2000 TOYOTA AVALON spark plugs

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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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Iridium- tipped spark plugs
Your engine is fitted with iridium- tipped
spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only iridium- tipped spark plugsand do not adjust gaps for your en-gine performance and smooth drive-ability.
Brake system
This brake system has two independent
hydraulic circuits. If either circuit should
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 reserved
vacuum for one or two stopsÐbut no
more!
CAUTION

Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your reserved vacu-
um.

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.
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(c) Jump starting
To avoid serious personal injury and
damage to your vehicle which might re-
sult from battery explosion, acid burns,
electrical burns, or damaged electronic
components, these instructions must be
followed precisely.
If you are unsure about how to follow this
procedure, we strongly recommend that
you seek the help of a competent me-
chanic or towing service.
CAUTION

Batteries contain sulfuric acid
which is poisonous and corrosive.
Wear protective safety glasses when
jump starting, and avoid spilling
acid on your skin, clothing, or ve-
hicle.

If you should accidentally get acid
on yourself or in your eyes, remove
any contaminated clothing and flush
the affected area with water im-
mediately. Then get immediate medi-
cal attention. If possible, continue
to apply water with a sponge or
cloth while en route to the medical
office.

The gas normally produced by a
battery will explode if a flame or
spark is brought near. Use only
standardized jumper cables and do
not smoke or light a match while
jump starting.
NOTICE
The battery used for boosting mustbe 12 V. Do not jump start unless youare sure that the booster battery iscorrect.
JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE
1. If the booster battery is installed in another vehicle, make sure the vehicles
are not touching. Turn off all unneces-
sary lights and accessories.
2. If required, remove all the vent plugs from the booster and discharged batter-
ies. Lay a cloth over the open vents
on the batteries. (This helps reduce the
explosion hazard, personal injuries and
burns.)
3. If the engine in the vehicle with the booster battery is not running, start it
and let it run for a few minutes. During
jump starting, run the engine at about
2000 rpm with the accelerator pedal
lightly depressed.
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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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