2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER engine

1582003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
SB31004a
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle from the
rear. This may cause serious damage
to your vehicle.
Trailer towing
SB31002
Toyota does not recommend towing a trail-
er with your MR2. It is not designed for
trailer towing.Improving fuel economy is easy—just take
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and
repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure.
Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page
211 in Section 72 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warmup idling. Once
the engine is running smoothly, begin
driving—but gently. Remember, howev-
er, that on cold winter days this may
take a little longer.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high
gear as quickly as possible.
Avoid long engine idling. If you have
a long wait and you are not in traffic,
it is better to turn off the engine and
start again later.
Avoid engine lugging or overrev-
ving. Use a gear position suitable for
the road on which you are travelling.
03 07.07
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too

1592003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stopandgo driving
wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or
take advantage of through streets to
avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-
tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-
den braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the clutch
or brake pedal. This causes premature
wear, overheating and poor fuel econo-
my.
Maintain a moderate speed on high-
ways. The faster you drive, the greater
the fuel consumption. By reducing your
speed, you will cut down on fuel con-
sumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on
the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corro-
sion.
Keep your vehicle tunedup and in
top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.
all lower engine performance and con-
tribute to poor fuel economy. For longer
life of all parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your vehicle
receives more frequent maintenance.
(For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the “Scheduled
Maintenance Guide” or “Owner ’s
Manual Supplement”.)
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering and
brake booster will not function with-
out the engine running. Also, the
emission control system operates
properly only when the engine is run-
ning.
03 07.07

1612003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY
In case of an emergency
If your vehicle will not start162
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your engine stalls while driving 165
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you cannot increase the engine speed 166
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your vehicle overheats 166
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
If you have a flat tire 167
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . .
If your vehicle becomes stuck 176
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your vehicle needs to be towed 177
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If you cannot shift the sequential manual transmission selector lever 181
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
If you lose your keys 182
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. . . .
03 07.07
SECTION 4

1622003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
Before making these checks, make sure
you have followed the correct starting
procedure given in “How to start the
engine” on page 154 in Section 3 and that
you have sufficient fuel. Also check
whether the other keys will start the
engine. If they work, your key may be
broken. Have the key checked at your
Toyota dealer. If none of your keys work,
there may be a malfunction in the immobi-
lizer system. Call your Toyota dealer. (See
“Keys” on page 8 in Section 12.)
If the engine is not turning over or is
turning over too slowly—1. Check that the battery terminals are tight and clean.
2. If the battery terminals are O.K., switch on the interior light.
3. If the light is out, dim or goes out when the starter is cranked, the battery
is discharged. You may try jump start-
ing. See “(c) Jump starting” on page
163 for further instructions.
If the light is O.K., but the engine still will
not start, it needs adjustment or repair.
Call a Toyota dealer or qualified repair
shop.NOTICE
 Sequential manual transmission
only: Your vehicle cannot be pull
or pushstarted.
 Do not pull or pushstart the ve-
hicle. It may damage the vehicle or
cause a collision when the engine
starts. Also the threeway catalytic
converter may overheat and become
a fire hazard.
If the engine turns over at its normal
speed but will not start—
1. The engine may be flooded because of repeated cranking. See “(b) Starting a
flooded engine” on page 162 for further
instructions.
2. If the engine still will not start, it needs adjustment or repair. Call a Toyota
dealer or qualified repair shop.
(b) Starting a flooded engine
If the engine will not start, your engine
may be flooded because of repeated
cranking.
Sequential manual transmission: If this
happens, turn the key to “START” with the
accelerator pedal and brake pedal fully
depressed. Keep the key, accelerator ped-
al and brake pedal in these positions for
15 seconds and release them. Then re-
lease the accelerator pedal, and try crank-
ing the engine with the brake pedal de-
pressed.
Manual transmission: If this happens,
turn the key to “START” with the accelera-
tor pedal fully depressed. Keep the key
and accelerator pedal in these positions
for 15 seconds and release them. Then
try starting the engine with your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If the engine does not start after 15 sec-
onds of cranking, release the key, wait a
few minutes and try again.
If the engine still will not start, it needs
adjustment or repair. Call a Toyota dealer
or qualified repair shop for assistance.
03 07.07
If your vehicle will not start—
(a) Simple checks

1642003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE1. If the booster battery is installed in another vehicle, make sure the vehicles
are not touching. Turn off all unneces-
sary lights and accessories.
2. If required, remove all the vent plugs from the booster and discharged batter-
ies. Lay a cloth over the open vents
on the batteries. (This helps reduce the
explosion hazard, personal injuries and
burns.)
3. If the engine in the vehicle with the booster battery is not running, start it
and let it run for a few minutes. During
jump starting, run the engine at about
2000 rpm with the accelerator pedal
lightly depressed.
SB41055
Discharged battery
Booster
battery
Positive terminal
(“+” mark)
Positive
terminal
(“+” mark)
Jumper
cable
4. Make the cable connections in the or-
der a, b, c, d.
a. Connect the clamp of the positive
(red) jumper cable to the positive (+)
terminal on the discharged battery.
b. Connect the clamp at the other end
of the positive (red) jumper cable to
the positive (+) terminal on the booster
battery.
SB41056
Jumper cable
Booster
battery Negative terminal
(“” mark)
Discharged
battery
c. Connect the clamp of the negative
(black) jumper cable to the negative ()
terminal on the booster battery.
d. Connect the clamp at the other end
of the negative (black) jumper cable to
a solid, stationary, unpainted, metallic
point of the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
The recommended connecting point is
shown in the following illustration:
03 07.07

1652003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
SB41040
Connecting point
Do not connect the cable to or near
any part that moves when the engine
is cranked.
CAUTION
When making the connections, to
avoid serious injury, do not lean over
the battery or accidentally let the
jumper cables or clamps touch any-
thing except the correct battery termi-
nals or the ground.
5.Sequential manual transmission: Turn
the ignition switch to “ON” position.
Hold down the brake pedal firmly, and
place the selector lever to “N” position.
Make sure that the “N” indicator in the
instrument cluster comes on. Then
start your engine in a normal way.
Manual transmission: Start your en-
gine in the normal way.
After starting, run it at about 2000 rpm
for several minutes with the accelerator
pedal lightly depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover cloths—they may now contain sulfuric
acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is
not apparent (for example, lights left on),
you should have it checked at your Toyota
dealer. If your engine stalls while driving...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Sequential manual transmission: Turn
the ignition key to “ACC” or “LOCK”
position. Approximately 5 seconds after,
try starting the engine again.
Manual transmission: Turn the ignition
key to “ACC” or “LOCK”, and try start-
ing the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see “If your
vehicle will not start—” on page 162 in
this Section.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
03 07.07
If your engine stalls while
driving

1662003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
If the engine speed does not increase with
the accelerator pedal depressed down to
about the middle position, there may be
a problem somewhere in your electronic
throttle control system.
At this time, if you depress the accelera-
tor pedal more firmly and slowly, you can
drive you vehicle at low speeds. Have
your vehicle checked by your Toyota deal-
er as soon as possible.
Even if the abnormality of the electronic
throttle control system is corrected during
low speed driving, the system may not be
recovered until the engine is stopped and
the ignition key is turned to ”ACC” or
”LOCK” position.
CAUTION
Be especially careful to prevent erro-
neous pedal operation.
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in “N”
(sequential manual transmission) or in
neutral (manual transmission) and ap-
ply the parking brake. Turn off the air
conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer
for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the coolant
reservoir cap or air release valve
when the engine and radiator are hot.
Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
03 07.07
If you cannot incr ease the
engine speed

1672003 MR2 from Aug. ’03 Prod. (OM17511U)
6. After the engine coolant temperaturehas cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.
If you have a flat tire—
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cau-
tiously off the road to a safe place
well away from the traffic. Avoid
stopping on the center divider of
a highway. Park on a level spot
with firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly engage the parking brake and put the transmission lever in
“R” (sequential manual transmis-
sion) or in reverse (manual trans-
mission).
4. Have everyone get out of the ve- hicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thoroughly.CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the possi-
bility of personal injury:
Follow jacking instructions.
 Do not put any part of your
body under the vehicle sup-
ported by the jack. Personal in-
j u ry may occu r.
 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 “R” (sequential manual
transmission) or in reverse
(manual transmission). Block
the wheel diagonally opposite
to the one being changed if
necessary.
03 07.07