2008 TOYOTA tC radiator

193
5. Start your engine in the normal way.After starting, run it at about 2000 rpm
for several minutes with the accelerator
pedal lightly depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover cloths—they may now contain sulfuric
acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is
not apparent (for example, lights left on),
you should have it checked at your Scion
dealer.
If the first start attempt is not success-
ful...
Check that the clamp on the jumper
cables are tight. Recharge the discharged
battery with the jumper cables connected
for several minutes and restart your en-
gine in the normal way.
If another attempt is not successful, the
battery may be depleted. Have it checked
at your Scion dealer. If your engine stalls while driving...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see “If your
vehicle will not start” on page 190.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in “P”
(automatic) or neutral (manual) and ap-
ply the parking brake. Turn off the air
conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
If your engine stalls while
driving

194
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-gine immediately. Call a Scion dealer
for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
6. After the engine coolant temperaturehas cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You should have it checked as
soon as possible at your Scion dealer.
If you have a flat tire—
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cau-
tiously off the road to a safe place
well away from the traffic. Avoid
stopping on the center divider of
a highway. Park on a level spot
with firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in “P” (auto-
matic) or reverse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the ve- hicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thoroughly.

219
If you are a skilled do–it–yourself
mechanic, the Scion service manuals are
recommended. Please be aware that
do–it–yourself maintenance can affect your
warranty coverage. See “Owner ’s Warranty
Information Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual
Supplement” for details.
General maintenance
Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Scion dealer or a qualified
service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only with ade-
quate ventilation if you run the en-
gine.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See page 251 for additional informa-
tion.Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the “FULL” and “LOW” lines on the
see–through reservoir when the engine is
cold. See page 234 for additional informa-
tion.
Radiator, condenser, and hoses
Check that the front of the radiator and
condenser are clean and not blocked with
leaves, dirt or insects. See page 235 for
additional information.
Battery electrolyte level
Your Scion has a maintenance free bat-
tery. You do not have to add distilled wa-
ter. For longer life of the battery, however,
see page 249 for additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See page 235 for additional information.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with the
engine turned off and the vehicle parked
on a level spot. See page 232 for addi-
tional information.
Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir. The
level should be in the “HOT” or “COLD”
range depending on the fluid temperature.
See page 236 for additional information.

224
Engine compartment overview
1. Power steering fluid reservoir
2. Engine oil filler cap
3. Engine oil level dipstick
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Fuse block
6. Battery
7. Radiator
8. Electric cooling fan
9. Condenser
10. Windshield washer fluid tank
11. Engine coolant reservoir

226
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)
Right after driving, the engine
compartment—the engine, radiator,
exhaust manifold and spark plug
boots, etc.—will be hot. So be care-
ful not to touch them. Oil, fluids
and spark plugs may also be hot.
If the engine is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the drain
plugs to prevent burning yourself.
Do not leave anything that may
burn easily, such as paper or rags,
in the engine compartment.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flammable.
Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it. Al-
ways use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.
Be sure that the ignition is off if
you work near the electric cooling
fans or radiator grille. With the
ignition on, the electric cooling fans
will automatically start to run if the
engine coolant temperature is high
and/or the air conditioning is on.
Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under your vehicle
where you may be exposed to flying
or falling material, fluid spray, etc.
Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as in-
flammation or skin cancer, so care
should be taken to avoid prolonged
and repeated contact with it. To re-
move used engine oil from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap
and water.
Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.
Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers or
onto the ground. Call your dealer or
a service station for information
concerning recycling or disposal.
Take care when filling the brake and
clutch fluid reservoirs because
brake fluid can harm your eyes and
damage painted surfaces. If fluid
gets in your eyes, flush your eyes
with clean water immediately. If you
still feel uncomfortable with your
eyes, go to the doctor.

227
NOTICE
Remember that battery and ignition
cables carry high currents or volt-
ages. Be careful of accidentally
causing a short circuit.
 Add only “Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” or similar high quality eth-
ylene glycol based non–s ilicate,
non–amine, non–nitrite, and non–bo-
rate coolant with long–life hybrid
organic acid technology to fill the
radiator. “Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is a mixture of 50% cool-
ant and 50% deionized water.
 If you spill some of the coolant, be
sure to wash it off with water to
prevent it from damaging the parts
or paint.
 Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug holes.
 Use only spark plugs of the speci-
fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
 Do not overfill automatic transmis-
sion fluid and power steering fluid,
or the transmission and power
steering could be damaged.
Do not drive with the air cleaner
filter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the engine
compartment.
 Be careful not to scratch the glass
surface with the wiper frame.
 When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-
gotten any tools, rags, etc.
Parts and tools
Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need to perform do–it–yourself mainte-
nance. Remember all Scion parts are de-
signed in metric sizes, so your tools must
be metric.
CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“Genuine Motor Oil” or equivalent. See
page 233 for details about engine oil
selection.
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding oil)
CHECKING THE ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” or
similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non–silicate, non–amine, non–ni-
trite, and non–borate coolant with
long–life hybrid organic acid technology.
(Coolant with long −life hybrid organic
acid technology is a combination of low
phosphates and organic acids.)
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a
mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deion-
ized water.

231
DO–IT–YOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level232
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the engine coolant level 234
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the radiator and condenser 235
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking brake fluid 235
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Checking power steering fluid 236
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking tire inflation pressure 237
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking and replacing tires 239
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating tires 241
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . .
Installing snow tires and chains 242
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing wheels 244
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . .
Aluminum wheel precautions 245
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 7– 2

234
Look at the see–through coolant reser-
voir when the engine is cold. The cool-
ant level is satisfactory if it is between
the “FULL” and “LOW” lines on the
reservoir. If the level is low, add the
coolant. (For the coolant type, see
“Coolant type selection” described be-
low.)
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the “LOW” line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the “FULL”
line.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the
radiator, hoses, engine coolant filler cap,
radiator cap and drain cock and water
pump.If you can find no leak, have your Scion
dealer test the cap pressure and check
for leaks in the cooling system.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot.
Coolant type selection
Use of improper coolants may damage
your engine cooling system.
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
or similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non–silicate, non–amine, non–nitrite,
and non–borate coolant with long–life hy-
brid organic acid technology. (Coolant with
long–life hybrid organic acid technology is
a combination of low phosphates and or-
ganic acids.)
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a mix-
ture of 50% coolant and 50% deionized
water. This coolant provides protection
down to about –35
C (–31 F).
NOTICE
Do not use plain water alone.
Checking the engine coolant
level