tow TOYOTA AVALON 1997 Owners Manual

Publication No. OM22482U
Part No. 01999-22482
Printed in Japan 04- 9711- 02
Quick index

If a service reminder indicator or warning buzzer comes on 70 . . . . .

If your vehicle will not start 151 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If your engine stalls while driving 154 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If your vehicle overheats 155 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
.

If you have a flat tire 156 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . .

If your vehicle needs to be towed 163 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tips for driving during break- in period 129 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How to start the engine 141 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. .

General maintenance 176 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . .

Complete index 219 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . . . . . . .
Gas station information
Fuel type:
UNLEADED gasoline, Research Octane Number 91 (Octane Rating 87) or
higher. For improved vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded gaso-
line with a Research Octane Number of 96 (Octane Rating 91) or higher is
recommended.
See page 129 for detailed information.
Fuel tank capacity:
70 L (18.5 gal., 15.4 lmp. gal.)
Engine oil: API SH, Energy- Conservint IIº multigrade engine oil or ILSAC multigrade
engine oil is recommended.
See page 186 for detailed information.
Automatic transmission fluid: Automatic transmission fluid D- ll or DEXRON lll (DEXRON ll)
Tire information: See pages 189 through 193.
Tire pressure: See page 212.
B-1
B
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14
To open the trunk lid from the outside,
insert the master key and turn it clock-
wise.
See Luggage stowage precautionsº in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load-
ing luggage.
To close the trunk lid, lower it and press
down on it. After closing the trunk lid, try
pulling it up to make sure it is securely
closed.
Keep the trunk lid closed while driv-
ing. This not only keeps the luggage
from being thrown out but also pre-
vents exhaust gases from entering
the vehicle.
CAUTION!
To open the trunk lid from the driver's
seat, pull up on the lock release lever.
ÐLock release lever
Trunk lid (type A)
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15
This system deactivates the lock re-
lease lever so that things locked in the
trunk can be protected.
After closing the trunk lid, insert the
master key and turn it counterclock-
wise to deactivate the lock release lev-
er.
After closing the trunk lid, try pulling it up
to make sure it is securely locked.To open the trunk lid from the outside,
insert the master key and turn it clock-
wise.
See Luggage stowage precautionsº in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load-
ing luggage.
To close the trunk lid, lower it and press
down on it. After closing the trunk lid, try
pulling it up to make sure it is securely
closed.
Keep the trunk lid closed while driv-
ing. This not only keeps the luggage
from being thrown out but also pre-
vents exhaust gases from entering
the vehicle.
CAUTION!
ÐLuggage security system Trunk lid (type B)
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261. SEAT POSITION AND SEAT CUSH-
ION HEIGHT ADJUSTING SWITCH
Move the control switch in the desired
direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat at
that position.
Do not place anything under the front
seats. It might interfere with the seat-lock
mechanism.
2. SEATBACK ANGLE ADJUSTING SWITCH
Move the control switch in the desired
direction.
Releasing the switch will stop the seat-
back at that position.
CAUTION!
To reduce the risk of sliding under
the lap belt during a collision, avoid
reclining the seatback any more than
needed. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection in frontal or rear col-
lision when the driver and the pas-
senger are sitting up straight and
well back in the seats. If you are re-
clined, the lap belt may slide past
your hips and apply restraint forces
directly to the abdomen. Therefore,
in the event of a frontal collision, the
risk of personal injury may increase
with increasing recline of the seat-
back.
3. DRIVER'S SEAT LUMBAR SUP- PORT ADJUSTING LEVER
Pull the lever forward until you have
reached your desired position. To re-
duce the lumbar su pport, pull the lever
back toward its original position.
For your safety, adjust the head re-
straint before driving.
To raise: Pull it up.
To lower: Push it down while pressing the
lock release button.
You can also move the head restraint for-
ward or backward, pull or push the head
restraint.
The head restraining is most effective
when it is close to your head. Therefore,
using a cushion on the seat back is not rec-
ommended.
Head restraints
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Remove excess length of the belt and
adjust the belt position.
To shorten the belt, pull the free end of the
belt.
Position the lap belt as low as possible on
you hips-not on your waist, then adjust it
to a snug fit.
CAUTION!
High-positioned and loose-fitting
lap belt could cause severe injuries
due to sliding under the lap belt dur-
ing a collision. Keep the lap belt
positioned as low on hips as pos-
sible.
To release the belt, press the buckle-
release button.The front center seat belts can be
stowed when not in use.
ÐStowing the front center
seat belt
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60The lights automaticaly turn off when the
driver's door is opened with the ignition
key in the ACCº or LOCKº position. To
turn them on again, turn the key to the
ONº position or actuate the headlight
switch. If you are going to park for over
one week, make sure the headlight switch
is off.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being discharged, do not leave the lights
on for a long period when theengine is not running.
Daytime running light system (Canada
only)
The headlights turn on when the parking
brake is released with the engine started,
even with the light switch in the OFFº
position. They will not go off until the igni-
tion switch is turned off.
To turn on the other exterior lights and in-
strument panel lights, twist the knob to the
position 1.
Under the daytime running light system,
the headlights turn on at reduced intensi-
ty. Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
to full intensity for driving at night.
High-Low beamsÐFor high beams,
turn the headlights on and push the lever
away from you (position 1). Pull the lever
toward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will tell
you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)ÐPull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
with knob turned to OFFº.TURN SIGNAL
To signal a turn, push the headlight/
turn signal lever up or down to posi-
tion 1.
The key must be in the ONº position.
The lever automatically returns after you
make a turn, but you may have to return
it by hand after you change lanes.
To signal a lane change, move the lever
up or down to the pressure point (position
2) and hold it.
If the turn signal indicator lights (green
lights) on the instrument panel flash faster
than normal, a front or rear turn signal bulb
is burned out.
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61
HEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights: Twist
the headlight/turn signal lever knob.
Position 1ÐParking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights
Position 2ÐHeadlights and all of the
above
The lights automatically turn off when the
driver's door is opened with the ignition
key turned off. To turn them on again, turn
the key to the ONº position or actuate the
headlight switch. If you are going to park
for over one week, make sure the head-
light switch is off.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being discharged, do not leave the lights
on for a long period when the engineis not running.
Daytime running light system (Canada
only)
The headlights turn on when the parking
brake is released with the engine started,
even with the light switch in the OFFº
position. They will not go off until the igni-
tion switch is turned off.
To turn on the other exterior lights and in-
strument panel lights, twist the knob to the
position 1.
Under the daytime running light system,
the headlights turn on at reduced intensi-
ty. Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
to full intensity for driving at night.
High-Low beamsÐFor high beams,
turn the headlights on and push the lever
away from you (position 1). Pull the lever
toward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will tell
you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)ÐPull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
with knob turned to OFFº.
Headlights and turn signals
(without automatic light
control system)
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68
The gauge indicates the engine cool-
ant temperature when the ignition
switch is on. The engine operating
temperature will vary with changes in
weather and engine load.
If the needle moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow the
engine to cool.
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:

Driving up a long hill on a hot day.

Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.

Idling for a long period with the air con-
ditioning on in stop-and-go traffic.

Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat. The thermostat is designed tocontrol the flow of coolant to keep
the temperature of the engine within the specified operatingrange.
Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See If yourvehicle overheatsº in Part 4.
The tachometer indicates engine
speed in thousands of rpm (revolu-
tions per minute). Use it while driving
to select correct shift points and to
prevent engine lugging and overrev-
ving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Tachometer
Engine coolant temperature
gauge
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71
(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light has the following functions:
Parking brake reminder
If this light is on, make sure the parking
brake is fully released. The light should go
off.
Low brake fluid level warning
If this light comes on and stays on while
you are driving, slowdown and pull off the
road. Then stop the vehicle carefully.
There may be a problem somewhere in
the brake system. Check the fluid level of
the see-through reservoir.
To make sure the parking brake has not
caused the warning light to come on,
check to see that the parking brake is fully
released.
If the brake fluid level is low...
At a safe place, test your brakes by start-
ing and stopping.


If you judge that the brakes still work
adequately, drive cautiously to your
nearest dealer or shop for repairs.

If the brakes are not working, have the
vehicle towed in for repairs. (For tow-
ing information, see Part 4.)
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level
is low. CAUTION
!
If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and
Buzzer
Once the ignition key is turned to ONº or
STARTº, the reminder light and buzzer
come on if the driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened. Unless the driver fastens the belt,
the light stays on and the buzzer stops af-
ter about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being
discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging
system. The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, ra
dio, etc., and drive directly to the
nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Oil Level Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are driv-
ing, pull off the road to a safe place and
stop the engine immediately. Call a Toyo-
ta dealer or qualified repair shop for assis-
tance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on brief-
ly after a hard stop. There is no cause for
concern if it then goes out when the en-
gine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to indi-
cate low oil level, and the oil level must be
checked using the level dipstick.
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78Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of Pº position when the
brake
pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ONº position and the lock re-
lease button on the floor shift type trans-
mission depressed or the selector lever
on the column shift type transmission
pulled toward you).
(a) Normal Driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How
to start the engineº in Part 3. The trans-
mission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
In Dº position, the automatic transmis-
sion system will select the most suitable
gear for running conditions such as nor-
mal cruising, hill climbing, hard towing,
etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into overdrive
gear even with the overdrive switch on.
Never put your foot in the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting. CAUTION
!
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
 Turn off the overdrive switch. The O/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
 Shift into the 2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than 136 km/h (83
mph), and more powerful engine brak-
ing will be obtained. 
Shift into the Lº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 61 km/h (37 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be ap-
plied.
Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning off
the overdrive switch, engine braking is not
applied because the cruise control is not
cancelled. For ways to decrease the ve-
hicle speed, see Cruise controlº in this
chapter.
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid. CAUTION
!
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