brake TOYOTA AVALON 2000 User Guide

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(a) Brake System Warning Light
This light comes on in the following cases
when the ignition key is turned on.

When the parking brake is applied...
This light comes on for a few seconds
with the ignition on even after the parking
brake is released.

When the brake fluid level is low...
Have your vehicle checked at your
Toyota dealer in the following cases:

The light does not come on even if the
parking brake is applied with the igni-
tion ONº.

The light does not come on even if the
ignition key is turned on with the park-
ing brake released.
If the light lit during driving goes out and
does not come again, it is a normal op-
eration.
CAUTION
If either of the following conditions
occurs, immediately stop your vehicle
at a safe place and contact your To-
yota dealer.

The light does not go out even af-
ter the parking brake is released
during the engine running.
In this case, the brakes might be
failing and your st opping distance
will be longer. Depress the brake
pedal firmly and bring the vehicle
to an immediate stop.

The brake system warning light re-
mains on together with the ABSº
warning light.
In this case, the vehicle may be-
come harder to control or skid dur-
ing hard braking or braking on slip-
pery road surfaces.
(b) Driver's Seat Belt Reminder Light
and Buzzer
This light and buzzer remind you to
buckle up the driver's seat belt.
Once the ignition key is turned to ONº or
STARTº, the reminder light flashes and
buzzer sounds if the driver 's seat belt is
not fastened. Unless the driver fastens the
belt, the light keep flashing and the buzz-
er sounds for about 4 to 8 seconds. (c) Front outside Passenger 's Seat Belt
Reminder Light
This light reminds you to buckle up the
front outside passenger 's seat belt.
Once the ignition key is turned to ºONº or
ºSTARTº, the reminder light flashes if a
passenger sits in the front outside passen-
ger seat and does not fasten the seat
belt. Unless the front passenger fastens
the belt, the light stays on. This light re-
minds you to buckle up the front passen-
ger 's seat belt.
If luggage load is placed on the front
outside passenger seat, depending on its
weight and how it is placed on the seat,
built- in sensors in the seat cushion may
detect the pressure, causing the reminder
light to come on.
(d) 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, radio, etc., and drive directly to
the nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.
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NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the enginedrive belt is broken or loose.
(e) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe place
and stop the engine immediately. Call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on
briefly after a hard stop. There is no
cause for concern if it then goes out when
the engine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to
indicate low oil level, and the oil level
must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with thewarning light onÐeven for one block.It may ruin the engine.
(f) Malfunction indicator lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See
Fuel gaugeº in Section 1- 5 for instruc-
tions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See Fuel tank capº in Section
1- 2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electrical
system.
If it comes on while you are driving in
case c, have your vehicle checked/re-
paired by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
(g) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual. (h) ABSº Warning Light
The light comes on with the ignition key
turned to ONº. If the anti- lock brake sys-
tem and the brake assist system work
properly, the light goes out after a few
seconds. Thereafter, if either of the sys-
tems malfunctions, the light comes 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 system still operate
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 occur, 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 remains
on.

The light comes on while driving.
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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.
(i) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
are completely closed.
(j) Rear Light Failure Warning Light
If this light comes on when the headlight
switch is turned on (at the position 1 or
position 2), it indicates that one or more
of the tail lights are burned out.
If it comes on when the brake pedal is
depressed, one or more stop lights are
burned out.
Have defective bulbs replaced as soon as
possible.(k) SRS Warning Light
This light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position. After about 6 seconds,
the light will go off. This means the
system of the airbags and front seat
belt pretensioners are operating proper-
ly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, inflators, front,
seat belt pretensioner assemblies, warning
light, interconnecting wiring and power
sources.
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 when the
ignition key is turned to the ACCº or
ONº position or remains on.

The light comes on or flashes while
driving.
(l) VSCº Warning 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 VSCº warning light comes on, the
vehicle skid control system and traction
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 VSCº warning light does not come
on after the ignition is turned to on.

The VSCº warning light is left on after
the ignition is turned to on.

The VSCº warning light comes on
while driving without pushing VSC
OFFº switch.
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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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OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Ignition switch, Transmission and Parking brake
SECTION 1- 6
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Parking brake168
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Your 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 depressed).
(a) Selector lever
The shift position is also displayed on the
instrument cluster.
P:Parking, engine starting and
key removal
R: Reverse
N: Neutral
D: Normal driving (with overdrive on)
2: Stronger engine braking
L: Maximum engine braking
Automatic transmission

Floor shift type
Overdrive switch
With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while holding the lock
release button in. (The ignition
switch must be in ONº
position.) Shift while holding the lock
release button in.
Shift normally.
Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
Selector lever
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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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CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using 2º and Lº positions
The 2º and Lº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in 2º or Lº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in Dº.
With the selector lever in 2º, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in Lº, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE

Be careful not to overrev the en-gine. Watch the tachometer to keepengine rpm from going into the redzone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position isgiven below for your reference:
2º 139 km/h (86 mph) . . . . . . . . . . .
Lº 76 km/h (47 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . .

Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the2º or Lº position. This may causesevere automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To preventsuch damage, Dº position shouldbe used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(f) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
Rº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(g) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal pressed down, fully depress the parking brake pedal
to apply the parking brake securely.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the Pº posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into Pº position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(h) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
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CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-grade with the accelerator pedal. Itcan cause the transmission to over-heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(i) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock the vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the ve-
hicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes un-
stuck, causing injury or damage to
nearby people or objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe thefollowing precautions to prevent dam-age to the transmission and otherparts.

Do not depress the accelerator ped-al while shifting the selector leveror before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reversegear.

Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.

If your vehicle remains stuck afterrocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-ing.
(j) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of Pº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the Pº position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector leverº in Section 4.
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