Page 154 of 224

MR2 U
1512000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking brake
and put the transmission in reverse.
Block the wheel diagonally opposite
to the one being changed if neces-
sary.
Make sure to set the jack properly
in the jack point. Raising the ve-
hicle with jack improperly posi-
tioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow the vehicle to fall off the
jack and cause personal injury.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack
alone.
Use the jack only for lifting your
vehicle during wheel changing.
Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do not
put an object on or under the jack.
Raise the vehicle only high enough
to remove and change the tire.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving with a de-
flated tire. Driving even a short dis-
tance can damage a tire and wheel
beyond repair.
SB41041
Compact spare tire
The compact spare tire is designed for
temporary emergency use only.
The compact spare tire is identified by the
distinctive wheel design and color and
special wording TEMPORARY USE ONLY"
molded into the side wall of the tire.
The standard tire should be repaired and
replaced as soon as possible.
The compact spare tire saves space in
your trunk, and its lighter weight helps to
improve fuel economy and permits easier
installation in case of a flat tire.
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MR2 U
1522000 MR2 (OM17475U)
The compact spare tire can be used many
times, if necessary. It has tread life of up
to 4800 km (3000 miles) depending on
road conditions and your driving habits.
When tread wear indicators appear on the
tire, replace the tire.
See also the tire section in Section 7−2
for details on the tread wear indicators
and other service information.
CAUTION
The compact spare tire was de-
signed especially for your Toyota.
Do not use it on any other vehicle.
Do not exceed 80 km/h (50 mph)
when driving with the compact
spare tire.
Avoid sudden acceleration, sudden
deceleration and sharp turns with
the compact spare tire.
NOTICE
Your ground clearance is reduced
when the compact spare tire is
installed so avoid driving over ob-
stacles and drive slowly on rough,
unpaved roads and speed bumps.
Also, do not attempt to go through an
automatic car wash as the vehicle
may get caught, resulting in damage.
SB41053
Compact spare tire
SB41054
Tool bag
Required tools and
compact spare tire
Page 156 of 224
MR2 U
1532000 MR2 (OM17475U)
1. Get the tool bag and compact sparetire.
You will find a jack in the tool bag.
To prepare yourself for an emergency, you
should fam iliarize yourself with the use of
the jack, each of the tools and their stor-
age locations.
SB41047
To remove the compact spare tire:
1. Open the front box cover in the trunk.
SB41048
2. Remove the front luggage tray.
Page 157 of 224
MR2 U
1542000 MR2 (OM17475U)
SB41049
3. Loosen the bolt and remove it.
Then take the compact spare tire out of
the vehicle.
When storing the compact spare tire, put
it in place with the outer side of the wheel
facing up. Then secure the tire by repeat-
ing the above removal steps in reverse
order to prevent it from flying forward dur-
ing a collision or s udden braking.
SC41004
When you store the replaced flat ground
tire in the place where the compact spare
tire was loaded, install the spare wheel
extension to the spare wheel clamp.
NOTICE
The replaced ground tire should be
fixed steadily by the spare wheel
clamp or it may damage the vehicle’s
body.
Blocking the wheel
SB41035
2. Block the wheel diagonally opposite
the flat tire to keep the vehicle from
rolling when it is jacked up.
When blocking the wheel, place a wheel
block from the front for the front wheels
or from the rear for the rear wheels.
Page 158 of 224

MR2 U
1552000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Loosening wheel nuts
SB41027
3. Loosen all the wheel nuts.
Always loosen the wheel nuts before rais-
ing the vehicle.
Turn the wheel nuts counterclockwise to
loosen. To get maximum leverage, fit the
wrench to the nut so that the handle is
on the right side, as shown above. Grab
the wrench near the end of the handle
and pull up on the handle. Be careful that
the wrench does not slip off the nut.
Do not remove the nuts yetjust unscrew
them about one−half turn.
Positioning the jack
SB41036
4. Position the jack at the correct jack point as shown.
Make sure the jack is positioned on a
level and solid place.
Raising your vehicle
SB41029
5. After making sure that no one is in the vehicle, raise it high enough so
that the compact spare tire can be
installed.
Remember you will need more ground
clearance when putting on the compact
spare tire than when removing the flat
tire.
To raise the vehicle, insert the jack handle
into the jack (it is a loose fit) and turn it
clockwise. As the jack touches the vehicle
and begins to lift, double−check that it is
properly positioned.
Page 159 of 224
MR2 U
1562000 MR2 (OM17475U)
CAUTION
Never get under the vehicle when the
vehicle is supported by the jack
alone.
Changing wheels
SB41028
6. Remove the wheel nuts and changetires.
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it
aside.
Roll the compact spare wheel into position
and align the holes in the wheel with the
bolts. Then lift up the wheel and get at
least the top bolt started through its hole.
Wiggle the tire and press it back over the
other bolts.
SB41044
Before putting wheels on, remove any cor-
rosion on the mounting surfaces with a
wire brush or such. Installation of wheels
without good metal−to−metal contact at the
mounting surface can cause wheel nuts to
loosen and eventually cause a wheel to
come off while driving. Therefore after the
first 1600 km (1000 miles), check to see
that the wheel nuts are tight.
Page 161 of 224

MR2 U
1582000 MR2 (OM17475U)
After changing wheels
9. Check the air pressure of the re-placed tire.
Adjust the air pressure to the specification
designated in Section 8. If the pressure is
lower, drive slowly to the nearest service
station and fill to the correct pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire inflation
valve cap as dirt and moisture could get
into the valve core and possibly cause air
leakage. If the cap is missing, have a new
one put on as soon as possible.
10. Restow all the tools, jack and flat tire securely.
As soon as possible after changing
wheels, tighten the wheel nuts to the
torque specified in Section 8 with a torque
wrench. Have a technician repair the flat
tire and replace the compact spare tire
with it.CAUTION
Before driving, make sure all the
tools, jack and flat tire are securely
in place in their storage location to
reduce the possibility of personal in-
jury during a collision or s udden
braking.
SB41025
Remove the wheel ornament from the flat
tire before restowing the flat tire.
Page 193 of 224

MR2 U
1902000 MR2 (OM17475U)
Checking tire pressure
SB72013
Keep your tire pressures at the proper
level.
The recommended cold tire pressures, tire
size and the vehicle capacity weight are
given in Section 8. They are also on the
tire pressure label as shown.
You should check the tire pressures every
two weeks, or at least once a month. And
do not forget the spare!Incorrect tire pressure can reduce tire
life and make your vehicle less safe to
drive.
Low tire pressure results in excessive
wear, poor handling, reduced fuel econo-
my, and the possibility of blowouts from
overheated tires. Also, low tire pressure
can cause poor sealing of the tire bead.
If the tire pressure is excessively low,
there is the possibility of w
heel deforma-
tion and/or tire separation.
High tire pressure produces a harsh ride,
handling problems, excessive wear at the
center of the tire tread, and a greater
possibility of tire damage from road haz-
ards.
If a tire frequently needs ref illing, have it
checked by your Toyota dealer.
The following instructions for checking
tire pressure should be observed:
The pressure should be checked only
when the tires are cold. If your ve-
hicle has been parked for at least 3
hours and has not been driven for
more than 1.5 km or 1 mile since, you
will get an accurate cold tire pressure
reading.
Always use a tire pressure gauge.
The appearance of a tire can be mis-
leading. Besides, tire pressures that
are even just a few pounds off can
degrade ride and handling.
Take special care when adding air to
the compact spare tire. The smaller
tire size can gain pressure very quick-
ly. Add compressed air in small quanti-
ties and check the pressure often until
it reaches the specified pressure.
Do not bleed or reduce tire pressure
after driving. It is normal for the tire
pressure to be higher after driving.
Never exceed the vehicle capacity
weight. The passenger and luggage
weight should be located so that the
vehicle is balanced.
Be sure to reinstall the tire inflation
valve caps. Without the valve caps,
dirt or moisture could get into the valve
core and cause air leakage. If the caps
have been lost, have new ones put on
as soon as possible.