2008 TOYOTA tC check engine

viii
Scrapping of your Scion
The SRS airbag and seat belt pretensioner devices in
your Scion contain explosive chemicals. If the vehicle is
scrapped with the airbags and seat belt pretensioners
left as they are, this may cause an accident such as a
fire. Be sure to have the systems of the SRS airbag
and seat belt pretensioner removed and disposed of by
a qualified service shop or by your Scion dealer before
you scrap your vehicle.
Leak detection pump
This pump performs fuel evaporation leakage check.
This check is done approximately five hours after the
engine is turned off. So you may hear a sound coming
from underneath the luggage compartment for several
minutes. It does not indicate a malfunction.
Perchlorate Material
Special handling may apply,
See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
Your vehicle has components that may contain perchlo-
rate. These components may include airbag, seat belt
pretensioners, and wireless remote control batteries.

107
(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light comes on in the following cases
when the ignition key is in the “ON” posi-
tion.
When the parking brake is applied...
The light comes on for a few seconds
when the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” position even after the parking brake
is released.
When the brake fluid level is low...
CAUTION
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level is
low.
Have your vehicle checked at your
Scion dealer in the following cases:
The light does not come on even if the
parking brake is applied when the igni-
tion key is in the “ON” position.
The light does not come on even if the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion with the parking brake released.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If either of the following conditions
occurs, immediately stop your vehicle
at a safe place and contact your
Scion dealer.
The light does not turn off even
after the parking brake is released
while the engine is running.
In this case, the brakes may not
work properly and your stopping
distance will become longer. De-
press the brake pedal firmly and
bring the vehicle to an immediate
stop.
The brake system warning light re-
mains on together with the “ABS”
warning light.
In this case, not only the anti–lock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely un-
stable during braking.
(b) Driver’s Seat Belt Reminder Light and Buzzer
The light and buzzer act as a reminder to
buckle up the driver’s seat belt.
Once the ignition key is turned to the
“ON” or “START” position, the reminder
light and buzzer come on if the driver’s
seat belt is not fastened. Unless the driv-
er fastens the belt, the light keeps flash-
ing and the buzzer stops after about 6
seconds.
If the vehicle speed rises above 15 km/h
(9 mph) with the seat belt unfastened, the
buzzer will sound for about 10 seconds.
Then, if the seat belt is still unfastened,
the buzzer will sound in a different tone
for 20 seconds. Even if the vehicle speed
drops below 15 km/h (9 mph), the buzzer
will continue to sound. To stop the buzzer,
fasten the seat belt. If the buzzer still
sounds, make sure the front passenger ’s
seat belt is fastened.
(c) Front Passenger ’s Seat Belt Reminder Light and Buzzer
The light acts as a reminder to have the
front passenger buckle up the seat belt.

109
If the system fails to reset, the light will
remain on or keep flashing.
(f) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position and
goes off after the engine starts. This
means that the warning light system is
operating properly.
If the lamp remains on or the lamp
comes on while driving, first check the
following.
Empty fuel tank
If the fuel tank is empty, refuel immedi-
ately.
Loose fuel tank cap
If the fuel tank cap is loose, securely
tighten it.
These cases are temporary malfunctions.
The malfunction indicator lamp will go off
after taking several driving trips.
If the lamp will not go off even after
the several trips, contact your Scion
dealer as soon as possible. If the fuel tank is not empty or the fuel
tank cap is not loose...
There is a problem somewhere in the
engine, emission control system, auto-
matic transmission electrical system or
warning light system itself.
Contact your Scion dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
(I/M) programs
Your vehicle may not pass a state emis-
sion inspection if the malfunction indicator
lamp remains on. Contact your Scion deal-
er to check your vehicle’s emission control
system and OBD (On–Board Di agnostics)
system before taking your vehicle for the
inspection.
For details, see “Emissions inspection and
maintenance (I/M) programs” on page 222.
(g) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes very low. Fill up the
tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual. (h) Low Engine Oil Pressure Warning
Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe place
and stop the engine immediately. Call a
Scion dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on
briefly after a hard stop. There is no
cause for concern if it then goes out when
the engine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to
indicate low oil level, and the oil level
must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light on—even for one block.
It may ruin the engine.

111
The SRS warning light and “AIR BAG
OFF” indicator light will come on if there
is a malfunction in the front passenger
occupant classification system.
(l) Tire Pressure Warning Light
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the tire
pressure warning system works properly
and tire inflation pressure is appropriate,
the light goes off after a few seconds.
This light comes on or comes on after
blinking for 1 minute in the following
cases when the ignition key is turned to
the “ON” position.
When the tire inflation pressure is
detected while driving...
If any tire has low inflation pressure,
the light comes on.
The light goes off after the tire inflation
pressure is adjusted to a specified lev-
el.
When initializing the system...
If initialization is accepted, the light
blinks slowly three times.
When the system malfunctions...
If the system malfunctions, the light
comes on after blinking for 1 minute.Although it is no problem to continue
driving, have your vehicle checked by
your Scion dealer as soon as possible.
(m) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer acts as a reminder to remove
the key when you open the driver’s door
with the ignition key in the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position. CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER
INDICATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open either side door or back door. The open door warning light should
come on.
3. Close the door. The open door warning light should go
off.
4. Turn the ignition key to the “ON” posi- tion, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators except
the open door warning light should come
on. The “ABS” warning light, “MAINT
REQD” reminder light and tire pressure
warning light go off after a few seconds.
The SRS warning light goes off after
about 6 seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described
above, have it checked by your Scion
dealer as soon as possible.

128
Under certain circumstances, the cruise
control is temporarily cancelled when the
vehicle speed falls below 40 km/h (25
mph).
When vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10
mph) below the set speed, the cruise con-
trol is cancelled and the set speed is
erased from memory.
The “CRUISE” indicator light remains on
to indicate that the system is still in op-
eration.
To turn the cruise control off, press the
“ON−OFF” button. Make sure the
“CRUISE” indicator light is off.
If the cruise control automatically cancels
out other than for the above cases, have
your vehicle checked by your Scion dealer
at the earliest opportunity.
RESUMING THE CRUISE CONTROL
If the cruise control is temporarily can-
celled, the cruising speed can be resumed
by pushing the lever up in the “+ RES”
direction.
Vehicle speed must be above 40 km/h (25
mph). 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.
When the difference between the actual
vehicle speed and the set speed is less
than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can
be increased 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time
by pressing the control lever upward in
the “+ RES” direction quickly within 0.6
seconds.
However, a faster way to reset is to ac-
celerate the vehicle and then push the
control lever down in the “– SET” direc-
tion.
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.
When the difference between the actual
vehicle speed and the set speed is less
than 5 km/h (3 mph), the set speed can
be lowered 1.6 km/h (1 mph) each time
by pressing the control lever downward in
the “– SET” direction quickly within 0.6
seconds.However, a faster way to reset is to de-
press the brake pedal and then push the
control lever down in the “– SET” direc-
tion.
On vehicles with automatic transmission,
even if you downshift the transmission
from the “D” position to “3” with the cruise
control on, engine braking will not be ap-
plied 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.
CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE WARNING
If the “CRUISE” indicator light 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.
If any of the following conditions then oc-
curs, there is some trouble in the cruise
control system.
The indicator light does not come on.
The indicator light flashes again.
The indicator light goes out after it
comes on.
If this is the case, contact your Scion
dealer and have your vehicle inspected.

151
CAUTION
Keep people and combustible mate-
rials away from the exhaust pipe
while the engine is running. The
exhaust gas is very hot.
Do not drive, idle or park your ve-
hicle over anything that might burn
easily such as grass, leaves, paper
or rags.
Do not leave anything that may
burn easily, such as paper or rags,
in the engine compartment.
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the three–way catalytic
converter may cause it to overheat
and create a fire hazard. To prevent
this and other damage, observe the
following precautions:
Use only unleaded gasoline.
 Do not drive with an extremely low
fuel level; running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, creat-
ing an excessive load on the
three–way catalytic converter.
 Do not allow the engine to run at
idle speed for more than 20 min-
utes.
 Avoid racing the engine.
 Do not push–start or pull–start your
vehicle.
 Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.
Keep your engine in good running
order. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electronic ignition
system/distributor ignition system
or fuel system could cause an ex-
tremely high three–way catalytic
converter temperature.
 If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, take your
vehicle in for a check–up as soon
as possible. Remember, your Scion
dealer knows your vehicle and its
three–way catalytic converter sys-
tem best.
 To ensure that the three–way
catalytic converter and the entire
emission control system operate
properly, your vehicle must receive
the periodic inspections required by
the Scion Maintenance Schedule.
For scheduled maintenance
information, refer to the “Scheduled
Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s
Manual Supplement”.

152
Engine exhaust cautions
CAUTION
Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide, which
is a colorless and odorless gas. It
can cause unconsciousness or even
death.
Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.
Do not run the engine in a garage
or enclosed area except for the
time needed to drive the vehicle in
or out. The exhaust gases cannot
escape, making this a particularly
dangerous situation.
Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the engine run-
ning. If it is unavoidable, however,
do so only in an unconfined area
and adjust the heating or cooling
system to force outside air into the
vehicle.
Keep the back door closed while
driving. An open or unsealed back
door may cause exhaust gases to
be drawn into the vehicle.
To allow proper operation of your
vehicle’s ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, open the windows and
close the back door to ensure
plenty of fresh air enters the ve-
hicle. If you can smell exhaust
fumes even though there are no
other vehicles in the surrounding
area, have your vehicle checked by
your Scion dealer. Continued inhala-
tion of exhaust fumes can lead to
death by gas poisoning.
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.
Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a pis-
ton moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated when
the vehicle is decelerating sucks some
of this oil into the combustion chamber.
This oil as well as some part of the oil
film left on the cylinder wall is burned
by the high temperature combustion
gases during the combustion process.
Facts about engine oil
consumption

153

Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.
The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high–speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
Oil consumption: Max. 1.0 L per 1000
km (1.1 qt./600 miles, 0.9 lmp.qt./600
miles)
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately. As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an express way, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds.
IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in prop-
er vehicle maintenance is to keep the en-
gine oil at the optimum level so that oil
function will not be impaired. Therefore, it
is essential that the oil level be checked
regularly. Scion recommends that the oil
level be checked every time you refuel
the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine trouble
due to insufficient oil.
For detailed information on oil level check,
see “Checking the engine oil level” on
page 232.