2000 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER engine

MR2 U
162000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Engine hood
SB12069
To open the engine hood:1. Pull the engine hood lock release lever. The engine hood will spring up
slightly.
The engine hood lock release lever can
be locked by the key.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure that the en-
gine hood is closed and securely
locked. Otherwise, the engine hood
may open unexpectedly while driving
and an accident may occur.
SB12044
2. In rear of the vehicle, lift the engine hood.
CAUTION
Be careful not to touch the engine
hood, the support rod, or surrounding
area which could be hot after driving,
to prevent burning yourself.
SB12038
3. Hold the engine hood open by in-serting the support rod into the slot.
Before closing the engine hood, check to
see that you have not forgotten any tools,
rags, etc. and return the support rod to its
clipthis prevents rattles. Then lower the
engine hood and make sure it locks into
place. If necessary, press down gently on
the rear edge to lock it.
CAUTION
After inserting the support rod into
the slot, make sure the rod supports
the engine hood securely from falling
down on to your head or body.

MR2 U
172000 MR2 (OM17475U)
NOTICE
Be sure to return the support rod to
its clip before closing the engine
hood. Closing the engine hood with
the support rod up could cause the
engine hood to bend.
SB12053
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH EN-
GINE HOOD
To lock: Turn the key clockwise.
The engine hood lock release lever can
be locked by the key.
When leaving the vehicle with the soft top
lowered, make sure to lock the engine
hood lock release lever with the key.
The fuel filler door opener lever is locked
at the same time.
Fuel tank cap
SB12070
1. To open the fuel filler door, pull the lever up.
When refueling, turn off the engine.
The fuel filler door o pener lever can be
locked by the key.

MR2 U
192000 MR2 (OM17475U)
SB12053
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH FUEL
TA N K C A P
To lock: Turn the key clockwise.
The fuel filler door opener lever can be
locked by the key.
When leaving the vehicle with the soft top
lowered, make sure to lock the fuel filler
door opener lever with the key.
The engine hood lock release lever is
locked at the same time. Before raising or lowering the soft top,
lower both side windows, apply the park-
ing brake, stop the engine and put the
transmission lever in the first position.
CAUTION
When raising or lowering the soft
top, keep hands off from the hinges
of the top side rails and any part
of the top linkage.
To prevent personal injury, do not
raise or lower the soft top when the
wind is strong.
The vehicle should never be driven
with the soft top partially lowered.
Make sure the top has been either
fully latched to the windshield
frame or fully lowered before driv-
ing.
NOTICE

Make sure there are no items or
packages in the folding board when
lowering in the soft top. Even small
items may interfere with the soft
top operation and can cause dam-
age.
 Do not sit or place excessive
weight on the soft top when the top
is up or down. Damage to the top
may occur.
 Do not raise or lower the soft top
when the temperature is below 5 C
(41 F). Damage to the top or rear
window may result. If necessary to
do so, warm the vehicle in a heated
garage prior to operating the soft
top mechanism.
 Do not lower the soft top if the top
is damp or wet. Possible interior
water damage, water stains or mil-
dew on the top material may result.
Soft top
Soft top precautions

MR2 U
602000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Headlights and turn signals
SB14009
HEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights: Twist
the headlight/turn signal lever knob.
Position 1Parking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights
Position 2Headlights and all of the
above
Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer will remind you to turn the lights
off when the driver ’s door is opened if you
remove the key with the headlights left
on.
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 or position 1.
They will not go off until the ignition
switch is turned off.
Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
to full intensity for driving at night.
SB14019
High−low beamsFor high beams, turn
the headlights on and push the lever away
from you (position 1). Pull the lever to-
ward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will
tell you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)Pull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
with the knob turned to OFF".

MR2 U
652000 MR2 (OM17475U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Gauges, Meters and Service reminder indicators
Fuel gauge66
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Engine coolant temperature gau ge 66
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Tachometer 67
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Odometer and two trip meters 67
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Service reminder indicators and warning buzze rs68
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SECTION 1− 5

MR2 U
662000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Fuel gauge
SB15009
Low fuel level
warning light
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
Nearly fullNeedle at F"
Nearly emptyNeedle at E"
It is a good idea to keep the tank over
1/4 full.
The needle moves when braking, acceler-
ating or making turns. This is cause by
the movement of the fuel in the tank.
If the fuel level approaches E" or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible.On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the fuel gauge
needle may fluctuate or the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
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.
SB15007
The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature when the ignition switch is
on. The engine operating temperature
will vary with changes in weather and
engine load.
If the needle moves to the H" position,
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
conditioning on in stop−and−go traffic.
Engine coolant temperature
gauge

MR2 U
672000 MR2 (OM17475U)
If the engine coolant temperature gauge
needle is not displayed, there may be a
problem in the system. In this case, con-
tact your Toyota dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol 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 overheats" in Section 4.
Tachometer
SB15008
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm (revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and over−revving.
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.
Odometer and two trip meters
SB15005
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. OdometerShows the total distance the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip metersShow two different distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.

MR2 U
692000 MR2 (OM17475U)
(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light comes on in the following cases
when the ignition key is in the ON" posi-
tion.
When the parking brake is applied...
When the brake fluid level is low...
CAUTION
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level is
low.
Have your vehicle checked at your
Toyota dealer in the following case:
The light does not come on even if the
parking brake is applied when the igni-
tion key is in the ON" position.
CAUTION
If the light does not turn off even
after the parking brake is released
while the engine is running, immedi-
ately stop your vehicle at a safe
place and contact your Toyota dealer.
In this case, the brakes may not work
properly and your stopping distance
will become longer. Depress the brake
pedal firmly and bring the vehicle to
an immediate stop.
(b) Driver’s Seat Belt Reminder Lightand Buzzer
This light and buzzer remind you to
buckle up the driver’s seat belt.
Once the ignition key is turned to ON" or
START", the reminder light flashes and
buzzer sounds if the driver ’s seat belt is
not fastened. Unless the driver fastens the
belt, the light keeps flashing and the
buzzer stops after about 4 to 8 seconds. (c) Passenger ’s Seat Belt Reminder
Light
This light reminds you to buckle up the
passenger ’s seat belt.
Once the ignition key is turned to ON" or
START", the reminder light flashes if a
passenger sits in the passenger seat and
does not fasten the seat belt. Unless the
passenger fastens the belt, the light stays
flashing.
If luggage load is placed on the passen-
ger seat, depending on its weight and how
it is placed on the seat, built−in sensors
in the seat cushion may detect the pres-
sure, causing the reminder light to come
on.
(d) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being
discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging
system.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, radio, etc., and drive directly to
the nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.