1996 TOYOTA AVALON air condition

102AUTOº button (type 2 only)
For automatic operation of the air condi-
tioning,
press the AUTOº button. An indi-
cator light will illuminate to show that the
automatic operation mode has been se-
lected.
In the automatic operation mode, the air
conditioning selects the most suitable fan
speed and air flow according to the tem-
perature.
You may use manual controls if you want
to select your own settings.
To turn off the automatic operation, press
the OFFº button.
Fan speed selector
Turn the knob (type 1) or press the button
(type 2) to adjust the fan speed.
In automatic operation, you do not have to
adjust the fan speed unless you desire
another fan speed mode.
Temperature selector
Turn the knob to adjust the t emperatureÐ
to the right to warm, to the left to cool.
Air flow selector
Turn the knob (type 1) or press the buttons
(type 2) to select the vents used for air
flow.
Type 2 onlyÐIn automatic operation, you
do not have to select the air flow unless
you desire another air flow mode.
1. Panel ÐAir flows mainly from the in-
strument panel vents.
2. Bi-level ÐAir flows from both the floor
vents and the instrument panel vents.
3. Floor ÐAir flows mainly from the floor
vents. 4. Floor/Windshield
ÐAir flows mainly
from the floor vents and windshield vents.
5. Windshield ÐAir flows mainly from
the windshield vents.
For details about air flow selector settings,
see the illustration after A/Cº button.
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103
Air intake selector
Press the button to select the air source.
1. RecirculateÐRecirculates the air in-
side the vehicle.
2. Fresh ÐDraws outside air into the sys-
tem. A/Cº button
To turn on the air conditioning, press the
A/Cº button. The A/Cº button indicator
will come on. To turn the air conditioning
off, press the button again.
If the A/Cº button indicator flashes, there
is a problem in the air conditioning system
and the air conditioning automatically
shuts off. If this happens, take your ve-
hicle to a Toyota dealer for service.
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105

To cool off your Toyota after it has been
parked in the hot sun, drive with the
windows open for a few minutes. This
vents the hot air, allowing the air condi-
tioning to cool the interior more quickly.
 Make sure the air intake grilles in front
of the windshield are not blocked (by
leaves or snow, for example).
 On humid days, do not blow cold air on
the windshield. The windshield could
fog up because of the difference in air
temperature on the inside and outside
of the windshield.
 Keep the area under the front seats
clear to allow air to circulate through-
out the vehicle.
 On cold days, turn the fan speed to
HIº for a minute to help clear the in-
take ducts of snow or moisture. This
can reduce the amount of fogging on
the windows. Heating
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Press in the AUTOº button.
Temperature Ð To the desired
temperature
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning Ð OFF
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð FLOOR
Air conditioning Ð OFF
For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the win-
dows from fogging, select fresh after
the vehicle interior has been warmed.
 Press the A/Cº button on for dehumid-
ified heating.
 Choose floor/windshield air flow to
heat the vehicle interior while defrost-
ing or defogging the windshield. Air conditioning
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Press in the AUTOº button.
Temperature Ð To the desired
temperature
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning Ð ON
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards COLD
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð PANEL
Air conditioning Ð ON
For quick cooling, move the air intake
selector to recirculate for a few min-
utes.
ÐOperating tips
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106Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Press in the AUTOº button.
Temperature Ð Towards low
temperature
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning Ð OFF
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards COLD
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð PANEL
Air conditioning Ð OFF
Defogging and defrosting
The inside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Temperature Ð Towards high tem-
perature to heat; low
temperature to cool
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning Ð ON
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM to
heat; COLD to cool
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning Ð ON
On humid days, do not blow cold air on
the windshieldÐthe difference be-
tween the outside and inside tempera-
tures could make the fogging worse. The outside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
For automatic operationÐ
Temperature Ð Towards high
temperature
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning Ð OFF
For manual operationÐ
Fan speed Ð Any setting except OFFº
Temperature Ð Towards WARM
Air intake Ð FRESH (outside air)
Air flow Ð WINDSHIELD
Air conditioning Ð OFF
To heat the vehicle interior while de-
frosting the windshield, choose floor/
windshield air flow.
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11 7
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of lu-
bricating and cooling the inside of the en-
gine,
and plays a major role in maintaining
the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are
as follows.

Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil is
left on the cylinder wall when a piston
moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated
when the vehicle is decelerating sucks
some of this oil into the combustion
chamber. This oil as well as some part
of the oil film left on the cylinder wall is
burned by the high temperature com-
bustion gases during the combustion
process.

Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil is
sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems. The amount of engine oil consumed
depends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions
the vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high-speed
driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may be-
come diluted and make it difficult to
judge the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for re-
peated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This is
because the oil is gradually becoming di-
luted with the fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds. IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in proper
vehicle maintenance is to keep the engine
oil at the optimum level so that oil function
will
not be impaired. Therefore, it is essen-
tial that the oil level be checked regularly.
Toyota recommends that the oil level be
checked every time you refuel the vehicle.
Failure to check the oil level
regularly could lead to serious
engine trouble due to insufficientoil.
NOTICE
For detailed information on the oil level
check, see Checking the engine oil levelº
in Chapter 7-2.
Facts about engine oil
consumption
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120ABSº warning light
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ONº position. After about
three seconds, the light will go off.
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 as de-
scribed above, or remains on.

The light comes on while driving.
Even if the anti-lock brake system should
fail, the brake system will still operate con-
ventionally. Have your vehicle checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
DRUM-IN-DISC TYPE PARKING
BRAKE SYSTEM
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type
parking brake system. This type brake
system needs bedding-down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the park-
ing brake shoes and/or drums are re-
placed.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding-down.
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. When stowing luggage or cargo in the ve-
hicle, observe the following:


Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when
at all possible. Be sure all items are se-
cured in place.

Be careful to keep the vehicle balanced.
Locating the weight as far forward as
possible helps maintain balance.

For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION!

Do not place anything on the filler
panel behind the rear seatback.
Such items may be thrown about
and possibly injure people in the
vehicle during sudden braking or
an accident.

Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver's
field of view. Or they may move
during sharp vehicle acceleration
or turning, and impair the driver's
control of the vehicle. In an acci-
dent they may injure the vehicle
occupants.
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight specified in
Part 8.
NOTICE
Brake pad wear limit indicators Luggage stowage precautions
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126Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in (a) Before crank-
ingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system in
your engine automatically controls the
proper air-fuel mixture for starting. You
can start a cold or hot engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped-
al, crank the engine by turning the key to
STARTº. Release it when the engine
starts.
2. After
the engine runs for about 10 sec-
onds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the en-
gine warm up for a few minutes before
driving.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce-
dure given in normal starting.
If the engine will not startÐ
See If your vehicle will not startº in Part 4.

Do not crank for more than 15 sec-onds at a time. This may overheat
the starter and wiring systems.
Do not race a cold engine.
NOTICE
If the engine becomes difficult tostart or stalls frequently, have the
engine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. This will allow you much better
control.

Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving
onto high, sharp-edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to severe tire damage result-
ing in tire bursts.

When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so that
the vehicle will not roll. Apply the park-
ing brake, and place the transmission
in Pº. If necessary, block the wheels.

Washing your vehicle or driving
through deep water may get the
brakes wet. To see whether they are
wet, check that there is no traffic near
you, and then press the pedal lightly. If
you do not feel a normal braking force,
the brakes are probably wet. To dry
them, drive the vehicle cautiously
while lightly pressing the brake pedal
with the parking brake depressed. If
they still do not work safely, pull to the
side of the road and call a T oyota deal-
er for assistance.
(b) Starting the engine Tips for driving in various
conditions
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131
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing.
The three main causes of vehicle-
trailer accidents are driver error, ex-
cessive speed and improper trailer
loading. Keep these in mind when tow-
ing:

Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle-trailer con-
nections. After driving a short dis-
tance, stop and recheck the lights and
connections. Before actually towing a
trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing with a trailer in an area away
from traffic until you learn the feel.

Backing w ith a trailer is difficult and re-
quires practice. Grip the bottom of the
steering wheel and move your hand to
the left to move the trailer to the left.
Move your hand to the right to move
the trailer to the right. (This procedure
is generally opposite to that when
backing without a trailer). Also, just
turn the steering wheel a little at a time,
avoiding sharp or prolonged turning.
Have someone guide you when back-
ing to reduce the risk of an accident.

Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle-to-vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.

Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion.

Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden
braking.

Remember that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this
by making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.

Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay attention
to the rear from time to time to prepare
yourself for being passed by large
trucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed. Steer
straight ahead. If you make no extreme
correction with the steering or brakes,
the vehicle and trailer will stabilize.

Be careful when passing other ve-
hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.

In order to maintain engine braking ef-
ficiency do not use overdrive.

Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over
305C [85 5 F]) when going up a long or
steep grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the
air conditioning (if in use), pull off the
road and stop in a safe spot. Refer to
If your vehicle overheatsº in Part 4 of
this manual.ProCarManuals.com