2003 TOYOTA CELICA Owners Manual

’03MY CELICA U (L/O 0208)
93
2003 CELICA from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM20809U)
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” in this section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using the “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in “2” or “L”, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “2”, the vehicle
will start in first gear and automatically
shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
“2” 124 km/h (77 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
“L” 67 km/h (41 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . .
 Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, “D” position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(f) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(g) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(h) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.

’03MY CELICA U (L/O 0208)
94
2003 CELICA from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM20809U)
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.
(i) If you cannot shift the selector le-ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” in Section 4.

’03MY CELICA U (L/O 0208)
95
2003 CELICA from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM20809U)
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of “P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in “ON” position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Selector lever
The shift position is also displayed on the
instrument cluster.
P:Parking, engine starting and key
removal
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
D: Normal driving (with overdrive on)
M: “M” position
2: Stronger engine braking
L: Maximum engine braking

2ZZGE engine
Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while holding the lock
release button in.
(The ignition switch must be in
“ON” position.)
Shift while holding the lock
release button in. Overdrive switch
Selector lever
Shift normally.To select “M”, lean the selector
lever leftward from “D”.

’03MY CELICA U (L/O 0208)
96
2003 CELICA from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM20809U)
(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The “O/D OFF” indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The “O/D OFF” indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will automatically be on.When you are driving in M mode, over-
drive switch does not activate. (For de-
tails, see “(d) Driving in M mode” and “(e)
Using engine braking”.)
Vehicles with cruise control—When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” in this section.(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” in Section 3. The
transmission must be in “P” or “N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to “D”.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc. The current gear
position is displayed on the instrument
cluster.

’03MY CELICA U (L/O 0208)
97
2003 CELICA from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM20809U)
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brakepedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Driving in M mode
When the selector lever is into the “M”
position, you can select the gear posi-
tion manually by pushing the transmis-
sion shift switches on the steering
wheel. The M mode indicator light will
be displayed on the instrument cluster.
1: Upshift switch (rear side)
2: Downshift switch (front side)
When you push the transmission upshift
switch on the rear side of the steering
wheel, the transmission upshifts from “1”
to “2”, “3” and “4”.
Each time you push the transmission
downshift switch on the front side of the
steering wheel, the transmission down-
shifts from “4” to “3”, “2” and then to “1”.
The current gear position is displayed on
the instrument cluster.
Even if the lever is in the “M” position,
the transmission will downshift automati-
cally to first gear when you stop the ve-
hicle.
You attempt to downshift the transmission
when it is not possible to downshift due
to the high vehicle speed. A buzzer will
sound when this happens.
You can start from second gear by setting
the shift switch while the vehicle is
stopped. This is useful for driving your
vehicle on slippery (rainy, icy or snow
covered) roads.

’03MY CELICA U (L/O 0208)
98
2003 CELICA from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM20809U)
Recommended shifting speeds
For the best compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at approxi-
mately the following speeds:gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 65 (40)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if accel-
eration is needed when you are cruising
below the above downshifting speeds.
Upshifting too soon or downshifting too
late will cause lugging, and possibly ping-
ing. Regularly revving the engine to maxi-
mum speed in each gear will cause ex-
cessive engine wear and high fuel
consumption.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the engine.
Watch the tachometer to keep engine
rpm from going into the red zone.
The approximate maximum allowable
speed for each position is given be-
low for your reference: “2” 125 km/h (77 mph) . . . . . . . . . . . .
“1” 70 km/h (43 mph) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If the M mode indicator light flashes...
Put the selector lever in the “D” position
and drive for a short time.
If the M mode indicator light stops flash-
ing but remains on after the selector lever
is returned to the “M” position, you can
drive in M mode.
If the M mode indicator light still flashes,
there is a problem somewhere in the sys-
tem. Put the selector lever in the “D”
position. Consult with your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible.
The M mode indicator light flashes under
the following conditions:
The temperature of the automatic trans-
mission oil is low. The transmission
works exactly in the same way as
when you put the selector lever in the
“D” position.
The temperature of the automatic trans-
mission oil is high. You can still oper-
ate the transmission shift switches.
There is a problem somewhere in the
system. (e) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
When you are driving in the “D” posi-
tion, push the overdrive switch. The
“O/D OFF” indicator light will come on
and the transmission will downshift to
third gear, and engine braking will be
obtained. When you are driving in
fourth gear (“M” position), push the
transmission downshift switch to select
the “3” position. The transmission will
downshift to third gear and engine
braking will be obtained.
Shift the selector lever into the “2”
position or push the transmission shift
switch to the “2” position in M mode.
The transmission will downshift to sec-
ond gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than 115 km/h (71
mph), and stronger engine braking will
be enabled.
Shift the selector lever into the “L”
position or push the transmission shift
switch to the “1” position in M mode.
The transmission will downshift to first
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than 54 km/h (34
mph), and maximum engine braking will
be enabled.

’03MY CELICA U (L/O 0208)
99
2003 CELICA from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM20809U)
Vehicles with cruise control—When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” in this section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(f) Using the “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in “2” or “L”, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “2”, the vehicle
will start in first gear and automatically
shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
“2” 125 km/h (77 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
“L” 70 km/h (43 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . .
 Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, “D” position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(g) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(h) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(i) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.

’03MY CELICA U (L/O 0208)
100
2003 CELICA from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM20809U)
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.
(j) If you cannot shift the selector le-ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” in Section 4.
5speed
6speed
The shift pattern is as shown above.
In case of driving your vehicle with
6speed manual transmission, the buzzer
will sound when you shift the gear into
“R” (reverse).
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, and then release it slowly. Do not
rest your foot on the pedal while driving,
because it will cause clutch trouble. And
do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
when stopped on an uphill grade—use the
parking brake.
Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized and
upshifting or downshifting is easy.
For the best compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at the following
speeds:
5speed Low altitude
—1219 m (4000 ft.) or lower gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 37/40
∗ 1(23/25∗1)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64/45∗ 2(40/28∗2)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72/64∗ 2(45/40∗2)
Manual transmission