HI! Several questions about convertible

[ricksolara]

Hi, I just bought a 2000 Solara SLE convertible, white with a tan top. My Chrysler LeBaron broke down in North Carolina from too many mountains to climb and it wasn't worth repairing, so I bought this. It has 76,000 miles and is in very good condition, both looks and how it runs.

Several questions though (I've saved them up for a month!) I'd appreciate any help you can give.

1 Where is the convertible top ecu? I've looked and I can't find it. Is it behind the rear seat? If so, how do I get the rear seat bottom out? Just pry it up? Do I have to push it back at the same time? Or do I get to the ecu from the trunk?

2. There is a little dome on the left side of the dashboard that I've learned keeps track of daylight, and in some circumstances turns the headlights to full brightness when twilight comes. But there is also a slightly larger dome on the right side of the dashboard. What does this do?

3.. The car is 2000 Solara convertible, in diamond pearl white (color 051) . Duplicolor doesn't sell this color anymore, and Toyota doesn't sell spray paint. If I get a scratch, I like to use spray paint. Any suggestions where to get color 051 in a spray can?

4. I drove with the gas cap barely on, for a hundred miles, and the Check Engine light went on.
Now I've put the cap on right and driven about 50 miles, and the light is still on. Will it go off by itself soon?

5. What transmission fluid do I need? The owners manual says Dexron III (Dexron II) but at the autoparts store, Dexron is only listed for American cars, and something that is not Dexron is listed for foreign cars including Toyota by name.

6. What antifreeze do I need?. The owners manual says use Toyota Long Life or the equivalent, and elsewhere it says long life ethylene glycol, but what is in there now is red, and I'd like red! Because mixing red and green will make an ugly color. So far I can't find red at autoparts stores like Pep Boys and Advance Auto? Should I keep looking? Is there anything cheaper than Toyota-brand at 20 dollars a gallon?

7. With my Chrysler LeBaron. almost all the bolts, etc. were SAE sizes and a small number were metric. Can I assume that every bolt, etc. in a Toyota is metric? Can I put my SAE wrenches in the house, to save space in my toolbag? I don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere without a wrench size that I need.

Thanks a lot for any help you can give.

[chriscarter]

1 - Do what the owner's manual says.
2 - Buy an owner-oriented service manual (Haynes - $20 from Amazon)
3 - Be aware that your car has a clear-coat finish on top of the color coat. Spraying on top of a clear coat will usually cause blushes or clouding at the outside edges. Pretty much all metallics and pearls are clear coated finishes.
4 - Re-read 1 - 3.


PS - Toyotas are metric. There are a few close "use if you have to" fits: 11mm=7/16, 13mm=1/2, 14mm=9/16, 17mm-11/16, 19mm=3/4, 21mm=13/16. IMPORTANT! Only use these close standard sizes in an emergency if you don't have access to metric tools!!! It is possible to round off nuts and bolts, and bloody your knuckles by using standard sizes on metric hardware!!!