2004 TOYOTA SOLARA tires

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
230
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
Antilock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at a moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles without an
antilock brake system, your vehicle
may require a longer stopping dis-
tance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow
covered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road.
Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at
appropriate pressure: The antilock
brake system detects vehicle speeds
using the speed sensors for respec-
tive wheels’ turning speeds. The use
of tires other than specified may fail
to detect the accurate turning speed
resulting in a longer stopping dis-
tance.
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
“ABS” warning light (vehicles without
vehicle stability control system)
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti−
lock brake system works properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds. There-
after, if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti−lock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti−lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions oc-
curs, this indicates a malfunction some-
where in the components monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
235
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
This illustration indicates typical tire
symbols.
1. Tire size—F or det ails, see “— Ti re
size” on page 237.
2. DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)—For details, see
“—DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)” on page 236.
3. Uniform tire quality grading—
For details, see “Uniform tire quali-
ty grading” that follows.
4. The location of the tread wear
indicators—For details, see
“Checking and replacing tires” on
page 308.
5. Tire ply composition and mate-
rials—Plies mean a layer of rub-
ber−coated parallel cords. Cords
mean the strands forming the plies
in the tire.
6. Radial tires or biasply—A ra d i a l
tire has “RADIAL” on the sidewall.
A tire not marked with “RADIAL”
is a bias−ply tir e.
Tire information—
—Tire symbols

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
236
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
7. “TUBELESS” or “TUBE
TYPE”—A tubeless tire does not
have a tube inside the tire and air
is directly filled in the tire. A tube
type tire has a tube inside the tire
and the tube maintains the air
pressure.
8. Load limit at maximum cold tire
inflation pressure—For details,
see “Checking and replacing tires”
on page 308.
9. Maximum cold tire inflation
pressure—This means the pres-
sure to which a tire may be in-
flated. For details about recom-
mended cold tire inflation
pressure, see “Tires” on page 330.
10.Summer tire or all season
tire—An all season tire has “M+S”
on the sidewall. The tire not
marked with “M+S” is a summer
tire. For details, see “Types of
tires” on page 246.
This illustration indicates typical DOT
and Tire Identification Number (TIN).
1. “DOT” symbol
2. Tire Identification Number (TIN)
3. Tire manufacturer ’s identification
mark
4. Tire size code
5. Manufacturer ’s optional tire type
code
6. Manufacturing week
7. Manufacturing yearThe “DOT” symbol certifies that the
tire conforms to applicable Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
—DOT and Tire Identification
Number (TIN)

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
238
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
This information has been prepared
in accordance with regulations issued
by the National Highway Traffic Safe-
ty Administration of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Transportation. It provides
the purchasers and/or prospective
purchasers of Toyota vehicles with in-
formation on uniform tire quality grad-
ing.
Your Toyota dealer will help answer
any questions you may have as you
read this information.
DOT quality grades—All passenger
vehicle tires must conform to Fed-
eral Safety Requirements in addi-
tion to these grades. Quality
grades can be found where appli-
cable on the tire sidewall between
tread shoulder and maximum sec-
tion width. For example: Treadwear
200 Traction AA Temperature ATreadwear—The treadwear grade is
a comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested un-
der controlled conditions on a speci-
fied government test course. For ex-
ample, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and a half (1−1/2) times as well
on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual
conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving hab-
its, service practices and differences
in road characteristics and climate.Traction AA, A, B, C—The traction
grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C, and they represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pave-
ment as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor trac-
tion performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on braking
(straight ahead) traction tests and
does not include cornering (turning)
traction.
—Uniform tire quality grading

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
239
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
Temperature A, B, C—T he tem per a-
ture grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire’s resis-
tance to the generation of heat and
its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C cor-
responds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No.109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of per-
formance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grades for
this tire are established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not over-
loaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading, either sep-
arately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire failure.

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
243
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
Vehicle load limits include total load
capacity, seating capacity, towing ca-
pacity and cargo capacity. Follow the
load limits shown below.
Total load capacity:
Coupe
410 kg (900 lb.)
Convertible
342 kg (754 lb.)
Total load capacity means com-
bined weight of occupants, cargo
and luggage. Tongue load is in-
cluded when trailer towing.
Seating capacity:
Coupe
Total 5 (Front 2, Rear 3)
Convertible
Total 4 (Front 2, Rear 2)
Seating capacity means the maxi-
mum number of occupants whose
estimated average weight is sup-
posed to be 68 kg (150 lb.) per per-
son. Depending on the weight of
each person, the seating capacity
given may exceed the total load ca-
pacity.NOTICE
Even if the number of occu-
pants are within the seating ca-
pacity, do not exceed the total
load capacity.
Towing capacity
Toyota does not recommend towing
a trailer with your vehicle. Your ve-
hicle is not designed for trailer towing.
Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or de-
crease depending on the size (weight)
and the number of occupants. For de-
tails, see “Capacity and distribution”
that follows.
CAUTION
Do not apply the load more than
each load limit. That may cause
not only damage to the tires, but
also deterioration to the steering
ability and braking ability, which
may cause an accident.
When stowing cargo and luggage in
the vehicle, observe the following:
Put cargo and luggage in the trunk
when at all possible. Be sure all
items are secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far
forward as possible helps maintain
balance.
For better fuel economy, do not
carry unneeded weight.
CAUTION
To prevent cargo and luggage
from sliding forward during
braking, do not stack anything
in the enlarged trunk. Keep car-
go and luggage low, as close
to the floor as possible.
Veh icle lo ad limit sCargo and luggage—
—Stowage precautions

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
246
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
Determine what kind of tires your
vehicle is originally equipped with.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high−speed capabil-
ity tires best suited to highway driving
under dry conditions.
Since summer tires do not have the
same traction performance as snow
tires, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow−covered or icy roads.
For driving on snow−covered or icy
roads, we recommend using snow
tires. If installing snow tires, be sure
to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to pro-
vide better traction in snow and to be
adequate for driving in most winter
conditions, as well as for use all year
round.All season tires, however, do not have
adequate traction performance
compared with snow tires in heavy or
loose snow. Also, all season tires fall
short in acceleration and handling
performance compared with summer
tires in highway driving.
The details about how to distinguish
summer tires from all season tires are
described on page 235.
CAUTION
Do not mix summer and all sea-
son tires on your vehicle as
this can cause dangerous han-
dling characteristics, resulting
in loss of control.
Do not use tires other than the
manufacturer’s designated
tires, and never mix tires or
wheels of the sizes different
from the originally equipped
tires and wheels.
Types of tires

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
249
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 30 se-
conds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
This will allow you much better control.
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp−edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage such
as a tire burst.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps
or traveling on a bumpy road. Other-
wise, the impact could cause severe
damage to the tires and/or wheels.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the
parking brake, and place the transmis-
sion in “P” (automatic) or in first or
reverse (manual). If necessary, block
the wheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving through
deep water may get the brakes wet. To
see whether they are wet, check that
there is no traffic near you, and then
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake applied. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Toyota dealer for assistance.
CAUTION
Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake is fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Tips for driving in various
conditions