1996 TOYOTA AVALON transmission

2
1. Side vent
2. Side defroster outlet
3. Tilt steering lock release lever
4. Automatic transmission selectorlever (column shift)
5. Center vents
6. Electric moon roof switch or front interior light, and front personal lights
7. Power door lock switch
8. Power window switches
9. Seat heater switch
10.Glovebox
11. Automatic transmission selector lever (floor shift)
12.Lower vent
13.Parking brake release lever
14. Parking brake pedal
Instrument panel overview
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6
Driving pattern indicator light
Cruise control indicator light *
2
*1: For details, see Service reminder indicators and warn-ing buzzersº in Chapter 1-5.
*
2: If this light flashes, see Cruise controlº in Chapter 1-6.
Automatic transmission indicator lightsOverdrive-of f indicator light
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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.
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Part 1
63
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-6
Ignition switch,
Transmission
and Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering
lock
 Automatic transmission
 Parking brake
 Cruise control
STARTºÐStarter motor on. The key
will return to the ONº position when
released.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
ONºÐEngine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
ACCºÐAccessories such as the ra-
dio operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ACCº or
LOCKº position and open the driver's
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
LOCKºÐEngine is off and the steer-
ing wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position. You must push in the key to turn the key
from ACCº to the LOCKº position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be put in the Pº
position before pushing the key.
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the LOCKº 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.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ONº position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and theignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock
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64
When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift the transmissio\
n by turning off the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. For wa\
ys to decrease the vehicle speed, see
Cruise controlº in this chapter.
Automatic transmission

Floor shift type
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66Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of Pº position when the
brake
pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ONº position and the lock re-
lease button on the floor shift type trans-
mission depressed or the selector lever
on the column shift type transmission
pulled toward you).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How
to start the engineº in Part 3. The trans-
mission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
In Dº position, the automatic transmis-
sion system will select the most suitable
gear for running conditions such as nor-
mal cruising, hill climbing, hard towing,
etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into overdrive
gear even with the overdrive switch on.
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting. CAUTION
!
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:

Turn off the overdrive switch. The O/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
 Shift into the 2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the maximum al-
lowable speed for second gear, and
more powerful engine braking will be
obtained.
 Shift into the Lº position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the maximum allowable
speed for Lº position, and maximum
engine braking will be applied.
Vehicles with cruise controlÐWhen the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning off
the overdrive switch, engine braking will
not be applied because the cruise control
is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the
vehicle speed, see Cruise controlº in this
chapter. MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SPEEDS
2º
126 km/h (77 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Lº 68 km/h (41 mph)
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid. CAUTION
!
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. W atch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red zone. The maximum allowablespeed (approximate) for each posi-
tion is given above for your refer- ence.
Do not continue hill climbing for along time in the 2º or Lº position.
This may cause severe automatic transmission damage from over-
heating. To prevent such damage,use Dº position for hill climbing orhard towing.
NOTICE
(c) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with
your foot, shift the selector lever to the Rº
position.
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67
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
(d) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Fully depress the parking brake pedal
to apply the parking brake securely.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down,
shift the selector lever to the Pº position.
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into Pº position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical dam-
age and loss of vehicle control may
result. CAUTION
!
(e) Good driving practice

If the transmission is repeatedly up-
shifted and downshifted between third
gear and overdrive when climbing a
gentle slope, the overdrive switch
should be turned off. Be sure to turn
the switch on immediately afterward.
 When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an upgrade with the accelerator pedal.
It can cause the transmission tooverheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.
(f) If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of Pº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the Pº position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector leverº in Part 4.
(g) Driving in PWRº (Power) mode
In the PWRº mode, the transmission is
shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the NORMº (Normal) mode
and a more powerful acceleration is
achieved. To set the PWRº mode, push
in the driving pattern selector button. The
PWRº mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the NORMº mode to improve fuel
economy.
Type A
Type B
Parking brake
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68When parking, firmly apply the park-
ing brake to avoid inadvertent creep-
ing.
To set: Fully depress the pedal.
To release: Pull the lever.
To remind you that the parking brake is
set,
the parking brake reminder light in the
instrument panel remains on until you re-
lease the parking brake.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off. CAUTION
!
The cruise control allows you to cruise
the vehicle at a desired speed over 40
km/h (25 mph) even with your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained up
or down grades within the limits of engine
performance, although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or
down the grades. On steeper hills, a
greater speed change will occur so it is
better to drive without the cruise control.

To help maintain maximum con-
trol of your vehicle, do not use the
cruise control when driving in
heavy or varying traffic, or on slip-
pery (rainy, icy or snow-covered)
or winding roads.
 Avoid vehicle speed increases
when driving downhill. If the ve-
hicle speed is too fast in relation to
the cruise control set speed, can-
cel the cruise control then down-
shift the transmission to use en-
gine braking to slow down. CAUTION
!TURNING ON THE SYSTEM
To operate the cruise control, press the
CRUISE ON-OFFº button. This turns the
system on. The indicator light in the instru-
ment panel shows that you can now set
the vehicle at a desired cruising speed.
Another press will turn the system com-
pletely off.
To avoid accidental cruise control
engagement, keep the CRUISE
ON-OFFº
switch off when not using
the cruise control. CAUTION
!
Cruise control
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