service TOYOTA AVALON 1996 Owners Manual

4
1. Fuel gauge
2. Engine coolant temperature gauge
3. Tachometer4. Speedometer
5. Odometer
6. Trip meter7. Trip meter reset knob
8. Service reminder indicators or
indicator lights
9. Theft deterrent system indicator light
Instrument cluster overview
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6
Driving pattern indicator light
Cruise control indicator light *
2
*1: For details, see Service reminder indicators and warn-ing buzzersº in Chapter 1-5.
*
2: If this light flashes, see Cruise controlº in Chapter 1-6.
Automatic transmission indicator lightsOverdrive-of f indicator light
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36
Do not perform any of the followingchanges without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes caninterfere with proper operation ofthe SRS airbag system in somecases.
Installation of electronic itemssuch as a mobile two-way radio,
cassette tape player or compactdisc player
Modification of the suspension
system
Modification of the front endstructure
Attachment of a grille guard (bullbar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow-
plow, winches or any other equip-ment to the front end
Repairs made on or near the con-sole, steering column, steeringwheel or dashboard near the frontpassenger airbag
NOTICE
This SRS airbag system has a service re-
minder indicator to inform the driver of op-
erating problems. If either of the following
conditions occurs, this indicates a mal-
function of the airbags. Contact your To-
yota dealer as soon as possible to service
the vehicle.

The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position, or remains on.

The light comes on while driving.In the following cases, contact your Toyo-
ta dealer as soon as possible:

The SRS airbags have been inflated.

The front part of the vehicle (shaded in
the illustration) was involved in an ac-
cident not of the extent to cause the
SRS airbags to inflate

The pad section of the steering wheel or
front passenger airbag cover (shaded in
the illustration) is scratched, cracked, or
otherwise damaged.
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Part 1Fuel gauge
57
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-5
Gauges, Meters
and Service reminder
indicators

Fuel gauge

Engine coolant temperature
gauge

Tachometer

Odometer and trip meter

Thermometer

Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
Nearly fullÐNeedle at Fº
Nearly emptyÐNeedle at Eº
It is a good idea to keep the tank over 1/4
full.
This fuel gauge has a non-return type
needle wh ich remains at the last indicated
position when the ignition switch is turned
off.
If the fuel level approaches Eº or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible.
If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately. 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.
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60
(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light has the following functions:
Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the parking
brake is fully released. The light should go
off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on while
you are driving, slowdown and pull off the
road. Then stop the vehicle carefully.
There may be a problem somewhere in
the brake system. Check the fluid level of
the see-through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has not
caused the warning light to come on,
check to see that the parking brake is fully
released.
If the brake fluid level is low...
At a safe place, test your brakes by start-
ing and stopping.

If you judge that the brakes still work
adequately, drive cautiously to your
nearest dealer or shop for repairs.

If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs. (For tow-
ing information, see Part 4.)
Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers
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62When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
brake system
operates conventionally but
without anti-lock function.
(h) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors are
completely closed.
(i) Rear Light Failure Warning Light
If this light comes on when the headlight
switch is turned on (at the position 1 or
position 2), it indicates that one or more of
the tail lights are burned out.
If it comes on when the brake pedal is de-
pressed, one or more stop lights are
burned out.
Have defective bulbs replaced as soon as
possible.
(j) SRS Airbag Warning Light
This light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ACCº or ONº
position. After about 6 seconds, the
light will go off. This means the airbag
system is operating properly.
The warning light system monitors airbag
sensor assembly, inflators, warning light, in-
terconnecting wiring and power sources. If either of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.


The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position or remains on.

The light comes on while driving.
(k) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer reminds you to remove the
key when you open the driver's door with
the ignition key in the ACCº or LOCKº
position.
CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER INDI-
CATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open one of the doors.
The open door warning light should come
on.
3. Close the door.
The open door warning light should go off.
4. Turn the ignition key to ACCº.
The SRS airbag warning light should
come on. It goes off after about 6 sec-
onds.
5. Turn the ignition key to ONº, but do not
start the engine. All the service reminder indicators except
the open door warning light and SRS air-
bag warning light should come on. The
ABSº warning light goes off after about 3
seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warning
buzzer does not function as described
above, either the bulb is burned out or the
circuit is in need of repair. Have it checked
by your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.ProCarManuals.com

103
Air intake selector
Press the button to select the air source.
1. RecirculateÐRecirculates the air in-
side the vehicle.
2. Fresh ÐDraws outside air into the sys-
tem. A/Cº button
To turn on the air conditioning, press the
A/Cº button. The A/Cº button indicator
will come on. To turn the air conditioning
off, press the button again.
If the A/Cº button indicator flashes, there
is a problem in the air conditioning system
and the air conditioning automatically
shuts off. If this happens, take your ve-
hicle to a Toyota dealer for service.
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120ABSº warning light
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ONº position. After about
three seconds, the light will go off.
If either of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.


The light does not come on as de-
scribed above, or remains on.

The light comes on while driving.
Even if the anti-lock brake system should
fail, the brake system will still operate con-
ventionally. Have your vehicle checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
DRUM-IN-DISC TYPE PARKING
BRAKE SYSTEM
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type
parking brake system. This type brake
system needs bedding-down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the park-
ing brake shoes and/or drums are re-
placed.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding-down.
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to
where replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary. When stowing luggage or cargo in the ve-
hicle, observe the following:


Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when
at all possible. Be sure all items are se-
cured in place.

Be careful to keep the vehicle balanced.
Locating the weight as far forward as
possible helps maintain balance.

For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION!

Do not place anything on the filler
panel behind the rear seatback.
Such items may be thrown about
and possibly injure people in the
vehicle during sudden braking or
an accident.

Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver's
field of view. Or they may move
during sharp vehicle acceleration
or turning, and impair the driver's
control of the vehicle. In an acci-
dent they may injure the vehicle
occupants.
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight specified in
Part 8.
NOTICE
Brake pad wear limit indicators Luggage stowage precautions
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127
CAUTION

Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake if fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.

Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is run-
ning.

Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.

To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat
and not work properly.

Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking
on a slippery surface. Sudden ac-
celeration or engine braking,
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.!
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.

Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a lon-
ger stopping distance, and it may
pull to one side when the brakes are
applied. Also, the parking brake
will not hold the vehicle securely. Make sure you have ethylene-glycol
antifreeze in the radiator.
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze.
NOTICE
Check the condition of the battery and
cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any battery, so it must be in top shape to
provide enough power for winter starting.
Chapter 7-3 tells you how to visually in-
spect the battery. Your Toyota dealer and
most service stations will be pleased to
check the level of charge.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See Chapter 7-2 for recommended vis-
cosity.
Leaving a heavy summer oil in your
vehicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, call your Toyota dealerÐ
he will be pleased to help.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de-icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing. To open
a frozen lock, try heating the key before in-
serting it.
Winter driving tips
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136If the engine will not start, your engine
may be flooded because of repeated
cranking.
If this happens, turn the key to STARTº
with the accelerator pedal held down.
Keep
the key and accelerator pedal so for
15 seconds and release them. Then try
starting the engine with your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
If the engine does not start after 15 sec-
onds of cranking, release the key, wait a
few minutes and try again.
If the engine still will not start, it needs ad-
justment or repair. Call a Toyota dealer or
qualified repair shop for assistance.
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 15 seconds at a time. This may
overheat the starter and wiringsystems.
To avoid serious personal injury and
damage to your vehicle which might
result from battery explosion, acid
burns, electrical burns, or damaged
electronic components, these instruc-
tions must be followed precisely.
If you are unsure about how to follow this
procedure, we strongly recommend that
you seek the help of a competent me-
chanic or towing service.

Batteries contain sulfuric acid
which is poisonous and corro-
sive. Wear protective safety
glasses when jump starting, and
avoid spilling acid on your skin,
clothing, or vehicle.

If you should accidentally get acid
on yourself or in your eyes, re-
move any contaminated clothing
and flush the affected area with
water for at least 15 minutes. Then
get immediate medical attention. If
possible, continue to apply water
with a sponge or cloth while en
route to the medical office.

The gas normally produced by a
battery will explode if a flame or
spark is brought near. Use only
standardized jumper cables and
do not smoke or light a match
while jump starting. CAUTION
!

NOTICE
The battery used for boosting must be 12 V. Do not jump start unless
you are sure that the booster batteryis correct.
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE
1. If the booster battery is installed in
another vehicle, make sure the vehicles
are not touching. Turn off all unnecessary
lights and accessories.
2. If required, remove all the vent plugs
from the booster and discharged batter-
ies. Lay a cloth over the open vents on the
batteries. (This helps reduce the explo-
sion hazard, personal injuries and burns.)
3. If the engine in the vehicle with the
booster battery is not running, start it and
let it run for a few minutes. During jump
starting, run the engine at about 2000 rpm
with the accelerator pedal lightly de-
pressed.
(b) Starting a flooded engine (c) Jump starting
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