1997 TOYOTA AVALON light

Part 1Clock
123
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1-8
Other equipment

Clock

Cigarette lighter and ashtray

Glovebox

Auxiliary box

Cup holder

Traction control system

Floor mat
The digital clock indicates the time.
The key must be in the ``ACCº or ``ON''
position.
To reset the hour: Push the ºHº button.
To reset the minutes: Push the Mº button.
If quick adjustment to a full hour is de-
sired, push the :00º button.
For example, if the :00º button is de-
pressed when the time is between
1:01Ð1:29, the time will change to 1:00.
If the time is between 1:30Ð1:59, the time
will change to 2:00. Once the electrical power source has
been disconnected from the clock, the
time is automatically set to 1:00 (one
o'clock).
When the instrument panel lights are
turned
on, the brightness of the time indi-
cation will be reduced.
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124
CIGARETTE LIGHTER
To use the cigarette lighter, first pull
the ash tray lid, then press in the ligh-
ter. When it becomes heated, it auto-
matically pops out ready for use.
If the engine is not running, the key must
be in the ºACCº position.
Do not hold the cigarette lighter pressed
in.
Use a Toyota genuine cigarette lighter or
equivalent for replacement.ASHTRAY
To use the ashtray, open the cover.
When finished with your cigarette, thor-
oughly extinguish it in the ashtray to pre-
vent other cigarette butts from catching
fire. After using the ashtray, close the ash-
tray cover completely.
To remove the ashtray, open the ashtray
cover and pull it out.To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or sudden stop
while driving, always push the ash-
tray back in completely after using.
CAUTION
!
To use the glovebox, do this.
To open: Pull the lever.
With the instrument panel lights on, the
glovebox light will come on when the glo-
vebox is open.
To lock: Insert the master key and turn it
clockwise.
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or sudden stop,
always keep the glovebox door
closed while driving.
CAUTION
!
Cigarette lighter and ashtray Glovebox
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126The cup holder is designed for holding
cups or drinkÐcans fit snugly in its
holes.
To use the cup holder, open the armrest
lid, p
ull out the cup holder. Then close the
armrest lid.

Do not leave the armrest lid open
especailly when the cup holder
holds a scalding hot drink. If the lid
is forcibly pulled up, the drink may
spill over the seat occupants.

When the cup holder is in use, the
armrest lid must be securely
closed with the lock engaged.

Do not place anything else on the
cup holder, as such items may be
thrown about and possible injure
people in the vehicle during sud-
den braking or accident.

Keep the cup holder shut when not
in use.

Do not lift the armrest upright
when the cup holder is pulled out.
CAUTION!
Slip indicator light
TRAC OFFº indicator/warning light AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL
SYSTEM
The traction control system automati-
cally controls the spinning of
the front
wheels which may occur when accel-
erating on slippery road surfaces, thus
assisting driver to control the driving
power of the front wheels. When you
turn the ignition switch on, the trac-
tion control system always turns on
automatically, and the slip indicator
light and TRAC OFFº indicator/warn-
ing light will come on. The indicator
lights will go off after about 3 seconds.
Leave the system on during ordinary
driving so that it can operate when
needed. When traction control is ap-
plied, the slip indicator light blinks.
You may hear a slight clicking noise in the
engine compartment when the engine is
started. This means that the traction con-
trol system is in the self-check mode, and
does not indicate malfunction. When the
traction control system is operating, you
may feel vibration or noise of your vehicle,
caused by operation of brakes. This indi-
cates the system is functioning properly.
Traction control system
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127
When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the traction control system
will operate to prevent the wheels from
spinning.
MANUAL OPERATION
You can turn off the traction control
system by pushing the TRAC OFFº
switch. The TRAC OFFº indicator/
warning light will come on. Pushing
the TRAC OFFº switch a second time
turns on the traction control system
and the TRAC OFFº indicator/warn-
ing light will go off.
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicles
and power to the front wheels can-
not be maintained, even though the
traction control system is in opera-
tion. Do not drive the vehicle under
any speed or maneuvering condi-
tions
which will cause the vehicle to
lose traction. In situations where
the road surface is covered with ice
or snow, your vehicle should be
fitted with snow tires or tire chains.
Always drive at an appropriate and
cautious pace. CAUTION
!
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130If your engine knocks...
If you detact heavy knocking even when
using the recommended fuel, or if you
hear steady knocking while holding a
steady sp
eed on level roads, consult your
Toyota dealer.
However, now and then, you may notice
light knocking for a short time while accel-
erating or d riving up hills. This is no cause
for concern.
GASOLINES CONTAINING DETER-
GENT ADDITIVES
Toyota recommens use of gasolines
that contain detergent additives to
avoid build-up of engine deposits.
For further details, ask your Toyota dealer
or a local gasoline retailer..
GASOLINES CONTAINING MTBE
Gasolines that contain MTBE (Methyl
Tertiary-Butyl Ether) are available in
the market. If you use a gasoline mixed
with MTBE, make certain that it does
not contain more than 15% of MTBE.
If the use of gasolines containing MTBE
causes poor driveability and/or poor fuel
economy, you should discontinue the use
of fuels containing MTBE. GASOLINES CONTAINING ALCOHOL
If you use gasohol in your Toyota, be
sure that it is u
nleaded, has an octane
rating no lower than 87 and does not
contain more than 10% ethonol.
Gasohol is a mixture of gasoline and etha-
nol.
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasolines containing m ethonol. If you use
gasoline containing methonol, use only
gasoline meeting the requirements above
and also containing less than 5% metha-
nol with cosolvents and corrosion inhibi-
tors for methanol.
NOTICE
Do not use gasohol other than
stated above. It will cause fuel sys-
tem damage or vehicle perfor- mance problems.
If driveablity problems are encoun-tered (poor hot starting, vaporiz-ing, engine knock, etc.), discontin-ue the use.
Take care not to spill gasohol dur-
ing refueling. Gashol may causepaint damage.
FUEL TANK CAPACITY
70 L (18.5 gal., 15.4 Imp. gal)
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134The 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 as 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.
Your engine is fitted with twin ground elec-
trode spark plugs.
Use only twin ground electrode
spark plugs for your engine
performance.
NOTICE
TANDEM MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE
SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake sys-
tem is a hydraulic system with two sepa-
rate sub-systems. If either sub-system
should fail, the other w ill still work. Howev-
er, the pedal will be harder to press, and
your stopping distance will be longer.
Also, the brake system warning light may
come on.
CAUTION!
Do not drive your vehicle with only
a single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
power-assist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserve
vacuum for one or two stopsÐbut no
more!
Twin ground electrode
spark plugs Brake system
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135
CAUTION!

Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your vacuum re-
serve.

Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hardÐmuch harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
be longer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(with ABSº warning light)
The anti-lock brake system is designed to
automatically prevent lock-up of the
wheels during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces. This assists in
providing directional stability and steering
performance of the vehicle under these
circumstances.
The anti-lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph). You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a
few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the anti-lock
brake system is in the self check mode,
and does not indicate a malfunction.
Effective way to press the ABSº brake
pedal: When the an ti-lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti-lock brake
system work for you, just hold the brake
pedal down more firmly. Do not pump
the brake. This will result in reduced
braking performance.
The brake pedal pulsation caused by the
anti-lock brake system may indicate haz-
ardous road surface conditions. Although
the anti-lock brake system assists in pro-
viding vehicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care, because the anti-
lock brake system cannot overcome the
laws of physics that act on your vehicle:

Braking c apability is dependent on tire
friction with the road surface.

Even though the anti-lock brake sys-
tem is operating, a driver cannot main-
tain full control on certain slippery road
surfaces, when cornering at high
speeds, or in violent maneuvers.

Avoid high speeds on wet roads. The
anti-lock brake system cannot elimi-
nate the risk of hydroplaning and loss
of tire friction.
Always maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you. Compared with ve-
hicles not fitted with an anti-lock brake
system, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:

Driving on rough, gravel or snow-cov-
ered roads.

Driving with tire chains installed.

Driving on roads where the road sur-
face is pitted or has other differences
in surface height.
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136
Type A
Type BABSº warning light
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ONº position. After about
3 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. However, when the `ABS''
warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), the anti-lock brake
system is not assisting brake perfor-
mance so that the wheels can lock-up
during sudden braking or braking on slip-
pery road surfaces. 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.
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