1996 TOYOTA AVALON Owners Manual

136If the engine will not start, your engine
may be flooded because of repeated
cranking.
If this happens, turn the key to STARTº
with the accelerator pedal held down.
Keep
the key and accelerator pedal so for
15 seconds and release them. Then try
starting the engine with your foot off the
accelerator pedal.
If the engine does not start after 15 sec-
onds of cranking, release the key, wait a
few minutes and try again.
If the engine still will not start, it needs ad-
justment or repair. Call a Toyota dealer or
qualified repair shop for assistance.
NOTICE
Do not crank for more than 15 seconds at a time. This may
overheat the starter and wiringsystems.
To avoid serious personal injury and
damage to your vehicle which might
result from battery explosion, acid
burns, electrical burns, or damaged
electronic components, these instruc-
tions must be followed precisely.
If you are unsure about how to follow this
procedure, we strongly recommend that
you seek the help of a competent me-
chanic or towing service.

Batteries contain sulfuric acid
which is poisonous and corro-
sive. Wear protective safety
glasses when jump starting, and
avoid spilling acid on your skin,
clothing, or vehicle.

If you should accidentally get acid
on yourself or in your eyes, re-
move any contaminated clothing
and flush the affected area with
water for at least 15 minutes. Then
get immediate medical attention. If
possible, continue to apply water
with a sponge or cloth while en
route to the medical office.

The gas normally produced by a
battery will explode if a flame or
spark is brought near. Use only
standardized jumper cables and
do not smoke or light a match
while jump starting. CAUTION
!

NOTICE
The battery used for boosting must be 12 V. Do not jump start unless
you are sure that the booster batteryis correct.
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE
1. If the booster battery is installed in
another vehicle, make sure the vehicles
are not touching. Turn off all unnecessary
lights and accessories.
2. If required, remove all the vent plugs
from the booster and discharged batter-
ies. Lay a cloth over the open vents on the
batteries. (This helps reduce the explo-
sion hazard, personal injuries and burns.)
3. If the engine in the vehicle with the
booster battery is not running, start it and
let it run for a few minutes. During jump
starting, run the engine at about 2000 rpm
with the accelerator pedal lightly de-
pressed.
(b) Starting a flooded engine (c) Jump starting
ProCarManuals.com

137
4. Make the cable connection in the order
a, b, c, d.
a. Connect the clamp of the positive (red)
jumper cable to the positive (+) terminal
on the discharged battery.
b. Connect the clamp at the other end of
the positive (red) jumper cable to the posi-
tive (+) terminal on the booster battery.c. Connect the clamp of the negative
(black) cable to the negative (-) terminal
on the booster battery.
d. Connect the clamp at the other end of
the negative (black) jumper cable to a sol-
id, stationary, unpainted, metallic point of
the vehicle with the discharged battery.
The recommended connecting point is
shown in the following illustration:Do not connect it to or near any part that
moves when the engine is cranked.
NOTICE
When making the connections, do not lean over the battery or
accidentally let the jumper cables orclamps touch anything except thecorrect battery terminals or theground.
ProCarManuals.com

1385. Start your engine in the normal way.
After starting, run it at about 2000 rpm for
several minutes with the accelerator ped-
al lightly depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the
exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover
clothsÐthey may now contain sulfuric
acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent
plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is
not apparent (for example, lights left on),
you should have it checked.
If your engine stalls while driving
0
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see If your ve-
hicle will not startº.
If the engine is not running, the
power assist for the brakes and
steering will not work so steering
and braking will be much harder
than usual. CAUTION
!
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you
experience a loss of power, or if you
hear a loud knocking or pinging noise,
the engine has probably overheated.
You should follow this procedure
0
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the vehicle
and turn on your emergency flashers. Put
the transmission in Pº and apply the park-
ing brake. Turn off the air conditioning if it
is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine. Wait
until the steam subsides before opening
the hood. If there is no coolant boiling over
or steam, leave the engine running and
make sure the electric cooling fan is oper-
ating. If it is not, turn the ignition off.
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure. CAUTION
!
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from
the radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has been
used.
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine stalls while
driving
ProCarManuals.com

139
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.CAUTION
!
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-
gine immediately.
Call a Toyota dealer for
assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the
coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add coolant to
the reservoir while the engine is running.
Fill it about half full.
Do not attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap when the engine and radia-
tor are hot. Serious injury could re-
sult from scalding hot fluid and
steam blown out under pressure. CAUTION
!
6. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant
level in the reservoir. If necessary,
bring it up to half full again. Serious
coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You should have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer. 1. Reduce
your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place well away from the
traffic. Avoid stopping on the center divid-
er of a highway. Park on a level spot with
firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emer-
gency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put
the transmission in Pº.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle
on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thor-
oughly.
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the
possibility of personal injury:

Follow jacking instructions.

Use a jack only for lifting your ve-
hicle during wheel changing.

Never get beneath the vehicle
when supported by a jack.

Do not start or run the engine
while your vehicle is supported
by the jack. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Do not continue driving with a deflated tire. Driving even a short
distance can damage a tire beyondrepair.
If you have a flat tireÐ
ProCarManuals.com

140
1. Get the required tools and spare
tire.1 Tool bag
2 Jack
3 Jack handle
4 Spare tire
To prepare yourself for an emergency,
you should familiarize yourself with the
use of the jack, each of the tools and their
storage locations. Turn the jack joint by hand.
To remove: turn the joint in the direction 1
until the jack is free.
To store: turn the joint in the direction 2 un-
til the jack is firmly secured to prevent it
flying forward during a collision or sudden
braking.To remove the spare tire:
1. Loosen the nut and remove it.
2. Remove the spare tire cover.
3. Loosen the bolt and remove it.
4. Remove the spacer.
Then t ake the spare tire out of the vehicle.
When storing the spare tire, put it in place
with the outer side of the wheel facing up.
Then secure the tire by repeating the
above removal steps in reverse order to
prevent it from flying forward during a col-
lision or sudden braking.
ÐRequired tools and spare tire
ProCarManuals.com

141
2. Block the wheel diagonally oppo-
site the flat tire to keep the vehicle from
rolling when it is jacked up.
When blocking the wheel, place a wheel
block from the front for the front wheels or
from the rear for the rear wheels.Steel wheels
Aluminum wheels 3. Remove the wheel ornament.
Pry off the wheel ornament, using the bev-
eled end of the wheel nut wrench as
shown.
Do not try to pull off the ornament by
hand. Take due care in handling the
ornament to avoid unexpected per-
sonal injury.
CAUTION
!
ÐBlocking the wheel ÐRemoving wheel ornament
ProCarManuals.com

142
4. Loosen all the wheel nuts.
Always loosen the wheel nuts before rais-
ing the vehicle.
The nuts turn counterclockwise to loosen.
To get maximum leverage, fit the wrench
to the nut so that the handle is on the right
side, as shown above. Grab the wrench
near the end of the handle and pull up on
the handle. Be careful that the wrench
does not slip off the nut.
Do not remove the nuts yetÐjust unscrew
them about one-half turn.5. Position the jack at the correct jack
point as shown.
Make sure the j ack is positioned on a l evel
and solid place.6. After making sure that no one is in
the vehicle, raise it high enough so
that the spare tire can be installed.
Remember you will need more ground
clearance when putting in the spare tire
than when removing the flat tire.
To raise the vehicle, insert the jack handle
into the jack (it is a loose fit) and turn it
clockwise. As the j ack touches the vehicle
and begins to lift, double-check that it is
properly positioned.
Never get under the vehicle when it
is supported by the jack alone. CAUTION
!
ÐPositioning the jack ÐRaising your vehicle
ÐLoosening wheel nuts
ProCarManuals.com

143
7. Remove the wheel nuts and change
tires.
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it aside.
Roll the spare wheel into position and
align the holes in the wheel with the bolts.
Then lift up the wheel and get at least the
top bolt started through its hole. Wiggle
the tire and press it back over the other
bolts.Before putting on wheels, remove any
corrosion on the mounting surfaces with a
wire brush or such. Installation of wheels
without good metal-to-metal contact at
the mounting surface can cause wheel
nuts to loosen and eventually cause a
wheel to come off while driving. Therefore
after the first 1600 km (1000 miles), check
to see that the wheel nuts are tight.8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts finger
tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end in-
ward) and tighten them as much as you
can by hand. Press back on the tire back
and see if you can tighten them more.
ÐChanging wheels ÐReinstalling wheel nuts
ProCarManuals.com