’06 Corolla_U (L/O 0508)
11 6
(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either a third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The “O/D OFF” indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The “O/D OFF” indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will be on automatically.Vehicles with cruise control—When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 128 in this
Section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 200 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
“P” or “N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to “D”.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into overdrive
gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push the overdrive switch. The “O/D
OFF” indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to third
gear.
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 105 km/h (65 mph), and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 49 km/h (30 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
’06 Corolla_U (L/O 0508)
11 8
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Always use the brake pedal or the
parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an upgrade. Do not attempt to hold
the vehicle using the accelerator ped-
al, as this can cause the transmission
to overheat.
(i) If you cannot shift the selector le-ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
“P” position even though the brake pedal
is depressed, use the shift lock override
button. For instructions, see “If you cannot
shift automatic transmission selector lever”
on page 229 in Section 4.
5 speed
6 speed
The shift pattern is conventional as
shown above.
CAUTION
The shift lever knob can become ex-
tremely hot after parking under the
sun.
In case of driving your vehicle with
6 −speed manual transmission, the buzzer
will sound when you shift the gear into
“R” (reverse).
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:
Manual transmission
’06 Corolla_U (L/O 0508)
11 9
5−speed
Gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 37/40
∗ 1(23/25∗1)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64/45∗ 2(40/28∗2)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72/64∗ 2(45/40∗2)
∗1: Under cold engine conditions∗2: For constant −speed cruise or
constant −speed cruise after deceleration
6 −speed
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)
5 to 6 or 6 to 5 80 (50)
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:
5
−speed
Gear km/h (mph)
1 58 (36)
2 96 (60)
3 139 (87)
4 180 (111)
6 −speed
Gear km/h (mph)
1 64 (40)
2 99 (61)
3 137 (85)
4 174 (108)
5 210 (130)
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.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use fifth gear (5− speed models) or
sixth gear (6 −speed models).
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into reverse.
’06 Corolla_U (L/O 0508)
171
INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your Toyota
Break−in period 172
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . . . .
Fuel 172
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel pump shut off system 174
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operation in foreign countries 174
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Three −way catalytic converters 175
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust cautions 176
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
Facts about engine oil consumption 177
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Iridium −tipped spark plugs 178
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake system 178
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Brake pad wear limit indicators 182
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your Toyota’s identification 182
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theft prevention labels 184
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. .
Suspension and chassis 184
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
Tire information 185
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . .
Vehicle load limits 195
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . .
Cargo and luggage 196
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . .
Types of tires 198
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 2
’06 Corolla_U (L/O 0508)
172
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 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
1.8 L 4 cylinder (1ZZ FE) engine—
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research Oc-
tane Number 91) or higher.
1.8 L 4 cylinder (2ZZ GE) engine—
Select premium unleaded gasoline with
an Octane Rating of 91 (Research Oc-
tane Number 96) or higher for optimum
engine performance.
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