’03Camry_U (L/O 0301)
165
2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
If following another vehicle on a dusty
road, or driving in windy and dusty
conditions, it is recommended that the
air intake selector be temporarily set to
RECIRCULATE, which will close off the
outside passage and prevent outside
air and dust from entering the vehicle
interior.Heating
For best results, set controls as follows:
For automatic operation—
Press in the “AUTO” button.
Temperature— To the desired
temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning—OFF
For manual operation—
Fan speed— To the desired fan speed
Temperature— To w a r d s WARM
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—FLOOR
Air conditioning—OFF
For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the
windows from fogging, select fresh af-
ter the vehicle interior has been war-
med.
Press the “A/C” button on for dehumidi-
fied heating.
Choose floor/windshield air flow to heat
the vehicle interior while defrosting or
defogging the windshield. Air conditioning
For best results, set controls as follows:
For automatic operation—
Press in the “AUTO” button.
Temperature— To the desired
temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning—ON
For manual operation—
Fan speed— To the desired fan speed
Temperature— To w a r d s COLD
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—PANEL
Air conditioning—ON
For quick cooling, select recirculated
air for a few minutes.
’03Camry_U (L/O 0301)
166
2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
Ventilation
For best results, set controls as follows:
For automatic operation—Press in the “AUTO” button.
Temperature— Towards low temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning—OFF
For manual operation—
Fan speed— To the desired fan speed
Temperature— To w a r d s COLD
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—PANEL
Air conditioning—OFF
Defogging and defrosting
—The inside of the windshield
For best results, set controls as follows:
—For automatic operation
Temperature— To w a r d s high temperature
to heat; low temperature
to cool
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
—For manual operation
Fan speed— To the desired fan speed
Temperature— To w a r d s high temperature
to heat; low temperature
to cool
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
Pressing the windshield air flow button
turns on the defogging function with the
purpose of clearing the front view.
When pressing the windshield air flow but-
ton, the air intake selects FRESH auto-
matically. This is to clean up the front
view more quickly.
If you want to return the setting to RE-
CIRCULATE mode, press the air intake
selector button once again. Press the “A/C” button for dehumidified
heating or cooling. This setting clears the
front view more quickly.
On humid days, do not blow cold air
on the windshield—the difference be-
tween the outside and inside tempera-
tures could make the fogging worse.
—The outside of the windshield
For best results, set controls as follows:
—For automatic operation
Temperature— Towards high temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
—For manual operation
Fan speed— To the desired fan speed
Temperature— Towards high temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
Pressing the windshield air flow button
turns on the defrosting function with the
purpose of clearing the front view.
When pressing the windshield air flow but-
ton, the air intake selects FRESH auto-
matically. This is to clean up the front
view more quickly.
’03Camry_U (L/O 0301)
168
2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
The air conditioning filter is behind the
glove box.
The air conditioning filter may clog af-
ter long use. The filter may need to be
replaced if the air flow of the air condi-
tioning and heater experiences extreme
reductions in operating efficiency, or if
the windows begin to fog up easily in
FRESH mode.
To maintain the air conditioning efficiency,
inspect and replace the air conditioning
filter according to the maintenance sched-
ule. (For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the “Scheduled Main-
tenance Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual
Supplement”.)1. Open the glove box. Remove thescrew with a Phillips head screw-
driver and slide the hook as shown.2. Push each side of the glove box todisconnect the claws.
Checking and replacing the
air conditioning filter
’03Camry_U (L/O 0301)
197
2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an express way, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds.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 264 in Section 7 2.
Your engine is fitted with iridium tipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridium tipped spark plugs
and do not adjust gaps for your en-
gine performance and smooth drive-
ability.
Iridium tipped spark plugs
’03Camry_U (L/O 0301)
217
2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
In order to maintain engine braking effi-
ciency do not use fifth gear (manual
transmission) or overdrive (automatic
transmission).
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle’s engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
30C [85 F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the air
conditioning (if in use), pull off the road
and stop in a safe spot. Refer to “If
your vehicle overheats” on page 226 in
Section 4.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in “P” (automatic)
or in first or reverse (manual). Avoid
parking on a slope with a trailer, but
if it cannot be avoided, do so only
after performing the following: 1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into first or reverse (manual) or “P” (automatic) and turn off the engine.
When restarting out after parking on a
slope: 1. With the transmission in “P” position (automatic) or the clutch pedal de-
pressed (manual), start the engine.
(With an automatic transmission, be
sure to keep the brake pedal de-
pressed.)
2. Shift into gear.
3. Release the parking brake (also foot brake on automatic transmission ve-
hicles) and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply
your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because insta-
bility (swaying) of a towing vehicle
trailer combination usually in-
creases as the speed increases, ex-
ceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may
cause loss of control.
Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden down-
shifts.
Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to overheat
and result in reduced braking effi-
ciency.
’03Camry_U (L/O 0301)
218
2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
Improving fuel economy is easy—just take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and
repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page
269 in Section 7 2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warm up idling. Once
the engine is running smoothly, begin
driving—but gently. Remember, howev-
er, that on cold winter days this may
take a little longer.
Keep the automatic transmission
overdrive turned on when engine
braking is not required. Driving with
the overdrive off will reduce the fuel
economy. (For details, see “Automatic
transmission” on page 115 in Section
1 6.)
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high
gear as quickly as possible.
Avoid long engine idling. If you have
a long wait and you are not in traffic,
it is better to turn off the engine and
start again later.
Avoid engine lugging or over rev-
ving. Use a gear position suitable for
the road on which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop and go driving
wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or
take advantage of through streets to
avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-
tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-
den braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the clutch
or brake pedal. This causes premature
wear, overheating and poor fuel econo-
my.
Maintain a moderate speed on high-
ways. The faster you drive, the greater
the fuel consumption. By reducing your
speed, you will cut down on fuel con-
sumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on
the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corro-
sion.
Keep your vehicle tuned up and in
top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.
all lower engine performance and con-
tribute to poor fuel economy. For longer
life of all parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your vehicle
receives more frequent maintenance.
(For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the “Scheduled
Maintenance Guide” or “Owner ’s Manu-
al Supplement”.)
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer
’03Camry_U (L/O 0301)
226
2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in “P”
(automatic) or neutral (manual) and ap-
ply the parking brake. Turn off the air
conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses,and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer
for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
6. After the engine coolant temperaturehas cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.
If your vehicle overheats
’03Camry_U (L/O 0301)
228
2003 CAMRY from Jan. ’03 Prod. (OM33593U)
Compact spare tire (on some models)
The compact spare tire is designed for
temporary emergency use only.
The compact spare tire is identified by the
distinctive wording “TEMPORARY USE
ONLY” molded into the side wall of the
tire.
The compact spare tire saves space in
your luggage compartment, and its lighter
weight helps to improve fuel economy and
permits easier installation in case of a flat
tire.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 on page 270 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 use more than one compact
spare tire at the same time.
The pressure for the compact spare
tire must be 420 kPa (4.2 kgf/cm2
or bar, 60 psi).
Do not exceed 80 km/h (50 mph)
when driving with the compact
spare tire.
The standard tire should be re-
paired and reinstalled as soon as
possible.
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.