
’02 AVALON U (L/O 0107)
882002 MY AVALON_U (OM22493U)
To change the steering wheel angle,
hold the steering wheel, pull the lock
release lever toward you, tilt the steer-
ing wheel to the desired angle and re-
lease the lever.
When the steering wheel is in a low posi-
tion, it will spring up as you release the
lock release lever.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. It may
cause the driver to mishandle the
vehicle and an accident may occur
resulting in death or serious inju-
ries.
After adjusting the steering wheel,
try moving it up and down to make
sure it is locked in position.
Adjust the mirror so that you can see
the side of your vehicle in the mirror.
Be careful when judging the size or dis-
tance of any object seen in the outside
rear view mirror on the passenger ’s side.
It is a convex mirror with a curved sur-
face. Any object seen in a convex mirror
will look smaller and farther away than
when seen in a flat mirror.
On some models, when you push the rear
window defogger switch, the heater panels
in the outside rear view mirrors will quick-
ly clear the surface.
Tilt steering wheelOutside rear view mirrors—

’02 AVALON U (L/O 0107)
1222002 MY AVALON_U (OM22493U)
(g) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
(h) “ABS” Warning Light
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the “ON” position. If the anti−
lock brake system and the brake assist
system work properly, the light turns off
after a few seconds. Thereafter, if either
of the systems malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti −lock brake system, the brake assist
system, the traction control system and
the vehicle skid control system do not
operate, but the brake system still oper-
ates conventionally. When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti
−lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden brake or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the parts monitored by
the warning light system. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the “ABS” warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, not only the anti lock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
(i) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
are completely closed.
(j) Rear Light Failure Warning Light
If this light comes on when the headlight
switch is turned on (at the position 1 or
position 2), it indicates that one or more
of the tail lights are burned out.
If it comes on when the brake pedal is
depressed, one or more stop lights are
burned out.
Have defective bulbs replaced as soon as
possible.

’02 AVALON U (L/O 0107)
1272002 MY AVALON_U (OM22493U)
“START”—Starter motor on. The key
will return to the “ON” position when
released.
For starting tips, see Section 3.
“ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
“ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position and open the driver’s
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
“LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.You must push in the key to turn the key
from “ACC” to the “LOCK” position. The
selector lever must be in the “P” position
before pushing the key.
Vehicles with engine immobiliser system—
Once you remove the key, the engine im-
mobiliser system is automatically set. (See
“Engine immobiliser system” in Section
1
−2.)
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the “LOCK” position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key gently.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the “ON”
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
ignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock

’02 AVALON U (L/O 0107)
1312002 MY AVALON_U (OM22493U)
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. It
can cause the transmission to over-
heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(i) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock the vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the ve-
hicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes un-
stuck, causing injury or damage to
nearby people or objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reverse
gear.
Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
(j) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” in Section 4.

’02 AVALON U (L/O 0107)
1352002 MY AVALON_U (OM22493U)
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up-
grade with the accelerator pedal. It
can cause the transmission to over-
heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(i) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock the vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the ve-
hicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes un-
stuck, causing injury or damage to
nearby people or objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reverse
gear.
Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
(j) If you cannot shift the selector le-
ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” in Section 4.

’02 AVALON U (L/O 0107)
1362002 MY AVALON_U (OM22493U)
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of front
wheels when the vehicle is started or
accelerated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition key is turned to “ON”,
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power against 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 may
cause the vehicle to lose traction
control. In situations where the road
surface is covered with ice or snow,
your vehicle should be fitted with
snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at an appropriate and cautious
speed for the present road condi-
tions.
NORMAL DRIVING MODE
Leave the system on during the ordi-
nary driving so that it can operate
when needed.
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,
but does not indicate a malfunction. When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
front wheels. At this time, the slip indi-
cator light blinks.
You may feel vibration or noise in your
vehicle, caused by operation of the
brakes. This indicates the system is
functioning properly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition is turned on,
contact your Toyota dealer.
Traction control system

’02 AVALON U (L/O 0107)
1372002 MY AVALON_U (OM22493U)
TRACTION CONTROL OFF MODE
If your wheels get stuck in a ditch
when you are driving on a severe off
road and sand, turn off the traction
control system. This system that con-
trols engine performance interferes with
the process of freeing front wheels.
To turn off: Push “VSC OFF” switch.
The “VSC OFF” indicator light will come
on.
To turn on: Push “VSC OFF” switch
once again.
The “VSC OFF” indicator light will go off.“VSC OFF” indicator light comes on for a
few seconds when the ignition key is
turned to “ON”. It will come on again
when you push the “VSC OFF” switch to
turn off the system.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The indicator light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned “ON”.
The indicator light remains on after the
ignition is turned on.
The indicator light comes on with the
normal driving mode while driving.
“VSC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the traction control system
or the vehicle skid control system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON” and will go off after
a few seconds.

’02 AVALON U (L/O 0107)
1382002 MY AVALON_U (OM22493U)
The brake actuator temperature increases
during continuous operation of the traction
control system or vehicle skid control sys-
tem such as on slippery roads. If the
brake actuator temperature becomes too
high while the traction control system or
vehicle skid control system is operating,
a buzzer will start to sound intermittently
to indicate that the traction control system
can no longer operate. In this case, imme-
diately stop your vehicle at a safe place.
If the system continues to operate, the
buzzer sound changes from intermittent to
continuous. (The continuous buzzer
sounds for about 3 seconds.) At the time
the “VSC/TRAC” warning light will come
on and the traction control system tempo-
rarily stops operating in order to protect
the brake actuator. (Although the traction
control system does not operate, there is
no problem to continue your driving.) The
system will be automatically restored after
a short time and the “VSC/TRAC” warning
light goes out.
If the light comes on while driving, the
system does not work. However, as con-
ventional braking operates when applied,
there is no problem to continue your driv-
ing.In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
after the ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
The vehicle skid control system helps
provide integrated control of the sys-
tems such as anti lock brake system,
traction control, engine control, etc.
This system automatically controls the
brakes and engine to help prevent the
vehicle from skidding when cornering
on a slippery road surface or operating
steering wheel abruptly.
The vehicle skid control activates when
the vehicle speed is more than 15km/h (9
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 system is
in the self
−check mode but does not indi-
cate a malfunction.
Vehicle skid control system