2003 TOYOTA CAMRY traction control

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The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of front
wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition key is turned to “ON”,
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power against front wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction
control system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle under any speed or
maneuvering conditions which may
cause the vehicle to lose traction
control. In situations where the road
surface is covered with ice or snow,
your vehicle should be fitted with
snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious
speed for the present road condi-
tions.
NORMAL DRIVING MODE
Leave the system on during the ordi-
nary driving so that it can operate
when needed.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the trac-
tion control system is in the selfcheck
mode, but does not indicate a malfunction.When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
front wheels. At this time, the slip indi-
cator light blinks.
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.
Traction control system

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TRACTION CONTROL OFF MODE
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new fallen snow, etc., turn off the trac-
tion control system. This system that
controls engine performance interferes
with the process of freeing front
wheels.
To turn off: Push “TRAC OFF” switch.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come
on.
The vehicle skid control system is always
activated, even if the traction control sys-
tem is turned off.
To turn on: Push “TRAC OFF” switch
once again.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will go off.“TRAC OFF” indicator light comes on for
a few seconds when the ignition key is
turned to “ON”. It will come on again
when you push the “TRAC OFF” switch to
turn off the system.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The indicator light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned “ON”.
The indicator light remains on after the
ignition is turned on.
The indicator light comes on with the
normal driving mode while driving.
“VSC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the traction control system
or the vehicle skid control system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON” and will go off after
a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, the
system does not work. However, as con-
ventional braking operates when applied,
there is no problem to continue your driv-
ing.

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In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come
on when the “VSC” warning light comes
on even if the “TRAC OFF” switch is not
pushed. The vehicle skid control system helps
provide integrated control of the sys-
tems such as antilock brake system,
traction control, engine control, etc.
This system automatically controls the
brakes and engine to help prevent the
vehicle from skidding when cornering
on a slippery road surface or operating
steering wheel abruptly.
This system will activate when your ve-
hicle speed reaches or exceeds 15 km/h
(9 mph), and will deactivate when the ve-
hicle speed reduced to below 15 km/h (9
mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the selfcheck mode, but does
not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle skid control system. Even if
the vehicle skid control system is
operating, you must always drive
carefully and attentively to avoid
serious injury. Reckless driving will
result in an unexpected accident. If
the slip indicator light flashes, an
alarm sounds, and special care
should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacture, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, or different type or
size, the vehicle skid control sys-
tem may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” on
page 270 in Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
Vehicle skid control system

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If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.“VSC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the vehicle skid control sys-
tem or the traction control system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON” and will go off after
a few seconds.
If the light comes on while driving, the
system does not work. However, as con-
ventional braking operates when applied,
there is no problem to continue your driv-
ing.In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
The “TRAC OFF” indicator light will come
on when the “VSC” warning light comes
on even if the “TRAC OFF” switch is not
pushed.

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Ty p e A
Ty p e B
“ABS” warning light (vehicles without
vehicle skid control system)
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti
lock brake system works properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds. There-
after, if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
antilock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.
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
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the parts monitored by
the warning light. 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 turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
“ABS” warning light (vehicles with ve-
hicle skid control system)
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti
lock brake system and the brake assist
system work properly, the light turns off
after a few seconds. Thereafter, if the
system malfunctions, the light comes on
again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
antilock brake system, the brake assist
system, the traction control system and
the vehicle skid control system do not
operate, but the brake system still oper-
ates conventionally.
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.

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10. Reinstall the wheel ornament.1. Put the wheel ornament into position.
Align the cutout of the wheel ornament
with the valve stem as shown. 2. Tap it firmly with the side or heel of your hand to snap it into place.
CAUTION
Take due care in handling the orna-
ment to avoid unexpected personal
injury.
11. Check the air pressure of the re- placed tire.
Adjust the air pressure to the specification
designed on page 290 in Section 8. If the
pressure is lower, drive slowly to the
nearest service station and fill to the cor-
rect 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.
12. Restow all the tools, jack and flat tire securely.
As soon after changing wheels as pos-
sible, tighten the wheel nuts to the torque
specified on page 290 in Section 8 with
a torque wrench. Have a technician repair
the flat tire and replace the 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.
If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow,
mud, sand, etc., then you may attempt
to rock the vehicle free by moving it
forward and backward.
Vehicles with traction control system—
Turn off the traction control system to
become unstuck to allow the tires to
spin enough to remove the vehicle from
the obstruction. (For details, see “Trac-
tion control system” on page 124 in
Section 16.)
CAUTION
Do not attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and back-
ward if people or objects are any-
where near the vehicle. During the
rocking operation the vehicle may
suddenly move forward or backward
as it becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.
—Reinstalling wheel ornament
(steel wheels only) —After changing wheels If your vehicle becomes stuck

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With a spare tire of the same wheel type
as the installed tires
With a spare tire of different wheel type
from the installed tires
To equalize the wear and help extend
tire life, Toyota recommends that you
rotate your tires according to the main-
tenance schedule. (For scheduled main-
tenance information, please refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.) Howev-
er, the most appropriate timing for tire
rotation may vary according to your
driving habits and road surface condi-
tions.
See “If you have a flat tire” on page 227
in Section 4 for tire change procedure.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is usu-
ally caused by incorrect tire pressure, im-
proper wheel alignment, outofbalance
wheels, or severe braking.
CAUTION
Do not include a compact spare tire
when rotating the tires. It is designed
for temporary use only.
WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recommended
when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires.
SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select tires of
the same size, construction and load
capacity as the originally installed tires.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
CAUTION
Do not use snow tires other than the
manufacturer ’s recommended size, as
this may cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in loss of
control. Otherwise, an accident may
occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.
Rotating tiresInstalling snow tires and
chains

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Treadwear—The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test
course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and a half (11/2) times
as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may de-
part significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service prac-
tices and differences in road characteris-
tics and climate.
Traction AA, A, B, C— The traction
grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C, and they represent the tire’s
ability to stop on wet pavement as mea-
sured under controlled conditions on spe-
cified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction. Temperature A, B, C—
The temperature
grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissi-
pate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the material of the tire to de-
generate and reduce tire life, and exces-
sive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a lev-
el of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No.109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grades for this
tire are established for a tire that is prop-
erly inflated and not overloaded. Exces-
sive speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combina-
tion, can cause heat buildup and possible
tire failure.