2004 TOYOTA SOLARA Owners Manual (in English)

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Ti r e relat ed ter mMeaning
Normal occupant weight68 kg (150 lb.) times the number of occupants specified in the second
column of Table 1 that follows
Occupant distributiondistribution of occupants in a vehicle as specified in the third column of Table
1 that follows
Production options weight
the combined weight of those installed regular production options weighing
over 2.3 kg (5 lb.) in excess of those standard items which they replace,
not previously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special
trim
Recommended inflation pressurecold tire inflation pressure recommended by a manufacturer
Rima metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon which the tire beads
are seated
Rim diameter (Wheel diameter)nominal diameter of the bead seat
Rim size designationrim diameter and width
Rim type designationthe industry of manufacturer ’s designation for a rim by style or code
Rim widt hnominal distance between rim flanges
Vehicle capacity weight
(Total load capacity)the rated cargo and luggage load plus 68 kg (150 lb.) times the vehicle’s desig-
nated seating capacity
Vehicle maximum load on the tirethe load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight and dividing by two

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Ti r e relat ed ter mMeaning
Vehicle normal load on the tire
the load on an individual tire that is determined by distributing to each axle
its share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and normal occupant weight
(distributed in accordance with Table 1 that follows) and dividing by two
Weather sidethe surface area of the rim not covered by the inflated tire
Table 1—Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities
Designated seating capacity,
number of occupants
Vehicle normal load, number of
occupantsOccupant distribution in a normally
loaded vehicle
2 through 422 in front
5 through 1032 in front, 1 in second seat

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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

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Never allow anyone to ride in
the enlarged trunk. It is not de-
signed for passengers. They
should ride in their seats with
their seat belts properly fas-
tened. Otherwise, they are
much more likely to suffer seri-
ous bodily injury, in the event
of sudden braking or a colli-
sion.
Do not place anything on the
package tray behind the rear
seatback. Such items may be
thrown about and possibly in-
jure people in the vehicle dur-
ing sudden braking or an acci-
dent.
Do not drive with objects left
on top of the instrument panel.
They may interfere with the
driver’s field of view. Or they
may move during sharp vehicle
acceleration or turning, and im-
pair the driver’s control of the
vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occu-
pants.Cargo capacity depends on the to-
tal weight of the occupants.
(Cargo capacity) = (Total load capac-
ity) – (Total weight of occupants)
STEPS FOR DETERMINING
CORRECT LOAD LIMIT
1. Locate the statement “The com-
bined weight of occupants and
cargo should never exceed XXX
pounds” on your vehicle’s placard.
2. Determine the combined weight of
the driver and passengers that will
be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of
the driver and passengers from
XXX kilograms or XXX pounds.4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity. For example,
if the “XXX” amount equals 1400
lbs. and there will be five 150 lb.
passengers in your vehicle, the
amount of available cargo and lug-
gage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400–750 (5x150)=650 lbs).
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded
on the vehicle. That weight may
not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer will
be transferred to your vehicle.
Consult this manual to determine
how this reduces the available car-
go and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
Toyota does not recommend towing
a trailer with your vehicle. Your ve-
hicle is not designed for trailer towing.
—Capacity and distribution

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Cargo
capacity
Total load
capacity
EXAMPLE ON YOUR VEHICLE
Coupe—In case that 2 people with the
combined weight of 166 kg (366 lb.)
are riding in your vehicle with the total
load capacity of 410 kg (900 lb.), the
available amount of cargo and lug-
gage load capacity will be as follows:
410 kg – 166 kg = 244 kg.
( 900 lb. – 366 lb. = 534 lb. )Convertible—In case that 2 people
with the combined weight of 166 kg
(366 lb.) are riding in your vehicle with
the total load capacity of 342 kg (754
lb.), the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity will be as
follows:
342 kg – 166 kg = 176 kg.
( 754 lb. – 366 lb. = 388 lb. )
From this condition, if 2 more passen-
gers with the combined weight of 93
kg (205 lb.) get on, the av ailable car-
go and luggage load will be reduced
as follows:
Coupe
244 kg – 93 kg = 151 kg.
( 534 lb. – 205 lb. = 329 lb. )
Convertible
176 kg – 93 kg = 83 kg.
( 388 lb. – 205 lb. = 183 lb. )As shown in the above example, if the
number of occupants increases, the
cargo and luggage load equaling the
combined weight of occupants who
got on later must be reduced. In other
words, if the increase in the number
of occupants causes the excess of
the total load capacity (combined
weight of occupants plus cargo and
luggage load), you have to reduce the
cargo and luggage on your vehicle.
For details about total load capacity,
see “Vehicle load limits” on page 243.
CAUTION
Even if the total load of occu-
pant’s weight and the cargo load
is less than the total load capac-
ity, do not apply the load uneven-
ly. That may cause not only dam-
age to the tire but also deteriora-
tion to the steering ability due to
unbalance of the vehicle, causing
an accident.

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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

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STARTING AND DRIVING
Starting and driving
Before starting the engine248 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to start the engine248 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for driving in various conditions249 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Winter driving tips250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dinghy towing251 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer towing252 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer253 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 3

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1. Check the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle,
seat cushion height, head restraint
height and steering wheel angle and
length.
3. Adjust the inside and outside rear view
mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts.1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3.Manual transmission: Press the clutch
pedal to the floor and shift the trans-
mission into neutral. Hold the clutch
pedal to the floor until the engine is
started. A starter safety device will pre-
vent the starter from operating if the
clutch pedal is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the se-
lector lever in “P”. If you need to re-
start the engine while the vehicle is
moving, put the selector lever in “N”.
A starter safety device will prevent the
starter from operating if the selector
lever is in any drive position.
4.Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it to
the floor until driving off.Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in “(a) Before crank-
ing”.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
tial multiport fuel injection system in your
engine automatically controls the proper
air−fuel mixture for starting. You can start
a cold or hot engine as follows:
With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
crank the engine by turning the key to
“START”. Release it when the engine
starts.
Engine should be warmed up by driving,
not in idle. For warming up, drive with
smoothly turning engine until engine cool-
ant temperature is within normal range.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not start...
See “If your vehicle will not start” on page
256 in Section 4.
Before starting the engineH o w to st art th e en g in e—
(a) Before cranking(b) Starting the engine