2003 TOYOTA AVALON stop start

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2332003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Improving fuel economy is easy—just 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 Section
72 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 warmup idling. Once
the engine is running smoothly, begin
driving—but 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
transmission” in Section 16.)
Accelerate slowly and smoothly.
Avoid jackrabbit starts.
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 lugging or overrev-
ving. Use a gear position suitable for
the road on which you are travelling.
Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stopandgo 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 tunedup 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 parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive under
severe conditions, see that your vehicle
receives more frequent maintenance.
(For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the “Scheduled
Maintenance Guide” or “Owner ’s Manu-
al Supplement”.)
How to save fuel and make
your vehicle last longer

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2392003 AVALON (OM41401U)
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
cloths—they 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 at your Toyota
dealer.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 start” in this section.
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 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 “P”
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
drivingIf your vehicle overheats

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2402003 AVALON (OM41401U)
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from the
radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-
gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer
for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check
the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
6. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You should have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place well away from
the traffic. Avoid stopping on the center
divider of a highway. Park on a level
spot with firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your
emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put
the transmission in “P”.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle
on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thor-
oughly.
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe the
following to reduce the possibility of
personal injury:
Follow jacking instructions.
Do not put any part of your body
under the vehicle supported by the
jack. Otherwise, personal injury may
occur.
Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by the
jack.
If you have a flat tire—

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2722003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Front
Rear
When jacking up your vehicle with the
jack, position the jack correctly as
shown in the illustrations.
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe the
following to reduce the possibility of
personal injury:
Follow jacking instructions.
Do not put any part of your body
under the vehicle supported by the
jack. Personal injury may occur.
Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by the
jack.
Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking brake
and put the transmission in “P”.
Block the wheels on the opposite
side of the jack up point if neces-
sary.
Make sure to set the jack properly
in the jack point. Raising the ve-
hicle with jack improperly posi-
tioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow the vehicle to fall off the
jack and cause personal injury.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack
alone; use vehicle support stands.
Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do not
put an object on or under the jack.
NOTICE
Make sure to place the jack correctly,
or your vehicle may be damaged.
Positioning the jack

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
3052003 AVALON (OM41401U)
18. AM2 10 A: SRS airbag system, multi-
port fuel injection system/sequential
multiport fuel injection system, starter
system, charging system, air/fuel sen-
sor, fuel pump
19. EFI NO.2 7.5 A: Multiport fuel injection
system/sequential multiport fuel injec-
tion system, air flow meter, oxygen
sensor, evaporative emission control
system, throttle positioner control sys-
tem, engine control system
20. ABS NO.3 25 A: Antilock brake sys-
tem
21. ABS NO.2 25 A: Vehicle skid control
system
22. EFI NO.1 15 A: Multiport fuel injection
system/sequential multiport fuel injec-
tion system, fuel pump
23. IG2 15 A: Multiport fuel injection sys-
tem/sequential multiport fuel injection
system
24. HEAD LH UPR 10 A: Lefthand head-
light (high beam), high beam indicator
light
25. HEAD RH UPR 10 A: Righthand
headlight (high beam)
26. ECUIG NO.1 5 A: Electric cooling
fans27. ECUB 7.5 A: Air conditioning system,
theft deterrent system, power seats,
meters, power windows (for driver and
front passenger), multiplex communica-
tion system
28. TAIL 10 A: Parking lights, license plate
lights, tail lights, rear side marker
lights, rear light failure warning light,
engine control system
29. SEAT HTR 20 A: Seat heaters
30. FR P/W 20 A: Power window (for front
passenger)
31. GAUGE NO.1 10 A: Vehicle skid con-
trol system, rear window defogger,
cruise control system, shift lock sys-
tem, antilock brake system, auto anti
glare inside rear view mirror, automatic
light control system, power seats, rear
light failure warning light, automatic
transmission indicator lights, power out-
let, power window (for driver), brake
system warning light, electric moon
roof
32. HTR 10 A: Air conditioning system
33. FOG 15 A: Front fog lights
34. TURN 7.5 A: Turn signal lights
35. A/C 10 A: Air conditioning system
36. RADIO 15 A: Audio system, multiin-
formation display37. PANEL 5 A: Gauges and meters, audio
system, cigarette lighter, air condition-
ing system, emergency flasher, elec-
tronically controlled automatic transmis-
sion system, power rear view mirrors,
multiinformation display, glove box
light, instrument panel lights, instrument
panel light control, power outlet
38. FL P/W 25 A: Power window (for driv-
er)
39. PWR OUTLET NO.1 15 A: Power out-
let (ACC)
40. ECUACC 5 A: Audio system, power
rear view mirrors, multiinformation dis-
play, shift lock system, multiplex com-
munication system
41. SRSACC 10 A: SRS airbag system
42. MIR HTR 10 A: Outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers, engine control system
43. PWR OUTLET NO.2 15 A: Power out-
let (IG)
44. GAUGE NO.2 10 A: Backup lights
45. OBDII 7.5 A:
Onboard diagnosis sys-
tem
46. STOP 15 A: Stop lights, high mounted
stoplight, antilock brake system, shift
lock system, cruise control system, ve-
hicle skid control system, engine con-
trol system