steering wheel TOYOTA AVALON 2003 XX20 / 2.G Owners Manual

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
412003 AVALON (OM41401U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Seats, Seat belts, Steering wheel and Mirrors
Seats42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front seats42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving position memory system45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trunk storage extension47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Head restraints48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Armrest49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat heaters49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seat belts50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS driver airbag and front passenger airbag60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SRS side airbags68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Child restraint73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tilt steering wheel92 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Outside rear view mirrors93 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Antiglare inside rear view mirror94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Auto antiglare inside rear view mirror95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vanity mirrors96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1 3

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
422003 AVALON (OM41401U)
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 the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow sitting on top of a
foldeddown seatback, or in the
luggage compartment or cargo area.
Persons not properly seated and/or
properly restrained by seat belts
can be severely injured in the event
of emergency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
CAUTION
The SRS side airbags are installed in
the driver and front passenger seats.
Observe the following precautions.
Do not lean against the front door
when the vehicle is in use, since
the side airbag inflates with consid-
erable speed and force. Otherwise,
you may be killed or seriously in-
jured. Special care should be taken
especially when you have a small
child in the vehicle.
Do not use seat accessories which
cover the parts where the side air-
bags inflate. Such accessories may
prevent the side airbags from acti-
vating correctly, causing death or
serious injury.
Do not modify or replace the seats
or upholstery of the front seats
with the side airbags. Such changes
may disable the system or cause
the side airbags to inflate acciden-
tally resulting in death or serious
injury. Consult your Toyota dealer if
you insist on modifications of this
kind.
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
that the seat does not hit 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, push
back your body to make sure it is
locked in position.
SeatsFront seats—
—Front seat precautions—Seat adjustment precautions

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
472003 AVALON (OM41401U)
CAUTION
Do not start the vehicle while the
adjustment are being made.
Take care not to select the wrong
button, or the seat could strike the
rear passenger or hit your body
against the steering wheel. If this
happens, you can stop the move-
ment by pressing another driving
position memory switch, or de-
pressing the brake pedal.
1. Pull down the armrest in the rear
seat.2. Push down the handle of the armrest
door and open the armrest door.
Access to the trunk can be prevented by
locking the armrest door with the master
key.
To lock: Turn the key clockwise.
See “Luggage stowage precautions” in
Section 2 for precautions in loading lug-
gage.
Trunk storage extension

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
602003 AVALON (OM41401U)
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) front airbags are designed to pro-
vide further protection for occupants in
the following seats in addition to the
primary safety protection provided by
the seat belts.
Vehicles with bucket front seats—The
SRS front airbags are designed to pro-
tect the driver and front passenger.
Vehicles with bench type front seats—
The SRS front airbags are designed to
protect the driver and front outside
passenger. They are not designed to
protect occupant in the center position.In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS front airbags work together with
the seat belts to help reduce injury by
inflating. The SRS front airbags help to
reduce injuries mainly to the driver ’s or
front passenger ’s head or chest caused by
directly hitting the steering wheel or dash-
board. The front passenger airbag is acti-
vated even with no passenger in the front
seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.
CAUTION
The driver or front passenger who is
too close to the steering wheel or
dashboard during airbag deployment
can be killed or seriously injured.
Toyota strongly recommends that:
The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.
The front passenger sit as far back
as possible from the dashboard.
All vehicle occupants be properly
restrained using the available seat
belts.
SRS driver airbag and front
passenger airbag

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
632003 AVALON (OM41401U)
In a severe frontal impact, the sensor de-
tects deceleration and the system triggers
the airbag inflators. At this time a chemi-
cal reaction in the inflators quickly fills the
airbags with nontoxic gas to help restrain
the forward motion of the occupants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
and residue along with nontoxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This gas is nor-
mally harmless; however, for those who
have delicate skin, it may cause a minor
skin irritation. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent
any potential skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happens 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 swelling.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, dashboard) may be hot for several
minutes, but the airbags themselves will
not be hot. The airbags are designed to
inflate only once.A crash severe enough to inflate the air-
bags may break the windshield as the
vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a pas-
senger airbag the windshield may also be
damaged by absorbing some of the force
of the inflating airbag.CAUTION
The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver side and
front passenger side seat belt sys-
tems. The front seat occupants can
be killed or seriously injured by the
inflating airbags if they do not wear
the available seat belts properly.
During sudden braking just before
a collision, an unrestrained driver
or front passenger can move for-
ward into direct contact with or
close proximity to the airbag which
may then deploy during the colli-
sion. To ensure maximum protection
in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must
wear their seat belts properly. Wear-
ing a seat belt properly during an
accident reduces the chances of
death or serious injury or being
thrown out of the vehicle. For
instructions and precautions con-
cerning the seat belt system, see
“Seat belts” in this section.

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
662003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Do not put objects or your pets on
or in front of the dashboard or
steering wheel pad that houses the
front airbag system. They might re-
strict inflation or cause death or
serious injury as they are projected
rearward by the force of the deploy-
ing airbags. Likewise, the driver
and front passenger should not
hold objects in their arms or on
their knees.
Do not modify or remove any wir-
ing. Do not modify, remove, strike
or open any components such as
the steering wheel pad, steering
wheel, column cover, front passen-
ger airbag cover, front passenger
airbag or airbag sensor assembly.
Doing so may cause sudden SRS
front airbag inflation or disable the
system, which could result in death
or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.
Consult your Toyota dealer about any
repairs and modifications.NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
SRS front airbag system in some
cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile twoway radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
Modification of the front end struc-
ture
Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment to
the front end
Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure, con-
sole, steering column, steering
wheel or dashboard near the front
passenger airbag

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
672003 AVALON (OM41401U)
This SRS front airbag system has a
service reminder indicator to inform the
driver of operating problems. If either of
the following conditions occurs, this
indicates a malfunction of the airbags.
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 “ON” posi-
tion, or the light remains on.
The light comes on while driving.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:
The SRS front airbags have been in-
flated.
The front of the vehicle (shaded in the
illustration) was involved in an accident
that was not severe enough to cause
the SRS front 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.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables
before contacting your Toyota dealer.

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
922003 AVALON (OM41401U)
CAUTION
When using the lower anchorages
for the child restraint system, be
sure that there are no irregular ob-
jects around the anchorages and
that the seat belt is not caught.
Push and pull the child restraint
system in different directions to
make sure it is secure. Follow all
the installation instructions pro-
vided by its manufacturer.
Do not install a child restraint sys-
tem on the rear seat if it interferes
with the lock mechanism of the
front seats. This can cause death or
serious injury to a child and front
passenger in case of a sudden
braking or a collision.To change the steering wheel angle,
hold the steering wheel, pull the lock
release lever toward you, tilt the steer-
ing wheel to the desired angle and re-
lease 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. Doing
so may cause the driver to mishan-
dle the vehicle and an accident may
occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.
After adjusting the steering wheel,
try moving it up and down to make
sure it is locked in position.
Tilt steering wheel

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1242003 AVALON (OM41401U)
“START”—Starter motor on. The key
will return to the “ON” position when
released.
For starting tips, see Section 3.
“ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
“ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position and open the driver’s
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
“LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.You must push in the key to turn the key
from “ACC” to the “LOCK” position. The
selector lever must be in the “P” position
before pushing the key.
Vehicles with engine immobiliser system—
Once you remove the key, the engine im-
mobiliser system is automatically set. (See
“Engine immobiliser system” in Section
12.)
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the “LOCK” 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.
If the automatic unlocking operation linked
with the ignition switch is set, all doors
are automatically unlocked when the igni-
tion switch is turned from the “ON” posi-
tion to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position. For
details, see “—Automatic door locking and
unlocking functions” in Section 12.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the “ON”
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
ignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1352003 AVALON (OM41401U)
The vehicle skid control system helps
provide integrated control of the sys-
tems such as antilock brake system,
traction control, engine control, etc.
This system automatically controls the
brakes and engine to help prevent the
vehicle from skidding when cornering
on a slippery road surface or operating
steering wheel abruptly.
This system will activate when your ve-
hicle speed reaches or exceeds 15 km/h
(9 mph), and will deactivate when the ve-
hicle speed reduced to below 15 km/h (9
mph).
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 system is
in the selfcheck mode but does not indi-
cate a malfunction.CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle skid control system. Even if
the vehicle skid control system is
operating, you must always drive
carefully and attentively to avoid
serious injury. Reckless driving will
result in an unexpected accident. If
the slip indicator light flashes and
an alarm sounds, special care
should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacture, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, different type or
size, the vehicle skid control sys-
tem may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” in
Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.
Vehicle skid control system