2003 TOYOTA AVALON tire type

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1352003 AVALON (OM41401U)
The vehicle skid control system helps
provide integrated control of the sys-
tems such as antilock 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.
This system will activate when your ve-
hicle speed reaches or exceeds 15 km/h
(9 mph), and will deactivate when the ve-
hicle speed reduced to below 15 km/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 selfcheck mode but does not indi-
cate a malfunction.CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle skid control system. Even if
the vehicle skid control system is
operating, you must always drive
carefully and attentively to avoid
serious injury. Reckless driving will
result in an unexpected accident. If
the slip indicator light flashes and
an alarm sounds, special care
should be taken while driving.
Only use tires of specified size. The
size, manufacture, brand and tread
pattern for all 4 tires should be the
same. If you use the tires other
than specified, different type or
size, the vehicle skid control sys-
tem may not function correctly.
When replacing the tires or wheels,
contact your Toyota dealer. (See
“Checking and replacing tires” in
Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
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.
Vehicle skid control system

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1422003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Type 1: AM·FM ETR radio/cassette player/
compact disc player (with compact disc
auto changer controller)Type 2: AM·FM ETR radio/cassette player/
compact disc auto changer
This section describes some of the basic
features on Toyota audio systems. Some
information may not pertain to your sys-
tem.
Your audio system works when the ignition
key is in the “ACC” or “ON” position.
TURNING THE SYSTEM ON AND OFF
Push “PWR·VOL” to turn the audio system
on and off.
Push “AM”, “FM”, “TAPE” or “CD” to turn
on that function without pushing
“PWR·VOL”.
You can turn on each player by inserting
a cassette tape or compact disc.
You can turn off each player by ejecting
the cassette tape or compact disc. If the
audio system was previously off, then the
entire audio system will be turned off
when you eject the cassette tape or com-
pact disc. If the another function was pre-
viously playing, it will come on again.
SWITCHING BETWEEN FUNCTIONS
Push “AM”, “FM”, “TAPE” or “CD” if the
system is already on but you want to
switch from one function to another.
ReferenceUsing your audio system—
—Some basics

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1562003 AVALON (OM41401U)
If no messages have been stored, or if
there are no more messages to be re-
called, “NO MSG STORED” will appear on
the display, and the message display will
be canceled. The display then returns to
show the program service name. The
message display will be canceled if you
activate any function that affects the dis-
play.
Message display can be canceled by
pressing any of the following buttons:
“AM”, “FM”, “CD”, “TAPE”, “LOAD”,
“SEEK”, “TUNE”, any preset, “SCAN”, any
audio control, “RDS”, “SRCH”, or “ TYPES>”. If the current station is not a
traffic program and traffic announcements
is off, pushing “TRAF” will cancel the dis-
play. The message will be canceled after
the entire message has been displayed.
PROG (Program)
The “
” button switches the side of
the cassette being played. The display in-
dicates which side is currently selected
(“” indicates top side, “” indicates bot-
tom side).
Autoreverse feature: After the cassette
reaches the end of a tape, it automatically
reverses and begins to play the other
side. This feature works both in play and
fastforward mode. (Program Types)
This button is operational only in RDS
mode.
This button is used for program type
(PTY) search of RDS stations. 32 program
types are available as listed here.
By pushing this button, RDS turns on in
FM mode and “RDS” will be displayed. If
the program type search is not already
performed, the radio will start a program
type search (see “SRCH” for details). If a
program type search has already been
performed, the last active program type
will be tuned.
If you are already in FM type mode and
a program type is not already being dis-
played, pushing this button will recall the
display for the current program type.
After a program type is being displayed,
subsequent pushes of this button within 3
seconds will toggle through the available
program types. Pushing the right or left
arrows repeatedly will increment or decre-
ment the display through the available pro-
gram types in alphabetical order.Program Type List
The following program type names are
available. After a program type search,
the radio will display one of the following
program types for 3 seconds, then the
program type name for 3 seconds (if
available). After that, it will display the
first 8 characters of the program service
name of the current station.
Program types included are
Adlt Hit (Adult Hits)
Alert! (Emergency message)
Classicl (Classical)
Cls Rock (Classic Rock)
College
Country
Inform (Information)
Jazz
Language
News
Nostalga (Nostalgia)
Oldies
Persnlty (Personality)
Public
R & B (Rhythm and Blues)
Rel Musc (Religious Music)

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1602003 AVALON (OM41401U)
In addition, the feature may not work well
with some spoken word, live, or classical
recordings.
SRCH (Search)
This feature is available only in RDS
mode.
This button allows you to search all avail-
able RDS stations out of the entire FM
band and sort them by program type (see
“” for details on program
types).
By pushing this button, RDS is turned on
if it was off (“RDS” will display). The radio
is switched to FM type mode. During the
program type search, “SEARCHING....” will
show on the display. Also at this time,
“FM” and “TYPE” will appear on the dis-
play to indicate that the preset buttons are
for program type.
After searching for all available RDS sta-
tions, the radio will activate the previously
used program type. If the previously used
program type is not available, or if the
radio has not yet performed a program
type search, the radio will activate the
first available program type, in alphabeti-
cal order, that has stations in memory.
The radio will preset the stations of the
current program type into the preset but-
tons.If more than 6 stations of a program type
are found, the radio will create a second
bank of presets, such as “Rock 1” and
“Rock 2”. These are accessible through
the “” button. If more than
12 stations are found, the radio will load
the 12 strongest stations signal of the
program type into the presets.
After the search is complete, the radio will
display the number of RDS stations found
for 3 seconds: for example, “Found 19
RDS.” The radio will then display the se-
lected program type for 3 seconds: for
example, “ROCK.” After the program type
has been displayed for 3 seconds, the
radio will display the program type name
for 3 seconds. After that, the radio will
display the program service name.
Day mode (headlights off): The radio will
only display the number of presets that
have a frequency for the selected program
type. For example, if program type Rock
is selected, and there are three rock sta-
tions, only preset numbers 1, 2 and 3 will
be displayed. The remaining preset num-
bers will not be displayed and the remain-
ing preset button(s) will have no function.Night mode (headlights on): In addition to
the display described for day mode, the
radio will illuminate the jewels of the pre-
sets that have stations available. The re-
maining preset button(s) will have no func-
tion.
A type search in progress can be can-
celed by pushing the following buttons:
“SEEK”, “TUNE”, “SCAN”, “AM”, “FM”, any
preset button, “CD” (if CD mode is avail-
able), “TAPE” (if tape mode is available),
“RDS”, “SRCH”, “”,
“TRAF”, or “LOAD”. If any of these but-
tons is pressed, the search will be can-
celed and the appropriate function started.
Inserting a tape will also cancel the
search.
If no RDS stations are found, “FOUND 0
RDS” will display and the radio will return
to the previous FM mode and frequency.
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.

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2092003 AVALON (OM41401U)
INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Breakin period210 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel210 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operation in foreign countries212 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Threeway catalytic converters212 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust cautions213 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Facts about engine oil consumption214 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Iridiumtipped spark plugs215 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake system215 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake pad wear limit indicators219 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Luggage stowage precautions219 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your Toyota’s identification220 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theft prevention labels221 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Suspension and chassis221 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Types of tires221 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 2

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2212003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Your new vehicle carries theft preven-
tion labels which are approximately 56
mm (2.20 in.) by 16 mm (0.63 in.).
The purpose of these labels is to reduce
the incidence of vehicle thefts by facilitat-
ing the tracing and recovery of parts from
stolen vehicles. The label is designed so
that once it is applied to a surface, any
attempt to remove it will result in destroy-
ing the integrity of the label. Transferring
these labels intact from one part to anoth-
er, will be impossible.
NOTICE
You should not attempt to remove the
theft prevention labels as it may vio-
late certain state or federal laws.
CAUTION
Do not modify the suspension/chassis
with lift kits, spacers, springs, etc. It
can cause dangerous handling charac-
teristics, resulting in loss of control.
Make sure what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are highspeed capability
tires best suited to highway driving under
dry conditions.
Since summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, sum-
mer tires are inadequate for driving on
snowcovered or icy roads. For driving on
snowcovered or icy roads, we recom-
mend using snow tires. If installing snow
tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions, as
well as for use all year round.
All season tires, however, do not have
adequate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accel-
eration and handling performance
compared with summer tires in highway
driving.
Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada)Suspension and chassis Types of tires

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2262003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has highspeed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are highspeed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.
Make sure you have a proper freeze
protection of engine coolant.
Your coolant must contain ethyleneglycol
type coolant for a proper corrosion
protection of aluminum components. Use
“Toyota Genuine Long Life Coolant” or
equivalent.
See Section 72 for details about coolant
type selection.
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or
plain water alone.
When it is extremely cold, we recommend
to use 60% solution for your Toyota, to
provide protection down to about 50C
(58F). Do not use more than 70% solu-
tion for better coolant performance.
Check the condition of the battery and
cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any battery, so it must be in top shape
to provide enough power for winter start-
ing. Section 73 tells you how to visually
inspect the battery. Your Toyota dealer
and most service stations will be pleased
to check the level of charge.Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See Section 72 for recommended viscos-
ity. Leaving a heavy summer oil in your
vehicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, call your Toyota deal-
er—he will be pleased to help.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock deicer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing.
Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
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 any
other substitute because it may dam-
age your vehicle’s paint.
Winter driving tips

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2302003 AVALON (OM41401U)
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS
Toyota recommends trailers with brakes
that conform to any applicable federal
and state/provincial regulations.
A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain should cross
under the trailer tongue to prevent the
tongue from dropping to the ground in
case it becomes damaged or sepa-
rated. For correct safety chain proce-
dures, follow the hitch or trailer
manufacturer ’s recommendations.
CAUTION
If the total trailer weight exceeds
453 kg (1000 lb.), trailer brakes are
required.
Never tap into your vehicle’s hy-
draulic system as it would lower its
braking effectiveness.
Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling unit
or hitch ball, there is danger of the
trailer wandering over into another
lane.
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are
properly inflated. See Section 72 and
Section 8 for instructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the trail-
er manufacturer in respect to the total
trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS
Trailer lights must comply with federal,
state/provincial and local regulations.
See your local recreational vehicle
dealer or rental agency for the correct
type of wiring and relays for your trail-
er. Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each time
you hitch up. Direct splicing may dam-
age your vehicle’s electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.BREAKIN SCHEDULE
Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a
vehicle with any new power train com-
ponent (engine, transmission, differen-
tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving.
MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will
require more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the “Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner ’s
Manual Supplement”.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
PRETOWING SAFETY CHECK
Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal noseup or nosedown
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.