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2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
1. Side defroster outlets
2. Side vents
3. Instrument cluster
4. Center vents
5. Personal lights
6. Electric moon roof switch
7. Garage door opener
8. Auxiliary box
9. Power door lock switches
10. Power window switches
11 . G l o v e  b o x
12. Portable ashtray
13. Power outlet
14. Cup holder
15. Parking brake lever
16. Automatic transmission selector lever
or manual transmission gear shift lever
17. Theft deterrent system/engine
immobilizer system indicator light
18. Power rear view mirror control switches
19. Hood lock release lever
20. Window lock switch
Instrument panel overview
Coupe 

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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Ignition switch, Transmission and Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering lock138 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Automatic transmission139 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Manual transmission146 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Traction control system147 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Vehicle stability control system149 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Tire pressure warning system151 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Parking brake154 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
Cruise control155 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
SECTION 1  7 

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With manual transmission
With automatic transmission
“START”—Starter motor on. The key
will return to the “ON” position when
released.
For starting tips, see page 247 in Section
3.
“ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is  the normal driving position.
“ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position and open the driver’s
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
“LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.
With manual transmission—You must push
in the key to turn the key from “ACC” to
the “LOCK” position.
With automatic  transmission—The selector
lever must be put in the “P” position be-
fore turning the key from “ACC” to the
“LOCK” position.
Once you remove the key, the engine im-
mobilizer system is automatically set. (See
“Engine  immobilizer  system” on page 14
in Section 1−2.)When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the “LOCK” position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way  in, and then rock  the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key gently.
CAUTION
For manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the ve-
hicle is moving, as this will lock the
steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the “ON”
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
ignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock 

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The shift pattern is conventional as
shown above.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, and then release it slowly. Do not
rest  your  foot on  the pedal  while driving,
because it will cause clutch trouble. Do
not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
when stopped on an uphill grade—use the
parking brake.
Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized and
upshifting or downshifting is easy.For the best  compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at the following
speeds:
gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64 (40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72 (45)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if accel-
eration is needed when you are cruising
below the above downshifting speeds.
Upshifting too soon or downshifting too
late will cause lugging, and possibly ping-
ing. Regularly revving the engine to maxi-
mum speed  in each gear will  cause ex-
cessive engine wear and high fuel
consumption.
Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower
traffic, maximum acceleration may  be nec-
essary. Make sure you observe the follow-
ing maximum allowable speeds  in each
gear:
gear km/h (mph)
1 53 (33)
2 92 (57)
3 142 (88)
4 194 (121)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going
faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.
Good driving practice
If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put
the transmission in neutral, release the
clutch pedal momentarily, and then try
again.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into reverse.
Manual transmission 

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If you need acceleration—for example,
when passing—depress  the accelerator
pedal enough for  the vehicle to exceed
the set speed. When you release it, the
vehicle will return to the speed set prior
to the acceleration.
CAUTION
For manual transmission:
While driving with the cruise control
on, do not shift to neutral without
depressing the clutch pedal, as this
may cause engine racing or overrev-
ving.
CANCELLING THE PRESET SPEED
You can cancel the preset speed by:
a. Pulling the lever in the “CANCEL” di-
rection and releasing it.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
c. Depressing the clutch pedal (manual
transmission).
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40
km/h (25 mph), the preset speed will auto-
matically cancel out.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10
mph) below the preset speed, the preset
speed will also automatically cancel out.If the preset  speed automatically  cancels
out other than for the above cases, have
your vehicle checked by  your Toyota deal-
er at the earliest opportunity.
RESETTING TO A FASTER SPEED
Push the lever up in the “+ RES” direction
and hold it. Release the lever when the
desired speed is attained. While the lever
is held up, the vehicle will gradually gain
speed.
However, a faster way to reset is to ac-
celerate the vehicle and then push the
lever down in the “− SET”  direction.
RESETTING TO A SLOWER SPEED
Push the lever down in the “− SET” direc-
tion and hold it. Release the lever when
the desired speed is attained. While the
lever is held down, the vehicle speed will
gradually decrease.
However, a faster way to reset is to de-
press  the brake pedal  and then push the
lever down in the “− SET”  direction.On vehicles with automatic transmission,
even if  you turn off the overdrive switch,
with the cruise control on, engine braking
will not be applied because the cruise
control is not cancelled. To decrease the
vehicle speed, reset to a slower speed
with the cruise control lever or depress
the brake pedal. If  you use  the brake
pedal, cruise control is cancelled.
RESUMING THE PRESET SPEED
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling
the control lever or by depressing the
brake pedal or clutch pedal, pushing the
lever up in the “+ RES” direction will re-
store the speed set prior to cancellation.
However, once the vehicle speed falls be-
low about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset
speed will not be resumed.
CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE WARNING
If the “CRUISE” indicator light in the
instrument cluster flashes when using the
cruise control, press the “ON−OFF” button
to turn the system off and then press it
again to turn it on. 

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Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break−in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the  future economy  and long  life of
your vehicle:
Avoid full throttle acceleration when
starting and driving.
Avoid racing the engine.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive slowly with the manual
transmission in a high gear.
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles).FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mix−ups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps  with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum,  the gasoline  you use
should meet  the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5−M93
in Canada.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three 
way catalytic converter  to lose  its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
OCTANE RATING
2AZ FE engine: Select Octane Rating 87
(Research Octane Number 91) or higher.
3MZ FE engine: Select Octane Rating
87 (Research Octane Number 91) or
higher. For improved vehicle perfor-
mance, the use of premium unleaded
gasoline with an Octane Rating of 91
(Research Octane Number of 96) or
higher is recommended.
Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating or  research octane number lower
than stated above will cause persistent
heavy knocking. If it is severe, this will
lead to engine damage.
If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even when
using the recommended fuel, or if you
hear steady knocking while holding a
steady speed on level roads, consult your
Toyota dealer.
However, occasionally, you may notice
light knocking for a short time while accel-
erating or driving up hills. This  is normal
and there is no need for concern.
Break in period Fuel 

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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 

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Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
“P” (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or  snow or
water accumulated in and around the
parking brake mechanism may freeze,
making it hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under  your fenders
can make steering difficult.  During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put  in the
vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
Your vehicle is not designed to be
dinghy towed (with four wheels on the
ground) behind a motorhome.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle with four
wheels on the ground. This may
cause serious damage to your vehicle.
Your vehicle can be dinghy towed (with
four wheels on the ground) from the
front behind a motorhome.
CAUTION
Dinghy towing requires special equip-
ment and accessories. Please refer to
your service outlet of  the motorhome
manufacture for the recommended
equipment.
NOTICE
Dinghy towing does not eliminate the
possibility of damage to your vehicle.
Dinghy towing
(with automatic transmission)Dinghy towing
(with manual transmission)