02 MY MR2 SMT(U) L/O 0108
183
01 06 12
2002 MR2 (OM17493U)
If you perform maintenance by yourself,
be sure to follow the correct procedure
given in this section.
You should be aware that improper or in-
complete servicing may result in operating
problems.
Performing do it yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect your
warranty coverage. Read the separate
Toyota Warranty  statement for details and
suggestions.
This section gives instructions only for
those items that are relatively easy for an
owner to perform. As explained in Section
6, there are still a number of items that
must be done by a qualified technician
with special tools.
For information on tools and parts for do 
it yourself maintenance, see “Parts and
tools” on page 184.
Utmost care should be taken when work-
ing on your  vehicle to prevent accidental
injury. Here are a few precautions that
you should be especially  careful to ob-
serve:CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)
Right after driving,  the engine
compartment and trunk room—the
engine, radiator, exhaust manifold,
power steering fluid reservoir and
spark plug boots, etc.—will be hot.
So be careful not to touch them.
Oil, fluids and spark plugs may also
be hot.
If the engine is hot, do not remove
the coolant reservoir cap or air re-
lease valve or loosen  the drain
plugs to prevent burning yourself.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flammable.
Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it. Al-
ways use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.
Be sure that the ignition is off if
you work near the electric cooling
fans or radiator grille. With the
ignition on, the electric cooling fans
will automatically start to run if the
engine coolant temperature is high
and/or the air conditioning is on.
Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under your vehicle
where you may be exposed to flying
or falling material, fluid spray, etc.
Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals
and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and reproductive
harm. Wash hands after handling
Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as in-
flammation or skin cancer, so care
should be taken to avoid prolonged
and repeated contact with it. To re-
move used engine oil  from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap
and water.
Do it yourself service
precautions 
         
        
        02 MY MR2 SMT(U) L/O 0108
184
01 06 12
2002 MR2 (OM17493U)
Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.
Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers or
onto the ground. Call your dealer or
a service station for information
concerning recycling or disposal.
Take care when filling the brake and
clutch fluid reservoirs because
brake fluid can harm your eyes and
damage painted surfaces. If fluid
gets in your eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water.
When racing  the engine,  make sure
that the gear position is in the “N”
position. In case the accelerator is
operated with the gear in any other
positions, the vehicle may move, re-
sulting in an unexpected accident.
NOTICE
Remember that battery and ignition
cables carry high currents or volt-
ages. Be careful of accidentally
causing a short circuit.
Add only demineralized or distilled
water to fill the radiator. And if you
spill some of  the coolant, be sure
to wash it off with water to prevent
it from damaging the parts or paint.
 Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug holes.
 Do not pry the outer electrode of a
spark plug against the center elec-
trode.
 Use only spark plugs of  the speci-
fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
 Do not reuse iridium tipped spark
plugs by cleaning or regapping.
 Do not drive with the air cleaner
filter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the engine
compartment.
 Be careful not to scratch the glass
surface with the wiper frame.
 When closing the engine hood or
trunk, check to see that you have
not forgotten any tools, rags, etc.
Parts and tools
Here is a list of parts and tools  you will
need on performing do it yourself mainte-
nance. Remember all  Toyota parts  are de-
signed in metric sizes, so your  tools must
be metric.
CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
Engine oil API grade SJ
“Energy Conserving”, SL
“Energy Conserving” or ILSAC
multigrade having viscosity proper for
your climate
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding oil)
CHECKING THE ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“TOYOTA Long Life Coolant” or equiva-
lent
See page 189 in Section 7 2 for de-
tails about coolant type selection.
Demineralized or distilled water
Tools:
Funnel (only for adding coolant)
CHECKING BRAKE FLUID
Parts (if level is low):