'98 TERCEL (U)137
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in ºPº
(automatic) or neutral (manual) and ap-
ply the parking brake. Turn off the air
conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir,stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Visually check to see if the engine drive belt (water pump belt) is broken
or loose. Look for obvious coolant
leaks from the radiator, hoses, and un-
der the vehicle. However, note that wa-
ter draining from the air conditioning is
normal if it has been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the engine drive belt is broken orcoolant is leaking, stop the engine im-
mediately. Call a Toyota dealer for as-
sistance.
5. If the engine drive belt is O.K. and there are no obvious leaks, check the
coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add cool-
ant to the reservoir while the engine is
running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
6. After the engine coolant temperaturehas cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.
If your vehicle overheats
'98 TERCEL (U)173
Look at the see- through coolant reser-
voir when the engine is cold. The cool-
ant level is satisfactory if it is between
the ºFULLº and ºLOWº lines on the
reservoir. If the level is low, add ethyl-
ene- glycol type coolant.
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the ºLOWº line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the ºFULLº
line.
Use only ethylene- glycol type coolant.
See information in the next column.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the
radiator, hoses, radiator cap and drain
cock and water pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check
for leaks in the cooling system.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot.
Coolant type selection
Your coolant must contain ethylene- glycol
antifreeze. In addition to preventing freez-
ing and subsequent damage to the engine,
this will also prevent corrosion. Further
supplemental inhibitors or additives are
neither needed nor recommended.
Read the antifreeze container for informa-
tion on freeze protection. Follow the
manufacturer 's directions for how much to
mix with water. The total capacity of the
cooling system is given in Part 8. We
recommend 50% solution be used for your
Toyota, or a sufficient quantity to provide
protection to about -35
5C (- 31 5F).
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or
plain water alone.
Checking brake fluid
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
Checking the engine coolant level
