1998 TOYOTA AVALON traction control

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1. Instrument panel light control dial
2. Headlight and turn signal switch and
front fog light switch
3. Wiper and washer switches
4. Driving pattern selector button
5. Thermometer
6. Clock
7. Emergency flasher switch
8. Car audio
9. Auxiliary box
10. Rear window and outside rear view mirror defoggers switch
11. Ashtray and cigarette lighter
12. Air conditioning controls
13. Ignition switch
14. Cruise control switch
15. Traction control system off switch
16. Power rear view mirror control switch
17. Headlight cleaner switch
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Indicator symbols on the instrument panel

Brake system warning light∗
1
Seat belt reminder light∗1
Discharge warning light∗1
Malfunction indicator lamp∗1
Low oil pressure warning light∗1
Anti-lock brake system warning light∗1(type A)
(type B)
Open door warning light∗1
Rear light failure warning light∗1
(type A)
(type B)
SRS airbag warning light∗1
Low fuel level warning light∗1
Traction control system off indicator/warning light∗1
Low windshield washer and headlight cleaner fluid
level warning light∗1
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Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS
AND CONTROLS—
Chapter 1 −8
Other equipment
 Clock
 Cigarette lighter and ashtray
 Glovebox
 Auxiliary box
 Cup holder
 Traction control system
 Floor mat
Clock
The digital clock indicates the time.
The key must be in the ”ACC” or ”ON”
position.
To reset the hour: Push the ”H” button.
To reset the minutes: Push the ”M” button.
If quick adjustment to a full hour is de-
sired, push the ”:00” button.
For example, if the ”:00” button is de-
pressed when the time is between
1:01—1:29, the time will change to 1:00.
If the time is between 1:30—1:59, 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 in-
dication will be reduced.
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The cup holder is designed for holding
cups or drink −cans securely in its
holes.
To use the cup holder, open the armrest
lid, pull out the cup holder. Then close the
armrest lid.
CAUTION
Do not leave the armrest lid open,
especially 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 possibly injure
people in the vehicle during sudden
braking or an accident.
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or sudden stop
while driving, keep the cup holder
retracted when it is not in use.
Do not left the armrest uplight
when the cup holder is pulled out.
Traction control system
Slip indicator light
”TRAC OFF” indicator/warning light
Cup holder
(with bench front seat)
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AUTOMATIC TRACTION CONTROL SYS-
TEM
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps control the spinning of the
front wheels which may occur when ac-
celerating on slippery road surfaces,
thus assisting driver to control the driv-
ing power of the front wheels. When
you turn the ignition switch on, the
traction control system always turns on
automatically, and the slip indicator
light and ”TRAC OFF” indicator/warning
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
control 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 indicates the system is functioning
properly. When getting the vehicle out of mud or
new snow, etc. the traction control system
will help operate to prevent the wheels
from spinning.
MANUAL OPERATION
You can turn off the traction control
system by pushing the ”TRAC OFF”
switch. The ”TRAC OFF” indicator/warn-
ing light will come on. Pushing the
”TRAC OFF” switch a second time
turns on the traction control system
and the ”TRAC OFF” indicator/warning
light will go off.
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CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicles and
power to the front wheels cannot be
maintained, even though the traction
control system is in operation. Do not
drive the vehicle under any speed or
maneuvering conditions which will
cause the vehicle to lose traction. In
situations where the road surface is
covered with ice or snow, your ve-
hicle should be fitted with snow tires
or tire chains. Always drive at on ap-
propriate and cautious pace.
Floor mat
Use a floor mat of the correct size.
If the floor mat has a hole, then it is
designed for use with a locking clip. Fix
the floor mat and locking clip into the hole
in the floor carpet.CAUTION
Make sure the floor mat is properly
placed on the floor carpet. If the floor
mat slips and interferes with the
movement of the pedals during driv-
ing, it may cause an accident.
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Rotating tires
To equalize tire wear and help extend
tire life, Toyota recommends that you
rotate your tires approximately every
12000 km (7500 miles). However, the
most appropriate timing for tire rotation
may vary according to your driving hab-
its and road surface conditions.
See ”If you have a flat tire” in Part 4 for
tire change procedure.
When rotating tires, check for uneven
wear and damage. Abnormal wear is usu-
ally caused by incorrect tire pressure, im-
proper wheel alignment, out −of −balance
wheels, or severe braking. WHEN TO USE SNOW TIRES OR
CHAINS
Snow tires or chains are recommended
when driving on snow or ice.
On wet or dry roads, conventional tires
provide better traction than snow tires.
SNOW TIRE SELECTION
If you need snow tires, select the same
size, construction and load capacity as
the original tires on your Toyota.
Do not use tires other than those men-
tioned above. Do not install studded tires
without first checking local regulations for
possible restrictions.
SNOW TIRE INSTALLATION
Snow tires should be installed on all
wheels.
Installing snow tires on the front wheels
only can lead to an excessive difference
in road grip capability between the front
and rear tires which could cause loss of
vehicle control.
When storing removed tires, you should
store them in a cool dry place.
Mark the direction of rotation and be sure
to install them in the same direction when
replacing.
CAUTION
Do not drive with the snow tires in-
correctly inflated.
Never drive over 120 km/h (75 mph)
with any type of snow tires.
TIRE CHAIN SELECTION
Use the tire chains of correct size and
type.
Use SAE Class ”S” type radial tire chains
except radial cable chains or V
−bar type
chains.
Regulations regarding the use of tire
chains vary according to location or
type of road, so always check them
before installing chains.
CHAIN INSTALLATION
Install the chains on the front tires as
tightly as possible. Do not use tire
chains on the rear tires. Retighten
chains after driving 0.5—1.0 km
(1/4—1/2 mile).
When installing chains on your tires, care-
fully follow the instructions of the chain
manufacturer.
Installing snow tires and
chains
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Uniform tire quality grading
This information has been prepared in ac-
cordance with regulations issued by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration of the U.S. Department of Trans-
portation. It provides the purchasers and/
or prospective purchasers of Toyota
vehicles with information on uniform tire
quality grading.
Your Toyota dealer will help answer any
questions you may have as you read this
information.
DOT quality grades—All passenger ve-
hicle tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to
these grades. These quality grades are
molded on the sidewall.
Treadwear —The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test
course. For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and a half (1 −1/2) times
as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100. The relative performance
of tires depends upon the actual condi-
tions of their use, however, and may de-
part significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service prac-
tices and differences in road characteris-
tics and climate. Traction A, B, C
—The traction grades,
from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C,
and they represent the tire’s ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under con-
trolled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A
tire marked C may have poor traction per-
formance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, C —The temperature
grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissi-
pate heat when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature
can cause the material of the tire to de-
generate and reduce tire life, and exces-
sive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade C corresponds to a lev-
el of performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law. Warning: The temperature grades for this
tire are established for a tire that is prop-
erly inflated and not overloaded. Exces-
sive speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in combina-
tion, can cause heat buildup and possible
tire failure.
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