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155
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal:
When the anti–lock brake system func-
tion is in action, you may feel the brake
pedal pulsating and hear a noise. In this
situation, to let the anti–lock brake sys-
tem work for you, just hold the brake
pedal down more firmly. Do not pump
the brake in a panic stop. This will re-
sult in reduced braking performance.
The anti–lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on a manhole cov-
er, a steel plate at a construction site,
joints in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day
tends to activate the anti–lock brake sys-
tem.
You may hear a click or motor sound in
the engine compartment for a few seconds
when the engine is started or just after
the vehicle begins to move. This means
that the anti–lock brake system is in the
self–check mode, and does not indicate a
malfunction. When the anti–lock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:
You may hear the anti–lock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the ve-
hicle body and steering wheel. You
may also hear the motor sound in the
engine compartment even after the ve-
hicle is stopped.
At the end of the anti–lock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.
CAUTION
Do not overestimate the anti–lock
brake system: Although the anti–lock
brake system assists in providing ve-
hicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care and maintain
a moderate speed and safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you, be-
cause there are limits to the vehicle
stability and effectiveness of steering
wheel operation even with the an-
ti–lock brake system on.
If tire grip performance exceeds its
capability, or if hydroplaning occurs
during high speed driving in the rain,
the anti–lock brake system does not
provide vehicle control.
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156
Anti–lock 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
anti–lock 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 anti–lock
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.
“ABS” warning light
This light comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position. If
the anti–lock brake system works prop-
erly, the light turns off after a few sec-
onds. Thereafter, if the system malfunc-
tions, 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 any of the following conditions oc-
curs, this indicates a malfunction some-
where in the components monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Scion dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
When the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position, the light does not come
on or remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
Page 172 of 277
164
20T008
Standard tire
20T017
Compact spare tire
This illustration indicates typical tire
size.
1. Section width (in millimeters)
2. Aspect ratio (tire height to section width)
3. Speed category (alphabet with one letter)
4. Tire construction code (R=Radial, D=Diagonal)
5. Wheel diameter (in inches)
6. Tire use (P=Passenger car, T=Temporary use)
7. Load index (2 digits or 3 digits)
8. Speed symbol (alphabet with one letter)
20T009
1. Section width
2. Tire height
3. Wheel diameter
—Tire size
Page 174 of 277

166 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. 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.
Page 176 of 277

168Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
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 pre-
viously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim
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
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, accesso
ry weight, and normal occupant weight
(distributed in accordance with Table 1 that follows) and dividing by two
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171
Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
Outer diameterthe overall diameter of an inflated new tire
Overall widththe linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire,
including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or protective bands or ribs
Passenger car tire
a tire intended for use on passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles,
and trucks, that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 lb. or
less
Plya layer of rubber
−coated parallel cords
Ply separationa parting of rubber compound between adjacent plies
Pneumatic tire
a mechanical device made of rubber, chemicals, fabric and steel or other mate-
rials, that, when mounted on an automotive wheel, provides the traction and
contains the gas or fluid that sustains the load
Radial ply tirea pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at
substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the tread
Reinforced tirea tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher inflation pressures
than the corresponding standard tire
S ec t ion widt hthe linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire,
excluding elevations due to labeling, decoration, or protective bands
Sidewallthat portion of a tire between the tread and bead
Sidewall separationthe parting of the rubber compound from the cord material in the sidewall
Page 180 of 277
172Ti r e relat ed ter m
Meaning
Snow tire
a tire that attains a traction index equal to or greater than 110, compared to
the ASTM E
−1136 Standard Reference Test Tire, when using the snow traction
test as described in ASTM F −1805 −00, Standard Test Method for Single Wheel
Driving Traction in a Straight Line on Snow −and Ice −Cov er ed Sur f ac es , and
which is marked with an Alpine Symbol ( ) on at least one sidewall
Te s t r i mthe rim on which a tire is fitted for testing, and may be any rim listed as appropri-
ate for use with that tire
Treadthat portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road
Tread riba tread section running circumferentially around a tire
Tread separationpulling away of the tread from the tire carcass
Treadwear indicators(TWI)the projections within the principal grooves designed to give a visual indication
of the degrees of wear of the tread
Wheel−holding fixturethe fixture used to hold the wheel and tire assembly securely during testing
Page 186 of 277

178
Types of tires
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 160.
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 do not mix tires or
wheels of the sizes different
from the originally equipped
tires and wheels.