2003 TOYOTA CAMRY tow

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CALIBRATING THE COMPASS (circling
calibration)
Sometimes the direction display on the
compass may not change after a turn. To
rectify this, stop the vehicle and push and
hold the “COMP” switch until “C” appears
on the display.
If “C” appears on the display because of
a drastic change in the magnetic field,
perform circling calibration.Drive the vehicle in a circle at 8 km/h (5
mph) or less. If there is not enough space
to drive in a circle, drive around the
block.
After driving 1 to 3 circles in the above
method, calibration is completed when the
direction is shown on the display.
If calibration cannot be performed because
of the magnetized vehicle etc., take your
vehicle to Toyota dealer.Perform circling calibration just after
you have purchased your Toyota. And
then always perform circling calibration
after the battery has been removed, re-
placed or disconnected.
Do not perform circling calibration of
the compass in a place where the
earth’s magnetic field is subject to in-
terference by artificial magnetic fields
(underground parking, under a steel
tower, between buildings, roof parking,
near a crossing, near a large vehicle,
etc.).
During calibration, do not operate elec-
tric systems (moon roof, power win-
dows, etc.) as they may interfere with
the calibration.

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INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your Toyota
Breakin period192
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Fuel 192
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Operation in foreign countries 194
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Threeway catalytic converters 194
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Engine exhaust cautions 196
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Facts about engine oil consumption 196
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Iridiumtipped spark plugs 197
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Brake system 198
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 202
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Luggage stowage precautions 202
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Your Toyota’s identification 203
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Theft prevention labels 204
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Suspension and chassis 204
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Types of tires 205
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SECTION 2

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Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
breakin. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Avoid full throttle acceleration when
starting and driving.
Avoid racing the engine.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive slowly with the manual
transmission in a high gear.
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles).FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5M93
in Canada.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
OCTANE RATING
2AZFE engine: Select Octane Rating 87
(Research Octane Number 91) or higher.
1MZFE engine: Select Octane Rating
87 (Research Octane Number 91) or
higher. For improved vehicle perfor-
mance, the use of premium unleaded
gasoline with an Octane Rating of 91
(Research Octane Number of 96) or
higher is recommended.
Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating or research octane number lower
than stated above will cause persistent
heavy knocking. If it is severe, this will
lead to engine damage.
If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even when
using the recommended fuel, or if you
hear steady knocking while holding a
steady speed on level roads, consult your
Toyota dealer.
However, occasionally, you may notice
light knocking for a short time while accel-
erating or driving up hills. This is normal
and there is no need for concern.
Breakin period
Fuel

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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.When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the trunk 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
To prevent luggage or packages
from sliding forward during braking,
do not stack anything in the en-
larged trunk. Keep luggage or pack-
ages low, as close to the floor as
possible.
Never allow anyone to ride in the
enlarged trunk. It is not designed
for passengers. They should ride in
their seats with their seat belts
properly fastened. Otherwise, they
are much more likely to suffer seri-
ous bodily injury, in the event of
sudden braking or a collision.
Do not place anything on the pack-
age tray behind the rear seatback.
Such items may be thrown about
and possibly injure people in the
vehicle during sudden braking or an
accident.
Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver’s field
of view. Or they may move during
sharp vehicle acceleration or turn-
ing, and impair the driver’s control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.
NOTICE
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight specified on
page 286 in Section 8.
Brake pad wear limit
indicators
Luggage stowage pr
ecautions

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STARTING AND DRIVING
Starting and driving
Before starting the engine208
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How to start the engine 208
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Tips for driving in various conditions 209
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Winter driving tips 210
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Dinghy towing 211
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Trailer towing 212
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How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer 218
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SECTION 3

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Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
“P” (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or
water accumulated in and around the
parking brake mechanism may freeze,
making it hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the
vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with four wheels on the
ground) behind a motorhome.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle with four
wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to your vehicle.
Your vehicle can be dinghy towed (with
four wheels on the ground) from the
front behind a motorhome.
CAUTION
Dinghy towing requires special equip-
ment and accessories. Please refer to
your service outlet of the motorhome
manufacture for the recommended
equipment.
NOTICE
Dinghy towing does not eliminate the
possibility of damage to your vehicle.
Dinghy towing
(with automatic transmission)Dinghy towing
(with manual transmission)

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DINGHY TOWING TIPS
Before dinghy towing, be sure to ob-
serve the following in order to reduce
the damage to your vehicle.1. Put the shift lever in neutral.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC” position. Make sure the audio is turned
off and any item is not plugged into
the power outlet.
NOTICE
To avoid the locking of the steering
wheel, turn the ignition switch to the
“ACC” position.
3. Release the parking brake.
After dinghy towing, let the engine idle for
more than 3 minutes before driving the
vehicle.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle from the
rear. This may cause serious damage
to your vehicle.
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a
passengercarrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer will have an adverse effect on
handling, performance, braking, durab ility
and driving economy (fuel consumption,
etc.). Your safety and satisfaction depend
on the proper use of correct equipment
and cautious driving habits. For your
safety and the safety of others, you must
not overload your vehicle or trailer. Toyota
warranties do not apply to damage or
malfunction caused by towing a trailer for
commercial purposes. Ask your local
Toyota dealer for further details before
towing.
NOTICE
When towing a trailer, be sure to con-
sult your Toyota dealer for further in-
formation on additional requirements
such as a towing kit, etc.
Trailer towing

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WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total trailer
weight, gross vehicle weight, gross axle
weight and trailer tongue load are all with-
in the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station, build-
ing supply company, trucking company,
junk yard, etc.
CAUTION
The total trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo load) must
not exceed 907 kg (2000 lb.). Ex-
ceeding this weight is dangerous.
Trailer hitch assemblies have differ-
ent weight capacities established by
the hitch manufacturer. Even though
the vehicle may be physically capa-
ble of towing a higher weight, the
operator must determine the maxi-
mum weight rating of the particular
hitch assembly and never exceed
the maximum weight rating speci-
fied for the trailerhitch. Exceeding
the maximum weight rating set by
the trailer hitch manufacturer can
cause an accident resulting in seri-
ous personal injuries.
The gross vehicle weight must not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) indicated on the
Certification Label. The gross ve-
hicle weight is the sum of weights
of the unloaded vehicle, driver, pas-
sengers, luggage, hitch and trailer
tongue load. It also includes the
weight of any special equipment
installed on your vehicle.