Page 176 of 259

1682004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
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.
Make sure to set the jack prop-
erly in the jack point. Raising
the vehicle with jack improper-
ly positioned will damage the
vehicle or may allow the ve-
hicle to fall off the jack and
cause personal injury.
Never get under the vehicle
when the vehicle is supported
by the jack alone.
Use the jack only for lifting
your vehicle during wheel
changing.
Do not raise the vehicle with
someone in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do
not put an object on or under
the jack.
Raise the vehicle only high
enough to remove and change
the tire.NOTICE
Do not continue driving with a
deflated tire. Driving even a
short distance can damage a
tire and wheel beyond repair.
Page 179 of 259

1712004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
SB41063b
3. Loosen the bolt and remove it.
Then take the spare tire out of the
vehicle.
When storing the spare tire, put it in
place with the outer side of the wheel
facing up. Then secure the tire by re-
peating the above removal steps in
reverse order to prevent it from flying
forward during a collision or sudden
braking.
—Blocking the wheel
SB41035
2. Block the wheel diagonally op- posite the flat tire to keep the
vehicle from rolling when it is
jacked up.
When blocking the wheel, place a
wheel block in front of one of the front
wheels or behind one of the rear
wheels.
—Loosening wheel nuts
SB41027a
3. Loosen all the wheel nuts.
Always loosen the wheel nuts before
raising the vehicle.
Turn the wheel nuts counterclockwise
to loosen. To get maximum leverage,
fit the wrench to the nut so that the
handle is on the right side, as shown
above. Grab the wrench near the end
of the handle and pull up on the han-
dle. Be careful that the wrench does
not slip off the nut.
Do not remove the nuts yet—just un-
screw them about one −half turn.
Page 180 of 259
1722004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
CAUTION
Never use oil or grease on the
bolts or nuts. The nuts may loos-
en and the wheels may fall off,
which could cause a serious ac-
cident.
—Positioning the jack
SB41036
4. Position the jack at the correctjack point as shown.
Make sure the jack is positioned on
a level and solid place.
—Raising your vehicle
SB41029
5. After making sure that no one is in the vehicle, raise it high
enough so that the compact
spare tire can be installed.
Remember you will need more ground
clearance when putting on the com-
pact spare tire than when removing
the flat tire.
To raise the vehicl e, insert the jack
handle into the jack (it is a loose fit)
and turn it clockwise. As the jack
touches the vehicle and begins to lift,
double −check that it is properly posi-
tioned.
Page 182 of 259

1742004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
—Reinstalling wheel nuts
SD04004b
7. Reinstall all the wheel nuts withfinger tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end
inward) and tighten them as much as
you can by finger. Pr ess back on the
tire back and see if you can tighten
them more.
CAUTION
Never use oil or grease on the
bolts or nuts. Doing so may lead
to overtightening the nuts and
damaging the bolts. The nuts
may loosen and the wheels may
fall off, which could cause a seri-
ous accident. If there is oil or
grease on any bolt or nut, clean
it.
—Lowering your vehicle
SB41031b
8. Lower the vehicle completely
and tighten the wheel nuts.
Turn the jack handle counterclock-
wise to lower the vehicle.
Use only the wheel nut wrench and
turn it clockwise to tighten the nuts.
Do not use other tools or any addition-
al leverage other than your hands,
such as a hammer, pipe or your foot.
Make sure the wrench is securely en-
gaged over the nut.
Tighten each nut a little at a time in
the order shown. Repeat the process
until all the nuts are tight.
Page 186 of 259

1782004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
(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.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.
Page 189 of 259
1812004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
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.)
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 flat bladed screwdriver or equivalent.
If you cannot shift the
sequential manual
transmission selector lever
Page 190 of 259

1822004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
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. Re insert 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.
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 1 −2.
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.
Page 201 of 259

1932004 MR2 from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM17518U)
If you are a skilled do−it−yourself
mechanic, the Toyota service manuals are
recommended. Please be aware that
do− it−yourself maintenance can affect your
warranty coverage. See “Owner ’s Warranty
Information Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual
Supplement” for the details.
General maintenance
Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer or a quali-
fied service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only with ade-
quate ventilation if you run the en-
gine.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See page 227 in Section 7 −3 for
additional information. Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the “FULL” and “LOW” lines on the see
−
through reservoir when the engine is cold.
See page 210 in Section 7 −2 for addition-
al information.
Radiator, condenser and hoses
Check that the front of the radiator and
condenser are clean and not blocked with
leaves, dirt, or insects. See page 211 in
Section 7 −2 for additional information.
Battery electrolyte level
Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower lev-
el lines on the case. Add only distilled
water when replenishing. See page 224 in
Section 7 −3 for additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See page 211 in Section 7 −2 for additional
information.
Engine oil level
Check the level by the dipstick with the
engine turned off and the vehicle parked
on a level spot. See page 208 in Section
7 −2 for additional information.