warning TOYOTA AVALON 1999 User Guide

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
92
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine
drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe place
and stop the engine immediately. Call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on
briefly after a hard stop. There is no
cause for concern if it then goes out when
the engine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to
indicate low oil level, and the oil level
must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light on—even for one block.
It may ruin the engine.
(e) Malfunction indicator lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See
”Fuel gauge” in Chapter 1 −5 for instruc-
tions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See ”Fuel tank cap” in Chapter
1 −2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electrical
system.
If it comes on while you are driving in
case c, have your vehicle checked/re-
paired by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
(f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual. (g) ”ABS” Warning Light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in your anti
−lock brake sys-
tem.
If the light comes on while you are driv-
ing, have your vehicle checked by your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to the ”ON” position. After
a few seconds, the light will go off.
When the ”ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
brake system operates conventionally but
the anti −lock brake system is not assisting
brake performance so that the wheels can
lock −up during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces.
(h) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
are completely closed.
ProCarManuals.com

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
93
(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
depressed, 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 ”ACC” or
”ON” position. After about 6 seconds,
the light will go off. This means the
system of the airbag and front seat belt
pretensioners are operating properly.
The warning light system monitors the air-
bag sensor assembly, seat belt pretension-
er assembly, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting 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 ”ACC” or
”ON” position or remains on.
The light comes on or flashes while
driving.
(k) ”TRAC OFF” Indicator/Warning light
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to ”ON”, and will go off after a
few seconds. This means that the system
is operating properly.
If one 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 remains on more than a few
seconds after the ignition switch is
turned on.
The light comes on while driving even
if the ”TRAC OFF” switch is not
pushed.
The light flashes. (l) Low Windshield Washer and Head-
light Cleaner Fluid Level Warning
Light (on some models)
The light warns that the windshield washer
and headlight cleaner fluid level is too
low. Add washer fluid at your earliest op-
portunity. (For instructions, see ”Adding
washer fluid” in Chapter 7 −3.)
(m) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer reminds you to remove the key
when you open the driver’s door with the
ignition key in the ”ACC” or ”LOCK” position.
ProCarManuals.com

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
94
CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER INDICA-
TORS (except the low fuel level warning
light and, low windshield washer and
headlight cleaner fluid 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 ”ACC”. The SRS airbag warning light should
come on. It goes off after about 6 se-
conds.
5. Turn the ignition key to ”ON”, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex-
cept the open door warning light and
SRS airbag warning light should come
on. The ”ABS” warning light and ”TRAC
OFF” indicator/warning light go off after
a few seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing 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

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
103
If you need acceleration—for example,
when passing—depress the accelerator
pedal enough for the vehicle to exceed
the set speed. When you release it, the
vehicle will return to the speed set prior
to the acceleration.
CANCELLING THE PRESET SPEED
You can cancel the preset speed by:
a. Pulling the lever in the ”CANCEL”
direction and releasing it.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40
km/h (25 mph), the preset speed will auto-
matically cancel out.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10
mph) below the preset speed, the preset
speed will also automatically cancel out.
If the preset speed automatically cancels
out other than for the above cases, have
your vehicle checked by your Toyota deal-
er at the earliest opportunity. RESETTING AT A FASTER SPEED
Push the lever up in the ”RES/ACC” direc-
tion and hold it. Release the lever when
the desired speed is attained. While the
lever is held up, the vehicle will gradually
gain speed.
However, a faster way to reset is to ac-
celerate the vehicle and then push the
lever down in the ”SET/COAST” direction.
RESETTING AT A SLOWER SPEED
Push the lever down in the ”SET/COAST”
direction and hold it. Release the lever
when the desired speed is attained. While
the lever is held down, the vehicle speed
will gradually decrease.
However, a faster way to reset is to de-
press the brake pedal and then push the
lever down in the ”SET/COAST” direction.
Even if you turn off the overdrive switch
with the cruise control on, engine braking
will not be applied because the cruise
control is not cancelled. To decrease the
vehicle speed, reset to a slower speed
with the cruise control lever or depress
the brake pedal. If you use the brake
pedal, cruise control is cancelled.RESUMING THE PRESET SPEED
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling
the control lever or by depressing the
brake pedal or clutch pedal, pushing the
lever up in the ”RES/ACC” direction will
restore the speed set prior to cancellation.
However, once the vehicle speed falls be-
low about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset
speed will not be resumed.
CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE WARNING
If the ”CRUISE” indicator light in the
instrument cluster flashes when using the
cruise control, press the ”CRUISE ON
−
OFF” button to turn the system off and
then press it again to turn it on.
If any of the following conditions then oc-
curs, there is some trouble in the cruise
control system.
The indicator light does not come on.
The indicator light flashes again.
The indicator light goes out after it
comes on.
If this is the case, contact your Toyota
dealer and have your vehicle inspected.
ProCarManuals.com

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
143
The cup holder is designed for holding
cups or drink −cans securely in its
holes.
To use the cup holder, open the armrest
lid, pull out the cup holder. Then close the
armrest lid.
CAUTION
Do not leave the armrest lid open,
especially when the cup holder
holds a scalding hot drink. If the lid
is forcibly pulled up, the drink may
spill over the seat occupants.
When the cup holder is in use, the
armrest lid must be securely closed
with the lock engaged.
Do not place anything else other
than cups or drink −cans on the cup
holder, as such items may be
thrown about and possibly injure
people in the vehicle during sudden
braking or an accident.
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or sudden stop
while driving, keep the cup holder
closed when it is not in use.
Do not left the armrest upright
when the cup holder is pulled out.
Traction control system
Slip indicator light
”TRAC OFF” indicator/warning light
Cup holder
(with bench front seat)
ProCarManuals.com

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
144
AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL SYS-
TEM
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps control the spinning of the
front wheels which may occur when ac-
celerating on slippery road surfaces,
thus assisting driver to control the driv-
ing power of the front wheels. When
you turn the ignition switch on, the
traction control system always turns on
automatically, and the slip indicator
light and ”TRAC OFF” indicator/warning
light will come on. The indicator lights
will go off after a few seconds.
Leave the system on during ordinary
driving so that it can operate when
needed. When traction control is ap-
plied, the slip indicator light blinks.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the traction
control system is in the self −check mode,
and does not indicate malfunction. When
the traction control system is operating,
you may feel vibration or noise of your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is func-
tioning properly. When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the traction control system
will help operate to prevent the wheels
from spinning.
MANUAL OPERATION
You can turn off the traction control
system by pushing the ”TRAC OFF”
switch. The ”TRAC OFF” indicator/warn-
ing light will come on. Pushing the
”TRAC OFF” switch a second time
turns on the traction control system
and the ”TRAC OFF” indicator/warning
light will go off.
ProCarManuals.com

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
152
Brake system
TANDEM MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE
SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake system
is a hydraulic system with two separate
sub −systems. If either sub −system s hould
fail, the other will still work. However, the
pedal will be harder to press, and your
stopping distance will be longer. Also, the
brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a
single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
power −assist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserve
vacuum for one or two stops—but no
more!
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your vacuum reserve.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard—much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
be longer.
ANTI −LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (with
”ABS” warning light)
The anti −lock brake system is designed to
automatically help prevent lock −up of the
wheels during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces. This assists in
providing directional stability and steering
performance of the vehicle under these
circumstances.
The anti −lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph). You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the anti
−lock
brake system is in the self check mode,
and does not indicate a malfunction.
Effective way to press the ”ABS” brake
pedal: When the anti −lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti −lock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. Pump-
ing the brake pedal makes the stopping
distance longer.
The brake pedal pulsation caused by the
anti −lock brake system may indicate haz-
ardous road surface conditions. Although
the anti −lock brake system assists in pro-
viding vehicle control, it is still important
to drive with all due care, because the
anti −lock brake system cannot overcome
the laws of physics that act on your ve-
hicle:
Braking capability is dependent on tire
friction with the road surface.
ProCarManuals.com

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
153

Even though the anti
−lock brake sys-
tem is operating, a driver cannot main-
tain full control on certain slippery road
surfaces, when cornering at high
speeds, or in violent maneuvers.
Avoid high speeds on wet roads. The
anti −lock brake system cannot elimi-
nate the risk of hydroplaning and loss
of tire friction.
Always maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you. Compared with
vehicles not fitted with an anti −lock brake
system, your vehicle may r equire a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow −cov-
ered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving on roads where the road sur-
face is pitted or has other differences
in surface height.
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
”ABS” warning light
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ”ON” position. After a few
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
conventionally. However, when the ”ABS”
warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the anti −lock brake
system is not assisting brake performance
so that the wheels can lock −up during
sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces. Have your vehicle checked
by your Toyota dealer as soon as pos-
sible.
ProCarManuals.com

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
154
DRUM −IN −DISC TYPE PARKING BRAKE
SYSTEM
Your vehicle has a drum −in −disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system n eeds bedding −down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding− down.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
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.
Luggage stowage pr ecautions
When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when
at all possible. Be sure all items are
secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
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 turn-
ing, and impair the driver’s control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.
ProCarManuals.com

’99 AVALON (USA/CANADA)−U
194
Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Chapter 7 −2 for
additional information. When checking the
tires, make sure no nuts are missing, and
check the nuts for looseness. Tighten
them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500
miles). See Chapter 7 −2 for additional in-
formation.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has
been parked for a while. If you smell fuel
fumes or notice any leak, have the cause
found and corrected immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including trunk lid
operate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. Make sure the engine hood sec-
ondary latch secures the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch is released.
INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing periodic
services, cleaning the vehicle, etc. Lights
Make sure the headlights, stop lights, tail
lights, turn signal lights, and other lights
are all working. Check headlight aim.
Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers function properly.
Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified freeplay.
Be alert for changes in steering condition,
such as hard steering or strange noise.
Seats
Check that all front seat controls such as
seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. op-
erate smoothly and that all latches lock
securely in any position. Check that the
head restraints move up and down
smoothly and that the locks hold securely
in any latched position.
Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as
buckles, retractors and anchors operate
properly and smoothly. Make sure the belt
webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or dam-
aged.
Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
uneven pedal effort or catching.Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
that the pedal has the proper clearance.
Check the brake booster function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do
not pull to one side when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the pedal has the proper travel
and that, on a safe incline, your vehicle
is held securely with only the parking
brake applied.
Automatic transmission ”Park” mecha-
nism
Check the lock release button of the se-
lector lever for proper and smooth opera-
tion. On a safe incline, check that your
vehicle is held securely with the selector
lever in ”P” position and all brakes re-
leased.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See Chapter 7
−3 for additional infor-
mation.
ProCarManuals.com