04.03.

30

SECTION 3
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the enginee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
How to start the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Tips for driving in various conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Winter driving tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Dinghy towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too . . . . . . . . . 165

159
04.03.30

How to start the engine—

Before starting the engine (a) Before cranking (b) Starting the engine
1. Check the area around the vehicle be- 1. Apply the parking brake firmly. Before starting the engine, be sure to
fore entering it. 2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces- follow the instructions in “(a) Before
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, sories. cranking”.
seat cushion angle, head restraint 3. Manual transmission: Press the clutch Normal starting procedure
height and steering wheel angle. pedal to the floor and shift the trans- The multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mission into neutral. Hold the clutch tial multiport fuel injection system in your
mirrors. pedal to the floor until the engine is engine automatically controls the proper
4. Lock all side doors and back door. started. A starter safety device will pre- air–fuel mixture for starting. You can start
vent the starter from operating if the a cold or hot engine as follows:
5. Fasten seat belts. clutch pedal is not fully depressed. With your foot off the accelerator pedal,
Automatic transmission: Put the se- crank the engine by turning the key to
lector lever in “P”. If you need to re- “START”. Release it when the engine
start the engine while the vehicle is starts.
moving, put the selector lever in “N”. Engine should be warmed up by driving,
A starter safety device will prevent the not in idle. For warming up drive with
starter from operating if the selector smoothly turning engine until engine cool-
lever is in any drive position. ant temperature is within normal range.
4. Automatic transmission only: De- If the engine stalls...
press the brake pedal and hold it to
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
the floor until driving off.
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not start...
See “If your vehicle will not start” on page
168.

160
04.03.30

Tips for driving in various

conditions

Always slow down in gusty crosswinds.
NOTICE This will allow you much better control. CAUTION
 Do not crank for more than 30 se-
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
Before driving off, make sure the
conds at a time. This may overheat sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
parking brake is fully released and
the starter and wiring systems. onto high, sharp–edged objects and
the parking brake reminder light is
 Do not race a cold engine. other road hazards. Failure to do so
off.
can lead to severe tire damage such
 If the engine becomes difficult to
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
as a tire burst.
start or stalls frequently, have the tended while the engine is running.
Drive slowly when passing over bumps
engine checked immediately.
or travelling on a bumpy road. Other-
Do not rest your foot on the brake
wise, the impact could cause severe pedal while driving. It can cause
damage to the tires and/or wheels. dangerous overheating, needless

When parking on a hill, turn the front wear, and poor fuel economy.
wheels until they touch the curb so
To drive down a long or steep hill,
that the vehicle will not roll. Apply the reduce your speed and downshift.
parking brake, and place the transmis- Remember, if you ride the brakes
sion in “P” (automatic) or in first or excessively, they may overheat and
reverse (manual). If necessary, block not work properly.
the wheels.

Be careful when accelerating, up-

Washing your vehicle or driving through shifting, downshifting or braking on
deep water may get the brakes wet. To a slippery surface. Sudden accelera-
see whether they are wet, check that tion or engine braking could cause
there is no traffic near you, and then the vehicle to skid or spin.
press the pedal lightly. If you do not
feel a normal braking force, the brakes
are probably wet. To dry them, drive
the vehicle cautiously while lightly
pressing the brake pedal with the park-
ing brake applied. If they still do not
work safely, pull to the side of the road
and call a Scion dealer for assistance.
161
04.03.30

Winter driving tips

Make sure you have a proper freeze Check the condition of the battery and

Do not drive in excess of the speed protection for engine coolant. cables.
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
permits it, do not drive over 140
or similar high quality ethylene glycol any battery, so it must be in top shape
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
based non–silicate, non–amine, non–nitrite, to provide enough power for winter start-
has high–speed capability tires.
and non–borate coolant with long–life ing. Section 7–3 tells you how to visually
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
hybrid organic acid technology. (Coolant inspect the battery. Your Scion dealer and
result in tire failure, loss of control
with long–life hybrid organic acid most service stations will be pleased to
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
technology is a combination of low check the level of charge.
sult a tire dealer to determine phosphates and organic acids.)
whether the tires on your vehicle Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
are high–speed capability tires or See “Checking the engine coolant level” suitable for the cold weather.
not before driving at such speeds. on page 212 for details of coolant type See page 211 for recommended viscosity.
selection.

Do not continue normal driving Leaving a heavy summer oil in your ve-
when the brakes are wet. If they are “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a hicle during winter months may cause
wet, your vehicle will require a mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deionized harder starting. If you are not sure about
water. This coolant provides protection which oil to use, call your Scion deal-
longer stopping distance, and it
down to about –35C (–31F). er—they will be pleased to help.
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park- Keep the door locks from freezing.
NOTICE
ing brake will not hold the vehicle Squirt lock de–icer or glycerine into the
securely. Do not use plain water alone. locks to keep them from freezing. To open
a frozen lock, try heating the key before
inserting it.

162
04.03.30

Dinghy towing
(with automatic transmission)
Use a washer fluid containing an anti- Depending on where you are driving,
freeze solution. we recommend you carry some emer-
This product is available at your Scion gency equipment.
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow Some of the things you might put in the
the manufacturer’s directions for how vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
much to mix with water. bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may dam-
age your vehicle’s paint.

Do not use your parking brake when

there is a possibility it could freeze. Your vehicle is not designed to be
When parking, put the transmission into dinghy towed (with four wheels on the
“P” (automatic) or into first or reverse ground) behind a motorhome.
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or NOTICE
water accumulated in and around the Do not tow your vehicle with four
parking brake mechanism may freeze, wheels on the ground. This may
making it hard to release. cause serious damage to your vehicle.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.

163
04.03.30

Dinghy towing
(with manual transmission)
NOTICE
Dinghy towing does not eliminate the
possibility of damage to your vehicle.

DINGHY TOWING TIPS

Before dinghy towing, be sure to ob-
serve the following in order to reduce
the damage to your vehicle.
1. Put the selector lever in neutral.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the “ACC”
position.

Your vehicle can be dinghy towed (with NOTICE

four wheels on the ground) from the
NOTICE
front behind a motorhome. To avoid the locking of the steering Do not tow your vehicle from the
wheel, turn the ignition switch to the rear. This may cause serious damage
CAUTION “ACC” position. to your vehicle.

Dinghy towing requires special equip- 3. Release the parking brake.

ment and accessories. Please refer to After dinghy towing, let the engine idle for
your service outlet of the motorhome more than 3 minutes before driving the
manufacturer for the recommended vehicle.
equipment.

164
04.03.30

How to save fuel and make

Trailer towing your vehicle last longer, too
Improving fuel economy is easy–just take
Avoid long engine idling. If you have
it easy. It will help make your vehicle last a long wait and you are not in traffic,
longer, too. Here are some specific tips it is better to turn off the engine and
on how to save money on both fuel and start again later.
repairs:

Avoid engine lugging or over–rev-

Keep your tires inflated at the cor- ving. Use a gear position suitable for
rect pressure. Underinflation causes the road on which you are travelling.
tire wear and wastes fuel. See page

Avoid continuous speeding up and
215 for instructions.
slowing down. Stop–and–go driving

Do not carry unneeded weight in wastes fuel.
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a

Avoid unnecessary stopping and
heavier load on the engine, causing
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
greater fuel consumption.
to time the traffic signals so you only
Scion does not recommend towing a
Avoid lengthy warm–up idling. Once need to stop as little as possible or
trailer with your vehicle. It is not de- the engine is running smoothly, begin take advantage of through streets to
signed for trailer towing. driving—but gently. Remember, howev- avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-
er, that on cold winter days this may tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-
take a little longer. den braking. This will also reduce wear

Keep the automatic transmission on your brakes.
overdrive turned on when engine
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
braking is not required. Driving with whenever possible.
the overdrive off will reduce the fuel

Do not rest your foot on the clutch
economy. (For details, see “Automatic
or brake pedal. This causes needless
transmission” on page 103.)
wear, overheating and poor fuel econo-

Accelerate slowly and smoothly. my.
Avoid jackrabbit starts. Get into high

Maintain a moderate speed on high-
gear as quickly as possible.
ways. The faster you drive, the greater
the fuel consumption. By reducing your
speed, you will cut down on fuel con-
sumption.
165
04.03.30

Keep the front wheels in proper

alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and CAUTION
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire Never turn off the engine to coast
wear but also puts an extra load on down hills. Your power steering and
the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel. brake booster will not function with-
out the engine running. Also, the

Keep the bottom of your vehicle free emission control system operates
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
properly only when the engine is run-
weight but also helps prevent corro-
ning.
sion.

Keep your vehicle tuned–up and in
top shape. A dirty air cleaner,
improper valve clearance, dirty plugs,
dirty oil and grease, brakes not
adjusted, etc. all lower engine
performance and contribute to poor fuel
economy. For longer life of all parts
and lower operating costs, keep all
maintenance work on schedule, and if
you often drive under severe
conditions, see that your vehicle
receives more frequent maintenance.
(For scheduled maintenance
information, please refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide”.)

166