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181
CORROSION PREVENTION AND
APPEARANCE CARE
Corrosion prevention and appearance care
Protecting your Toyota from corrosion182
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Washing and waxing your Toyota 183
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Cleaning the interior 185
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SECTION 5

182
Toyota, through its diligent research, de-
sign and use of the most advanced
technology available, has done its part to
help prevent corrosion and has provided
you with the finest quality vehicle
construction. Now, it is up to you. Proper
care of your Toyota can help ensure long
term corrosion prevention.
The most common causes of corrosion
to your vehicle are:
The accumulation of road salt, dirt and
moisture in hardtoreach areas under
the vehicle.
Chipping of paint, or undercoating
caused by minor accidents or by
stones and gravel.
Care is especially important if you live
in particular areas or operate your ve-
hicle under certain environmental condi-
tions:
Road salt or dust control chemicals will
accelerate corrosion, as will the pres-
ence of salt in the air near the sea
coast or in areas of industrial pollution.
High humidity accelerates corrosion es-
pecially when temperatures range just
above the freezing point.
Wetness or dampness to certain parts
of your vehicle for an extended period
of time, may cause corrosion even
though other parts of the vehicle may
be dry.
High temperatures will cause corrosion
to those components of the vehicle
which are prevented from quickdrying
due to lack of proper ventilation.
The above signifies the necessity to keep
your vehicle, particularly the underside, as
clean as possible and to repair any dam-
age to paint or protective coatings as
soon as possible.
To help prevent corrosion on your
Toyota, follow these guidelines:
Wash your vehicle frequently. It is, of
course, necessary to keep your vehicle
clean by regular washing, but to prevent
corrosion, the following points should be
observed:
If you drive on salted roads in the
winter or if you live near the ocean,
you should hose off the undercarriage
at least once a month to minimize cor-
rosion.
High pressure water or steam is effec-
tive for cleaning the vehicle’s underside
and wheel housings. Pay particular
attention to these areas as it is difficult
to see all the mud and dirt. It will do
more harm than good to simply wet the
mud and debris without removing them.
The lower edge of doors, rocker panels
and frame members have drain holes
which should not be allowed to clog
with dirt as trapped water in these
areas can cause corrosion.
Wash the underside of the vehicle thor-
oughly when winter is over.
See “Washing and waxing your Toyota” for
more tips.
Check the condition of your vehicle’s
paint and trim. If you find any chips or
scratches in the paint, touch them up im-
mediately to prevent corrosion from start-
ing. If the chips or scratches have gone
through the bare metal, have a qualified
body shop make the repair.
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Protecting your Toyota from
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183
Check the interior of your vehicle. Wa-
ter and dirt can accumulate under the
floor mats and could cause corrosion. Oc-
casionally check under the mats to make
sure the area is dry. Be particularly care-
ful when transporting chemicals, cleans-
ers, fertilizers, salt,
e tc.; these should be
transported in proper containers. If a spill
or leak should occur, immediately clean
and dry the area.
Use mud shields on your wheels. If you
drive on salted or gravel roads, mud
shields help protect your vehicle. Fullsize
shields, which come as near to the ground
as possible, are the best. We recommend
that the fittings and the area where the
shields are installed be treated to resist
corrosion. Your Toyota dealer will be
happy to assist in supplying and installing
the shields if they are recommended for
your area.
Keep your vehicle in a well ventilated
garage or a roofed place. Do not park
your vehicle in a damp, poorly venti-
lated garage. If you wash your vehicle in
the garage, or if you drive it in covered
with water or snow, your garage may be
so damp it will cause corrosion. Even if
your garage is heated, a wet vehicle can
corrode if the ventilation is poor. Washing your Toyota
Keep your vehicle clean by regular
washing.
The following cases may cause weakness
to the paint or corrosion to the body and
parts. Wash your vehicle as soon as pos-
sible.
When driving in a coastal area
When driving on a road sprinkled with
antifreeze
When having coal tar, tree sap, bird
droppings and carcass of an insect
When driving in the areas where there
is a lot of smoke, soot, dust, iron dust
and chemical substance
When the vehicle becomes remarkably
dirty with dust and mud
Handwashing your Toyota
Work in the shade and wait until the
vehicle body is not hot to the touch.
CAUTION
When cleaning under floor or chassis,
be careful not to injure your hands.
1. Rinse off loose dirt with a hose. Re- move any mud or road salt from the
underside of the vehicle or in the
wheel wells.
2. Wash with a mild carwash soap, mixed according to the manufacturer ’s
instructions. Use a soft cotton mitt and
keep it wet by dipping it frequently into
the wash water. Do not rub hard—let
the soap and water remove the dirt.
Fuel filler door: Do not apply water (high
pressure car wash, for example) at or
near the fuel tank inlet with the fuel f iller
door opened. If the water enters the air
vent, you may experience trouble with re-
fueling or rough engine idling.
Plastic wheel ornaments: The plastic
wheel ornaments are damaged easily by
organic substances. If any organic sub-
stance splashes an ornament, be sure to
wash it off with water and check if the
ornament is damaged.
CAUTION
Do not attach the heavily damaged
plastic wheel ornament. It may fly off
the wheel and cause accidents while
the vehicle is moving.
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Washing and waxing your
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184
Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap
or neutral detergent.
Plastic bumpers: Wash carefully. Do not
scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper
faces are soft.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or
cleaners that are marked safe for painted
surfaces.
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances (gaso-
line, kerosene, benzine or strong sol-
vents), which may be toxic or cause
damage.
3. Rinse thoroughly—dried soap cancause streaking. In hot weather you
may need to rinse each section right
after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a clean soft cotton towel. Do not
rub or press hard—you might scratch
the paint. Automatic car wash
Your vehicle may be washed in an auto-
matic car wash, but remember that the
paint can be scratched by some type of
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the
washing process itself. Scratching reduces
paint durability and gloss, especially on
darker colors. The manager of the car
wash should be able to advise you wheth-
er the process is safe for the paint on
your vehicle.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the antenna,
make sure it is retracted before driv-
ing your Toyota through an automatic
car wash.
Waxing your Toyota
Polishing and waxing is recommended
to maintain the original beauty of your
Toyota’s finish.
Once a month or if the vehicle does not
repel water well, apply wax.
1. Always wash and dry the vehicle be- fore you begin waxing, even if you are
using a combined cleaner and wax.
2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If the finish has become extremely weath-
ered, use a carcleaning polish, fol-
lowed by a separate wax. Carefully fol-
low the manufacturer ’s instructions and
precautions. Be sure to polish and wax
the chrome trim as well as the paint.
3. Wax the vehicle again when water does not bead but remains on the sur-
face in large patches.
NOTICE
Always remove the plastic bumpers if
your vehicle is repainted and placed
in a high heat paint waxing booth.
High temperatures could damage the
bumpers.
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185
Cleaning the interior
CAUTION
Vehicles with side airbags:
Be careful not to splash water or
spill liquid on the floor. This may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly, resulting in serious
injury.
Do not wash the vehicle floor with
water, or allow water to get onto
the floor when cleaning the vehicle
interior or exterior. Water may get
into audio components or other
electrical components above or un-
der the floor carpet (or mat) and
cause a malfunction; and it may
cause body corrosion.
Vinyl interior
The vinyl upholstery may be easily
cleaned with a mild soap or detergent
and water.
First vacuum over the upholstery to re-
move loose dirt. Then, using a sponge or
soft cloth, apply the soap solution to the
vinyl. After allowing it to soak in for a few
minutes to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt
and wipe off the soap with a clean damp
cloth. If all the dirt do not come off, re-
peat the procedure. Commercial foaming
type vinyl cleaners are also available
which work well. Follow the manufacturer ’s
instructions.
NOTICE
Do not use solvent, thinner, gasoline
or window cleaner on the interior.
Carpets
Use a good foamtype shampoo to
clean the carpets.
Begin by vacuuming thoroughly to remove
as much dirt as possible. Several types of
foam cleaners are available; some are in
aerosol cans and others are powders or
liquids which you mix with water to pro-
duce a foam. To shampoo the carpets,
use a sponge or brush to apply the foam.
Rub in overlapping circles.
Do not apply water—the best results are
obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as
possible. Read the shampoo instructions
and follow them closely.
Seat belts
The seat belts may be cleaned with
mild soap and water or with
l ukewarm
water.
Use a cloth or sponge. As you are clean-
ing, check the belts for excessive wear,
fraying, or cuts.
NOTICE
 Do not use dye or bleach on the
belts—it may weaken them.
 Do not use the belts until they be-
come dry.
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187
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Vehicle maintenance and care
Maintenance requirements188
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General maintenance 189
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Does your vehicle need repairing? 191
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Emissions inspection and maintenance (I/M) programs 192
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For scheduled maintenance information, please refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
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Maintenance requirements
Your Toyota vehicle has been designed for
fewer maintenance requirements with long-
er service intervals to save both your time
and money. However, each regular mainte-
nance, as well as daytoday care, is
more important than ever before to ensure
smooth, troublefree, safe, and economical
drivings.
It is the owner ’s responsibility to make
sure the specified maintenance, including
general maintenance service, is performed.
Note that both the new vehicle and emis-
sion control system warranties specify that
proper maintenance and care must be per-
formed. See “Owner ’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment” for complete warranty information.
General maintenance
General maintenance items are those day
today care practices that are important to
your vehicle for proper operation. It is the
owner ’s responsibility to insure that the
general maintenance items are performed
regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done
either by yourself or a qualified technician,
or if you prefer, your Toyota dealer will be
pleased to do them at a nominal cost. Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed in
the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement” are those
required to be serviced at regular inter-
vals.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide”
or “Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.
It is recommended that any replacement
parts used for maintenance or for the
repair of the emission control system
be Toyota supplied.
The owner may elect to use nonToyota
supplied parts for replacement pur-
poses without invalidating the emission
control system warranty. However, use
of replacement parts which are not of
equivalent quality may impair the effec-
tiveness of the emission control sys-
tems.
You may also elect to have
maintenance, replacement, or repair of
the emission control devices and
system performed by any automotive
repair establishment or individual
without invalidating this warranty. See
“Owner ’s Warranty Information Booklet”
or “Owner ’s Manual Supplement” for
complete warranty information.Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are welltrained spe-
cialists and are kept up to date with the
latest service information through technical
bulletins, service tips, and indealership
training programs. They learn to work on
Toyotas before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer ’s service department performs the
best job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicle—reliably and eco-
nomically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof that
all required maintenance has been per-
formed for warranty coverage. And if any
problems should arise with your vehicle
while under warranty, your Toyota dealer
will promptly take care of it. Again, be
sure to keep a copy of the repair order
for any service performed on your Toyota.
What about doityourself maintenance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented in Section 7.
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ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)

189
If you are a skilled doityourself
mechanic, the Toyota service manuals are
recommended. Please be aware that
doityourself maintenance can affect your
warranty coverage. See “Owner ’s Warranty
Information Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual
Supplement” for the details.
General maintenance
Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer or a quali-
fied service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only where ade-
quate ventilation can be obtained if
you run the engine.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be performed
from time to time, unless otherwise
specified.
Tire pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge every
two weeks, or at least once a month. See
Section 72 for additional information.Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Section 72 for
additional information. When checking the
tires, make sure no nuts are missing, and
check the nuts for looseness. Tighten
them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tries according to the
maintenance schedule. (For scheduled
maintenance information, please refer to
the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.)
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has
been parked for a while. If you smell fuel
fumes or notice any leak, have the cause
found and corrected immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including trunk lid
operate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. Make sure the engine hood sec-
ondary latch secures the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch is released.
INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing periodic
services, cleaning the vehicle, etc.
2003
ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)