steering TOYOTA AVALON 1996 Owners Manual

2
1. Side vent
2. Side defroster outlet
3. Tilt steering lock release lever
4. Automatic transmission selectorlever (column shift)
5. Center vents
6. Electric moon roof switch or front interior light, and front personal lights
7. Power door lock switch
8. Power window switches
9. Seat heater switch
10.Glovebox
11. Automatic transmission selector lever (floor shift)
12.Lower vent
13.Parking brake release lever
14. Parking brake pedal
Instrument panel overview
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Part 1
21
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
AND CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-3
Seats, Seat belts, Steering
wheel and Mirrors

Seats

Front seats

Head restraints

Seat heaters

Seat belts

SRS airbags

Child restraint

Tilt steering wheel

Outside rear view mirrors

Anti-glare inside rear view
mirror

Vanity mirrors
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 with the occupants
not properly seated, such as sit-
ting on top of a folded-down seat-
back, or in the luggage compart-
ment. 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. Balance
can be unsteady and severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of
emergency braking or a collision.!
Adjust the driver's seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of the
driver.
CAUTION

Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.

When adjusting the seat, be careful
not to hit the seat against a passen-
ger or luggage.

After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.

After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.

Do not put objects under the seats
as they may interfere with the seat-
lock mechanism or unexpectedly
push up the seat position adjusting
lever; the seat may suddenly move,
causing the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.

While adjusting the seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. You may jam
your hands or fingers.!
Seats
Front seatsÐ
ÐSeat adjustment precautions
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31

After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the seat belt extender is not
twisted.

Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in the
buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.

If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer.
CAUTION!
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection to occupants in the
following seats when added to the pri-
mary protection provided by the seat
belts.

Vehicles with separate front seatsÐ
The SRS airbags are designed to pro-
tect the driver and front passenger.

Vehicles with bench front seatsÐThe
SRS airbags are designed to protect
the driver and right-front passenger.
They are not designed to protect occu-
pant in the center position. In response to a severe frontal impact, the
SRS airbags work together with the seat
belts to prevent or reduce injury by inflat-
ing, in order to decrease the likelihood of
the driver's or front passenger's head or
chest directly hitting the steering wheel or
dashboard. The passenger airbag is acti-
vated even with no passenger in the front
seat.
SRS airbags
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33
The SRS airbags are not designed to
inflate if the vehicle is subjected to a
side or rear impact, if it rolls over, or if
it is involved in a low-speed frontal
collision.The SRS airbag system mainly consists
of the following components and their
locations are shown in the illustration.
1 Airbag sensor assembly
2 Steering wheel pad (airbag and inflator)
3 Passenger airbag module (airbag and inflator)
4 SRS airbag warning light
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor. In a severe frontal impact, sensors detect
deceleration and the system triggers the
airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction
in the inflators momentarily fills the air-
bags with non-toxic nitrogen gas to help
restrain the forward motion of the occu-
pants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly
loud noise and release some smoke
along with the nitrogen gas. This is not
harmful and does not indicate a fire. Be
sure to wash off any residue as soon as
possible to prevent minor skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happen in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swellings.
Parts of the airbag module (steering
wheel hub, dashboard) may be hot for
several minutes, but the airbags them-
selves w ill not be hot. The airbags are de-
signed to inflate only once.
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35

Do not sit on the edge of the seat or
lean over the dashboard when the
vehicle is in use. The airbags inflate
with considerable speed and force;
you may be severely injured. Sit up
straight and well back in the seat,
and always use your seat belt.
Do not allow a child to stand up, or
to kneel on the front passenger
seat. The airbag inflates with con-
siderable speed and force; the
child may be severely injured.

Do not hold a child on your lap or in
your arms. Use a child restraint
system in the rear seat. For instruc-
tions concerning the installation of
a child restraint system, see Child
restraintº in this chapter.
Do not put objects on or in front of
the dashboard or steering wheel
pad that houses the airbag system.
They might restrict inflation or
cause personal injury as they are
projected rearward.

Do not modify, remove or open any
component or wiring, such as the
steering wheel, column cover, front
passenger airbag cover, front pas-
senger airbag, airbag sensor as-
sembly. Doing any of these may
cause sudden SRS airbag inflation
or disable the system, which could
result in personal injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in severe injuries.
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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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46
To change the steering wheel angle,
hold the steering wheel, pull up the
lock release lever, tilt the steering
wheel to the desired angle and release
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.
Adjust the mirror so 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 surface.
Any object seen in a convex mirror will
look smaller and farther away than when
seen in a flat mirror.
Type A
Type B
ÐPower rear view mirror
control
Outside rear view mirrorsÐ
Tilt steering wheel
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Part 1
63
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-6
Ignition switch,
Transmission
and Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering
lock
 Automatic transmission
 Parking brake
 Cruise control
STARTºÐStarter motor on. The key
will return to the ONº position when
released.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
ONºÐEngine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
ACCºÐAccessories such as the ra-
dio operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ACCº or
LOCKº position and open the driver's
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
LOCKºÐEngine is off and the steer-
ing wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position. You must push in the key to turn the key
from ACCº to the LOCKº position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be put in the Pº
position before pushing the key.
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the LOCKº position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering
wheel slightly
while turning the key gently.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ONº position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and theignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock
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Part 3
125
STARTING AND
DRIVING

Before starting the engine

How to start the engine

Tips for driving in various
conditions

Winter driving tips

Trailer towing

How to save fuel and make your
vehicle last longer, too
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 Pº. If you
need to restart the engine while the ve-
hicle is moving, put the selector lever in
Nº. 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.
Before starting the engine
How to start the engineÐ
(a) Before cranking
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128Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer's directions for how
much to mix with water.
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may
damage your vehicle's paint.
NOTICE
Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
Pº and block the rear wheels. Do not use
the parking brake, or snow or water accu-
mulated in and around the parking brake
mechanism may freeze, making it hard to
release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally. Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the ve-
hicle are tire chains, window scraper, bag
of sand or salt, flares, small shovel, jump-
er cables, etc.
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a
passenger-carrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer will have an adverse effect on han-
dling, performance, braking, durability
and driving economy (fuel consumption,
etc.). Your safety and satisfaction
depend
on the proper use of correct equipment
and cautious driving habits. For your safe-
ty and the safety of others, you must not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Toyota
warranties do not apply to damage or mal-
function caused by towing a tailer for com-
mercial purposes. Ask your local Toyota
dealer for further details before towing.
WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total trailer
weight, gross vehicle weight, gross axle
weight and trailer tongue load are all with-
in the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station,
building supply company, trucking com-
pany, junk yard, etc.
CAUTION

The total trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo load) must
not exceed 907 kg (2000 lb.). Ex-
ceeding this weight is dangerous.!
Trailer towing
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