1998 TOYOTA AVALON tow

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Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ”P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ”ON” 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 engine” in Part 3. The
transmission must be in ”P” or ”N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to ”D”.
In ”D” position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for running conditions such as normal
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 the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive switch
on.CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
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
OFF” indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the ”2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than 133 km/h (82
mph), and more powerful engine brak-
ing will be obtained.
Shift into the ”L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the first gear
When the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 59 km/h (36 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be ap-
plied.
Vehicles with cruise control ⎯When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by turning off
the overdrive switch, engine braking is not
applied because the cruise control is not
cancelled. For ways to decrease the ve-
hicle speed, see ”Cruise control” in this
chapter.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
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(c) Using ”2” and ”L” positions
The ”2” and ”L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in ”2” or ”L”, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in ”D”.
With the selector lever in ”2”, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ”L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.
NOTICE
 Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approxmate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
”2”.......... 126 km/h (77 mph)
”L”.......... 68 km/h (41 mph)
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
”2” or ”L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, ”D” position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(d) 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
”R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal pressed down, 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 ”P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never at-
tempt to move the selector lever into
”P” position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(f) 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.
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CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. It
can cause the transmission to over-
heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
To rock your vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., first
check that there are no objects or
people around the vehicle. During the
rocking operation the vehicle may
suddenly move forward or backward
as it becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.
 Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reverse
gear.
 Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
 If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
(h) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of ”P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the ”P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see ”If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” in Part 4. (i) Driving in ”PWR” (Power) mode
In the ”PWR” mode, the transmission is
shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the ”NORM” (Normal) mode
and a more powerful acceleration is
achieved. To set the ”PWR” mode, push
in the driving pattern selector button. The
”PWR” mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the ”NORM” mode to improve fuel
economy.
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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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Part 2
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
platinum −tipped 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
Break −in period
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
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
unleaded fuel will fit it, but the larger
standard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas
will not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5 −M93
in Canada.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three −
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
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DRUM −IN −DISC TYPE PARKING BRAKE
SYSTEM
Your vehicle has a drum −in −disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system n eeds bedding −down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding− down.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
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.
Luggage stowage pr ecautions
When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when
at all possible. Be sure all items are
secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
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 turn-
ing, and impair the driver’s control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.
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Part 3
STARTING AND
DRIVING
 Before starting the engine
 How to start the engine
 Tips for driving in various
conditions
 Winter driving tips
 Tr ailer towing
 How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too
Before starting the engine
1. Check the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, head restraint height and steering
wheel angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all the doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3. Put the selector lever in ”P”. If you need to restart the engine while the
vehicle is moving, put the selector le-
ver in ”N”. A starter safety device will
prevent the starter from operating if the
selector lever is in any drive position.
4. Depress the brake pedal and hold it to the floor until driving off.
How to start the engine—
(a) Before cranking
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