2008 TOYOTA xB Owners Manual (in English)

153
INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
SCION
Information before driving your Scion
Break−in period 154
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Fuel 154
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Operation in foreign countries 156
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Three −way catalytic converter 156
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Engine exhaust cautions 157
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Facts about engine oil consumption 158
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Electric power steering system 159
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Brake system 161
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 164
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Your Scion’s identification 164
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Theft prevention labels 165
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Suspension and chassis 166
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Tire information 167
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Vehicle load limits 181
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Cargo and luggage 182
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Types of tires 184
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SECTION 2

154
Breakin period
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.
Fuel
FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mix −ups, your
Scion 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
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research Oc-
tane Number 91) or higher.
Use of unleaded fuel with an octane rating
lower than 87 may result in engine knock-
ing. Persistent knocking can lead to en-
gine 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
Scion 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.
GASOLINES CONTAINING DETERGENT
ADDITIVES
Scion recommends the use of gasoline
that contain detergent additives to
avoid buildup of engine deposits.
However, all gasoline sold in the U.S.
contains detergent additives to keep clean
and/or clean intake systems.

155
QUALITY GASOLINE
Automotive manufacturers in the U.S.,
Europe and Japan have developed a
specification for quality fuel named
WorldWide Fuel Charter (WWFC) that
is expected to be applied worldwide.
The WWFC consists of four categories
that depend on required emission lev-
els. In the U.S., category 4 has been
adopted. The WWFC improves air quali-
ty by providing for better emissions in
vehicle fleets, and customer satisfaction
through better vehicle performance.
CLEANER BURNING GASOLINE
Cleaner burning gasoline, including re-
formulated gasoline that contains oxy-
genates such as ethanol or MTBE is
available in many areas.
Scion recommends the use of cleaner
burning gasoline and appropriately blended
reformulated gasoline. These types of gas-
oline provide excellent vehicle perfor-
mance, reduce vehicle emissions, and im-
prove air quality.OXYGENATES IN GASOLINE
Scion allows the use of oxygenate
blended gasoline where the oxygenate
content is up to 10% ethanol or 15%
MTBE. If you use gasohol in your
Scion, be sure that it has an octane
rating no lower than 87.
Scion does not recommend the use of
gasoline containing methanol.
GASOLINE CONTAINING MMT
Some gasoline contains an octane en-
hancing additive called MMT (Methylcy-
cropentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl).
Scion does not recommend the use of
gasoline that contains MMT. If fuel con-
taining MMT is used, your emission con-
trol system may be adversely affected.
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp on the in-
strument cluster may come on. If this hap-
pens, contact your Scion dealer for ser-
vice.
GASOLINE QUALITY
In a very few cases, you may experience
drivability problems caused by the particu-
lar gasoline that you are using. If you
continue to have unacceptable drivability,
try changing gasoline brands. If this does
not rectify your problem, then consult your
Scion dealer.
NOTICE

Do not use gasohol other than
stated above. It will cause fuel sys-
tem damage or vehicle performance
problems.
 If drivability problems are encoun-
tered (poor hot starting, vaporizing,
engine knock, etc.), discontinue the
use.
 Take care not to spill gasohol dur-
ing refueling. Gasohol may cause
paint damage.
FUEL TANK CAPACITY
53 L (14.0 gal., 11.7 lmp.gal.)

156
Operation in foreign countries
If you plan to drive your Scion in
another country...
First, comply with the vehicle registration
laws.
Second, confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel (unleaded and minimum octane
number).
Threeway catalytic converter
The threeway catalytic converter is an
emission control device installed in the
exhaust system.
The purpose is to reduce pollutants in the
exhaust gas.
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.
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the threeway 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 pushstart or pullstart your
vehicle.
 Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.

157
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 threeway catalytic
converter temperature.
 If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, take your
vehicle in for a checkup as soon
as possible. Remember, your Scion
dealer knows your vehicle and its
threeway catalytic converter sys-
tem best.
 To ensure that the threeway
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”.
Engine exhaust cautions
CAUTION
Exhaust gases include harmful car-
bon monoxide (CO) that is colorless
and odorless. Inhaling exhaust
gases may lead to death or a seri-
ous health hazard.
The exhaust should be checked oc-
casionally. If there is a hole or
crack caused by corrosion, damage
to a joint or abnormal exhaust
noise, be sure to have the vehicle
inspected and repaired by your
Scion dealer. Failure to do so may
allow exhaust gases to enter the
vehicle, resulting in death or a seri-
ous health hazard.
If the vehicle is in a poorly venti-
lated area, turn the engine off. In a
closed area, such as a garage, ex-
haust gases may collect and enter
the vehicle. This may lead to death
or a serious health hazard.
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 the smell of exhaust is noticed
inside the vehicle, open the win-
dows. Large amounts of exhaust in
the vehicle can cause driver drowsi-
ness and an accident, resulting in
death or a serious health hazard.
Have the vehicle inspected by your
Scion dealer immediately.

158
Do not leave the engine running in
an area with snow buildup, or
where it is snowing. If snowbanks
build up around the vehicle while
the engine is running, exhaust
gases may collect and enter the ve-
hicle. This may lead to death or a
serious health hazard.
When taking a nap in the vehicle,
always turn the engine off. Other-
wise, you may accidentally move
the shift lever or depress the accel-
erator pedal, which could cause an
accident or fire due to engine over-
heating. Additionally, if the vehicle
is parked in a poorly ventilated
area, exhaust gases may collect and
enter the vehicle, leading to death
or a serious health hazard.
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.
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.
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.
Facts about engine oil
consumption

159
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 242.The electric power steering system, us-
ing an electric motor, assists the turn-
ing of the steering wheel.
In the following cases, you may feel the
steering becomes heavy. However, the
electric power steering system warning
light does not come on. (Because it is
not a malfunction.)
When maneuvering or turning frequently
over a long time
The power steering effect will be re-
duced to prevent the system from over-
heating. Avoid turning the steering
wheel, or stop the vehicle and turn the
ignition key to “ACC” or LOCK”. The
system will become cool in a
bout 10
minutes.
NOTICE
Frequent maneuvering and turning
over a long time may cause damage
to the system in which the mecha-
nism prevents overheating of the elec-
tric power steering system.
Electric power steering system

160
When racing the engine for 30 seconds
or more with the vehicle stopped
The normal power steering effect will
be obtained when you start driving.
When the battery is discharged
Check the battery’s condition. If neces-
sary, recharge or replace the battery.
For details, see “Checking battery con-
dition” on page 254.
20XB009a
Electric power steering system warning
light
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the elec-
tric power steering system works properly,
the light turns off after a few seconds. If
the system has malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
If the following conditions occur, this
indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the components monitored by the warn-
ing light system. Contact your Scion
dealer as soon as possible to service
the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion or remains on.
The light stays on while you are driv-
ing.
CAUTION
If the electric power steering system
warning light comes on, take your ve-
hicle to Scion dealer as soon as pos-
sible. In this case, more effort is re-
quired for the steering wheel to turn
than usual. Drive your vehicle while
firmly gripping the steering wheel.