1998 COROLLA(U)
2
Instrument panel overview
1. Rear view mirror remote control lever
2. Side vent
3. Instrument cluster
4. Center vents
5. Electric moon roof switch and
personal light
6. Power door lock switch
(vehicles without power windows)
7. Glovebox
8. Power door lock switch
(vehicles with power windows)
9. Power window switches
10. Automatic transmission selector lever or
manual transmission gear shift lever
11. Parking brake lever
12. Hood lock release lever
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Indicator symbols on the instrument panel
Brake system warning light∗
1
Seat belt reminder light∗
1
Discharge warning light∗
1
Malfunction indicator lamp∗
1
Low oil pressure warning light∗
1
Anti-lock brake system warning light∗
1
Open door warning light∗
1
(type A)
(type B)SRS airbag warning light∗
1
Low windshield washer fluid level warning light∗
1
Low fuel level warning light∗
1
(type A)
(type B)
Turn signal indicator lights
Headlight high beam indicator light
Overdrive−off indicator light
Cruise control indicator light
∗
2
Rear window defogger indicator light
∗
1: For details, see ”Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers” in Chapter 1−5.
∗
2: If this light flashes, see ”Cruise control” in Chapter 1−6.
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Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
AND CONTROLS—
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 defoggers
Headlights and turn signals
HEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights: Twist
the headlight/turn signal lever knob.
Position 1—Parking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights
Position 2—Headlights and all of the
above
If you remove the key with the headlights
left on, a buzzer reminds you to turn the
lights off when you open the driver ’s door.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on
for a long period when the engine is
not running.
Daytime running light system
The headlights turn on at reduced intensi-
ty when the parking brake is released with
the engine started, even with the light
switch in the ”OFF” position. They will not
go off until the ignition switch is turned
off.
To turn on the other exterior lights and
instrument panel lights, twist the knob to
the position 1.
Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
the headlights to full intensity for driving
at night.
Vehicles for the U. S. A.: The headlights
automatically turn to full intensity in the
twilight even with the light switch in the
”OFF” position.
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Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
AND CONTROLS—
Chapter 1−6
Ignition switch,
Transmission and
Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering lock
Automatic transmission
Manual transmission
P ar k ing br ak e
Cruise control”START”—Starter motor on. The key
will return to the ”ON” position when
released.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
”ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
”ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ”ACC” or
”LOCK” position and open the driver’s
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
”LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.You must push in the key to turn the key
from ”ACC” to the ”LOCK” position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be put in the ”P”
position before pushing the key.
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the ”LOCK” 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.
CAUTION
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.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ”ON”
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
ignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock
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— Reverse position
— Neutral position
— Normal driving position
— Position for engine braking
Shift while holding the
lock release button in.
Shift normally.— Position for stronger engine
braking than that in “2” position
With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while holding the lock release button
in. (The ignition switch must be in
“ON” position.) Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
— Parking, engine starting
and key removal position
Automatic transmission
3−speed
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Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ”P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ”ON” position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ”How
to start the engine” in Part 3. The
transmission must be in ”P” or ”N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to ”D”.
In ”D” position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for different running conditions such as
normal cruising, hill climbing, hard towing,
etc.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Shift into the ”2” position when the
vehicle speed is lower than 93 km/h
(58 mph). The transmission will down-
shift to the second gear and more en-
gine braking will be obtained.
Shift into the ”L” position when the
vehicle speed is lower than 37 km/h
(23 mph). The transmission will down-
shift to the first gear and maximum
engine braking will be applied.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(c) Using the ”2” and ”L” position
The ”2” and ”L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in ”2” or ”L”, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in ”D”.With the selector lever in ”2”, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ”L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.
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 al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
”2”.................120 km/h (75 mph)
”L”................65 km/h (40 mph)
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
”2” or ”L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, ”D” 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
”R” position.
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NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle 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 ”P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into ”P” position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(f) Good driving practice
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. It
can cause the transmission to over-
heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
To rock your vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., first
check that there are no 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 ob-
jects.
NOTICE
If your rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely 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 le-
ver out of ”P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
”P” position even though the brake pedal
is depressed, use the shift lock override
button. For instructions, see ”If you cannot
shift automatic transmission selector lever”
in Part 4.
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Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
— Reverse position
— Neutral position
— Normal driving position
— Position for stronger
engine braking than that
in “2” position
Shift while holding the
lock release button in
Shift normally. With the brake pedal depressed, shift
while holding the lock release button
in. (The ignition switch must be in
“ON” position.)— Parking, engine starting
and key removal position
— Position for engine brakingOverdrive switch
For selecting either a 3−speed or 4−
speed transmission
On position
(Shifting into overdrive possible)
Off position
(Shifting into overdrive not possible)
“O/D OFF” indicator light
Shows the overdrive
switch is in off position
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 control” in
this chapter.
4−speed
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