1996 TOYOTA AVALON oil

Indicator symbols on the instrument panel5
Anti-lock brake system warning light *1Brake system warning light *1
Seat belt reminder light*1
Discharge warning light*1
Low oil pressure warning light*1
Malfunction indicator lamp*1
Low fuel level warning light *1
Open door warning light*1
SRS airbag warning light*1
Turn signal indicator lights
Headlight high beam indicator light
Rear light failure warning light*1
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11
Wireless remote control transmitter:

Avoid knocking it hard against other
objects.

Avoid putting it in water.
Replacing transmitter batteries
The expected life of your transmitter bat-
teries is about one year. For replacement,
use DURACELL
[ DL2016 or equivalent.
a. Using a screwdriver, separate the two
halves of the transmitter with the transmit-
ter buttons facing down.
Take care not to damage the rubber gas-
ket during removal.
b. Remove and replace the transmitter
batteries.
If you touch a new battery with your fin-
gers, clean it with rubbing alcohol. Skin
oils may shorten the batteries' life.
c. Reassemble the transmitter case.
Make sure the gasket is properly installed.
After replacing batteries, check that the
transmitter operates properly. If the trans-
mitter still does not operate properly, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.
MODEL/FCC ID: GQ43VT7T
ISC: 1470 K1361
MADE IN U.S.A.
This device complies with part 15 of the
FCC rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) This device must
accept any interference received, in-
cluding interference that may cause un-
desired operation.
The windows can be operated with the
switch on each door.
The power windows work when the igni-
tion switch is in the ONº position. Howev-
er, if both front doors are closed, they work
for 60 seconds even after the ignition
switch is turned off. They stop working
when either front side door is opened.
OPERATING THE DRIVER'S WINDOW
Use the switch on the driver's door.
Normal operation: The window moves
as long as you hold the switch.
To open: Lightly push down the switch.
To close: Pull up the switch.
Power windows
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61
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level
is low.CAUTION
!
If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by
your Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and Buzzer
Once the ignition key is turned to ONº or
STARTº, the reminder light and buzzer
come on if the driver's seat belt is not fas-
tened. Unless the driver fastens the belt,
the light stays on and the buzzer stops af-
ter about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) 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 dischar-
ged. Turn off the air conditioning, blower,
radio, etc., and drive directly to the near-
est Toyota dealer or repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) 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 driv-
ing, pull off the road to a safe place and
stop the engine immediately. Call a Toyota
dealer or qualified repair shop for assis-
tance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on brief-
ly after a hard stop. There is no cause for
concern if it then goes out when the en-
gine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to indi-
cate low oil level, and the oil level must be
checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the warning light onÐeven for one
block. It may ruin the engine.
(e) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty.
(See Fuel gaugeº in Chapter 1-5 for in-
structions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See Fuel tank capº in Chapter
1-2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electri-
cal system.
If it comes on while you are driving in case
c, have your vehicle checked/repaired by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
(f) 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.
(g) ABSº Warning Light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in your anti-lock brake sys-
tem.
If the light comes on while you are driving,
have your vehicle checked by your T oyota
dealer as soon as possible.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to the ONº position. After
about 3 seconds, the light will go off.
ProCarManuals.com

72This section describes some of the basic
features on Toyota audio systems. Some
information may not pertain to your sys-
tem.
Your audio system works when the igni-
tion key is in the ACCº or ONº position.
TURNING THE SYSTEM ON AND OFF
Push PWR/VOLº to turn the audio sys-
tem on and off.
Push AM
.FMº, T
APEº, or CDº to turn on
that function without pushing PWR/
VOLº.
You can turn on the cassette player by in-
serting a cassette tape.
You can turn off the cassette player by
ejecting the cassette tape. If the audio
system was previously off, then the entire
audio system will be turned off when you
eject the cassette tape. If another function
was previously playing, it will come on
again.
SWITCHING BETWEEN FUNCTIONS
Push AM
.FMº, TAPEº or CDº if the sys-
tem is already on but you want to switch
from one function to another. TONE AND BALANCE
For details about your system's tone and
balance controls, see the description of
your own system.
Tone
How good an audio program sounds to
you is largely determined by the mix of the
treble, mid-range, and bass levels. In
fact, different kinds of music and vocal
programs
usually sound better with differ-
ent mixes of treble, mid-range, and bass.
Balance
A good balance of the left and right stereo
channels and of the front and rear sound
levels is also important.
Keep in mind that if you are listening to a
stereo recording or broadcast, changing
the right/left balance will increase the vol-
ume of one group of sounds while de-
creasing the volume of another. YOUR RADIO ANTENNA
To lower a power antenna, turn off the au-
dio system by pushing PWR/VOLº, or
turn the ignition key to LOCKº.
On some models, the power antenna au-
tomatically retracts when the radio mode
is switched off to turn on the cassette tape
player or compact disc player.
To prevent damage to the antenna,
make sure it is retracted before
driving your Toyota through anautomatic car wash.
NOTICE
YOUR CASSETTE PLAYER
When you insert a cassette, the exposed
tape should be to the right.
Do not oil any part of the player anddo not insert anything other than
cassette tapes into the slot, or thetape player may be damaged.
NOTICE
ÐUsing your audio system:
some basics
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73
YOUR COMPACT DISC PLAYER
Your compact disc player has an automat-
ic changer which stores up to 12 discs. To
insert discs in the automatic changer, see
CD (Compact Disc) Auto changerº. The
compact disc player will play from track 1
through to the end of the disc. Then it will
play from track 1 again.
Never try to disassemble or oil any
part of the player unit. Do not insert
anything except a compact disc into
the slot.
NOTICE
The player is intended for use with 12 cm
(4.7 in.) discs only.
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Part 2
11 3
INFORMATION
BEFORE DRIVING
YOUR TOYOTA

Break-in period

Fuel

Operation in foreign countries

Three-way catalytic converter

Engine exhaust cautions

Facts about engine oil
consumption

Twin ground electrode spark
plugs

Brake system

Brake pad wear limit indicators

Luggage stowage precautions

Your Toyota's identification

Theft prevention labels

Suspension and chassis

Types of tires
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of your
vehicle:

Do not drive over 88 km/h (55 mph).

Run the engine at moderate speed be-
tween 2000 and 4000 rpm.

Avoid full-throttle starts.

Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).

Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.

Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles). FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a new smaller fuel tank open-
ing.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of leaded gasoline will cause the
three-way catalytic converter tolose its effectiveness and the emis-sion control system to function im-
properly. Also, this can increasemaintenance costs.
NOTICE
OCTANE NUMBER
Select Research Octane number 91 (Oc-
tane Rating 87) or higher. For improved
vehicle performance, the use of pre-
mium unleaded gasoline with a Re-
search Octane number of 96 (Octane
Rating 91) or higher is recommended.
Break-in period Fuel
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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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127
CAUTION

Before driving off, make sure that
the parking brake if fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.

Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is run-
ning.

Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.

To drive down a long or steep hill,
reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat
and not work properly.

Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, downshifting or braking
on a slippery surface. Sudden ac-
celeration or engine braking,
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.!
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.

Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a lon-
ger stopping distance, and it may
pull to one side when the brakes are
applied. Also, the parking brake
will not hold the vehicle securely. Make sure you have ethylene-glycol
antifreeze in the radiator.
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze.
NOTICE
Check the condition of the battery and
cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any battery, so it must be in top shape to
provide enough power for winter starting.
Chapter 7-3 tells you how to visually in-
spect the battery. Your Toyota dealer and
most service stations will be pleased to
check the level of charge.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See Chapter 7-2 for recommended vis-
cosity.
Leaving a heavy summer oil in your
vehicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, call your Toyota dealerÐ
he will be pleased to help.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de-icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing. To open
a frozen lock, try heating the key before in-
serting it.
Winter driving tips
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