Brake light TOYOTA AVALON 2000 User Guide

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(m) VSC OFFº Indicator Light
The light warns that when there is a prob-
lem somewhere in the vehicle skid control
system or traction control system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to ONº, and will go off after
about a few seconds.
If the VSC OFFº indicator light comes on,
the vehicle skid control system and trac-
tion control system do not work. However,
as conventional braking operates when ap-
plied, there is no problem to continue your
driving.
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 VSC OFFº indicator light does not
come on after the ignition is turned to
on.

The VSC OFFº indicator light is left on
after the ignition is turned to on.

The VSC OFFº indicator light comes
on while driving without pushing VSC
OFFº switch.(n) Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level
Warning Light
The light warns that the windshield washer
fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at
your earliest opportunity. (For instructions,
see Adding washer fluidº in Section 7- 3.)
(o) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer reminds you to remove the
key when you open the driver 's door with
the ignition key in the ACCº or LOCKº
position. CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER
INDICATORS (except the low fuel level
warning light and low windshield
washer fluid level warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open one of the doors. The open door warning light should
come on.
3. Close the door. The open door warning light should go
off.
4. Turn the ignition key to ACCº. The SRS warning light should come on.
It goes off after about 6 seconds.
5. Turn the ignition key to ONº, but do not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex-
cept the open door warning light and
SRS warning light should come on. The
ABSº, VSCº, VSC OFFº and slip indi-
cator lights go off after a few seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described
above, either the bulb is burned out or the
circuit is in need of repair. Have it
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
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(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either a third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The O/D OFFº indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The O/D OFFº indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will automatically be on.When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift the transmission by
pushing and releasing the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not applied be-
cause the cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise controlº in this section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the engineº in Section 3. The
transmission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
When the lever is in the Dº position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push 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 132 km/h (82
mph), and stronger engine braking will
be enabled.
Shift into the Lº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 59 km/h (36 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift the transmission by
pushing and releasing the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not applied be-
cause the cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise controlº in this section.
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(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either a third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The O/D OFFº indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The O/D OFFº indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will automatically be on.When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift the transmission by
pushing and releasing the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not applied be-
cause the cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise controlº in this section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the engineº in Section 3. The
transmission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
When the lever is in the Dº position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push 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 132 km/h (82
mph), and stronger engine braking will
be enabled.
Shift into the Lº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
When the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 59 km/h (36 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be ap-
plied.
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift the transmission by
pushing and releasing the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not applied be-
cause the cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see Cruise controlº in this section.
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Traction control system
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps control the spinning of the
front wheels which may occur when ac-
celerating on slippery road surfaces,
thus assisting driver to control the driv-
ing power of the front wheels.
Leave the system on during ordinary
driving so that it can operate when
needed. When traction control is ap-
plied, the slip indicator light blinks.
While the VSCº warning light and VSC
OFFº indicator light come on, the traction
control system cannot be operated.You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the traction
control system is in the self- check mode,
and does not indicate malfunction.
When the traction control system is oper-
ating, you may feel vibration or noise of
your vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is func-
tioning properly.
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the traction control system
will help operate to prevent the wheels
from spinning.You can turn off the traction control
system by pushing the VSC OFFº
switch. The VSC OFFº indicator light
will come on. Pushing the VSC OFFº
switch a second time turns on the trac-
tion control system again and the VSC
OFFº indicator light will go off. At this
time, the vehicle skid control also turns
off and on simultaneously.
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Vehicle skid control system
The vehicle skid control system helps
provide comprehensive control of the
systems such as an anti- lock brake
system, brake assist system, traction
control, engine control, etc. This sys-
tem automatically controls the output of
the brakes or engine to help prevent
the vehicle from skidding when corner-
ing on a slippery road surface or
abrupt steering wheel operation occurs.If the vehicles is going to skid during
driving, the slip indicator light flashes and
an alarm sounds intermittently.
The vehicle skid control system activates
when the vehicle speed is about more
than 15 km/h (9 mph).
While the VSCº warning light and VSC
OFFº indicator light come on, the vehicle
skid control system cannot be operated.
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the vehicle
skid control is in the self- check mode and
does not indicate a malfunction.You can turn off the vehicle skid con-
trol system by pushing the VSC OFFº
switch. The VSC OFFº indicator light
will come on. Pushing the VSC OFFº
switch a second time turns the system
again and the VSC OFFº indicator light
will go off. At this time, the traction
control also turns off and on simulta-
neously.
When you turn the ignition switch on, this
system always turns on.
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Parking brake
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
When parking, firmly apply the parking
brake to avoid inadvertent creeping.
To set: Fully depress the parking brake
pedal. For better holding power, first de-
press the brake pedal and hold it while
setting the parking brake.
To release: Depress the parking brake
pedal while depressing the brake pedal.
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light in
the instrument panel remains on until you
release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off.
Cruise control
The cruise control allows you to cruise
the vehicle at a desired speed over 40
km/h (25 mph) with your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained
although a slight speed change may occur
when driving up or down gradient, within
the limits of engine performance. On
steeper hills, a greater speed change will
occur so it is better to drive without the
cruise control.
When the cruise control is on, the driving
pattern of the automatic transmission is
fixed in the normal position, regardless of
the position of the selector switch.
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However, a faster way to reset is to de-
press the brake pedal and then push
ºCOAST SETº button.
Even if you turn off the overdrive switch
with the cruise control on, engine braking
will not be applied because the cruise
control is not cancelled. To decrease the
vehicle speed, reset to a slower speed
with the cruise control button or depress
the brake pedal. If you use the brake
pedal, cruise control is cancelled.
RESUMING THE PRESET SPEED
If the preset speed is cancelled by push-
ing CANCELº button or by depressing the
brake pedal, pushing ºRES ACCº button
will restore the speed set prior to can-
cellation. However, once the vehicle speed
falls below about 40 km/h (25 mph), the
preset speed will not be resumed.
CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE WARNING
If CRUISEº indicator light in the instru-
ment cluster flashes when using the
cruise control, push ON/OFFº button to
turn the system off and then push it again
to turn it on.
If any of the following conditions then oc-
curs, there is some trouble in the cruise
control system.The indicator light does not come on.
The indicator light flashes again.
The indicator light goes out after it
comes on.
If this is the case, contact your Toyota
dealer and have your vehicle inspected.
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Iridium- tipped spark plugs
Your engine is fitted with iridium- tipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridium- tipped spark plugsand do not adjust gaps for your en-gine performance and smooth drive-ability.
Brake system
This brake system has two independent
hydraulic circuits. If either circuit should
fail, the other will still work. However, the
pedal will be harder to press, and your
stopping distance will be longer. Also, the
brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a
single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
power- assist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserved
vacuum for one or two stopsÐbut no
more!
CAUTION

Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your reserved vacu-
um.

Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
be longer.
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Anti- lock brake system is not de-
signed to shorten the stopping dis-
tance: Always drive at the moderate
speed and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front of you.
Compared with vehicles not fitted
with an anti- lock brake system, your
vehicle may require a longer stopping
distance in the following cases:

Driving on rough, gravel or snow-
covered roads.

Driving with tire chains installed.

Driving over the steps such as the
joints on the road

Driving on roads where the road
surface is pitted or has other differ-
ences in surface height.
Install all 4 tires of specified size at
appropriate pressure: The anti- lock
brake system detects vehicle speeds
using the speed sensors for respec-
tive wheels' turning speeds. The use
of tires other than specified may fail
to detect the accurate turning speed,
resulting in a longer stopping dis-
tance.
Ty p e A
Ty p e B
ABSº warning light
The lights come on with the ignition
key turned to ONº. If the anti- lock
brake system and the brake assiste sys-
tem work properly, the light goes out
after a few seconds. Thereafter, if either
of the system malfunctions, the lights
come on.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system, the brake assist
system, the traction control system and/or
the vehicle skid control system do/does
not operate, but the brake system still
operates conventionally.
When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti- lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden brake or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If 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 with the
ignition key turned to ONº or remainds
on.
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The light comes on while driving.
If the light lit during driving goes out and
does not come on again, it is a normal
operation.
CAUTION
If the ABSº warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, the vehicle may become
harder to control or skid during hard
braking or braking on slippery road
surfaces.
DRUM- IN- DISC TYPE PARKING BRAKE
SYSTEM
Your vehicle has a drum- in- disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system n eeds bedding- down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding- down. BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM
When you slam the brakes on, the
brake assist system judges as an emer-
gency stop and provides more powerful
braking for a driver who cannot hold
down the brake pedal firmly.
When you slam the brakes on, more pow-
erful braking will be applied. At this time,
you may hear a sound in the engine
compartment and feel the vibration of the
brake pedal. This does not indicate a mal-
function.
The brake assist system becomes opera-
tive after the vehicle has accelerated to
a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
For an explanation of this system's warn-
ing light, see Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzersº in Section 1- 5.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
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.
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