air condition TOYOTA AVALON 1996 User Guide

105

To cool off your Toyota after it has been
parked in the hot sun, drive with the
windows open for a few minutes. This
vents the hot air, allowing the air condi-
tioning to cool the interior more quickly.
 Make sure the air intake grilles in front
of the windshield are not blocked (by
leaves or snow, for example).
 On humid days, do not blow cold air on
the windshield. The windshield could
fog up because of the difference in air
temperature on the inside and outside
of the windshield.
 Keep the area under the front seats
clear to allow air to circulate through-
out the vehicle.
 On cold days, turn the fan speed to
HIº for a minute to help clear the in-
take ducts of snow or moisture. This
can reduce the amount of fogging on
the windows. Heating
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Press in the AUTOº button.
Temperature Ð To the desired
temperature
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning Ð OFF
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð FLOOR
Air conditioning Ð OFF
For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the win-
dows from fogging, select fresh after
the vehicle interior has been warmed.
 Press the A/Cº button on for dehumid-
ified heating.
 Choose floor/windshield air flow to
heat the vehicle interior while defrost-
ing or defogging the windshield. Air conditioning
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Press in the AUTOº button.
Temperature Ð To the desired
temperature
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning Ð ON
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards COLD
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð PANEL
Air conditioning Ð ON
For quick cooling, move the air intake
selector to recirculate for a few min-
utes.
ÐOperating tips
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106Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Press in the AUTOº button.
Temperature Ð Towards low
temperature
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning Ð OFF
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards COLD
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð PANEL
Air conditioning Ð OFF
Defogging and defrosting
The inside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Temperature Ð Towards high tem-
perature to heat; low
temperature to cool
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning Ð ON
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM to
heat; COLD to cool
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning Ð ON
On humid days, do not blow cold air on
the windshieldÐthe difference be-
tween the outside and inside tempera-
tures could make the fogging worse. The outside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Temperature Ð Towards high
temperature
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning Ð OFF
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning Ð OFF
To heat the vehicle interior while de-
frosting the windshield, choose floor/
windshield air flow.
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11 7
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of lu-
bricating and cooling the inside of the en-
gine,
and plays a major role in maintaining
the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are
as follows.

Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil is
left on the cylinder wall when a piston
moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated
when the vehicle is decelerating sucks
some of this oil into the combustion
chamber. This oil as well as some part
of the oil film left on the cylinder wall is
burned by the high temperature com-
bustion gases during the combustion
process.

Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil is
sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems. The amount of engine oil consumed
depends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions
the vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high-speed
driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may be-
come diluted and make it difficult to
judge the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for re-
peated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This is
because the oil is gradually becoming di-
luted with the fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds. IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in proper
vehicle maintenance is to keep the engine
oil at the optimum level so that oil function
will
not be impaired. Therefore, it is essen-
tial that the oil level be checked regularly.
Toyota recommends that the oil level be
checked every time you refuel the vehicle.
Failure to check the oil level
regularly could lead to serious
engine trouble due to insufficientoil.
NOTICE
For detailed information on the oil level
check, see Checking the engine oil levelº
in Chapter 7-2.
Facts about engine oil
consumption
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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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126Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in (a) Before crank-
ingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system in
your engine automatically controls the
proper air-fuel mixture for starting. You
can start a cold or hot engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped-
al, crank the engine by turning the key to
STARTº. Release it when the engine
starts.
2. After
the engine runs for about 10 sec-
onds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the en-
gine warm up for a few minutes before
driving.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not startÐ
See If your vehicle will not startº in Part 4.

Do not crank for more than 15 sec-onds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.
Do not race a cold engine.
NOTICE
If the engine becomes difficult tostart or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. This will allow you much better
control.

Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp-edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage result-
ing in tire bursts.

When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so that
the vehicle will not roll. Apply the park-
ing brake, and place the transmission
in Pº. If necessary, block the wheels.

Washing your vehicle or driving
through deep water may get the
brakes wet. To see whether they are
wet, check that there is no traffic near
you, and then press the pedal lightly. If
you do not feel a normal braking force,
the brakes are probably wet. To dry
them, drive the vehicle cautiously
while lightly pressing the brake pedal
with the parking brake depressed. If
they still do not work safely, pull to the
side of the road and call a T oyota deal-
er for assistance.
(b) Starting the engine Tips for driving in various
conditions
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131
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, ex-
cessive speed and improper trailer
loading. Keep these in mind when tow-
ing:

Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle-trailer con-
nections. After driving a short dis-
tance, stop and recheck the lights and
connections. Before actually towing a
trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing with a trailer in an area away
from traffic until you learn the feel.

Backing w ith a trailer is difficult and re-
quires 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 procedure
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 back-
ing to reduce the risk of an accident.

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 prepare
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.

Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.

In order to maintain engine braking ef-
ficiency do not use overdrive.

Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
305C [85 5 F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the
air conditioning (if in use), pull off the
road and stop in a safe spot. Refer to
If your vehicle overheatsº in Part 4 of
this manual.ProCarManuals.com

133


Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop-and-go driving
wastes fuel.

Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or take
advantage of through streets to avoid
traffic lights. Keep a proper distance
from other vehicles to avoid sudden
braking. This will also reduce wear on
your brakes.

Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.

Do not rest your foot on the clutch
or brake pedal. This causes needless
wear, overheating and poor fuel econ-
omy.

Maintain a moderate speed on
highways. The faster you drive, the
greater the fuel consumption. By re-
ducing your speed, you will cut down
on fuel consumption.

Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on the
engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.

Keep the bottom of your vehicle
free from mud, etc. This not only
lessens weight but also helps prevent
corrosion.

Keep your vehicle tuned-up and in
top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.
all lower engine performance and con-
tribute to poor fuel economy. For lon-
ger life of all parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your ve-
hicle receives more frequent mainte-
nance (For scheduled maintenance in-
formation, please refer to the separate
Owner 's Manual Supplement/Main-
tenance Scheduleº).
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering and
brake booster will not function
without the engine running. Also,
the emission control system
operates properly only when the
engine is running.!
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1385. Start your engine in the normal way.
After starting, run it at about 2000 rpm for
several minutes with the accelerator ped-
al lightly depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the
exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover
clothsÐthey may now contain sulfuric
acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent
plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is
not apparent (for example, lights left on),
you should have it checked.
If your engine stalls while driving
0
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see If your ve-
hicle will not startº.
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual. CAUTION
!
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if you
hear a loud knocking or pinging noise,
the engine has probably overheated.
You should follow this procedure
0
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle
and turn on your emergency flashers. Put
the transmission in Pº and apply the park-
ing brake. Turn off the air conditioning if it
is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine. Wait
until the steam subsides before opening
the hood. If there is no coolant boiling over
or steam, leave the engine running and
make sure the electric cooling fan is oper-
ating. If it is not, turn the ignition off.
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure. CAUTION
!
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from
the radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has been
used.
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine stalls while
driving
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145
11. Check the air pressure of the
replaced tire.
Adjust
the air pressure to the specification
designated in Part 8. If the pressure is
lower, drive slowly to the nearest service
station and fill to the correct pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire inflation
valve cap as dirt and moisture could get
into the valve core and possibly cause air
leakage. If the cap is missing, have a new
one put on as soon as possible.
12. Restow all the tools, jack and flat
tire securely.
As soon as possible after changing
wheels, tighten the wheel nuts to the
torque specified in Part 8 with a torque
wrench, have a technician repair the flat
tire and replace the spare tire with it.
Before driving, make sure all the
tools, jack and flat tire are securely
in place in their storage location to
reduce the possibility of personal
injury during a collision or sudden
braking. CAUTION
!
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you have it done by your T
oyota dealer
or a commercial tow truck service.
Proper equipment will help ensure that
your vehicle is not damaged while being
towed. Commercial operators are gener-
ally aware of the state/provincial and local
laws pertaining to towing.
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is towed
incorrectly. Although most operators
know the correct procedure, it is possible
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to
your vehicle, make sure the following few
precautions are observed. If necessary,
show this page to the tow truck driver.
TOWING PRECAUTIONS:
Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly.
(a) Using flat bed truck
Toyota recommends this as the best
method for your vehicle.
ÐAfter changing wheels If your vehicle needs to
be towedÐ
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Part 5
151
CORROSION
PREVENTION AND
APPEARANCE
CARE

Protecting your Toyota from
corrosion

Washing and waxing your
Toyota

Cleaning the interior
Toyota, through its diligent research, de-
sign and use of the most advanced
technology available, has done its part to
help prevent corrosion and has provided
you with the finest quality vehicle
construction. Now, it is up to you. Proper
care of your T oyota can help ensure long-
term corrosion prevention.
The most common causes of corro-
sion to your vehicle are:

The accumulation of road salt, dirt and
moisture in hard-to-reach areas un-
der the vehicle.

Chipping of paint, or undercoating
caused by minor accidents or by
stones and gravel.
Care is especially important if you live
in particular areas or operate your ve-
hicle under certain environmental
conditions:

Road salt or dust control chemicals will
accelerate corrosion, as will the pres-
ence of salt in the air near the sea-
coast or in areas of industrial pollution.

High humidity accelerates corrosion
especially when temperatures range
just above the freezing point.

Wetness or dampness to certain parts
of your vehicle for an extended period
of time, may cause corrosion even
though other parts of the vehicle may
be dry.

High temperatures will cause corro-
sion to those components of the ve-
hicle which are prevented from quick-
drying due to lack of proper ventilation.
The above signifies the necessity to keep
your vehicle, particularly the underside,
as clean as possible and to repair any
damage to paint or protective coatings as
soon as possible.
To help prevent corrosion on your
Toyota, follow these guidelines:
Wash your vehicle frequently: It is, of
course, necessary to keep your vehicle
clean by regular washing, but to prevent
corrosion, the following points should be
observed:

If you drive on salted roads in the win-
ter or if you live near the ocean, you
should hose off the undercarriage at
least once a month to minimize corro-
sion.

High pressure water or steam is effec-
tive for cleaning the vehicle's under-
side and wheel housings. Pay particu-
lar attention to these areas as it is
difficult to see all the mud and dirt. It
will do more harm than good to simply
wet the mud and debris without remov-
ing them. The lower edge of doors,
rocker panels and frame members
have drain holes which should not be
allowed to clog with dirt as trapped wa-
ter in these areas can cause corrosion.
Protecting your Toyota from
corrosion
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