mirror TOYOTA AVALON 1999 Owners Manual
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1. Instrument panel light control dial
2. Headlight and turn signal switch and
front fog light switch
3. Wiper and washer switches
4. Driving pattern selector button
5. Thermometer
6. Clock
7. Emergency flasher switch
8. Car audio
9. Auxiliary box
10. Rear window and outside rear view mirror defoggers switch
11. Ashtray and cigarette lighter
12. Air conditioning controls
13. Ignition switch
14. Cruise control switch
15. Traction control system off switch
16. Power rear view mirror control switch
17. Headlight cleaner switch
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Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS—
Chapter 1 −3
Seats, Seat belts,
Steering wheel and
Mirrors
Seats
Front seats
Driving position memory system
Head restraints
Armrest
Seat heaters
Seat belts
SRS driver and front passenger
airbags
SRS side airbags
Child restraint
Tilt steering wheel
Outside rear view mirrors
Anti −glare inside rear view
mirror
Vanity mirrors
Seats
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow sitting on top of a
folded −down seatback, or in the
luggage compartment. Persons not
properly seated and not properly re-
strained by seat belts can be se-
verely injured in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
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To comply with Canadian Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards, this model sold in Can-
ada is provided with a bracket set in the
glove box, designed for use with any of
the 3 anchor locations shown in the il-
lustration.
If your child restraint system does not
provide any of the necessary parts, ask
your Toyota dealer. (See ”—Child restraint
system”.)
Tilt steering wheel
To change the steering wheel angle,
hold the steering wheel, pull the lock
release lever toward you, tilt the steer-
ing wheel to the desired angle and re-
lease the lever.
When the steering wheel is in a low posi-
tion, it will spring up as you release the
lock release lever.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving.
After adjusting the steering wheel,
try moving it up and down to make
sure it is locked in position.
Outside rear view mirrors—
Adjust the mirror so that you can see
the side of your vehicle in the mirror.
Be careful when judging the size or dis-
tance of any object seen in the outside
rear view mirror on the passenger ’s side.
It is a convex mirror with a curved sur-
face. Any object seen in a convex mirror
will look smaller and farther away than
when seen in a flat mirror.
On some models, when you push the rear
window defogger switch, the heater panels
in the outside rear view mirrors will quick-
ly clear the surface.
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CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the
vehicle is moving. It may cause the
driver to mishandle the vehicle and
an accident may occur resulting in
personal injuries.
Since the mirror surfaces can get
hot, keep your hands off them when
the defogger switch is on.
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
To adjust a mirror, use the switches.
1. Master switch—To select the mirror to be adjusted
Place the switch at ”L” (left) or ”R”
(right).
2. Control switch—To move the mirror Push the switch in the desired direc-
tion.
Mirror can be adjusted when key is in the
”ACC” or ”ON” position.
NOTICE
If ice should jam the mirror, do not
operate the control or scrape the mir-
ror face. Use a spray de −icer to free
the mirror.
—Power rear view mirror
control
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Adjust the mirror so that you can just
see the rear of your vehicle in the mir-
ror.
To reduce glare from the headlights of
the vehicle behind you during night
driving, operate the lever on the lower
edge of the mirror.
Daylight driving—Lever at position 1
The reflection in the mirror has greater
clarity at this position.
Night driving—Lever at position 2
Remember that by reducing glare you also
lose some rear view clarity.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the mirror while the
vehicle is moving. It may cause the
driver to mishandle the vehicle and
an accident may occur resulting in
personal injuries.
Vanity mirrors
To use the vanity mirrors, swing down
the sun visor and open the cover.
The vanity light comes on when you open
the cover.
Anti −glare inside rear view
mirror
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Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS—
Chapter 1 −4
Lights, Wipers and
Defogger
Headlights and turn signals
Emergency flashers
Instrument panel light control
Front fog lights
Interior light
Front personal lights
Rear personal lights
Ignition switch light
Windshield wipers and washer
Headlight cleaner
Rear window and outside rear
view mirror defoggers
HEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights: Twist
the headlight/turn signal lever knob.
Position 1—Parking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights
Position 2—Headlights and all of the
above
Position 3 (”AUTO”)—Headlights and/or all
of the above
They automatically turn on or off depend-
ing on the darkness of the surroundings.
Manually twist the knob to the position 2
to turn on the headlights if they are need-
ed immediately when entering a dark tun-
nel, parking structure, etc.The automatic light control sensor is on
the top of the driver’s side instrument
panel.
Do not place anything on the instrument
panel, and/or do not affix anything on the
windshield to block this sensor.
If you feel that the automatic light control
comes into operation too early or too late,
have the sensor adjusted by your Toyota
dealer.
Headlights and turn signals
(with automatic light control
system)
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To squirt washer fluid, pull the lever
toward you.
If the windshield wipers are off, they will
operate a couple of times after the washer
squirts.
For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see ”Adding washer fluid” in Chapter 7 −3.
In freezing weather, warm the windshield
with the defroster before using the washer.
This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which
can block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the wind-
shield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
Headlight cleaner
To spray fluid on the headlights, turn
the headlights on and push the switch.
The key must be in the ”ON” position.
Check the fluid level of the see −through
headlight cleaner tank every so often.
Use washer fluid for replenishment. For
information on adding fluid, see ”Adding
washer fluid” in Chapter 7 −3.
NOTICE
Do not turn the headlight cleaner on
with the tank empty. It may cause the
cleaner motor to overheat.
To defog or defrost the rear window,
push the switch.
The key must be in the ”ON” position.
The thin heater wires on the inside of the
rear window will quickly clear the surface.
An indicator light will illuminate to indicate
the defogger is operating.
On some models, the heater panels in the
outside rear view mirrors will also quickly
clear the surfaces. Keep your hands off
the mirror faces when the switch is on.
Push the switch once again to turn the
defoggers off.
Rear window and outside rear
view mirror defoggers
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CAUTION
Since the mirror surfaces can get hot,
keep your hands off them when the
defogger switch is on.
The system will automatically shut off af-
ter the defogger has operated about 15
minutes.
Make sure you turn the defoggers off
when the surfaces are clear. Leaving the
defoggers on for a long time could cause
the battery to discharge, especially during
stop −and− go driving. The defoggers are
not designed for drying rain water or for
melting snow.
If the outside rear view mirror are heavily
coated with ice, use a spray de −icer be-
fore operating the switch.
NOTICE
When cleaning the inside of the rear
window, be careful not to scratch or
damage the heater wires.
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Part 3
STARTING AND
DRIVING
Before starting the engine
How to start the engine
Tips for driving in various
conditions
Winter driving tips
Tr ailer towing
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too
Before starting the engine
1. Check the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, head restraint height and steering
wheel angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all the doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3. Put the selector lever in ”P”. If you need to restart the engine while the
vehicle is moving, put the selector le-
ver in ”N”. A starter safety device will
prevent the starter from operating if the
selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it to the floor until driving off.
How to start the engine—
(a) Before cranking
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Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it can not shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulation. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle −
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these in mind when towing:
Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle −trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and
requires practice. Grip the bottom of
the steering wheel and move your hand
to the left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This pro-
cedure is generally opposite to that
when backing without a trailer). Also,
just turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you when
backing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle −to −vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.
Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this by
making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize.
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