1999 TOYOTA AVALON ECO mode

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SKIP
The skip feature allows you to fast for-
ward past long stretches of blank tape.
This is especially useful at the end of
cassettes.
Push ”SKIP”. ”SKIP” will appear on the
display. The cassette player will keep
track of how much blank space it plays.
Any time it has played about 10 seconds
of blank tape, it will automatically fast
forward to the next track and begin to
play.
Push the button a second time to turn off
the skip feature.
ST (Stereo reception) display
Your radio automatically changes to stereo
reception when a stereo broadcast is re-
ceived. ”ST” appears on the display. If the
signal becomes weak, the radio reduces
the amount of channel separation to prev-
ent the weak signal from creating noise.
If the signal becomes extremely weak, the
radio switches from stereo to mono recep-
tion. TA P E
Push ”TAPE” to switch from radio or com-
pact disc operation to cassette operation.
If the audio system is off, you can turn
on the cassette player by pushing ”TAPE”.
In both cases, a cassette must already be
loaded in the player.
TRACK (Track up/down button):
Compact disc player
By using this button, you can skip up or
down to a different track.
Push either side of the track button until
the number of the track you want to listen
to appears on the display. If you want to
return to the beginning of the current
track, push the down side of the button
one time, quickly.
TUNE (Tuning)
Your Toyota has an electronic tuning radio
(ETR). Push and release the ”
” (up) or
”  ” (down) side of ”TUNE” to step up or
down the station band. (If you hear a
beep, you held the button too long and
the radio will go into the seek mode.)NOTICE
To ensure the correct audio system
operation:
 Be careful not to spill beverages
over the audio system.
 Do not put anything other than a
cassette tape or Compact Disc into
the slot.
RADIO RECEPTION
Usually, a problem with radio reception
does not mean there is a problem with
your radio −it is just the normal result of
conditions outside the vehicle.
For example, nearby buildings and terrain
can interfere with FM reception. Power
lines or telephone wires can interfere with
AM signals. And of course, radio signals
have a limited range, and the farther you
are from a station, the weaker its signal
will be. In addition, reception conditions
change constantly as your vehicle moves.
Here are some common reception prob-
lems that probably do not indicate a prob-
lem with your radio:
—Car audio system operating
hints
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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 a few 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 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 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 the
brakes. This indicates the system is func-
tioning 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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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 mix −ups, 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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Brake system
TANDEM MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE
SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake system
is a hydraulic system with two separate
sub −systems. If either sub −system s hould
fail, the other will still work. However, 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 stops—but no
more!
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your vacuum reserve.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard—much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
be longer.
ANTI −LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (with
”ABS” warning light)
The anti −lock brake system is designed to
automatically help 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 ”ABS” brake
pedal: When the anti −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 in a panic stop. Pump-
ing the brake pedal makes the stopping
distance longer.
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 ve-
hicle:
Braking capability is dependent on tire
friction with the road surface.
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Getting more kilometers/mileage from a
liter/gallon of fuel is easy—just take it
easy. It will help make your vehicle last
longer, too. Here are some specific tips
on how to save money on both fuel and
repairs:
Keep your tires inflated at the cor-
rect pressure. Underinflation causes
tire wear and wastes fuel. See Chapter
7 −2 for instructions.
Do not carry unneeded weight in
your vehicle. Excess weight puts a
heavier load on the engine, causing
greater fuel consumption.
Avoid lengthy warm −up idling. Once
the engine is running smoothly, begin
driving—but gently. Remember, howev-
er, that on cold winter days this may
take a little longer.
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts.
Avoid long engine idling. If you have
a long wait and you are not in traffic,
it is better to turn off the engine and
start again later.
Avoid engine lug or overrevving. Use
a gear position suitable for the road on
which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop−and− go driving
wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and
braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or
take advantage of through streets to
avoid traffic lights. Keep a proper dis-
tance from other vehicles to avoid sud-
den braking. This will also reduce wear
on your brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal. This causes needless wear,
overheating and poor fuel economy.
Maintain a moderate speed on high-
ways. The faster you drive, the greater
the fuel consumption. By reducing your
speed, you will cut down on fuel con-
sumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper
alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on
the engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle free
from mud, etc. This not only lessens
weight but also helps prevent corro-
sion.
Keep your vehicle tuned −up and in
top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease,brakes not adjusted, etc. all
lower engine performance and contrib-
ute to poor fuel economy. For longer
life of all parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your vehicle
receives more frequent maintenance
(For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the separate
”Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
”Owner ’s Manual Supplement”).
CAUTION
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering and
brake booster will not function with-
out the engine running. Also, the
emission control system operates
properly only when the engine is run-
ning.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too
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Engine
Model:
1MZ −FE
Type: 6 cylinder V type 4 cycle, gasoline
Bore and stroke, mm (in.): 87.5  83.0 (3.44  3.27)
Displacement, cm
3 (cu. in.):
2995 (182.8)
Fuel
Fuel type: Unleaded gasoline, Octane Rating 87
(Research Octane Number 91) or higher.
For improved vehicle performance, the
use of premium unleaded gasoline with
an Octane Rating of 91 (Research Oc-
tane Number 96) or higher is recom-
mended.
Fuel tank capacity, L (gal., Imp. gal.): 70 (18.5, 15.4)
Service specifications
ENGINE
Valve clearance (engine cold), mm (in.):
Intake 0.15—0.25 (0.006—0.010)
Exhaust 0.25—0.35 (0.010—0.014)
Spark plug type: DENSO PK20TR11
NGK BKR6EKPB11
Spark plug gap, mm(in.): 1.1 (0.043)
Drive belt tension measured with Bor-
roughs drive belt tension gauge No.
BT −33− 73F (used belt), Ibf:
Generator belt
11 510
Power steering pump belt 11 520
ENGINE LUBRICATION
Oil capacity (drain and refill), L (qt., Imp.
qt.): With filter 4.7 (5.0, 4.1)
Without filter 4.5 (4.8, 4.0)
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