2002 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER brakes

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If the indicator Do this.
or buzzer
comes on...
(o)
See “Sequential
manual
transmission” on
page 77 in Section
16.Warning
function of the
sequential
manual
transmission
(n)
Turn off lights.
Light reminder-
buzzer (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 Light
and 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.

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SB16019
Transmission shift switches
(d) Upshift and downshift
The sequential manual transmission is not
an automatic transmission (A/T), therefore,
the gears are not shifted automatically. To
shift the transmission, the driver must op-
erate the selector lever to the “+” or “”
direction, or the steering switch with the
selector lever in the “S” position. When
driving, the driver should shift the gear at
the most appropriate timing. As on the
traditional manual transmission vehicles,
releasing the accelerator pedal a little will
help the transmission to upshift smoothly.
Upshift: Pull the selector lever to the “+”
direction and release it (or push the up-
shift switch on the back of the steering
wheel.) Every time the switch or the lever
is operated, the transmission is upshifted
1 step in the order of 1st 2nd 3rd
 4th 5th gear.
Downshift: Push the selector lever to the
“” direction and release it (or push the
downshift switch on the face of the steer-
ing wheel.) Every time the switch or the
lever is operated, the transmission is
downshifted 1 step in the order of 5th 
4th 3rd 2nd 1st gear. In case of operating the selector lever and
switch operation on the steering wheel at
the same time, the selector lever opera-
tion has priority. In case of operating the
two switches of upshifting or downshifting
on the steering wheel at the same time,
it is regarded to operate the switch once.
Also, in case of operating the upshift and
downshift switches on the steering wheel
at the same time, demand is canceled and
no shifting is performed.
To shift down smoothly, the engine
runs fast in some cases. This is done
intentionally by the system and is not
a malfunction.
When the accumulated pressure of the
actuator is consumed due to shifting
operation, and the pressure decreases
to a specified level, the pump motor
starts running again. A motor sound
may be heard from the engine compart-
ment at this time, but it does not indi-
cate malfunction.
When driving down a hill, downshift
and use the engine brakes appropriate-
ly. If necessary, continuous shifting-
down is possible. However, if down-
shifting more than 3 steps continuously,
the gear shifting will take more time.


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CAUTION
Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking on
a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
tion or engine braking could cause
the vehicle to spin or skid.
To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
fail.
Do not place the selector lever in
the “N” position while driving.
Otherwise the engine brake may not
work, and you may get involved in
an unexpected accident.
Do not apply the parking brake
while driving. Otherwise, it could
cause a skid and you may get in-
volved in an unexpected accident.
NOTICE
The system will not allow shifting
up or down to a gear that would
cause engine overrevving or un-
derrevving. When engine overrev-
ving occurs, a warning buzzer
(short pulse sound) will sound. In
either case, the demand will be can-
celled.
 If frequently driving at low speed
using a high gear position, a warn-
ing buzzer (long pulse sound) will
sound. Such driving will cause the
reduction of clutch life.
 Frequent downshifting (more than 3
positions continuously) causes the
reduction of transmission life.
 Do not drive with your foot on the
brake pedal. Otherwise, it will cause
the “Sequential manual
transmission” warning light to come
on.
(e) Starting off
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 138 in
Section 3. 2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to the “S”
position properly. When the selector le-
ver is shifted to “S” position, the gear
will be shifted to 1st. On a slippery
surface, it is possible to start off with
the gear in 2nd. To start off with the
gear in 2nd, shift the selector lever
from “N” to “S” position, then operate
the lever to “+” direction. The gear will
be shifted to 2nd. Before starting off,
always make sure that the gear is en-
gaged by the gear position indicator,
then depress the accelerator pedal.
If the gear cannot be engaged to 1st
when the selector lever is shifted from
the “N” to “S” position, the “N” indica-
tor will flash and a warning buzzer
(long pulse sound) will sound. In this
case, the system will retry shifting or
the driver can operate the selector le-
ver to shift, as follows.
The system will retry shifting automat-
ically. This will take some time, noise
may be heard from the gears, and shift
shock may occur. However, they do not
indicate malfunction.
The driver may shift the selector lever
to the “N” position once, then shift to
the “S” position.


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When leaving the vehicle, stop the
engine and park the vehicle with
the gear engaged. In case you need
to leave the vehicle with the engine
running, apply the parking brakes
firmly, and shift the selector lever
in the “N” position. When the driv-
er’s door is opened with the selec-
tor lever in the “S” position while
stopping with the engine running,
warning buzzer (long pulse sound)
will sound. 10 seconds later, the
“N” indicator in the instrument
cluster will also flash, and the sys-
tem will automatically shift the
transmission gear to the neutral
gear position. If this happens on a
hill when starting off the vehicle,
the vehicle may move unexpectedly
and cause an accident.NOTICE
Do not hold or stop the vehicle on
a hill with the accelerator pedal ap-
plied. Otherwise, the warning buzz-
er (long pulse sound) will sound,
and in some cases the engine will
stall. It will also cause excessive
damage to the clutch.
 If the selector lever is operated
more than necessary, the system
may not allow operation of the se-
lector lever for a certain period of
time, and the gear may not be
shifted appropriately. Therefore, do
not operate the selector lever if not
necessary.
(i) 

Unlike the automatic transmission, the se-
quential manual transmission does not
have a parking position. The vehicle can
be parked with the selector lever in any
position. Apply the parking brake firmly,
and while depressing the brake pedal,
shift the selector lever into the “R” posi-
tion on a level or downhill, and into the
“S(1)” position on an uphill.
SD16020
1: Uphill
2: Level or downhill
To stop the engine:
Check the transmission gear position by
the gear position indicator, then turn the
ignition switch off to stop the engine. Re-
lease the brake pedal after a few sec-
onds. The selector lever will be locked in
the position just before the ignition switch
was turned off.
You can check the gear position by the
gear position indicator within 5 seconds
after turning the ignition switch off.


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IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in prop-
er vehicle maintenance is to keep the en-
gine oil at the optimum level so that oil
function will not be impaired. Therefore, it
is essential that the oil level be checked
regularly. Toyota recommends that the oil
level be checked every time you refuel
the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine trouble
due to insufficient oil.
For detailed information on oil level check,
see “Checking the engine oil level” on
page 188 in Section 72.
Iridiumtipped spark plugs
SB21011
Your engine is fitted with iridiumtipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridiumtipped spark plugs
and do not adjust gaps for your en-
gine performance and smooth drive-
ability.
Brake system
The tandem master cylinder brake system
is a hydraulic system with two separate
subsystems. If either subsystem should
fail, the other will still work. However, the
pedal will be harder to press, and your
stopping distance will be longer. Also, the
brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a
single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
powerassist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserved
vacuum for one or two stops but no more!

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CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your reserved vacu-
um.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
be longer.
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
The antilock brake system is designed
to automatically help prevent lockup of
the wheels during a sudden braking or
braking on slippery road surfaces. This
assists in providing directional stability
and steering performance of the vehicle
under these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal:
When the antilock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the antilock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking
performance.
The antilock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on the manhole
cover, the steel plate under the construc-
tion, joints in the bridge, etc. on a rainy
day tends to activate the antilock brake
system.
You may hear a click or motor sound in
the front trunk room for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just after
the vehicle is started. This means that the
antilock brake system is in the self
check mode, and does not indicate a mal-
function. When the antilock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:
You may hear the antilock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the ve-
hicle body and steering wheel. You
may also hear the motor sound in the
front trunk room even after the vehicle
is stopped.
At the end of the antilock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the antilock
brake system: Although the antilock
brake system assists in providing ve-
hicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care and maintain
a moderate speed and safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you, be-
cause there are limits to the vehicle
stability and effectiveness of steering
wheel operation even with the anti
lock brake system on.

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When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
antilock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions
occur, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the parts monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light fuming on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
SB21015
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to where
replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.
Luggage stowage pr ecautions
When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the front box
or luggage space when at all possible.
Be sure all items are secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION
Never allow anyone to ride in the
luggage space. It is not designed
for the passenger. The passenger
should ride in the seat with the
seat belt properly fastened. Severe
injuries to an unrestrained passen-
ger can occur during sudden brak-
ing or a collision.

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If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not start...
See “If your vehicle will not start—” on
page 146 in Section 4.
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 30 sec-
onds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.
 Do not race a cold engine.
 If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
This will allow you much better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharpedged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage result-
ing in tire bursts.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps
or travelling on a bumpy r oad. Other-
wise, the impact could cause severe
damage to the tires and/or wheels.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the
parking brake, and place the transmis-
sion in “S(1)” or “R” (sequential manual
transmission) or in first or reverse
(manual transmission). If necessary,
block the wheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake applied. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking on
a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
tion or engine braking could cause
the vehicle to spin or skid.
Tips for driving in various
conditions