TOYOTA AVALON 2020 Owners Manual (in English)

3716-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■Cleaning detergents
● Do not use the following types of detergent, as they may discol or the vehi-
cle interior or cause streaks or damage to painted surfaces:
• Areas other than the seats and steering wheel: Organic substan ces
such as benzene or gasoline, alkaline or acidic solutions, dye, and
bleach
• Seats: Alkaline or acidic solutions, such as thinner, benzene, and alco-
hol
• Steering wheel: Organic substances, such as thinner, and clean er that
contains alcohol
● Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel’s or other
interior part’s painted surface may be damaged.
■ Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of
leather surfaces:
● Remove any dust or dirt from leather surfaces immediately.
● Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended perio ds of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
● Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or containing wax on the uphol-
stery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats
up significantly.
■ Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if wate r comes
into contact with electrical components such as the audio syste m above or
under the floor of the vehicle. Water may also cause the body to rust.
■ When cleaning the inside of the windshield
Do not allow glass cleaner to contact the lens. Also, do not to uch the lens.
( P. 220)
■ Cleaning the inside of the rear window
● Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window, as this may cause
damage to the rear window defogger heater wires or antenna. Use a cloth
dampened with lukewarm water to gently wipe the window clean. Wipe the
window in strokes running parallel to the heater wires or antenna.
● Be careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires or antenna .

3726-2. Maintenance
General maintenance should be performed on a daily basis. This can
be done by yourself or by a Toyota dealer.
Scheduled maintenance should be performed at specified intervals
according to the maintenance schedule.
For details about maintenance items and schedules, refer to the “Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
You can perform som e maintenance procedures by yourself.
Please be aware that do-it-yourse lf maintenance may affect warranty
coverage.
The use of Toyota Repair Manuals is recommended.
For details about warranty coverage, refer to the separate “Own er’s War-
ranty Information Booklet” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Maintenance requirements
To ensure safe and economical driving, day-to-day care and reg-
ular maintenance are essential. I t is the owner’s responsibility to
perform regular checks. Toyota recommends the following main-
tenance:
General maintenance
Scheduled maintenance
Do-it-yourself maintenance

3736-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Repair and replacement
It is recommended that genuine Toyota parts be used for repairs to ensure
performance of each system. If non-Toyota parts are used in rep lacement or if
a repair shop other than a Toyota dealer performs repairs, conf irm the war-
ranty coverage.
■ Resetting the message indicating maintenance is required
After the required maintenance is performed according to the ma intenance
schedule, please reset the message.
To reset the message, perform the following procedure:
Select on the multi-information display using the meter contro l switches
on the steering wheel. ( P. 100)
Select and then press and hold .
Select “Scheduled Maintenance” and then press .
Select “Yes” and then press .
A message will be displayed on the multi-information display wh en the
reset procedure has been completed.
■ Allow inspection and repairs to b e performed by a Toyota dealer
● Toyota technicians are well-trained specialists and are kept up to date with
the latest service information. They are well informed about th e operations
of all systems on your vehicle.
● Keep a copy of the repair order. It proves that the maintenance that has
been performed is under warranty coverage. If any problem should arise
while your vehicle is under warranty, your Toyota dealer will p romptly take
care of it.
WARNING
■ If your vehicle is no t properly maintained
Improper maintenance could result in serious damage to the vehi cle and
possible death or serious injury.
■ Important health and safety information
● Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and a wide variety of automobile
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects and other reproductive harm. Wor k in a
well ventilated area.
● Oils, fuels and fluids contained in vehicles as well as waste p roduced by
component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduct ive harm.
Avoid exposure and wash any affected area immediately.
● Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead a nd lead
compounds which are known to cause brain damage. Wash your hand s
after handling. ( P. 390)
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3746-2. Maintenance
General maintenance
Listed below are the general maintenance items that should be
performed at the intervals specified in the “Owner’s Warranty
Information Booklet” or “Own er’s Manual Supplement/Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide”. It is recommended that any problem
you notice should be brought to the attention of your Toyota
dealer or qualified s ervice shop for advice.
Engine compartment
ItemsCheck points
BatteryCheck the connections. ( P. 390)
Brake fluidIs the brake fluid at the correct
level? (P. 389)
Engine coolantIs the engine coolant at the correct
level? (P. 387)
Engine oilIs the engine oil at the correct level?
(P. 384)
Exhaust systemThere should not be any fumes or
strange sounds.
Radiator/condenser
The radiator and condenser should
be free from foreign objects.
(P. 388)
Washer fluidIs there sufficient washer fluid?
(P. 392)

3756-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal
• The accelerator pedal shouldmove smoothly (without uneven
pedal effort or catching).
Automatic transmission “Park”
mechanism• When parked on a slope and theshift lever is in P, is the vehicle
securely stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move
smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appro- priate clearance from the floor?
(P. 478)
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of free play?
(P. 478)
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to one
side when the brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effec- tively.
• The brake pedal should not feel spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get
too close to the floor when the
brakes are applied.
Head restraints (adjustable type)• Do the head restraints movesmoothly and lock securely?
Indicators/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzersfunction properly?
Lights • Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake operate
normally?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is on, is the vehicle
securely stopped?

3766-2. Maintenance
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operatesmoothly?
• The seat belts should not be dam- aged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate prop-erly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotatesmoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correct amount of free play?
• There should not be any strange
sounds coming from the steering
wheel.
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
ItemsCheck points
Doors/trunk• Do the doors/trunk operatesmoothly?
Engine hood• Does the engine hood lock systemwork properly?
Fluid leaks
• There should not be any signs offluid leakage after the vehicle has
been parked.
Tires
• Is the tire inflation pressure cor-rect?
• The tires should not be dam-
aged or excessively worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the maintenance
schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wipers
• The wiper blades should not show
any signs of cracking, splitting,
wear, contamination or deforma-
tion.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield without streaking or
skipping.

3776-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
WARNING
■If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilati on before per-
forming maintenance checks.

3786-2. Maintenance
The OBD system determines that a problem exists somewhere in the
emission control system. Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test and
may need to be repaired. Contact your Toyota dealer to service the
vehicle.
● When the battery is disc onnected or discharged
Readiness codes that are set duri ng ordinary driving are erased.
Also, depending on your driving habits, the readiness codes may
not be completely set.
● When the fuel tan k cap is loose
The malfunction indicator lamp comes on indicating a temporary
malfunction and your vehicle m ay not pass the I/M test.
The error code in th e OBD system will not be cleared unless the vehi-
cle is driven 40 or more times.
Contact your Toyota dea ler to prepare the vehicle for re-testin g.
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs
Some states have vehicle emission inspection programs which
include OBD (On Board Diagnos tics) checks. The OBD system
monitors the operation of t he emission control system.
If the malfunction indicator lamp comes on
Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test in the following situations:
When the malfunction indicator lamp still remains on after sev-
eral driving trips
If your vehicle does not pass the I/M test

379
6
Maintenance and care
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself ser vice precautions
If you perform maintenance by yourself, be sure to follow the
correct procedure as given in these sections.
ItemsParts and tools
Battery condition
(  P. 390)• Warm water• Baking soda• Grease
• Conventional wrench (for terminal clamp bolts)
Brake fluid level
( P. 389)
• SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
SAE J1704 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 4
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake fluid)
Engine coolant
level ( P. 387)
• “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” or a similar high
quality ethylene glycol-based non-silicate, non-
amine, non-nitrite and non-borate coolant with long-
life hybrid organic acid technology
U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is pre-mixed with
50% coolant and 50% deionized water.
Canada:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is pre-mixed with
55% coolant and 45% deionized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding engine coolant)
Engine oil level
(  P. 384)• “Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equivalent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding engine oil)
Fuses ( P. 416)• Fuse with same amperage rating as original
Radiator/con-
denser (
P. 388)
Tire inflation
pressure
( P. 407)• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source
Washer fluid
( P. 392)• Water or washer fluid containing antifreeze (for win-
ter use)
• Funnel (used only for adding water or washer fluid)

3806-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
WARNING
The engine compartment contains many mechanisms and fluids that may
move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energized. To avoid death
or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
■When working on the engine compartment
● Keep hands, clothing and tools away from the moving fan and eng ine
drive belt.
● Be careful not to touch the engine, radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. right
after driving as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
● Do not leave anything that may burn easily, such as paper and r ags, in the
engine compartment.
● Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel or t he bat-
tery. Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.
● Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.
■ When working near the electric cooling fan or radiator grille
Be sure the engine switch is off. With the engine switch in IGN ITION ON
mode, the electric cooling fan may automatically start to run if the air condi-
tioning is on and/or the coolant temperature is high. ( P. 388)
■ Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc.
from getting in your eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove the air cleaner filter
Driving with the air cleaner filter removed may cause excessive engine wear
due to dirt in the air.