Toyota Camry 1996 Owner's Manual

Foreword

Welcome to the growing group of value-conscious people who drive Toyotas. We
are proud of the advanced engineering and quality construction of each vehicle we
build.

This Owner’s Manual explains the features of your new Toyota. Please read it and
follow the instructions carefully so that you can enjoy many years of safe motoring.

When it comes to service, remember that your Toyota dealer knows your vehicle
best and is interested in your complete satisfaction. He will provide quality mainte­nance and any other assistance you may require.

Please leave this Owner’s Manual in this vehicle at the time of resale. The next
owner will need this information 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 explains all equipment,
including options. Therefore, you may find some explanations for equipment
not installed on your vehicle.

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION

 1996 TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced or copied, in whole or in

part, without the written permission of Toyota Motor Corporation.

New vehicle warranty

Your new vehicle is covered by the following Toyota
limited warranties:

 New vehicle warranty
 Emission control systems warranty
 Others

For further information, please refer to the separate
“Owner’s Guide”, “Owner ’s Manual Supplement” or
“Warranty Booklet”.

Your responsibility for maintenance

It is the owner ’s responsibility to make sure that the
specified maintenance is performed. Part 6 gives de­tails of these maintenance requirements. Also in­cluded in Part 6 is general maintenance. For sched­uled maintenance information, please refer to the
separate “Owner’s Manual Supplement/Mainte­nance Schedule”.

Accessories, spare parts and

modification of your Toyota

A wide variety of non genuine spare parts and acces­sories for Toyota vehicles are currently available in
the market. You should know that Toyota does not
warrant these products and is not responsible either
for their performance, repair or replacement, or for
any damage they may cause to, or adverse effect
they may have on, your Toyota vehicle.

This vehicle should not be modified with non genuine
Toyota products. Modification with non genuine Toyo­ta products could affect its performance, safety or du­rability, and may even violate governmental regula­tions. In addition, damage or performance problems
resulting from the modification may not be covered
under warranty.

Spark ignition system of your Toyota

The spark ignition system of your T oyota meets all re­quirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing
Equipment Standard.

Installation of a mobile

two-way radio system

As the installation of a mobile two-way radio system
in your vehicle could affect electronic systems such
as multiport fuel injection system/sequential multiport
fuel injection system, cruise control system, anti-lock
brake system and SRS airbag system, be sure to
check with your Toyota dealer for precautionary mea­sures or special instructions regarding installation.

Scrapping of your Toyota

The SRS airbag devices in your Toyota contain explo­sive chemicals. If the vehicle is scrapped with the air­bags left as they are, it may cause an accident such
as a fire. Be sure to have the SRS airbag system re­moved and disposed of by a qualified service shop or
by your Toyota dealer before you dispose of your ve­hicle.

Quick index

 If a service reminder indicator or warning buzzer comes on 65. . . . .

 If your vehicle will not start 149. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 If your engine stalls while driving 152. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 If your vehicle overheats 152,153. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 If you have a flat tire 153. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 If your vehicle needs to be towed 163. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 Tips for driving during break- in period 129. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 How to start the engine 139. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 General maintenance 172. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 Complete index 221. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gas station information

Fuel type:

5S- FE engine: UNLEADED gasoline, Res earch Octane Number 91 (Octane
Rating 87) or higher.

1MZ- FE engine: UNLEADED gas ol ine, R es earc h Oc t ane Number 91 (Octane
Rating 87) or higher. For improved vehicl e performance, t he use of premium
unleaded gasoline with a Research Octane Number of 96 (Octane Rating

91) or higher is recommended.
See page 129 for detailed information.

Fuel tank capacity: 70 L (18.5 gal., 15.4 lmp. gal.)
Engine oil:

API SH, “’Energy- Conservi ng II’’ mult igrade engine oil or ILSAC multigrade
engine oil is recommended.

See page 186 for detailed information.

Automatic transmission fluid:

Automatic transmission fluid DEXRON-II.

Tire information: See pages 189 through 193.
Tire pressure: See pages 214 and 215.

A–7

Publication No. OM33447U
Part No. 01999-33447

Printed in Japan 29- 9810- 04

I

Part 1

OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
AND CONTROLS—

Chapter 1-1 Overview of instruments and controls

 Instrument panel overview
 Instrument cluster overview
 Indicator symbols on the

instrument panel

1

Instrument panel overview

2

3

Instrument cluster overview

4

Indicator symbols on the instrument panel

Brake system warning light*

Seat belt reminder light*

Discharge warning light*

Malfunction indicator lamp*

Low fuel level warning light*

Low oil pressure warning light*

1

1

1

1

1

1

Anit-lock brake system warning light*

Open door warning light*

1

Rear light failure warning light*

SRS airbag warning light*

1

1

Turn signal indicator lights

Headlight high beam indicator light

Overdrive-off indicator light

“PWR” mode indicator light

Cruise control indicator light*

1

2

Automatic transmission indicator lights

*1: For details, see “Service reminder indicators and warn-

ing buzzers” in Chapter 1-5.

*2: If this light flashes, see “Cruise control” in Chapter 1-6.

5

6

Part 1

OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS—

Chapter 1-2 Keys and Doors

 Keys
 Side doors
 Power windows
 Trunk lid
 Back door
 Hood
 Fuel tank cap
 Electric moon roof

Keys

The master key works in every lock.
The subkey will not work in the trunk
and glovebox.

To protect things locked in the trunk or
glvebox when you have your vehicle
parked, leave the subkey with the atten­dant.

Since the side doors, back door and trunk
lid can be locked without a key, you should
always carry a spare master key in case
you accidentally lock your keys inside the
vehicle.

Keep the key number plate in a safe
place such as your wallet, not in the
vehicle.

If you should lose your keys or if you need
additional keys, duplicates can be made
by a Toyota dealer using the key number.

You should also put a copy of the key
number with your important papers.

7

Side doors

LOCKING WITH KEY
Turn the key towards the front of the

vehicle to lock and towards the back to
unlock.

Vehicles with power door lock sys­tem—All the side doors and back door
lock and unlock simultaneously with either
front door. I n the driver’s door lock, turning
the key once will unlock the driver’s door
and twice in succession will unlock all the
side doors and back door simultaneously .

On some models, the door keyhole light
will come on to help you locate the key­hole if you pull up and release the door
handle when inserting the key into the
driver’s door keyhole in the dark.

8

LOCKING WITH INSIDE LOCK KNOB
Turn the lock knob forward to lock and

backward to unlock the door.

Closing the door with the lock knob in the
lock position will also lock the door. Be
careful not to lock your keys in the vehicle.

Vehicles with power door lock system—
The door cannot be locked if you leave the
key in the ignition switch.

LOCKING WITH POWER DOOR LOCK
SWITCH

To lock all the side doors and back
door simultaneously, push the power
door lock switch on the LOCK side.
Pushing on the UNLOCK side will un­lock them.

Power windows

CAUTION

!

Before driving, be sure that the
doors are closed and locked, espe­cially when small children are in the
vehicle. Along with the proper use of
seat belts, locking the doors helps
prevent the driver and passengers
from being thrown out from the ve­hicle during an accident. It also
helps prevent the doors from being
opened unintentionally.

LOCKING WITH REAR DOOR CHILD­PROTECTORS

Turn the lock knob to the “LOCK”
position as shown on the label.

This feature allows you to lock a rear door
so it can be opened from the outside only,
not from inside. We recommend using this
feature whenever small children are in the
vehicle.

The windows can be operated with the
switch on each side door.

The power windows work when the igni­tion switch is in the “ON” position. Howev­er, if both front doors are closed, they work
for 60 seconds even after the ignition
switch is turned off. They stop working
when either front door is opened.

OPERATING THE DRIVER’S WINDOW
Use the switch on the driver’s door.

Normal operation: The window moves

as long as you hold the switch.
To open: Lightly push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.

9

Automatic operation (to open only):

Push the switch completely down and
then release it. The window will fully open.
To stop the window partway, lightly pull th e
switch up and then release it.

OPERATING THE PASSENGERS’ WIN­DOWS

Use the switch on each passenger’s
door or the switches on the driver’s
door that control each passenger’s
window.

The windows move as long as you hold
the switch.

To open: Push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.
If you push in the window lock button on

the driver’s door, the passengers’ win­dows cannot be operated.

CAUTION

!

To avoid serious personal injury,
you must do the following.

 Always make sure the head, hands

and other parts of the body of all oc­cupants are kept completely inside
the vehicle before you close the
power windows. If someone’s neck,
head or hands gets caught in a clos­ing window, it could result in a seri­ous injury. When anyone closes the
power windows, be sure that they
operate the windows safely.

 When small children are in the ve-

hicle, never let them use the power
window switches without supervi­sion. Use the window lock button to
prevent them from making unex­pected use of th e switches.

10

 Never leave small children alone in

the vehicle, especially with the igni­tion key still inserted. They could
use the power window switches
and get trapped in a window. Unat­tended children can become in­volved in serious accidents.

—Lock release leverTrunk lid (sedan and coupe)—

To open the trunk lid from the outside,
insert the master key and turn it clock­wise.

See “Luggage stowage precautions” in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load­ing luggage.

To close the trunk lid, lower it and press
down on it. After closing the trunk lid, try
pulling it up to make sure it is securely
closed.

CAUTION

!

Keep the trunk lid closed while driv­ing. This not only keeps the luggage
from being thrown out but also pre­vents exhaust gases from entering
the vehicle.

To open the trunk lid from the driver’s
seat, pull up on the lock release lever.

11

—Luggage security system Back door (wagon)—

This system deactivates the lock re­lease lever so that things locked in the
trunk can be protected.

1. Push down the security lock levers
to lock the rear seatbacks.

After locking the rear seatbacks, try folding
them down to make sure they are securely
locked—otherwise, someone could get
into the t r unk by folding down a rear seat.

12

2. After closing the trunk lid, insert the
master key and turn it counterclock­wise to deactivate the lock release lev­er.

After closing the trunk lid, try pulling it up
to make sure it is securely locked.

FROM OUTSIDE
To open the back door, insert the key

and turn it clockwise to unlock. Then
pull the handle and raise the door.

To close the door, lower it and press down
on it. After closing the back door, try pull­ing it up to make sure it is securely closed.

FROM INSI DE (vehicles with th ird seat)
Turn the lock knob rightward to lock

and leftward to unlock the back door.
To open the door, pull the handle and
push the door outward.

For closing, hold the lever and lower the
door. After closing the back door, try push­ing it outward to make sure it is securely
closed.

See “Luggage stowage precautions” in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load­ing luggage.

Closing the back door with the lock knob
set in the lock position will also lock the
back door. Be careful not to lock your keys
in the vehicle.

—Power back door lock

Vehicles with power door lock sys­tem—To lock the back door, push the
power door lock switch on the LOCK
side. Pushing on the UNLOCK side
will unlock it.

At this time, all the side doors are oper­ated simultaneously (See “Side doors”.).

You can, of course, lock and unlock the
back door manually.

Vehicles without power door lock sys­tem—To lock the back door, push the
switch on the “LOCK” side. To unlock
the back door, push the switch on the
“UNLOCK” side.

You can, of course, lock and unlock the
back door manually.

13

—Back door child protector
(with third seat) Hood

CAUTION

!

 Before driving, be sure that the

doors are closed and locked.
Along with the proper use of seat
belts, locking the back door helps
prevent the passengers from be­ing thrown out from the vehicle
during an accident. It also helps
prevent the back door from being
opened unintentionally.

 Keep the back door closed while

driving. This not only keeps the

Move the lock lever to the “LOCK”
position as shown on the label.

This feature allows you to lock a back door
so it can be opened from the outside only,
not from inside. We recommend using this
feature whenever small children are in the
vehicle.

luggage from being thrown out
but also prevents exhaust gases
from entering the vehicle.

To open the hood, pull the hood lock
release lever under the dash. The hood
will spring up slightly. In front of the
vehicle, press up on the auxiliary
catch lever and lift the hood.

Before closing the hood, check to see that
you have not forgotten any tools, rags,
etc. Then lower the hood and make sure
it locks into place. If necessary, press
down gently on the front edge to lock it.

14

Fuel tank cap

1. To open the fuel filler door, pull the
lever up.

CAUTION

!

 Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-

low open flames when refueling.
The fumes are flammable.

 When opening the cap, do not re-

move the cap quickly. In hot
weather, fuel under pressure
could cause injury by spraying out
of the filler neck if the cap is sud­denly removed.

2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turn
the cap slowly counterclockwise, then
pause slightly before removing it. Af­ter removing the cap, hang it on the
cap hanger.

It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When installing,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a click.

5S-FE engined vehicles with automatic
transmission—

If the cap is not tightened securely, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Make sure the cap is tightened securely.

The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.

15

CAUTION

!

 Make sure the cap is tightened se-

curely to prevent fuel spillage in
case of an accident.

 Use only a genuine Toyota fuel

tank cap for replacement. It has a
built-in check valve to reduce fuel
tank vacuum.

Electric moon roof

To open the moon roof, push the
switch on the “SLIDE” side. Pushing
on the opposite side will close it. To tilt
up the rear end of the moon roof, push
the switch on the “UP” side. Pushing
on the opposite side will lower it.

The moon roof works when the ignition
switch is in the “ON” position. However, if
both front doors are closed, it works for 60
seconds even after the ignition switch is
turned off. It stops working when either
front door is opened.

The moon roof will move while the switch
is being pushed and stop when released.
However, as a precaution when closing, it
stops at the three-quarters closed posi­tion before fully closing. Therefore, re­lease the switch and then push it again to
close it completely.

You may open the moon roof to any de­sired position.

The sun shade can be opened or closed
manually. However, if you open the moon
roof, the sun shade will be opened togeth­er with the moon roof.

16

CAUTION

!

To avoid serious personal injury,
you must do the following.

 While the vehicle is moving, al-

ways keep the head, hands and
other parts of the body of all occu­pants away from the roof opening.
Otherwise, you could be seriously
injured if the vehicle stops sud­denly or if the vehicle is involved
in an accident.

 Always make sure nobody places

his/her head, hands and other
parts of the body in the roof open­ing before you close the roof. If
someone’s neck, head or hands
gets caught in the closing roof, it
could result in a serious injury.
When anyone closes the roof, first
make sure it is safe to do so.

 Never leave small children alone

in the vehicle, especially with the
ignition key still inserted. They
could use the moon roof switches
and get trapped in the roof open­ing. Unattended children can be­come involved in serious acci­dents.

 Never sit on top of the vehicle

around the roof opening.

17

18

Part 1

Seats

Front seats—
—Seat adjustment precautions

OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS—

Chapter 1-3
Seats, Seat belts,
Steering wheel
and Mirrors

 Seats
 Front seats
 Rear seats
 Head restraints
 Seat belts
 SRS airbags
 Child restraint
 Tilt steering wheel
 Outside rear view mirrors
 Anti-glare inside rear view

mirror

 Vanity mirrors

While the vehicle is being driven, all ve­hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit wel l back in the seat and prop­erly wear the seat belts provided.

CAUTION

!

 Do not drive with the vehicle occu-

pants not properly seated, such as
sitting on top of a folded-down
seatback, or in the luggage
compartment. Persons not proper­ly seated and restrained by seat
belts can be severely injured in the
event of emergency braking or a
collision.

 During driving, do not let passen-

gers stand up or move around be­tween seats. Balance can be un­steady and severe injuries can oc­cur in the event of emergency brak­ing or a collision.

Adjust the driver’s seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of the
driver.

CAUTION

!

 Adjustments should not be made

while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.

 When adjusting the seat, be care-

ful not to hit the seat against a pas­senger or luggage.

 After adjusting the seat position,

try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi­tion.

 After adjusting the seatback, exert

body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.

 Do not put objects under the seats

as they may interfere with the seat­lock mechanism or unexpectedly
push up the seat position adjust­ing lever; the seat may suddenly
move, causing the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.

 While adjusting the seat, do not

put your hands under the seat or
near the moving parts. You may
jam your hands or fingers.

19

—Adjusting front seats
(manual seat)

ADJUSTING SEAT POSITION
Pull the lock release lever up. Then

slide the seat to the desired position
with slight body pressure and release
the lever.

ADJUSTING SEATBACK ANGLE
Lean forward and pull the lock release

lever. Then lean back to the desired
angle and release the lever.

CAUTION

!

To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more
than needed. The seat belts provide
maximum protection when the driv­er and the passenger are sitting up
straight and well back in the seats.
If you are reclined, the lap belt may
slide past your hips and apply re­straint forces directly to the abdo­men. Therefore, in the event of a
frontal collision, the risk of personal
injury may increase with increasing
recline of the seatback.

ADJUSTING DRIVER’S SEAT CUSH­ION ANGLE

Turn the knob either way.
ADJUSTING DRIVER’S SEAT LUM-

BAR SUPPORT
Pull the lever forward and release.

Repeat this until you have a comfortable
support.

20

—Adjusting front seats
(power seat—type A)

ADJUSTING SEAT POSITION
Move the control switch in the desired

direction.

Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.

Do not place anything under the seat. It
might interfere with the seat movement.

ADJUSTING SEATBACK ANGLE
Lean forward and pull the lock release

lever. Then lean back to the desired
angle and release the lever.

CAUTION

!

To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more
than needed. The seat belts provide
maximum protection when the driv­er and the passenger are sitting up
straight and well back in the seats.
If you are reclined, the lap belt may
slide past your hips and apply re­straint forces directly to the abdo­men. Therefore, in the event of a
frontal collision, the risk of person­al injury may increase with increas­ing recline of the seatback.

ADJUSTING DRIVER’S SEAT CUSH­ION ANGLE

Move the control switch in the desired
direction.

Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.

ADJUSTING DRIVER’S SEAT LUM­BAR SUPPORT

Pull the lever forward and release.

Repeat this until you have a comfortable
support.

21

—Adjusting front seats
(power seat—type B)

ADJUSTING SEAT POSITION
Move the control switch in the desired

direction.

Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.

Do not place anything under the seat. It
might interfere with the seat movement.

ADJUSTING SEATBACK ANGLE
Move the control switch in the desired

direction.

Releasing the switch will stop the seat­back at that position.

CAUTION

!

To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more
than needed. The seat belts provide
maximum protection when the driv­er and the passenger are sitting up
straight and well back in the seats.
If you are reclined, the lap belt may
slide past your hips and apply re­straint forces directly to the abdo­men. Therefore, in the event of a
frontal collision, the risk of personal
injury may increase with increasing
recline of the seatback.

ADJUSTING DRIVER’S SEAT CUSH­ION ANGLE

Move the control switch in the desired
direction.

Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.

ADJUSTING DRIVER’S SEAT LUM­BAR SUPPORT

Pull the lever forward and release.

Repeat this until you have a comfortable
support.

22

—Adjusting front seats
(power seat—type C)

ADJUSTING SEAT POSITION
Move the control switch in the desired

direction.

Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.

Do not place anything under the seat. It
might interfere with the seat movement.

ADJUSTING SEATBACK ANGLE
Move the control switch in the desired

direction.

Releasing the switch will stop the seat­back at that position.

CAUTION

!

To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more
than needed. The seat belts provide
maximum protection when the driv­er and the passenger are sitting up
straight and well back in the seats.
If you are reclined, the lap belt may
slide past your hips and apply re­straint forces directly to the abdo­men. Therefore, in the event of a
frontal collision, the risk of personal
injury may increase with increasing
recline of the seatback.

—Moving passenger’s seat
for rear seat entry (coupe)

For easy access to the rear seat, do
this.

1. Lift the seatback lock release lever or
press the release pedal.

The seat will slide forward slightly.

2. Move the seat to the front-most posi­tion.

23

Before entry, push the seat belt hanger
down as far as it will go if it is in the
raised position.

After passengers are in, lift up the seat­back and return the seat until it locks.

CAUTION

!

 After putting back the seat, try

pushing the seat forward and rear­ward to make sure that it is se­cured in place.

 Never allow anyone to rest their

foot on the release pedal while the
vehicle is moving.

Rear seats—
—Fold-down rear seat

(sedan and coupe)

Unlock the seatback, and fold it down.

This will enlarge the trunk room as far as
the front seatbacks. See “Luggage stow­age precautions” in Part 2 for precautions
to observe in loading luggage.

If desired, each seatback may be folded
separately.

CAUTION

!

When returning the seatback to the
upright position:

 Make sure the seat belts are not

twisted or caught in the seatback
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.

 Make sure the seatback is secure-

ly locked by pushing forward and
rearward on the top of the seat­back.

24

—Fold-down rear seat (wagon)

BEFORE FOLDING REAR SEAT
Stow the rear seat belts facing the di-

rection shown in the illustration.

This prevents them from falling out when
you fold the seatback.

NOTICE

The seat belts must be stowed
before you fold the seatback.

FOLDING REAR SEAT

1. Swing the bottom cushion up by
pulling the lock release strap.

It is hinged at the front edge, so just lift it
up.

If desired, each bottom cushion may be
lifted separately.

CAUTION

!

When returning the bottom cushion
to its original position:

 Make sure the seat belts are not

twisted or caught under the bot­tom cushion and are arranged in
their proper position for ready
use.

 Make sure the bottom cushion is

securely locked by trying to pull
up the edge of the cushion near
the lock release straps.

25