
driving your Toyota through an automatic car wash.
NOTICE
Waxing your Toyota
Polishing and waxing is recommend-
ed to maintain the original beauty of
your Toyota's finish.
1. Always wash and dry the vehicle be- fore you begin waxing, even if you are
using a combined cleaner and wax.
2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If the finish has become extremely
weathered, use a car-cleaning polish,
followed by a separate wax. Carefully
follow the manufacturer's instructions
and precautions. Be sure to polish and
wax the chrome trim as well as the paint.
3. Wax the vehicle again when water does not bead but remains on the sur-
face in large patches.
Always remove the plastic bumpers
if your vehicle is re-painted and
placed in a high heat paint waxing booth. High temperatures coulddamage the bumpers.
NOTICE

138
CAUTION
Do not wash the vehicle floor with
water, or allow water to get into the
floor when cleaning the vehicle inte-
rior or exterior. Water may get into
audio components or other electri-
cal components above or under the
floor carpet (or mat) and cause a
malfunction; and it may cause body corrosion.!
Vinyl interior
The vinyl upholstery may be easily
cleaned with a mild soap or detergent
and water.
First vacuum over the upholstery to re-
move loose dirt. Then, using a sponge or
soft cloth, apply the soap solution to the vi-
nyl. After allowing it to soak in for a few
minutes to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt
and wipe off the soap with a clean damp
cloth. If all the dirt does not come off, re-
peat the procedure. Commercial foam-
ing-type vinyl cleaners are also available
which work well. Follow the manufactur-
er's instructions.Do not use solvent, thinner,
gasoline or window cleaner on the
interior.
NOTICE
Carpets
Use a good foam-type shampoo to
clean the carpets.
Begin by vacuuming thoroughly to re-
move as much dirt as possible. Several
types of foam cleaners are available' some are in aerosol cans and others are
powders or liquids which you mix with wa-
ter to produce a foam. To shampoo the
carpets, use a sponge or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles.
Do not apply water ± the best results are obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as possible. Read the shampoo instructions
and follow them closely. Seat belts
The seat belts may be cleaned with
mild soap and water or with lukewarm
water.
Use a cloth or sponge. As you are clean-
ing, check the belts for excessive wear,
fraying, or cuts.
Do not use dye or bleach on the
belts-it may weaken them.
NOTICE
Windows
The windows may be cleaned with any
household window cleaner.
When cleaning the inside of the
windows, be careful not to scratch
or damage the heater wires on therear window.
NOTICE
Air conditioning control panel, car au-
dio, instrument panel, console panel,
and switches Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.
Soak a clean soft cloth in water or luke-
warm water then lightly wipe off any dirt.
Cleaning the interior

139

Do not use organic substances
(solvents, karosene, alcohol, gas-
oline, etc.) or alkaline or acidicsolutions. These chemicals cancause discoloring, staining orpeeling of the surface.
If you use cleaners or polishing
agents, make sure their ingredi-ents do not include the sub-stances mentioned above.
If you use a liquid car freshener,
do not spill the liquid onto the ve-hicle's interior surfaces. It maycontain the ingredients men-
tioned above. Immediately cleanany spill using the method men-tioned above.
NOTICE
Leather Interior
The leather uphostery may be cleaned
with neutral detergent for wool. Remove dirt using a soft cloth dampened
with 5 % Solution of neutral detergent for
wool. Then throughly wipe off all traces of detergent with a clean damp cloth.
After cleaning or whenever any part of the
leather gets wet, dry with a soft clean
cloth. Allow the leather to dry in a vente-lated shaded area.
If a stain should fail to come out
with a neutral detergent, apply a
cleaner that does not contain anorganic solvent.
Never use organic substances
such as benzine, alcohol or gaso-line, or alkaline or acid solutions
for cleaning the leather as thesecould cause discoloring.
Use of a nylon brush or syntheticfiber cloth, etc. may scratch the
fine grained surface of the leather.
Mildew may develop on soiled
leather upholstery. Be especially
careful to avoid oil spots. Try tokeep your upholstery always
clean.
Long exposure to direct sunlightmay cause the leather surface to
harden and shrink. keep your ve-hicle in a shaded area, especially
in the summer.
The interior of your vehicle is aptto heat up on hot summer days, so
avoid placing on the upholsteryitems made of vinyl or plastic or
containing wax as these tend tostick to leather when warm.
NOTICEImproper cleaning of the leather
upholstery could result in discol-
oration or staining.
If you have any questions about the
cleaning of your Toyota, your local
Toyota dealer will be pleased to
answer them.

140

Part 6Maintenance requirements
141
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE ANDCARE
Maintenance requirements
General maintenance
Does your vehicle need repairing?
For scheduled maintenance infor-
mation, please refer to the sep-
arate Owner's Manual Sup-
plement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Your Toyota vehicle has been designed to
for fewer maintenance requirements with longer service intervals to save both your
time and money. However, each regular
maintenance, as well as day-to-day
care, is more important than ever before
to ensure smooth, and trouble-free, safe,
and economical drivings.
It is the owner's responsibility to make sure
the specified maintenance, including
general maintenance service, is per-
formed. Note that both the new vehicle
and emission control system warranties
specify that proper maintenance and care
must be performed. See Owner's Guide,
Owner 's Manual Supplement or W arranty
Booklet for complete warranty informa- tion.
General maintenance General maintenance items are those
day-to-day care practices that are impor-
tant to your vehicle for proper operation.
It is the owner's responsibility to ensure
that the general maintenance items are
performed regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done
either by yourself or a qualified technician,
or if you prefer, your Toyota dealer will be
pleased to do them at a nominal cost. Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed
in the Owner's Manual Supplement/
Maintenance Scheduleº are those re-
quired to be serviced at regular intervals.
For details of your maintenance Sched-
ule, read the separate Owner's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
It is recommended that any replace-
ment parts used for maintenance or
for the repair of the emission control
system be Toyota supplied.
The owner may elect to use non-Toyo- ta supplied parts for replacement pur-
poses without invalidating the emis-
sion
control system warranty. Howev-
er, use of replacement parts which are
not of equivalent quality may impair
the effectiveness of the emission con-
trol systems.
You may also elect to have mainte-
nance, replacement, or repair of the
emission control devices and system
performed by any automotive repair
establishment or individual without
invalidating this warranty. See Own-
er's Guide, Owner's Manual Supple-
ment or Warranty Booklet for complete
warranty information.

142Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are well-trained spe- cialists
and are kept up to date with the lat-
est service information through technical
bulletins, service tips, and in-dealership
training programs. They learn to work on
Toyotas before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer's service department performs the
best job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicleÐreliably and eco-
nomically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof that
all required maintenance has been per-
formed for warranty coverage. And if any
problems should arise with your vehicle
while under warranty, your Toyota dealer
will promptly take care of it. Again, be sure
to keep a copy of the repair order for any
service performed on your Toyota.
What about do-it-yourself mainte- nance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented in Part 7. If you are a skilled do-it-yourself me-
chanic, the Toyota service manuals are recommended. Please be aware that do-
it-yourself maintenance can affect your
warranty coverage. See Owner's Guide,
Owner 's
Manual Supplement or W arranty
Booklet for the details. Listed
below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any un-
usual noise, smell or vibration, you should
investigate the cause or take your vehicle
to your T oyota dealer or a qualified service
shop immediately. It is recommended
that any problem you notice be brought to
the attention of your dealer or the qualified service shop for their advice.
Make these checks only where
adequate ventilation can be
obtained if you run the engine. CAUTION
!
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be per-
formed from time to time, unless
otherwise specified.
Tire pressure Check the pressure with a gauge every
two weeks, or at least once a month. See Chapter 7-2 for additional information.
General maintenance