1998 TOYOTA AVALON air conditioning

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Air intake selector
Press the button to select the air source.
Type 2 only—In automatic operation, you
do not have to select the air intake unless
you desire another air intake mode.
1. Recirculate— Recirculates the air inside
the vehicle.
2. Fresh— Draws outside air into the sys-
tem. ”A/C” button
To turn on the air conditioning, press the
”A/C” button. The ”A/C” button indicator
will come on. To turn the air conditioning
off, press the button again.
If the ”A/C” 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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–Air flow selector settings —Operating tips
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
conditioning 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
”HI” for a minute to help clear the in-
take ducts of snow or moisture. This
can reduce the amount of fogging on
the windows.
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Heating
For best results, set controls to:
Ty p e 1 —
Fan speed — Any setting except ”OFF”
Temperature — Towards WA R M
Air intake — FRESH (outside air)
Air flow — FLOOR
Air conditioning — OFF
Ty p e 2 —
Press in the ”AUTO” button.
Temperature — To the desired
temperature
Air conditioning — OFF
For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the
windows from fogging, select fresh af-
ter the vehicle interior has been
warmed.
Press the ”A/C” button on for dehumidi-
fied heating.
Choose floor/windshield air flow to heat
the vehicle interior while defrosting or
defogging the windshield. Air conditioning
For best results, set controls to:
Ty p e 1 —
Fan speed —Any setting except ”OFF”
Temperature —Towards COLD
Air intake — FRESH (outside air)
Air flow — PA N E L
Air conditioning — ON
Ty p e 2 —
Press in the ”AUTO” button.
Temperature — To the desired
temperature
Air conditioning — ON
For quick cooling, move the air intake
selector to recirculate for a few min-
utes.
Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
Ty p e 1 —
Fan speed —Any setting except ”OFF”
Temperature —Towards COLD
Air intake — FRESH (outside air)
Air flow — PA N E L
Air conditioning — OFF
Ty p e 2 —
Press in the ”AUTO” button.
Temperature — To the desired
temperature
Air conditioning — OFF
Defogging and defrosting
The inside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
Ty p e 1 —
Fan speed — Any setting except ”OFF”
Temperature — Towards WA R M to heat;
COLD to cool
Air intake — FRESH (outside air)
Air flow — WINDSHIELD
Moving the air flow selector lever to wind-
shield position turns on the defroster −
linked air conditioning. At this time, the
”A/C” button indicator comes on regard-
less of whether or not the ”A/C” button is
pressed in. This is to clean up the front
view more quickly.
When the ”A/C” button is not pressed in,
moving the air flow selector lever to
another position turns off the air condition-
ing.
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Ty p e 2 —
Temperature — Towards high
temperature to heat;
low temperature to
cool
Air intake — FRESH (outside air)
Air flow — WINDSHIELD
Pressing the windshield button turns on
the defroster −linked air conditioning. At
this time, the ”A/C” button indicator comes
on regardless of whether or not the ”A/C”
button is pressed in. This is to clean up
the front view more quickly.
When the ”A/C” button is not pressed in,
pressing another air flow control button
turns off the air conditioning.
On humid days, do not blow cold air
on the windshield—the 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:
Ty p e 1 —
Fan speed — Any setting except ”OFF”
Temperature — Towards WA R M
Air intake — FRESH (outside air)
Air flow — WINDSHIELD
Moving the air flow selector lever to wind-
shield position turns on the defroster −
linked air conditioning. At this time, the
”A/C” button indicator comes on regard-
less of whether or not the ”A/C” button is
pressed in. This is to clean up the front
view more quickly.
When the ”A/C” button is not pressed in,
moving the air flow selector lever to
another position turns off the air condition-
ing.
Ty p e 2 —
Temperature — Towards high
temperature
Air intake — FRESH (outside air)
Air flow — WINDSHIELD
Pressing the windshield button turns on
the defroster −linked air conditioning. At
this time, the ”A/C” button indicator comes
on regardless of whether or not the ”A/C”
button is pressed in. This is to clean up
the front view more quickly.
When the ”A/C” button is not pressed in,
pressing another air flow control button
turns off the air conditioning.
To heat the vehicle interior while de-
frosting the windshield, choose
floor/windshield air flow.
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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 pre-
pare 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 effi-
ciency 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
30
C [85 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 overheats” in Part 4 of
this manual.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels when
parking. Apply the parking brake firmly.
Put the transmission in ”P”. Avoid park-
ing on a slope with a trailer, but if it
cannot be avoided, do so only after
performing the following: 1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake firmly.
5. Shift into ”P” and turn off the engine.
When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in ”P” position, start the engine. Be sure to keep the
brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the ”2”, ”L” or ”R” position.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blo cks. Stop and apply
your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.
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If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in ”P”
and apply the parking 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 operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
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.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
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 en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
6. After the engine coolant temperaturehas cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.
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Air conditioning control panel, car au-
dio, instrument panel, console panel,
and switches
Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.
Soak a clean soft cloth in water or luke-
warm water then lightly wipe off any dirt.
NOTICE
 Do not use organic substances (sol-
vents, kerosene, alcohol, gasoline,
etc.) or alkaline or acidic solutions.
These chemicals can cause discol-
oring, staining or peeling of the
surface.
 If you use cleaners or polishing
agents, make sure their ingredients
do not include the substances men-
tioned above.
 If you use a liquid car freshener, do
not spill the liquid onto the ve-
hicle’s interior surfaces. It may con-
tain the ingredients mentioned
above. Immediately clean any spill
using the method mentioned above.
Leather Interior
The leather upholstery may be cleaned
with neutral detergent for wool.
Remove dirt using a soft cloth dampened
with 5 % solution of neutral detergent for
wool. Then thoroughly wipe off all traces
of detergent with a clean damp cloth.
After cleaning or whenever any part of the
leather gets wet, dry with a soft clean
cloth. Allow the leather to dry in a venti-
lated shaded area.
NOTICE
If a stain should fail to come out
with a neutral detergent, apply a
cleaner that does not contain an
organic solvent.
 Never use organic substances such
as benzine, alcohol or gasoline,
or
alkaline or acid solutions for clean-
ing the leather as these
could
c ause discoloring.
 Use of a nylon brush or synthetic
fiber cloth, etc. may scratch the
fine grained surface of the leather.
Mildew may develop on soiled leath-
er upholstery. Be especially careful
to avoid oil spots. Try to keep your
upholstery always clean.
 Long exposure to direct sunlight
may cause the leather surface to
harden and shrink. Keep your ve-
hicle in a shaded area, especially in
the summer.
 The interior of your vehicle is apt
to heat up on hot summer days, so
avoid placing on the upholstery
items made of vinyl or plastic or
containing wax as these tend to
stick to leather when warm.
 Improper cleaning of the leather up-
holstery could result in discolor-
ation or staining.
If you have any questions about the
cleaning of your Toyota, your local
Toyota dealer will be pleased to answer
them.
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Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the ”FULL” and ”LOW” lines on the see −
through reservoir when the engine is cold.
See Chapter 7 −2 for additional information.
Battery electrolyte level
Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower lev-
el lines on the case. Add only distilled
water when replenishing. See Chapter 7 −3
for additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See Chapter 7 −2 for additional information.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with the
engine turned off and the vehicle parked
on a level spot. See Chapter 7 −2 for addi-
tional information.
Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir. The
level should be in the ”HOT” or ”COLD”
range depending on the fluid temperature.
See Chapter 7 −2 for additional information.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, have
the cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See engine exhaust cautions in
Part 2.) Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip
−offs that
indicate service is needed. Some impor-
tant clues are as follows:
Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and
have the exhaust system checked im-
mediately.)
Flat −looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when driving
straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspension
movement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
Engine coolant temperature continually
higher than normal If you notice any of these clues, take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. It probably needs adjustment or
repair.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving with the ve-
hicle unchecked. It could result in se-
rious vehicle damage and possibly
personal injury.
Does your vehicle need
repairing?
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