2000 TOYOTA AVALON fuel consumption

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ÐCruise information display
The cruise information display indicates
the following information.1. Instantaneous fuel consumption
2. Average fuel consumption
3. Average vehicle speed
4. Driving range
5. Driving time
Every time you push the DISPLAYº but-
ton, the display toggles through this infor-
mation.
The displayed values in the cruise infor-
mation display indicate general driving
conditions. Accuracy varies with driving
habits and road conditions.
If the electrical power source has been
disconnected, the display will automatically
be set to instantaneous fuel consumption.
To set the unit, push the MODEº button
until the unit display appears and blinks.
Then push the RESET/ADJº button to se-
lect km/liter or mile/gallon. (At this time,
the outside temperature and air condition-
ing displays also change.)
After setting the unit, push the MODEº
button until the display returns to normal
calendar mode. 1. Instantaneous fuel consumption
(INST ECONº)
The instantaneous fuel consumption is
calculated and displayed based on dis-
tance and fuel consumption for 2 sec-
onds with the engine running.
The displayed value is updated every 2
seconds.
Note that an accurate figure may not be
shown in the following cases.

When the vehicle is stopped with the
engine running, the display will indicate
the extremely high fuel consumption.

When the vehicle is driving down a
long slope, applying the engine brake,
the display will indicate the extremely
low fuel consumption.
The calculation is reset when the ignition
switch is turned off.
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2. Average fuel consumption(AVG ECONº)
Average fuel consumption is calculated
and displayed based on total driving
distance and total fuel consumption
with the engine running.
The displayed value is updated every 10
seconds.
To reset the calculations, push the
RESET/ADJº button.
The calculation is reset when the ignition
switch is turned off. 3. Average vehicle speed (AVG SPEEDº)
Average vehicle speed is calculated and
displayed based on total driving dis-
tance and total driving time with the
engine running.
The displayed value is updated every 10
seconds.
To reset the calculations, push the
RESET/ADJº button.
The calculation is reset when the ignition
switch is turned off. 4. Driving range
(FUEL RANGEº)
The distance the vehicle can travel with
the remaining fuel is calculated and
displayed based on the quantity of re-
maining fuel and past fuel consumption.
The displayed value is updated every time
when the fuel equivalent for 1 km or 1
mile is consumed.
Every time you refuel the vehicle, the cal-
culation is reset.
The actual driving range varies with driv-
ing habits and road conditions. If fuel con-
sumption is good, the driving range will be
longer. If fuel consumption is poor, the
driving range will be shorter.
5. Driving time (TRIP TIMEº)
The elapsed time after the engine starts
is displayed.
When the engine is started, driving time
is counted from 0:00. Up to 99:59 (99
hours, 59 minutes) can be displayed.
When the driving time exceeds 99:59, the
counter returns to 0:00.
To reset the calculations, push the
RESET/ADJº button.
The calculation is reset when the ignition
switch is turned off.
ÐCompass
The compass indicates the direction
that the vehicle is heading. In the
above case, it shows that the vehicle is
heading south.
Displays
Directions
N
NE E
SE
S
SW W
NWNorth
Northeast East
Southeast
South
Southwest West
Northwest
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INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Break- in period229
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Fuel 229
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Operation in foreign countries 231
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Three- way catalytic converters 231
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Engine exhaust cautions 232
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Facts about engine oil consumption 233
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Iridium- tipped spark plugs 234
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Brake system 234
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 237
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Luggage stowage precautions 238
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Your Toyota's identification 238
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Theft prevention labels 239
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Suspension and chassis 240
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Types of tires 240
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SECTION 2
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FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.

Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a pis-
ton moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated when
the vehicle is decelerating sucks some
of this oil into the combustion chamber.
This oil as well as some part of the oil
film left on the cylinder wall is burned
by the high temperature combustion
gases during the combustion process.

Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.
The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high- speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note the that oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed. The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds.
IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in prop-
er vehicle maintenance is to keep the en-
gine oil at the optimum level so that oil
function will not be impaired. Therefore, it
is essential that the oil level be checked
regularly. Toyota recommends that the oil
level be checked every time you refuel
the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine troubledue to insufficient oil.
For detailed information on oil level check,
see Checking the engine oil levelº in Sec-
tion 7- 2.
Facts about engine oil
consumption
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Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
Pº and block the rear wheels. Do not use
the parking brake, or snow or water accu-
mulated in and around the parking brake
mechanism may freeze, making it hard to
release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the
vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a
passenger- carrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer will have an adverse effect on
handling, performance, braking, durability
and driving economy (fuel consumption,
etc.). Your safety and satisfaction depend
on the proper use of correct equipment
and cautious driving habits. For your
safety and the safety of others, you must
not overload your vehicle or trailer. Toyota
warranties do not apply to damage or
malfunction caused by towing a trailer for
commercial purposes. Ask your local
Toyota dealer for further details before
towing.
NOTICE
When towing a trailer, be sure to con-
sult your Toyota dealer for further in-formation on additional requirementssuch as a towing kit, etc.
WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total trail-
er weight, gross vehicle weight, gross
axle weight and trailer tongue load are
all within the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station, build-
ing supply company, trucking company,
junk yard, etc.
CAUTION

The total trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo load) must
not exceed 907 kg (2000 lb.). Ex-
ceeding this weight is dangerous.
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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 Pº and turn off the engine. When restarting out after parking on a
slope:
1. With the transmission in Pº position, start the engine. Be sure to keep the
brake pedal depressed.
2. Shift into the 2º, Lº or Rº position.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal and slowly pull or back away
from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply
your brakes.
4. Have someone retrieve the blo cks.CAUTION

Do not exceed 72 km/h (45 mph) or
the posted towing speed limit,
whichever is lower. Because insta-
bility (swaying) of a towing vehicle-
trailer combination usually in-
creases as the speed increases, ex-
ceeding 72 km/h (45 mph) may
cause loss of control.

Slow down and downshift before
descending steep or long downhill
grades. Do not make sudden down-
shifts.

Avoid holding the brake pedal down
too long or too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to overheat
and result in reduced braking effi-
ciency.
Getting more kilometers/mileage from a
liter/gallon of fuel is easyÐjust 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 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
drivingÐbut gently. Remember, howev-
er, that on cold winter days this may
take a little longer.

Keep the automatic transmission
overdrive turned on when engine
braking is not required. Driving with
the overdrive off will reduce the fuel
economy. (For details, see Automatic
transmissionº in Section 1- 6.)

Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts.
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer, too
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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 premature 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 con-
tribute to poor fuel economy. For longer
life of all s and lower operating costs,
keep all maintenance work on sched-
ule, and if you often drive under se-
vere conditions, see that your vehicle
receives more frequent maintenance
(For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the separate
Scheduled Maintenance Guideº or
Owner 's Manual Supplementº).
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.
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