2003 TOYOTA TACOMA steering

’03 Tacoma U (L/O 0209)
2592003 MY TACOMA (OM35800U)
1. Engine oil filler cap
2. Brake fluid reservoir
3. Fuse block
4. Battery
5. Engine coolant reservoir
6. Engine oil level dipstick
7. Condenser
8. Radiator
9. Power steering fluid reservoir
10. Windshield washer fluid tank

5VZFE engine

’03 Tacoma U (L/O 0209)
2612003 MY TACOMA (OM35800U)
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)
Right after driving, the engine
compartment—the engine, radiator,
exhaust manifold, power steering
fluid reservoir and spark plug
boots, etc.—will be hot. So be care-
ful not to touch them. Oil, fluids
and spark plugs may also be hot.
If the engine is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the drain
plugs to prevent burning yourself.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flammable.
Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it. Al-
ways use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.
Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under your vehicle
where you may be exposed to flying
or falling material, fluid spray, etc.
Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as in-
flammation or skin cancer, so care
should be taken to avoid prolonged
and repeated contact with it. To re-
move used engine oil from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap
and water.
Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.
Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers or
onto the ground. Call your dealer or
a service station for information
concerning recycling or disposal.
Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Warning: Battery posts, terminals
and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and reproductive
harm. Wash hands after handling.
NOTICE
Remember that battery and ignition
cables carry high currents or volt-
ages. Be careful of accidentally
causing a short circuit.
 Add only demineralized or distilled
water to fill the radiator. And if you
spill some of the coolant, be sure
to wash it off with water to prevent
it from damaging the parts or paint.
 Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug holes.
 Do not pry the outer electrode of a
spark plug against the center elec-
trode.
 Use only spark plugs of the speci-
fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
 Do not overfill automatic transmis-
sion fluid, or the transmission
could be damaged.
 Do not drive with the air cleaner
filter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the engine
compartment.

’03 Tacoma U (L/O 0209)
2622003 MY TACOMA (OM35800U)
Be careful not to scratch the glass
surface with the wiper frame.
 When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-
gotten any tools, rags, etc.Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need on performing doityourself mainte-
nance. Remember all Toyota parts are de-
signed in metric sizes, so your tools must
be metric.
CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equiva-
lent
See Section 72 for details about en-
gine oil selection.
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding oil)
CHECKING THE ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“Toyota Genuine Long Life Coolant” or
equivalent
See Section 72 for details about cool-
ant type selection.
Demineralized or distilled water
Tools:
Funnel (only for adding coolant) CHECKING BRAKE FLUID
Parts (if level is low):
SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
brake fluid
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING POWER STEERING FLUID
Parts (if level is low):
Automatic transmission fluid
DEXRON II or III
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING BATTERY CONDITION
Tools:
Warm water
Baking soda
Grease
Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Parts and tools

’03 Tacoma U (L/O 0209)
2652003 MY TACOMA (OM35800U)
DOITYOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level266
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the engine coolant level 268
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the radiator and condenser 270
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking brake fluid 270
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Checking power steering fluid 271
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking tire pressure 271
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. .
Checking and replacing tires 272
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating tires 274
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . .
Installing snow tires and chains 274
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing wheels 276
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . .
Aluminum wheel precautions 276
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 7 2

’03 Tacoma U (L/O 0209)
2712003 MY TACOMA (OM35800U)
If cold addIf cold O.K.
If hot add If hot O.K.
Check the fluid level on the dipstick. If
necessary, add automatic transmission
fluid DEXRON II or III.
If the vehicle has been driven around 80
km/h (50 mph) for 20 minutes (a little
more in frigid temperatures), the fluid is
hot (40 C—80 C or 104 F—175 F). You
may also check the level when the fluid
is cold (about room temperature,
0 C—40 C or 32 F—104 F) if the engine
has not been run for about five hours.
a. Clean all dirt from outside of the reser- voir tank.
b. Remove the reservoir cap by turning it counterclockwise and wipe the dipstick
clean. c. Reinstall the reservoir cap
d. Remove the reservoir cap again and look at the fluid level. If the fluid is
cold, the level should be in the “COLD”
range on the dipstick. Similarly, if it is
hot, the fluid level should be in the
“HOT” range. If the level is at the low
side of either range, add automatic
transmission fluid DEXRON II or III to
bring the level within the range.
e. After replacing the reservoir cap, visu- ally check the steering box case, vane
pump and hose connections for leaks
or damage.
CAUTION
The reservoir tank may be hot so be
careful not to burn yourself.
NOTICE
Avoid overfilling, or the power steer-
ing could be damaged.
Keep your tire pressures at the proper
level.
The recommended cold tire pressures, tire
size and the cargo weight rating are given
in Section 8. Tire size and pressure are
also on the tire pressure label as shown.
You should check the tire pressures every
two weeks, or at least once a month. And
do not forget the spare!
Incorrect tire pressure may waste fuel,
reduce the comfort of driving, reduce tire
life and make your vehicle less safe to
drive.
If a tire frequently needs ref illing, have it
checked by your Toyota dealer.
Checking power steering fluid Checking tire pressure

’03 Tacoma U (L/O 0209)
2932003 MY TACOMA (OM35800U)
Drive belt tension measured with Bor-
roughs drive belt tension gauge No.
BT3373F (used belt), lbf:2RZFE and 3RZFE enginesGenerator belt 115  20
Air conditioning compressor belt
100 20
Power steering pump belt
100
+20
15
5VZFE engineGenerator belt 100  20
Air conditioning compressor belt 100 20
Power steering pump belt
100
+20
15
ENGINE LUBRICATION
Oil capacity (drain and refill),
L (qt., Imp. qt.):
Twowheel drive models except Pre
Runner2RZFE engineWith filter 5.5 (5.8, 4.8)
Without filter 4.8 (5.0, 4.2)
5VZFE engine With filter 5.4 (5.7, 4.8)
Without filter 5.1 (5.4, 4.5)
Fourwheel drive models and Pre
Runner
3RZFE engineWith filter 5.4 (5.7, 4.8)
Without filter 4.7 (5.0, 4.1)
5VZFE engine With filter 5.2 (5.5, 4.6)
Without filter 4.9 (5.2, 4.3)
“Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” is f illed in
your Toyota vehicle. Use Toyota approved
“Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equivalent
to satisfy the following grade and
viscosity.
Oil grade: API grade SL “EnergyConserving” or
ILSAC multigrade engine oil Recommended oil viscosity:
SAE 5W30
Outside temperature
Please contact your Toyota dealer for fur-
ther details.
COOLING SYSTEM
Total capacity, L (qt., Imp. qt.):
Twowheel drive models except Pre
RunnerWith manual transmission2RZFE engine 8.0 (8.5, 7.0)
5VZFE engine 9.7 (10.3, 8.5)
With automatic transmission 2RZFE engine 7.8 (8.2, 6.9)

’03 Tacoma U (L/O 0209)
2962003 MY TACOMA (OM35800U)
BRAKES
Minimum pedal clearance when depressed
with a pressure of 490 N (50 kgf, 110 lbf)
when the engine is stopped and after de-
press the brake pedal several times,
mm (in.):105 (4.1)
Pedal free play, mm (in.): 1—6 (0.04—0.24)
Pad wear limit, mm (in.): 1.0 (0.04)
Lining wear limit, mm (in.): 1.0 (0.04)
Parking brake adjustment when pulled with
the force of 196 N (20 kgf, 44 lbf): 16—30 clicks
Fluid type: SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
STEERING
Wheel free play: Less than 30 mm (1.2 in.)
Power steering fluid type: Automatic transmission fluid DEXRON II
or III
Tires
Tire size Tire pressure
kPa (kgf/cm2 or bar, psi) Wheel size
Front Rear
P205/75R15 97S 200 (2.0, 29) 200 (2.0, 29)
P225/75R15 102S 180 (1.8, 26) 200 (2.0, 29) 1661/2JJ
P235/55R16 96T 200 (2.0, 29) 220 (2.2, 32) 15
7J
15 7JJ
P265/70R16 111S 180 (1.8, 26) 180 (1.8, 26) 16
7J
16 7JJ
15
6J
15 6JJ
Wheel nut torque, N·m (kgf·m, ft·lbf): 11 0 ( 11 . 5 , 8 3 )
NOTE: For a complete information on tires (e.g. replacing tires or replacing wheels), see “Checking tire pressure” through “Aluminum wheel precautions” in Sec-
tion 72.
∗1: Double cab models∗2: Regular cab and Xtracab models
P265/70R16 111T 180 (1.8, 26) 180 (1.8, 26)∗
1
200 (2.0, 29)∗216 7JJ