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While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow sitting on top of a
folded down seatback, or in the
luggage compartment or cargo area.
Persons not properly seated and/or
properly restrained by seat belts
can be severely injured in the event
of emergency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
CAUTION
The SRS side airbags are installed in
the driver and front passenger seats.
Observe the following precautions.
Do not lean against the front door
when the vehicle is in use, since
the side airbag inflates with consid-
erable speed and force. Otherwise,
you may be killed or seriously in-
jured.
Do not use seat accessories which
cover the parts where the side air-
bags inflate. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly, causing death or
serious injury.
Do not modify or replace the seats
or upholstery of the front seats
with the side airbags. Such changes
may disable the system or cause
the side airbags to inflate acciden-
tally, resulting in death or serious
injury. Consult your Toyota dealer if
you insist on modifications of this
kind.
Adjust the driver’s seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of
the driver.
CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When adjusting the seat, be careful
that the seat does not hit a passen-
ger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.
After adjusting the seatback, push
back your body to make sure it is
locked in position.
Do not put objects under the seats.
Otherwise, the objects may interfere
with the seat lock mechanism or
unexpectedly push up the seat posi-
tion adjusting lever and the seat
may suddenly move, causing the
driver to lose control of the vehicle.
SeatsFront seats—
—Front seat precautions (on vehicles with SRS side airbags)—Seat adjustment precautions
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NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
SRS front airbag system in some
cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile two way radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
Modification of the front end struc-
ture
Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment to
the front end
Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure, con-
sole, steering column, steering
wheel or dashboard near the front
passenger airbag
This SRS front airbag system has a
service reminder indicator to inform the
driver of operating problems. If either of
the following conditions occurs, this
indicates a malfunction of the airbags.
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 the light remains on.
The light comes on while driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The SRS front airbags have been in-
flated.
The front of the vehicle (shaded in the
illustration) was involved in an acci dent
that was not severe enough to cause
the SRS front airbags to inflate.
The pad section of the steering wheel
or front passenger airbag cover
(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
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CAUTION
When using the lower anchorages
for the child restraint system, be
sure that there are no irregular ob-
jects around the anchorages and
that the seat belt is not caught.
Push and pull the child restraint
system in different directions to
make sure it is secure. Follow all
the installation instructions pro-
vided by its manufacturer.
Do not install a child restraint sys-
tem on the rear seat if it interferes
with the lock mechanism of the
front seats. This can cause death or
serious injury to a child and front
passenger in case of a sudden
braking or a collision.To change the steering wheel angle,
hold the steering wheel, push down the
lock release lever, tilt the steering
wheel to the desired angle and return
the lever to its original position.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. It may
cause the driver to mishandle the
vehicle and an accident may occur
resulting in death or serious inju-
ries.
After adjusting the steering wheel,
try moving it up and down to make
sure it is locked in position.
Tilt steering wheel
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Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking brake
and put the transmission in “P”
(automatic) or reverse (manual).
Block the wheel diagonally opposite
to the one being changed if neces-
sary.
Make sure to set the jack properly
in the jack point. Raising the ve-
hicle with jack improperly posi-
tioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow the vehicle to fall off the
jack and cause personal injury.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack
alone.
Use the jack only for lifting your
vehicle during wheel changing.
Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do not
put an object on or under the jack.
Raise the vehicle only high enough
to remove and change the tire.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving with a de-
flated tire. Driving even a short dis-
tance can damage a tire and wheel
beyond repair.
Compact spare tire
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 standard tire should be repaired and
replaced as soon as possible.
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.
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7. Remove the wheel nuts and changetires.
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it
aside.
Roll the spare wheel into position and
align the holes in the wheel with the bolts.
Then lift up the wheel and get at least the
top bolt started through its hole. Wiggle
the tire and press it back over the other
bolts.Before putting on wheels, remove any cor-
rosion on the mounting surfaces with a
wire brush or such. Installation of wheels
without good metal to metal contact at the
mounting surface can cause wheel nuts to
loosen and eventually cause a wheel to
come off while driving. Therefore after the
first 1600 km (1000 miles), check to see
that the wheel nuts are tight.8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts finger tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end in-
ward) and tighten them as much as you
can by hand. Press back on the tire back
and see if you can tighten them more.
—Changing wheels —Reinstalling wheel nuts
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11. Check the air pressure of the re-placed tire.
Adjust the air pressure to the specification
designated on page 272 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.
As soon after changing wheels as pos-
sible, tighten the wheel nuts to the torque
specified on page 272 in Section 8 with
a torque wrench. Have a technician repair
the flat tire.
Steel wheels
Aluminum wheels
After repairing the flat tire, change it
with compact spare tire and reinstall
the wheel ornament as follows.
Steel wheels— 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.
Aluminum wheels—
Push the wheel ornament into the center
hole.
CAUTION
Take due care in handling the orna-
ment to avoid unexpected personal
injury.
—After changing wheels
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INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing periodic
services, cleaning the vehicle, etc.
Lights
Make sure the headlights, stop lights, tail
lights, turn signal lights, and other lights
are all working.
Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers function properly.
Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified free play.
Be alert for changes in steering condition,
such as hard steering or strange noise.
Seats
Check that all front seat controls such as
seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. op-
erate smoothly and that all latches lock
securely in any position. Check that the
head restraints move up and down
smoothly and that the locks hold securely
in any latched position. For folding down
rear seatbacks, check that the latches
lock securely.Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as
buckles, retractors and anchors operate
properly and smoothly. Make sure the belt
webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or dam-
aged.
Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
uneven pedal effort or catching.
Clutch pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
that the pedal has the proper clearance.
Check the brake booster function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do
not pull to one side when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the lever has the proper travel
and that, on a safe incline, your vehicle
is held securely with only the parking
brake applied.
Automatic transmission “Park” mecha-
nism
Check the lock release button of the se-
lector lever for proper and smooth opera-
tion. On a safe incline, check that your
vehicle is held securely with the selector
lever in “P” position and all brakes re-
leased.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See page 257 in Section 7 3 for
additional information.
Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the “FULL” and “LOW” lines on the see
through reservoir when the engine is cold.
See page 244 in Section 7 2 for addition-
al information.
Radiator, condenser and hoses
Check that the front of the radiator and
condenser are clean and not blocked with
leaves, dirt, or insects. See page 245 in
Section 7 2 for additional information.
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Even if the damage does not appear seri-
ous, a qualified technician should examine
the damage. Objects which have pene-
trated the tire may have caused internal
damage.
Any tires which are over 6 years old
must be checked by a qualified techni-
cian even if damage is not obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
This also applies to the spare tire and
tires stored for future use.
REPLACING YOUR TIRES
Two wheel drive models—When replac-
ing a tire, use only the same size and
construction as originally installed and
with the same or greater load capacity.
Four wheel drive models—When replac-
ing tires, make sure all the tires are the
same brand. Only use the same size,
construction and tread patterns as the
originally installed tires, with the same
or greater load capacity.
Using any other size or type of tire may
seriously affect handling, ride, speedome-
ter/odometer calibration, ground clearance,
and clearance between the body and tires
or snow chains.CAUTION
Do not mix radial, bias belted, or
bias ply tires on your vehicle. It
can cause dangerous handling char-
acteristics, resulting in loss of con-
trol.
Do not use tire or wheels other
than the manufacturer ’s recom-
mended size.
Toyota recommends all four tires, or at
least both front or rear tires be re-
placed as a set.
See “If you have a flat tire” on page 202
in Section 4 for tire change procedure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect vehicle
handling and tire life. Wheels can get out
of balance with regular use and should
therefore be balanced occasionally.
When replacing a tubeless tire, the air
valve should also be replaced with a
new one.
To equalize tire 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 202
in Section 4 for tire change procedure.
—Rotating tires