2004 TOYOTA SOLARA trailer

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
222
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
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
2AZFE engine: Select Octane Rating 87
(Research Octane Number 91) or higher.
3MZFE 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.
Breakin period Fuel

’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)
244
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
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

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
247
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
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

’04 Solara_U (L/O 0402)
252
2004 SOLARA from Feb. ’04 Prod. (OM33640U)
DINGHY TOWING TIPS
Before dinghy towing, be sure to ob-
serve the following in order to reduce
the damage to your vehicle.
1. Put the shift lever in neutral.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC”
position. Make sure the audio is turned
off and any item is not plugged into
the power outlet.
NOTICE
To avoid the locking of the steering
wheel, turn the ignition switch to the
“ACC” position.
3. Release the parking brake.
After dinghy towing, let the engine idle for
more than 3 minutes before driving the
vehicle.
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle from the
rear. This may cause serious damage
to your vehicle.
Toyota does not recommend towing a
trailer with your vehicle. Your vehicle is
not designed for trailer towing.
Trailer towing