2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER wheel

2042003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
Positioning the jack
SB71008
Front of vehicle
When jacking up your vehicle with the
jack, position the jack correctly as
shown in the illustration.
Jack position
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Front—Front crossmember
Rear—Rear engine mounting bracket
Support position and
Pantograph jack position
. . . . .
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe the
following to reduce the possibility of
personal injury:
Follow jacking instructions.
Do not put any part of your body
under the vehicle supported by a
jack. Personal injury may occur.
Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by the
jack.
Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking brake
and put the transmission in reverse.
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 vehicle support stands.
Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do not
place any objects on top of or un-
derneath the jack.
NOTICE
Make sure to place the jack correctly,
or your vehicle may be damaged.
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2052003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
DOITYOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level206
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Checking the engine coolant level 208
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Checking the radiator and condenser 209
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Checking brake fluid 209
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Checking power steering fluid 210
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Checking tire inflation pressure 211
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Checking and replacing tires 213
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Rotating tires 216
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Installing snow tires and chains 217
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Replacing wheels 218
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Aluminum wheel precautions 219
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03 07.07
SECTION 7 2

2132003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
CAUTION
Keep your tires properly inflated.
Otherwise, the following condi-
tions may occur and cause an ac-
cident resulting in death or seri-
ous injuries.
Low tire pressure (underinfla-
tion)—
 Excessive wear
 Uneven wear
 Poor handling
 Possibility of blowouts from
overheated tire.
 Poor sealing of the tire bead
 Wheel deformation and/or tire
separation
 A greater possibility of tire
damage from road hazards
High tire pressure (overinfla-
tion)—
Poor handling
 Excessive wear
 Uneven wear
 A greater possibility of tire
damage from road hazards
Checking and replacing tires
Tread wear indicator
CHECKING YOUR TIRES
Check the tire tread for the tread
wear indicators. If the indicators
show, replace the tires. The loca-
tion of the tread wear indicators is
shown by the “TWI” or “
Δ” marks,
etc., molded on the sidewall of
each tire.
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2142003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
The tires on your Toyota have builtin
tread wear indicators to help you
know when the tires need replace-
ment. When the tread depth wears to
1.6 mm (0.06 in.) or less, the indica-
tors will appear. If you can see the
indicators in two or more adjacent
grooves, the tire should be replaced.
The lower the tread, the higher the
risk of skidding.
Vehicles equipped with 185/55R15
or 215/45R16 tires: Your Toyota has
been fitted with specially developed
tires which provide exceptional dy-
namic performance under general
road conditions. However your riding
comfort may worsen a little and road
noise may increase during driving.
You may also notice that your tires
will wear more rapidly and tire grip
performance will be reduced on the
snowy and/or icy roads when
compared to standard tires. Be sure
to have snow tires or tire chains on
the snowy and/or icy roads and drive
carefully with the speed appropriate
for road conditions. NOTICE
Low profile tire like 185/55R15
or 215/45R16 may have greater
damage than usual tires to its
tire wheel when receiving im-
pact from the road surface.
Therefore, pay attention to the
followings.

Be sure to use with proper
tire pressure. If the tire pres-
sure is low, the tire may
have a greater damage. For
detailed information about
tire pressure, see page 242 in
Section 8.
 Avoid driving onto high,
sharpedged objects and oth-
er road hazards. Failure to
do so can lead to severe tire
damage.
The effectiveness of snow tires is
lost if the tread wears down below
4 mm (0.16 in.).
If you have tire damage such as
cuts, splits, cracks deep e nough to
expose the fabric, or bulges indi-
cating internal damage, the tire
should be repl aced.
If a tire often goes flat or cannot be
properly repaired due to the size or
location of a cut or other damage, it
should be replaced. If you are not
sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.
If an air loss occurs while driving, do
not continue driving with a deflated
tire. Driving even a short distance can
damage a tire beyond repair.
An y ti res wh i ch are over 6 years
old must be checked by a qualified
technician even if damage is not
obvious.
Tires deteriorate with age even if they
have never or seldom been used.
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2162003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
Toyota recommends all four tires,
or at least both front or rear tires
be replaced as a set.
See “If you have a flat tire—” on page
167 in Section 4 for tire change proce-
dure.
When a tire is replaced, the wheel
should always be balanced.
An unbalanced wheel may affect ve-
hicle 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
w i t h a new on e.
Rotating tires
SB72017Tu r ning dir ec t ion
Turning direction indicators
SB72019
Do not rotate the tires as the tire
sizes are different such as with
front to rear, left to right or using
the spare tire. Performing such tire
rotation may result in the tires in-
terfering with the body or in un-
even wear of the tires, so that
steerability of the vehicle is im-
paired.
Tires with turning direction indicator—
The tire is a unidirectional type and
cannot be used for tire rotation. Using
the tire on the opposite side to the
designated side will impair the tire
performance.
The spare tire—
The tire is designed for temporary use
only and cannot be used for tire rota-
tion.
03 07.07

2172003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recommended
when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires.
SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select tires of
the same size, construction and load
capacity as the originally installed tires.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
CAUTION
Observe the following instructions.
Otherwise, an accident may occur re-
sulting in death or serious injuries.
Do not use snow tires other than the
manufacturer ’s recommended size, as
this may cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in loss of
control.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the rear wheels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure
to install them in the same direction when
replacing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires
incorrectly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.
TIRE CHAIN SELECTION
Use the tire chains which are the cor-
rect size for your rear tires.
For 215/45R16 tires, use genuine Toyota
tire chains or equivalent for use on the
MR2.
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary according to location or
type of road, so always check the local
regulations before installing chains.
NOTICE
If the wrong combination of tire and
chain is used, the chains could dam-
age the vehicle body.
MR2 genuine tire chains
(Part No.0832511020)
03 07.07
Installing snow tires and
chains

2182003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
CHAIN INSTALLATION
Install the chains on the rear tires as
tightly as possible. Do not use tire
chains on the front tires. Retighten
chains after driving 0.5—1.0 km
(1/4—1/2 mile).
When installing chains on your tires, care-
fully follow the instructions of the chain
manufacturer.
CAUTION
Do not exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) or
the chain manufacturer ’s recom-
mended speed limit, whichever is
lower.
Drive carefully avoiding bumps,
holes, and sharp turns, which may
cause the vehicle to bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or lockedwheel
braking, as use of chains may ad-
versely affect vehicle handling.
When driving with chains installed,
be sure to drive carefully. Slow
down before entering curves to
avoid losing control of the vehicle.
Otherwise an accident may occur.
NOTICE
Do not attempt to use a tire chain on
the compact spare tire, as it may re-
sult in damage to the vehicle as well
as the tire.
Replacing wheels
WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR WHEELS
If you have wheel damage such as
bending, cracks or heavy corrosion, the
wheel should be replaced.
If you fail to replace a damaged wheel,
the tire may slip off the wheel or cause
loss of handling control.
WHEEL SELECTION
When replacing wheels, care should be
taken to ensure that the wheels are re-
placed by ones with the same load ca-
pacity, diameter, rim width, and offset.
Correct replacement wheels are available
at your Toyota dealer.
A wheel of a different size or type may
adversely affect handling, wheel and bear-
ing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odom-
eter calibration, stopping ability, headlight
aim, bumper height, vehicle ground clear-
ance, and tire or snow chain clearance to
the body and chassis.
Replacement with used wheels is not rec-
ommended as they may have been sub-
jected to rough treatment or high mileage
and could fail without warning. Also, bent
wheels which have been straightened may
have structural damage and therefore
should not be used. Never use an inner
tube in a leaking wheel which is designed
for a tubeless tire.
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2192003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
CAUTION
Observe the following instructions.
Otherwise, an accident may occur re-
sulting in death or serious injuries.
Do not use wheels other than the
manufacturer ’s recommended size, as
this may cause dangerous handling
characteristics resulting in loss of
control.
Aluminum wheel precautions
When installing aluminum wheels,
check that the wheel nuts are tight
after driving your vehicle the first
1600km (1000 miles).
If you have repaired or changed your
tires, check that the wheel nuts are
still tight after driving 1600 km (1000
miles).
When using tire chains, be careful not
to damage the aluminum wheels.
Use only the Toyota wheel nuts and
wrench designed for your aluminum
wheels.
When balancing your wheels, use only
Toyota balance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber hammer.
As with any wheel, periodically check
your aluminum wheels for damage. If
damaged, replace immediately.
03 07.07