TOYOTA AVALON 1996 Owners Manual

160Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the FULLº and LOWº lines on the see-
through
reservoir when the engine is cold.
See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa-
tion.
Battery electrolyte level
Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower level
lines on the case. Add only distilled water
when replenishing. See Chapter 7-3 for
additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa-
tion.
Engine oil level
Check the l evel on the dipstick with the en-
gine turned off and the vehicle parked on
a level spot. See Chapter 7-2 for addition-
al information.
Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir. The
level should be in the HOTº or COLDº
range depending on the fluid t emperature.
See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa-
tion.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, have
the cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See engine exhaust cautions in
Part 2.) Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip-offs
that in-
dicate service is needed. Some important
clues are as follows:

Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging

Appreciable loss of power

Strange engine noises

A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)

Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monox-
ide leak. Drive with the windows open
and have the exhaust system checked
immediately.)

Flat-looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear

Vehicle pulls to one side when driving
straight on a level road

Strange noises related to suspension
movement

Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking

Engine coolant temperature continual-
ly higher than normal If you notice any of these clues, take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. It probably needs adjustment or
repair.
Do not continue driving with the ve-
hicle unchecked. It could result in
serious vehicle damage and possi-
bly personal injury.
CAUTION
!
Does your vehicle need
repairing?
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Part 7
161
DO-IT-YOURSELF
MAINTENANCEÐ
Chapter 7-1
Introduction

Engine compartment overview

Fuse locations

Do-it-yourself service
precautions

Parts and tools
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1621. Engine coolant reservoir
2. Power steering fluid reservoir
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Fuse blocks
6. Battery
7. Engine cooling fans
8. Engine oil level dipstick
9. Windshield washer and headlight
cleaner fluid tank
Engine compartment overview
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163
Canada only
Fuse locations
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164
If you perform maintenance by your-
self, be sure to follow the correct pro-
cedure given in this part.
You should be aware that improper or in-
complete servicing may result in operat-
ing problems.
Performing do-it-yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect
your warranty coverage. Read the sepa-
rate Toyota Warranty statement for details
and suggestions.
This part gives instructions only for those
items that are relatively easy for an owner
to perform. As explained in Part 6, there
are still a number of items that must be
done by a qualified technician with special
tools.
For information on tools and parts for do-
it-yourself maintenance, see Parts and
toolsº.
Utmost care should be taken when work-
ing on your vehicle to prevent accidental
injury. Here are a few pr ecautions that you
should be especially careful to observe:

When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)

Right after driving, the engine
compartmentÐthe engine, radia-
tor, exhaust manifold, power
steering fluid reservoir and spark
plug boots, etc.Ðwill be hot. So
be careful not to touch them. Oil,
fluids and spark plugs may also be
hot.

If the engine is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the
drain plugs to prevent burning
yourself.

Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flam-
mable.

Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric
acid.

Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it.
Always use automotive jack
stands or other solid supports. CAUTION
!
Do-it-yourself service
precautions
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165

Be sure that the ignition is off if
you work near the electric cooling
fans or radiator grille. With the
ignition on, the engine cooling fan
will automatically start to run if the
engine coolant temperature is
high and/or the air conditioning is
on.

Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under you vehicle
where you may be exposed to fly-
ing or falling material, fluid spray,
etc.

Used engine oil contains poten-
tially harmful contaminants which
may cause skin disorders such as
inflammation or skin cancer, so
care should be taken to avoid pro-
longed and repeated contact with
it. To remove used engine oil from
your skin, wash thoroughly with
soap and water.

Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.

Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers
or onto the ground. Call your deal-
er or a service station for informa-
tion concerning recycling or dis-
posal. 
Remember that battery and igni-
tion cables carry high currents or
voltages. Be careful of accidental-ly causing a short circuit.
Add only demineralized or dis-tilled water to fill the radiator. And
if you spill some of the coolant, besure to wash it off with water to
prevent it from damaging theparts or paint.
Do not allow dirt or anything elseto fall through the spark plug
holes.
Do not pry the outer electrode of aspark plug against the center elec-
trode.
Use only spark plugs of the speci- fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
Do not reuse platinum-tipped
spark plugs by cleaning or regap-ping.
Do not overfill automatic trans-mission fluid, or the transmission
could be damaged.
Do not drive with the air cleaner fil-ter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiringcould cause a fire in the enginecompartment.
NOTICEBe careful not to scratch the glasssurface with the wiper frame.
When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-gotten any tools, rags, etc.
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166Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need on performing do-it-yourself main-
tenance. Remember all Toyota parts are
designed in metric sizes, so your tools
must be metric.
Checking the engine oil level
Parts (if level is low):


Engine oil API SH, Energy- Conserving
IIº multigrade or ILSAC multigrade hav-
ing viscosity proper for your climate
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding oil)
Checking the engine coolant level
Parts (if level is low):

Ethylene-glycol antifreeze

Demineralized or distilled water
Tools:

Funnel (only for adding coolant)
Checking brake fluid
Parts (if level is low):

SAE J1703 or FMVSS No. 116 DOT 3
brake fluid
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding fluid) Checking power steering fluid
Parts (if level is low):


Automatic transmission fluid DEX-
RON
[-II or -III
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding fluid)
Checking battery condition
Non-maintenance batteriesÐ
Tools:

Warm water

Baking soda

Grease

Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Maintenance type batteriesÐ
Parts (if level is low):

Distilled water
Tools:

Warm water

Baking soda

Grease

Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)

Coin (for vent plugs)

Funnel (only for adding distilled water) Checking and replacing fuses
Parts (if replacement is necessary):


Fuse with same amperage rating as
original
Tools:

Screwdriver (for passenger's side kick
panel screw)
Adding washer fluid
Parts:

Water

Washer fluid containing antifreeze (for
winter use)
Tools:

Funnel
Replacing light bulbs
Parts:

Bulb with same number and wattage
rating as original (See charts in Re-
placing light bulbsº in Chapter 7-3.)
Tools:

Screwdriver

Conventional wrench
Parts and tools
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Part 7
167
DO-IT-YOURSELF
MAINTENANCEÐ
Chapter 7-2
Engine and Chassis

Checking the engine oil level

Checking the engine coolant
level

Checking brake fluid

Checking power steering fluid

Checking tire pressure

Checking and replacing tires

Rotating tires

Installing snow tires and chains

Replacing wheels

Aluminum wheel precautions
With the engine at operating tempera-
ture and turned off, check the oil level
on the dipstick.
1. To get a true reading, the vehicle
should be on a level spot. After turning off
the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil
to drain back into the bottom of the en-
gine.
2. Pull out the dipstick, and wipe it clean
with a rag.
3. Reinsert the dipstick 'push it in as far
as it will go, or the reading will not be cor-
rect.
4. Pull the dipstick out and look at the oil
level on the end.
CAUTION
Be careful not to touch the hot
exhaust manifold.!
If the oil level is below or only slightly
above the low level line, add engine oil
of the same type as already in the en-
gine.
Remove the oil filler cap and add engine
oil in small quantities at a time, checking
the dipstick.
The approximate quantity of oil needed to
fill between the low level and the full level
on the dipstick is indicated below for refer-
ence.
When the level reaches within the correct
range, install the filler cap hand-tight.
Oil quantity, L (qt., Imp. qt.): 1.5 (1.6, 1.3)

Avoid overfilling, or the engine could be damaged.
Check the oil level on the dipstick
once again after adding the oil.
NOTICE
Checking the engine oil level
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168Engine oil selection
Use API SH, Energy-Conserving IIº mul-
tigrade engine oil or ILSAC multigrade en-
gine oil.
Recommended viscosity (SAE):
SAE 5W-30 is the best choice for your
vehicle, for good fuel economy and
good starting in cold weather.
If you use SAE 10W-30 engine oil in
extremely low temperatures, the en-
gine may become difficult to start, so
SAE 5W-30 engine oil is recom-
mended.
API service symbol
ILSAC certification mark
Oil identification marks
Either or both API registered marks are
added to some oil containers to help
you select the oil you should use.
The API Service Symbol is located any-
where on the outside of the container.
The top portion of the label shows the oil
quality by API (American Petroleum Insti-
tute)
designations such as SH. The center
portion of the label shows the SAE viscos-
ity grade such as SAE 5W-30. Energy-
Conserving IIº shown in the lower portion,
indicates that the oil has fuel-saving
capabilities. Oils marked Energy-Con-
serving IIº will have higher fuel-saving ca-
pabilities than oils marked Energy-Con-
servingº.
The ILSAC (International Lubricant Stan-
dardization and Approval Committee)
Certification Mark is displayed on the front
of the container.
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169
Look at the see-through coolant res-
ervoir when the engine is cold. The
coolant level is satisfactory if it is be-
tween the FULLº and LOWº lines on
the reservoir. If the level is low, add
ethylene-glycol type coolant.
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the LOWº line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the FULLº
line.
Use only ethylene-glycol type coolant.
See information in the next column.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the ra-
diator, hoses, radiator cap
and drain cock
and water pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check for
leaks in the cooling system.
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the
engine is hot.
CAUTION!
Coolant type selection
Your coolant must contain ethylene-gly-
col antifreeze. In addition to preventing
freezing and subsequent damage to the
engine, this will also prevent corrosion.
Further supplemental inhibitors or addi-
tives are neither needed nor recom-
mended.
Read the antifreeze container for informa-
tion on freeze protection. Follow the
manufacturer 's directions for how much
to mix with water. The total capacity of the
cooling system is given in Part 8. We rec-
ommend 50% solution be used for your
Toyota, or a sufficient quantity to provide
protection to about -35 C (-31 C).
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze
or plain water alone.
NOTICE
To check the fluid level, simply look at
the see-through reservoir. The level
should be between the MAXº and
MINº lines on the reservoir.
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go
down slightly as the brake pads wear. So
be sure to keep the reservoir filled.
If the reservoir needs frequent refilling, it
may indicate a serious mechanical prob-
lem.
Checking brake fluid
Checking the engine coolant
level
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