2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER Owners Manual

1362003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your reserved vacu-
um.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
increase.
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
The antilock brake system is designed
to automatically help prevent lockup of
the wheels during a sudden braking or
braking on slippery road surfaces. This
assists in providing directional stability
and steering performance of the vehicle
under these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal:
When the antilock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the antilock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking
performance.
The antilock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on a manhole cov-
er, a steel plate at a construction site,
joints in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day
tends to activate the antilock brake sys-
tem.
You may hear a click or motor sound in
the front trunk room for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just after
the vehicle begins to move. This means
that the antilock brake system is in the
self check mode, and does not indicate a
malfunction. When the antilock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:
You may hear the antilock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the ve-
hicle body and steering wheel. You
may also hear the motor sound in the
front trunk room even after the vehicle
is stopped.
At the end of the antilock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the antilock
brake system: Although the antilock
brake system assists in providing ve-
hicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care and maintain
a moderate speed and safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you, be-
cause there are limits to the vehicle
stability and effectiveness of steering
wheel operation even with the anti
lock brake system on.
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1372003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
If tire grip performance exceeds its
capability, or if hydroplaning occurs
during high speed driving in the rain,
the antilock brake system does not
provide vehicle control.
Antilock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at a moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles without an
antilock brake system, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping dis-
tance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow
covered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road.
Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at
appropriate pressure: The antilock
brake system detects vehicle speeds
using the speed sensors for respec-
tive wheels’ turning speeds. The use
of tires other than specified may fail
to detect the accurate turning speed
resulting in a longer stopping dis-
tance.
SD02002a
“ABS” warning light
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti
lock brake system works properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds. There-
after, if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
antilock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.
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1382003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
antilock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions
occur, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the components moni-
tored by the warning light system.
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 remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light fuming on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
SB21015
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. Some Toyotas are equipped with a limit-
edslip differential. If one of the rear
wheels begins to spin, the limitedslip dif-
ferential is designed to aid traction by
automatically transmitting driving force to
the other rear wheel. If you are not sure
whether your vehicle is equipped with one,
you can ask your Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by a jack.
The vehicle could be driven off the
jack and could pose a danger or re-
sult in serious injury.
NOTICE
Use only a compact spare tire of the
same size, construction and load ca-
pacity as the original tires on your
Toyota because damage to the limit-
edslip differential could possibly oc-
cur with another tire type.
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Limitedslip differential
(on some models)

1392003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
SB21009
The vehicle identification number (VIN)
is the legal identifier for your vehicle.
This number is on the left top of the
instrument panel, and can be seen
through the windshield from outside.
This is the primary identification number
for your Toyota. It is used in registering
the ownership of your vehicle.
SB21017a
The vehicle identification number (VIN) is
also on the Certification Label.
—Engine number
SB21010
The engine number is stamped on the
engine block as shown.
03 07.07
Your Toyota’s identification—
—Vehicle identification
number

1402003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
Theft prevention labels
Your new vehicle carries theft preven-
tion labels which are approximately 56
mm (2.20 in.) by 16 mm (0.63 in.).
The purpose of these labels is to reduce
the incidence of vehicle thefts by facilitat-
ing the tracing and recovery of parts from
stolen vehicles. The label is designed so
that once it is applied to a surface, any
attempt to remove it will result in destroy-
ing the integrity of the label. Transferring
these labels intact from one part to anoth-
er, will be impossible.
NOTICE
You should not attempt to remove the
theft prevention labels as it may vio-
late certain state or federal laws.
Suspension and chassis
CAUTION
Do not modify the suspension/chassis
with lift kits, spacers, springs, etc. It
can cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of control.
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1412003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
This illustration indicates typical tire
symbols.1. Tire size— For details, see “Tire
size” on page 143.
2. DOT and Tire Identification Number (TIN)— For details, see
“DOT and Tire Identification Num-
ber (TIN)” on page 142.
3. Maximum cold tire inflation pressure— This means the pres-
sure to which a tire may be in-
flated. For recommended cold tire
inflation pressure, see “Tires” on
page 242.
4. Load limit at maximum cold tire inflation pressure— For details,
see “Checking and replacing tires”
on page 213.
5. Location of tread wear indica- tors— For details, see “Checking
and replacing tires” on page 213.
6. Turning indicator— Some
vehicles are equipped with
directional tires. For details, see
“Rotating tires” on page 216.
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Tire information—
—Tire symbols
SB21020b

1422003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
7. Uniform tire quality grading—For details, see “Uniform tire quali-
ty grading” that follows.
8. Tire ply composition and mate- rials— Plies mean a layer of rub-
bercoated parallel cords. Cords
mean the strands forming the plies
in the tire.
9. “TUBELESS” or “TUBE TYPE”— A tubeless tire does not
have a tube inside the tire and air
is directly filled in the tire. A tube
type tire has a tube inside the tire
and the tube maintains the air
pressure.
10.Radial tires or biasply tires— A
radial tire has “RADIAL” on the
sidewall. The tire not marked with
“RADIAL” is a biasply tire.
11. Summer tire or all season tire— An all season tire has “M+S”
on the sidewall. The tire not
marked with “M+S” is a summer
tire. For details, see “Types of
tires” on page 152.
SB21022a
This illustration indicates typical DOT
and Tire Identification Number (TIN).
1. “DOT” symbol
2. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3. Tire manufacturer ’s identification mark
4. Tire size code
5. Manufacturer ’s optional tire type code
6. Manufacturing week
7. Manufacturing year The “DOT” symbol certifies that the
tire conforms to applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
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—DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)

1432003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
SB21021
This illustration indicates typical tire
size.1. Section width (in millimeters)
2. Aspect ratio (tire height to section width)
3. Tire construction code (R=Radial, D=Diagonal)
4. Wheel diameter (in inch)
5. Load index (2 digits or 3 digits)
6. Speed symbol (alphabet with one letter)
SU21026a
1. Section width
2. Tire height
3. Wheel diameter
SU21027
1. Bead
2. Sidewall
3. Shoulder
4. Tread
5. Belt
6. Inner liner
7. Reinforcing rubber
8. Carcass
9. Rim lines
10.Bead wires
11. Chafer
03 07.07
—Tire size —Name of each section of tire