2000 TOYOTA AVALON ignition

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5. Start your engine in the normal way.After starting, run it at about 2000 rpm
for several minutes with the accelerator
pedal lightly depressed.
6. Carefully disconnect the cables in the exact reverse order: the negative cable
and then the positive cable.
7. Carefully dispose of the battery cover clothsÐthey may now contain sulfuric
acid.
8. If removed, replace all the battery vent plugs.
If the cause of your battery discharging is
not apparent (for example, lights left on),
you should have it checked. If your engine stalls while driving...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Try starting the engine again.
If the engine will not start, see If your
vehicle will not startº.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
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 Pº
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.
If your engine stalls while
driving
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If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tempo-
rarily towed by a cable or chain se-
cured to one of the emergency towing
eyelets under the vehicle. Use extreme
caution when towing vehicles.
NOTICE
Only use specified towing eyelet;otherwise your vehicle may be dam-aged.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer
it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard- surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
CAUTION
Use extreme caution when towing ve-
hicles. Avoid sudden starts or erratic
driving maneuvers which would place
excessive stress on the emergency
towing eyelets and towing cable or
chain. The eyelets and towing cable
or chain may break and cause serious
injury or damage.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifically
intended for use in towing vehicles.Securely fasten the cable or chain tothe towing eyelets provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in Nº. The key
must be in ACCº (engine off) or ONº
(engine running).
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of Pº position to other positions
even though the brake pedal is de-
pressed, use the shift lock override but-
ton as follows:
1. Turn the ignition key to LOCKº position. Make sure the parking
brake is set.
2. Pry up the cover with a flat- bladed screwdriver or equivalent.
If you cannot shift automatic
transmission selector lever
(floor shift)
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3. Insert your finger into the hole topush down the shift lock override
button. You can shift out of Pº
position only while pushing the but-
ton.
4. Shift into Nº position.
5. Insert the cover.
6. Start the engine. For your safety, keep the brake pedal depressed.
Be sure to have the system checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of Pº position to other positions
even though the brake pedal is de-
pressed, use the shift lock override but-
ton as follows: 1. Turn the ignition key to LOCKº position. Make sure the parking
brake is set.
2. Pry up the cover with a flat- bladed screwdriver or equivalent.3. Insert the screwdriver or equivalentinto the hole to pull down the shift
lock override button. You can shift
out of Pº position only while push-
ing the button.
4. Shift into Nº position.
5. Insert the cover.
6. Start the engine. For your safety, keep the brake pedal depressed.
Be sure to have the system checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
If you cannot shift automatic
transmission selector lever
(column shift)
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If you perform maintenance by yourself,
be sure to follow the correct procedure
given in this section.
You should be aware that improper or in-
complete servicing may result in operating
problems.
Performing do- it- yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect your
warranty coverage. Read the separate
Toyota Warranty statement for details and
suggestions.
This section gives instructions only for
those items that are relatively easy for an
owner to perform. As explained in Section
6, there are still a number of items that
must be done by a qualified technician
with special tools.
For information on tools and parts for do-
it- yourself maintenance, see Parts and
toolsº.
Utmost care should be taken when work-
ing on your vehicle to prevent accidental
injury. Here are a few precautions that
you should be especially careful to ob-
serve:CAUTION

When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)

Right after driving, the engine
compartmentÐthe engine, radiator,
exhaust manifold and spark plug
boots, etc.Ðwill be hot. So be care-
ful not to touch them. Oil, fluids
and spark plugs may also be hot.

If the engine is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the drain
plugs to prevent burning yourself.

Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flammable.

Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.

Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it. Al-
ways use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.

Be sure that the ignition is off if
you work near the electric cooling
fans or radiator grille. With the
ignition on, the electric cooling fans
will automatically start to run if the
engine coolant temperature is high
and/or the air conditioning is on.

Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under your vehicle
where you may be exposed to flying
or falling material, fluid spray, etc.

Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as in-
flammation or skin cancer, so care
should be taken to avoid prolonged
and repeated contact with it. To re-
move used engine oil from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap
and water.
Do- it- yourself service
precautions
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Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.

Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers or
onto the ground. Call your dealer or
a service station for information
concerning recycling or disposal.
NOTICE

Remember that battery and ignitioncables carry high currents or volt-ages. Be careful of accidentallycausing a short circuit.

Add only demineralized or distilledwater to fill the radiator. And if youspill some of the coolant, be sure
to wash off with water to prevent itfrom damaging the parts or paint.

Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug holes.

Do not pry the outer electrode of aspark plug against the center elec-
trode.

Use only spark plugs of the speci-fied type. Using other types willcause engine damage, loss of per-formance or radio noise.

Do not reuse iridium- tipped sparkplugs by cleaning or regapping.

Do not overfill automatic transmis-sion fluid, or the transmissioncould be damaged.

Do not drive with the air cleanerfilter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiringcould cause a fire in the enginecompartment.

Be careful not to scratch the glass
surface with the wiper frame.

When closing the engine hood,check to see that you have not for-
gotten any tools, rags, etc.
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Checking and replacing fuses
Ty p e AGood Blown
Ty p e B
Good
Good Blown
Blown
Ty p e C
If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work, check the
fuses. If any of the fuses are blown,
they must be replaced.
See Fuse locationsº in Section 7- 1 for
locations of the fuses.
Turn the ignition switch and inoperative
component off. Pull a suspected fuse
straight out and check it.
Determine which fuse may be causing the
problem. The lid of the fuse box shows
the name of the circuit for each fuse. See
Section 8 of this manual for the functions
controlled by each circuit. Type A fuses can be pulled out by the
pull- out tool. The location of the pull- out
tool is shown in the illustration.
If you are not sure whether the fuse has
blown, try replacing the suspected fuse
with one that you know is good.
If the fuse has blown, push a new fuse
into the clip.
Only install a fuse with the amperage rat-
ing designated on the fuse box lid.
If you do not have a spare fuse, in an
emergency you can pull out the RADIOº,
HTRº or A/Cº fuse, which may be
dispensable for normal driving, and use it
if its amperage rating is the same.
If you cannot use one of the same amper-
age, use one that is lower, but as close
as possible to the rating. If the amperage
is lower than that specified, the fuse
might blow out again but this does not
indicate anything wrong. Be sure to get
the correct fuse as soon as possible and
return the substitute to its original clip.
It is a good idea to purchase a set of
spare fuses and keep them in your ve-
hicle for emergencies.
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If the new fuse immediately blows out,
there is a problem with the electrical sys-
tem. Have your Toyota dealer correct it as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
Never use a fuse with a higher am-
perage rating, or any other object, in
place of a fuse. This may cause ex-
tensive damage and possibly a fire.
Adding washer fluid
If any washer does not work or low
windshield washer fluid level warning
light comes on, the washer tank may be
empty. Add washer fluid.
You may use plain water as washer fluid.
However, in cold areas where tempera-
tures range below freezing point, use
washer fluid containing antifreeze. This
product is available at your Toyota dealer
and most auto parts stores. Follow the
manufacturer 's directions for how much to
mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or anyother substitute because it may dam-age your vehicle's paint.
Replacing light bulbsÐ
The following illustrations show how to
gain access to the bulbs. When replacing
a bulb, make sure the ignition switch and
light switch are off. Use bulbs with the
wattage ratings given in the table.
CAUTION
Halogen bulbs have pressurized gas
inside and require special handling.
They can burst or shatter if scratched
or dropped. Hold a bulb only by its
plastic or metal case. Do not touch
the glass part of a bulb with bare
hands.
NOTICE
Only use a bulb of the listed type.
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