Toyota MR2 1987 User manual

TOYOTA
•
1987
Owner S Manual
For your safety and comfort, read carefully and keep in the vehiclfJ.
I

r
~---- New vehicle warranty- --,
Your new vehicle 1$ covered by the following Toyota limited war-
ranties'
• New vehicle warranly
• Emission control systems warranty
• Others
For further ,nformatlon, please refer (0 the separate "Owner"s
GUide" Of "Warranty Booklet"
~- Yourresponsibility for maintenance-~
II +5 owne(s responSibility to make sure thaI the speCified mainte-
nance 1$ performed Section 5 gives details of these maintenance
reqUirements Also included in Section 5 IS Information regarding
more frequent 011 changes and other reqUirements for vehicles
used under severe driving conditions
•

L
Foreword
Welcome to (he glowIng group of \/illue-cOl1se,uus people whu dllV8 Toyows We ,He proud
of the advanced engllleerIJ'Q and quality conSlrUC110nof eileh vehicle we bUild
We Invite you to HhJd through lhls Owner's M,H1UJI IllS deSIgned to dCqWWlt you With the
features of your new Toyota ilnd W help you enJoy many moles/kilometers of motoring ple<J
Slife
When It cornes to serv,u~, remerntJer (hal your Toyold uedle, knows your vehicle best and IS
mterested on your complete sat,slC1C110n He will proVIde quality maintenance and ,my other
aSSISlilnc;e you IIlay require
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
PledS8 ledvP thiS Owner's Manual In thiS vehicle al rhe time of resale The next owner Will
need thiS Inforlllation also
All information and specifications in this manual are current at the time of printing.
However, because of Toyota's policy of continual product improvement, we reserve
the right to make changes at any time without notice.
Please note that this manual applies to all models and el<plains all equipment, includ.
ing options. Therefore. you may find some el<planations for equipment not installed on
your vehicle.

@1987l0YOlA MOTOR CORPORATION
All rights reserved This material may not be reproduced or copied.
In whole or In part, without the wrl11en permiSSion of Toyota Molor
Corpora(IOn

Section
Table of contents
Page
1 Information for the new owner... .. . .. 1
2 Driving tips.. ... ..... .... .. .. . ... 81
3 In case of an emergency.. .. . . .. 97
4 Corrosion prevention and appearance care ....•.. 109
5 Vehicle maintenance and care ...........•...... 113
6 Do-it-yourself maintenance 127
7 Consumer information 151
8 Specifications 161
9 Index 165

r---Modification of yourToyota----,
Please be awarf that any modificatIon 01your Toyota coulrj aline
,15 performance, safety durability ()J \IIIilfranty and 'nay even v,ola
Ie governmental regulations
r-------Snow tire warning------
If you nefld snow lIres, you must Install them on all four wheels
See page 154
Installationof a mobile
r---- -------,
two-way radiosystem
As the ,nstallatlon of a mobile (woway ranlo system In your vehi-
cle could allect electrOniC systerns such as ",Ipellarllt fuelln)€CIIOn
system and cruise control system, hi' SurA to ch"ck w,th yOU
Toyota dealer tor precautionary meilsurAS or speCial Instruct,ons
regarding Installation

Information for the new owner-Section 1
Catalytic converter
r
CATALYTIC CONVERTER
10010'101
The catalytic conv,uter is an emission
control device installed in the exhaust
system.
It looks somewhat like a mulller, but Its pur-
pose IS 10 reduce pOllutants In the eX~laust
gas
WARNING:
A large amount of unburned gdS flOWing Into
the converter may cause It to overheat and
create a fire hazard To prevef\tlhls and other
damasw. observe Ihe following precautions
• Do not drive with an extremely low fuel
level, rurHllng out 01 gas could cause the
engrne to misfile, creat,ng an excessive
load on the converter
• Do no allow the ~ngme to run at Idle
speed for more than 20 minutes
• Keep your eng me In good running order
Malfunctions In the engme electrical,
rgnltlon or carburet ron systems could
cause an extremely hrgh converter tem-
perature
• Do not push-start or pull-start your vehi-
cI,
• Do not lurn off the Ignition while the vehr.
cle >smovmg
• Do not dflve, rdle or park your vehrcle over
anything that might burn eaSily such as
grass, leaves. paper or rags
• Keep people and combustlonable
materials away frorn the exhaust pipe
while the engine IS running The exhaust
gas >svery hal.
• AVOid raCing the engine
• Use only unleaded gasolme
• If the engine becomes diffrcult 10 start,
stalls Irequently or pings or knocks during
acceleration, take your vehicle In for a
check-up as soon as pOSSible,Remember,
your Toyota dealer knows your vehicle
and rls catalY lc converter system best
To Insure that the converter and the entlle
emrSSlOn control system operate properly,
your vehicle must receive the periodiC
inspectIOns reqUired by the Toyota Mainte-
nance Schedule

Fuel recommendation
lOO21H12
Your new vehicle must use onlv unleaded
fuel: Research Octane No. 91 (Octane
Rating 87) or higher.
Use of leaded gasoline will cause the
catalytic converter 10 lose Its eftectlveness
and the emission control system to function
Improperly Also. this can Increase mainte-
nance COStS
To help prevent gas station mlxups. your
Toyota has a new smaller fuel tank opening
The special nozzle on pumps With unleaded
fuel will f'l It. but the larger standard nozzle
on pumps With leaded gas Will not
2
Gasohol, a mixture of unleaded gasoline
and 10 % ethanol, is available in some
areas. II you use gasohol in your Tovota,
please take the following precautions:
• If drlveability problems are encountered
(poor hot starting, vaporiZing, engine
knock. etc). the use at gasohol should be
dlsconllnued
• Be sure that the gasohol used does not
contain more than 10 percent ethanol and
has an octane rating no lower than lhal
recommended for unleaded gasoline (87)
• Since some gasohol contains lead, be sure
that the gasohol used on your Toyota IS
unleaded
• Take care not to spill gasohol during
refueling Gasolone containing alcohol
may cause paint damage
NOTICE:
Toyota does not recommend the use 01
gasolines containing methanol, but If you do,
never use gasollnes containing more than 5
% methanol Also, do not use gasolones con-
taining methanol that does not contain cos.
olvents and corrOSion Inhibitors for
methanol The use 01 these gasolines will
cause fuel system damage or vehicle perl or
mance problems
Fuel tank capacity:
108 gal {90 Imp gal 41 litersl
Operation in foreign countries
If you plan to drive your Tovota in another
country ...
First, comply With the vehiCle registration
laws
Second, confirm tile availability of the cor-
rect fuel (unleaded and minimum octane rat-
109)

Tips for driving
the first 1000 miles (1600 kml
.It •.
\'\""
. ,
, .
. ,
, .
.
- ~
- .
-
00 NOT EXCEED~~ mph l88 om,h)
lOO'G 01
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
You need not follow a break-m schedule with
your new Toyota, But following a lew simple
lipS for the first 1000 moles (1600 km) can
,Idd to the future economy and long life of
your vehIcle
• Do not drive over 55 mph (88 km/hl
• Mamtaln engine speed between 2000 and
4000 rpm
• Avoid full.tliroltle stilrts
• Try to avoId hard stops during the fllst
200 miles noo kml
• Do not drNe slowly with the transmISSion
In a high gear
• Do not driVe for a long time at dny sIngle
speed, eIther fdst or slow
• Do nOl lOW a trailer dUllng the hrst 500
,niles {BOO kml
Keys
~ ""TER'"
~ SUB'"
lOOSO-Ol
The master key works in every lock. The
subkey will not work in the rear trunk and
glovebox.
To protect th,ngs locked In the rear trunk or
glovebox when you have your vehicle
parked leave the subkey wIth the altendanl
Since the doors and rear trunk lid can be
locked without a key, you should always car-
ry a spare master key In case you aCCidental.
ly lock your keys InSide the vehIcle or rear
trunk
KH NUMBER P\.ATE
Keep the key number plate in a safe place
such as your wallet, not in the vehicle.
If you should lose your keys or rf you need
additional keys. duplicates should be made
by a Toyota dealer uSing the key number
vou Should also put a copy of the key num-
ber With your ,mportant papers
3

Door locks-
Locking and unlocking with key
FRONT
IOCW-Ol
Turn the key towards the front of the vehi-
cle to lock and towards the back to
unlock.
Vehicles with power door lock svstem-
Lockmg or unlockIng one door locks or
unlocks the other
4
Locking from the inside
lOCK
10010.116
After closing the door, push in the lock
lever.
The door then cannot be ('pened with elthf'f
the outside or InSIde dool hilnejle
Before driving. be sure that the doors Bre
closed and locked, especiafly when smaff
children are in the vehicle. Along wllh the
proper use at seat belts, 10ckll1g thfl doors
helps prevent the driver and passf'ngers from
being thrown out from the vehicle durmg an
aCCident It elisahelps prevent tlw oliors from
being opened unmtentlon,)lly
Locking from the outside
without key
Push in the lock lever. Then hold up the
handle as you close the door.
Vehicles with power door lock system _II
the key ISteli 'n Ihe ignItIon sWltdt neither
tIe drIvers side 01 piJssengers sIde door can
be locked ThiS ISa feature d,'signed to avoid
lucking the key accldenldlly In the vehicle
Be careful nor to lock your keys in the vehi-
cle,

Power door lock switches
10090\'02
To lock and unlock all the side doors
simultaneously, push the switch.
Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada)
Your new vehicle GUileS the t prevenllon
lillieis wh,ch dre dlJprOxlmilWly 2 20 Inchf~S
(50 rnrnl by 063 ,nches (16 ITlrn) The pur-
pose of these Idlwls IS tll reduce thl, InCI
dence of veh,cle Ih., ts by l,lCoIlldtlng the
HiKing ilnd recovery 01 p,HIS from SlOlpn
vehicles The label,s (leslglwd so thilt onr:e It
IS i1pphed to a surface. ilny ill tempt to
relllOVe II will result In destrOYing the
Integrity of the label Trilnsferrlng these
l<Joelsmtact from Ollf) Pilrt to ;mother, will he
Ifnposslble Accordingly, you should not
attempt to remove the theft prevention
labels as it may violate certain state or
federal laws.
Seats-
Adjusting seat position
10110\'01
Pull the lock release lever up. Then slide
the seat to the desired position with slight
body pressure and release the lever.
Alter adlustrng the seat. try sliding rt forward
,md bilckward to make sure rt IS locked III
pOSlllon
This adjustment should not be made while
the vehicle is moving. ilS Ihe seal may unex-
rectedly move and Ciluse the drover to lose
control of Ihp vehicle
Do not pl<Jce(lnything under the seats It
In'ght ,ntr~r erewllh the seilt-Iock mech(ln.
m
;

Adjusting seatback angle
101lO'lOl
Lean forward and pull the lock release le-
ver. Then lean back to the desired angle
and release the lever.
After adJustmg the seatback, exert body
pressure to make sure It ISlocked In pOSition
This adjustment should not be made white
the vehicle is moving, as the seat back may
unexpectedly move backward and cause the
driver to lose control of the vehicle
6
To reduce the fisk of sliding under the lap
belt dur'ng a coll,slon. avoid reefinlng the
sea/bac/<: any more than needed The seat
Letts provide maximum protection when the
dr,ver and the passenger <HPs,ttmg well hack
and straight up In the seats If you are red.
nf d, the lap belt may slide pa~t your h,ps and
apply restraint Jorces directly to the alldo.
rnen Therefore. m the event 01 a frontal colli
Slon. the fiSk of personal InJIHY may Increase
With mcreaSlng rechne of the seat back
Adjusting side supports
;Ol2JVOJ
Turn the knob either way.
This adJustment should not be made while
the vehicfe is moving

Adjusting seat cushion angle
10nO'/Ol
Turn the knob either way.
This adjustment should not be made whife
the vehicle is moving
Adjusting lumbar support
101,0'101
Pull the lever forward and release.
Repeal this until you achieve the dp,slIed
amount 01 suppon
Headrests
"l'
" I \
\
101.eNOl
To raise the headrest. pull it up, To lower
it, press the lock release button and push
the headrest down, To move the headrest
forward, pull on the top.
Pulhng the top 01 the headreSI as far as It can
go 1'1111 return II to the upright pos,llon
Adlust the top of the headrest so that it is
closest to the top of your ears, and lock it
into position. Do not drive with the head.
rests removed.
The headrest ISmost effective when It ISclo.
se \0 your hHad Therelore, USing a cushion
on the seatback IS not recommended
7

Seat belts
JOIIO.OJ
Adjust the seat as needed and sit well
back in the seat and straight up. To fasten
your belt, pull it out of the retractor and
insert the tab into the buckle.
You will hear a cilck when the lab locks Into
the buckle Make sure Ihal the connection IS
secure <.lndthe bell IS not tWisted
The seat belt length automatically adjusts to
your SilP Jnd the seat pOSition
The retractor will lock Ihe belt dUfing II Slid
den stop or on Impact Al other tHlles you
can move around Ireely
Passenger's belt - the belt Will automatically
lock by fully extending the maximum length
of this belt and allowing to retract. OrIC(' 5e ,
Ihe bell will not extend iJljaln until releaSfl(j
and fully renaCled ThiS leature '5 InclucJ••d
for use w1\h ,nfant camer or Child seal
Adjust the position of the lap and shoulder
belts.
Position the lap belt as low as possible on
your hips-not on your waIst. then adjust II
to il snug fl1 by I-Julling the shoulde, pOlllon
upw,ud through the latch pl<.HeFililurf' to do
50 c(Juld Increase tile chance of Inlury due to
SlldHlg under the lap belt dUring an accl(Jimt
For your safety. do not place the shoulder
belt under your arm.
-
8

r
To release the belt. press the buckle.
release button and allow the belt to
retract.
If the belt does not lully retract pull it Qut
and check for kinks or twists Then milke SUfe
that it remams untwisted as it retracts
Seat belt extender
If your seat belt Cilnna bf fastened securely
because 1\ IS not long enough. a personalizRd
seat bel extender IS available from your
Toyota dealer free 01 charge
Please contact your local Toyota dealer so
that the dealer can order the proper reqUired
length lor the extender 8r,ng the heaviest
coat you expect to wear for proper measure-
ment and selection of length Additional
ordering Information IS available al your
ToyOla dealer
Precautions when using the seat belt
extenders
• Never use the seat belt extfmrler If you
can fasten the seat belt Without It
• Remember that the extender provided for
you may not be sale when used on a
different vehicle, or for another person
and at different seatmg POSition than
specified
Failure to follow these instructions could
result in less effectiveness of the seat belt
restraint system in case of vehicle accident
causing personal injury.
SHT BElT
EXtENOER
lOi7\ROl
Using the seat belt extender
To connect the extender to the seat belt,
inser the tab into the seat belt buckle so thilt
the buckle-release bullons of the extenrler
and the seat belt are localPd on the same
Side as shown You Will hear a click when the
tab locks into the buckle Make sure that the
connection IS secure and the sea belt
extender is not twisted
When releasing the seat belt. press on the
buckle-release bulton on the extender, not
on the seat belt This helps prevent damage
to the vehicle mterlor and extender itself
When not In use, remove the extender and
store in the vehicle lor future use
9

Seat belt precautions
Toyota recommends that the driver ,lnd
passengers In the vehicle be properly
reslrained al all times With the seat belts pro-
Vided Failure to do so could mcrease the
chance of Injury and/or the seventy of injury
m accidents
• Children. 00 not allow lhe child to stand
up or kneel on the seat, and your chifd
must be restrained by the seat bef/.
• Baby or small child. Use an mfant carner
or child seat which fits your vehicle See
mformation for lhe child restramt system
In thiS section
• Preynant vvoman. Toyota recommends
the use of a seat helt Ask your doctor lor
specific recommendations The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the
waist,
• Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt Depending on the injU-
ry. however. first check With your doctor
• Only one person per belt. Do not use a
single belt for two or more people-even
children
10
• Avoid reclining the seatbacks too
much. The seat belts prOVide maximum
protection when the seatbacks are m the
upright pOSition (See "AdJustlng seat.
back angle" m thiS section)
• Be careful not to damage the belt web-
bing or hardware, and take care that they
do not get caught 01 pinched In the seat
or doors
• Inspect the belt system periodically.
Check for cuts. hays and loose parts
Damaged parts shOuld be replaced Do
not disassemble or modily the system
• Keep the belts clean and dry. If they
need cleanrng, use a mild soap solullon or
lukewarm water: Never use bleaCh,dye. or
abraSive cleaners-they may severely
weaken the belts
• Replace the belt assembly if it has been
used in a severe impact. The enllre
assembly should be replaced even If
damage is not obVIOUS
• The driver and alf passengers should
fasten their seat belts whenever the
vehicle is moving.
Child restraint system
TOYOTA recommends the use of an infant
carriet or child seat for a small child or
baby.
The Infant carrier or child seat should con-
form to the size of the child and properly fll
the vehicle seal
When Installing an Infant camer or child
seal, refer to the instruClions prOVided by the
manufacturer of the carrier or seat and follow
lhe directions listed under the follOWing
illuSlrations
Your vehicle IS provided With anchor for
securing the lap strap of a child seat. The
anchor nut is welded beneath the sheel
metal to permit rnstallatlon of an anchor
brackel for a child seat
To Install an anchor bracket. use an 8 mm X
30 mm X 1,25 mm coarse thread metric boll
Note that the boll accompanYing many child
restraint systems IS not metric, You can
damage the anchor nut on your vehicle If you
force bolt With different thread Into the
anchor nut

"' "'" ")
II IhAse parts do not come with your child
',,~at, you can purchase them from your
loyota dealer Details are as follows
• CRS installation kit
IPart No 04731-22010)
Kit containS bolt, 3 types of spacers and
locking clip
• Bolt IPart No 9151 1-608301
WARNING'
• For effective protection In automobile
Jccidents and sudden stops, children
should not be tranSpulted unrestrJlned
The preferred restraints for small children
are infant carriers and child seats
• Holding a child in your arms IS not a
substitute for a child restraint system. In
an accident. a child held in a person's
arms can be crushed between the vehi-
cle's interior and an unrestrained person,
I0191~Ol
INSTALLATION ON SEAT
1 Fasten the lap and shoulder belt over the
infant carrier or Child seat
2 Place the shoulder portion of the belt bet-
ween the vehicle seatback and the child seat
3 Fully e~tend the ma~lmum length of the
shoulder belt and allow to retract The auto-
matic locking retractor Will hold It securely
Check the shoulder beft is locked.
4 If necessary, slide the seat forward and
remove any slack
If your child seal reqUires the use 01 a top
strap, latch the hook onto the anchor bracket
and tighten the top strap.
11

SPORTS SEAT
12
TOP STRAP ANCHOR AND LOCATION
On the partition panel behind the seat
a Remove the cap on the P;Htltlon panel
b.lnsert a 06 In. (15 mm) spacer and lighten
down the anchor bracket lor yoU child seat
With a bolt
WHEN NOT USING YOUR CHILD
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
• When not using the Infant carrier or child
seat. keep It secured With the seal belt or
remove It8nd plilce It In somewhere other
than In the vehicle to prevent InjUry to
passengers In event of a sudden s\Qp or
accident
• When removing the top strap anchor
bracket-If you remove the anchor
bracket from the partition panel behind
the seat, replace the bolt in the hole to
prevent entry of exhaust emiSSionS, water
or dirt
• The laws of all Ilfty states In the USA
and most proVinces m Canada now
require the use of child restra;nt system
Toyota strongly urges the use 01 child
restraint system for children small
enough for the mfant camer or child seal
Children who are too large for a child
restramt seat should be rastramed wllh
the lap/shoulder belt II the shoulder belt
falls across the child's neck or face, adjust
the passenger seat forward so that the
belt lays across the child's shoulder
Never allow the child to stand up or kneel
on the seat

Overview of the instruments and controls
l0200VOll
SlOE VENT
ASHTRAY
RADIO
PASSENGER'S VENT
CIGAReTTE LIGHTER
\ \
==Ir""C~
00<:1
I I
TURN SIGNAL AND DIMMER SWITCH
fRONT TRUNK LOCK
RElEASE LEVER
F'OWER REAR VIEW MIRROR CONTROL SWITCH
DRIVER'S veNT
TilT STEERING lOCK RElEASE leVER
EMERGENCY flASHER SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH
DRIVER'S VENT
CRUISE CONTROl SWITCH
Oil PReSSURE GAUGt:
ENGINE TEMPERATURt: GAUGE
OPEN DOOR WARNING liGHT
WINDSHIElD WIPER AND WASHER SWITCH
DRIVING PATTERN SELECTOR
CLOCK HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER CONTROLS
WnER VENT GlOVEBOX
13

Combination ignition switch
and steering lock
'01'00'
"START" - Starter motor on.
Before starlmg, place an automatic trans.
miSSion In "p" or "N", or a manual trans-
m,sslOn In neutral and depress the clutch
pedal As soon as the engine starts, release
the key It woll return 10the "ON" pOSition, Do
not crank the starter continuously lor more
than 15 seconds IFor startmg t,ps. see Sec-
tion 21
14
'01'0~I
"ON" - Engine on and all accessories on,
This 's the normal drivonQ pOSition, Do not
leave the key in the "ON" position if the
engine is not running. The battery will d,s.
charge and the 'gnition could be damaged
"ACC"-Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key ,n the "ACe or "LOCK"
position and open the drivers door, a buzzer
will remind you to remove the key
lOCK RHEASE BUTTON
/'l~/
.• ,,~
( ').
, ,1
/1
10110, 11
"LOCK" - The steering wheel is locked.
The key can be removed only at this posi-
tion.
You must press In the lock release button to
lurn the key from "ON" or "'ACe 10 the
"lOCK'" position When starting the engine.
the key may seem stuck at the "LOCK" POSI-
tion To free it, tlrst be sure the key ISpUShed
all the way ,n, and then rock the steeflng
wheel slightly while turning the key gently
Never press the lock release button, turn
the key to "lOCK" and remove the key
when the vehicle is moving, as this Will
lock the Steering wheel and result In loss of
s/eerong control I you must turn the engine
off while the vehicle's In motion, turn the
key only to "ACe' Never press down the
lock release button ,md remove the key,