2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER Owners Manual

1762003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
SB41037
NOTICE
The size of the front wheel and
the rear wheel is different. In
order to prevent the wrong
installation, there is a pin on
the assembly surface inside the
rear wheel as shown above.
Therefore, the rear wheels can-
not be installed on the front.
If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow,
mud, sand, etc., then you may attempt
to rock the vehicle free by moving it
forward and backward.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and back-
ward if people or objects are any-
where near the vehicle. During the
rocking operation the vehicle may
suddenly move forward or backward
as it becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reverse
gear.
 Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
 If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
03 07.07
If your vehicle becomes stuck

1772003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
SB41062
—From rear
(b) Using flat bed truck (a) Towing with wheel lift type truck— —From front
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice. In consultation with them, have
your vehicle towed using either (a) or
(b).
Only when you cannot receive a towing
service from a Toyota dealer or com-
mercial tow truck service, tow your ve-
hicle carefully in accordance with the
instructions given in “—Emergency
towing” on page 178 in this Section.
Proper equipment will help ensure that
your vehicle is not damaged while being
towed. Commercial operators are generally
aware of the state/provincial and local
laws pertaining to towing.
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is
towed incorrectly. Although most operators
know the correct procedure, it is possible
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to
your vehicle, make sure the following pre-
cautions are observed. If necessary, show
this page to the tow truck driver.
TOWING PRECAUTIONS:
Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly. (a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From front—
We recommend using a tow-
ing dolly under the rear wheels. If you do
not use a towing dolly, release the parking
brake and put the transmission in “N” (se-
quential manual transmission) or in neutral
(manual transmission). The key must be
in “ACC” (sequential manual transmission).
Sequential manual transmission only:
After shifting the selector lever to the “N”
position, always make sure that the gear
is actually disengaged and is in neutral by
pushing the vehicle by hand or other
means. In case the gear can not be put
in neutral, turn the ignition switch from the
“OFF” to “ON” position, and operate the
selector lever once from “N” to “S” or “R”,
then back to “N” again. Then turn the
ignition switch from the “ON” to “OFF”
position. These procedures may help put
the gear in neutral. If the gear still can
not be put in neutral, you can not tow
without a towing dolly.
From rear— Place the ignition key in the
“ACC” position.
03 07.07
If your vehicle needs to be
towed—

1782003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
CAUTION
Do not tow without a towing dolly
when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position and/or when the trans-
mission is not in the neutral gear
position. Otherwise, you may be in-
volved in an unexpected accident.
NOTICE
When lifting wheels, take care to
ensure adequate ground clearance
for towing at the opposite end of
the raised vehicle. Otherwise, the
bumper and/or underbody of the
towed vehicle will be damaged dur-
ing towing.
 Do not tow with the key removed or
in the “LOCK” position, as the
steering lock mechanism is not
strong enough to hold the front
wheels straight while towing.
(b) Using flat bed truck
SB41057
(c) Towing with sling type truck
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck, ei-
ther from the front or rear. This may
cause body damage.
—Emergency towing
SB41033c
Front
SB41034b
Rear
03 07.07

1792003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice.
If a towing service is not available in
an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed by a cable or chain
secured to either the emergency towing
eyelet on the front of the vehicle or the
right emergency towing eyelet on the
rear of the vehicle. Use extreme caution
when towing vehicles.
To install the towing eyelet, see
“—Installing towing eyelet” on page 180 in
this Section.
NOTICE
Only use specified towing eyelet;
otherwise your vehicle may be dam-
aged.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer
it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hardsurfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
CAUTION
Use extreme caution when towing a
vehicle. Avoid sudden starts or er-
ratic driving maneuvers which
would place excessive stress on the
emergency towing eyelets and tow-
ing cable or chain. The eyelets and
towing cable or chain may break
and cause serious injury or dam-
age.
In case of installing the eyelet on
the vehicle, be sure to tighten the
eyelet securely. If the eyelet is
loose, it may come off when towing
and result in death or serious injury
to the passenger in the front ve-
hicle or damage to that vehicle.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifi-
cally intended for use in towing ve-
hicles. Securely fasten the cable or
chain to the towing eyelets pro-
vided.
 Do not use the left rear eyelet. It is
not designed for towing.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in “N” (sequential
manual transmission) or in neutral (manual
transmission).
Sequential manual transmission: The
key must be in “ACC”.
Manual transmission: The key must be
in “ACC” (engine off) or “ON” (engine run-
ning).
Sequential manual transmission only:
After shifting the selector lever to the “N”
position, always make sure that the gear
is actually disengaged and is in neutral by
pushing the vehicle by hand or other
means. In case the gear can not be put
in neutral, turn the ignition switch from the
“OFF” to “ON” position, and operate the
selector lever once from “N” to “S” or “R”,
then back to “N” again. Then turn the
ignition switch from the ”ON” to “OFF”
position. These procedures may help put
the gear in neutral. If the gear still can
not be put in neutral, you can not tow
with cables or chains.
03 07.07

1802003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual.
Do not tow with a cable or chain
when the ignition switch is in the
“ON” position and/or when the
transmission is not in the neutral
gear position. Otherwise, you may
be involved in an unexpected acci-
dent.
—Installing towing eyelet
SB41065
1. Remove the towing eyelet cover on thebumper, using a flatbladed screwdriver
which is wrapped with a cloth.
SB41066
2. Use the towing eyelet in the tool bag.Secure it to the hole on the bumper by
turning clockwise. (For the tool bag
storage location, see “—Required tools
and spare tire” on page 169 in this
Section.)
03 07.07

1812003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
SB41067
3. Tighten the towing eyelet securely bya wheel nut wrench.
CAUTION
When installing the eyelet on the ve-
hicle, be sure to tighten the eyelet
securely. If the eyelet is loose, it may
come off when being towed and re-
sult in death or serious injury.
SD04002
In case the selector lever lock is not
released and the selector lever cannot
be moved even though the ignition
switch is turned to the ”ON” position,
follow the procedures below:
1. Turn the ignition key to the ”LOCK” or “ACC” position. Make sure the
parking brake is applied.
2. Pry up the cover with a flatbladed screwdriver or equivalent.
SD04003
3. To push the link, insert a key orscrewdriver to the hole. The lever
can be operated while the link is
being pushed.
4. Shift into the ”N” position.
5. Reinsert the cover.
6. Start the engine while depressing the brake pedal.
Be sure to have the system checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
03 07.07
If you cannot shift the
sequential manual
transmission selector lever

1822003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
If you lose your keys
You can purchase a new key at your
Toyota dealer if you can give them the
key number and master key.
Even if you lose only one key, contact
your Toyota dealer to make a new key. If
you lose all your master keys, you cannot
make new keys; the whole engine immobi-
lizer system must be replaced.
See the suggestion given in “Keys” on
page 8 in Section 12.
If your keys are locked in the vehicle and
you cannot get a duplicate, many Toyota
dealers can still open the door for you,
using their special tools. If you must
break a window to get in, we suggest
breaking the side window because it is
the least expensive to replace. Be ex-
tremely cautious to avoid cuts from the
glass.
03 07.07

1832003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
ORROSION PREVENTION AND
APPEARANCE CARE
Corrosion prevention and appearance care
Protecting your Toyota from corrosion184
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Washing and waxing your Toyota 185
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cleaning the interior 188
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
03 07.07
SECTION 5