2003 TOYOTA AVALON tow

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1802003 AVALON (OM41401U)
If following another vehicle on a dusty
road, or driving in windy and dusty
conditions, it is recommended that the
air intake selector be temporarily set to
RECIRCULATE, which will close off the
outside passage and prevent outside
air and dust from entering the vehicle
interior.Heating
For best results, set controls to:
—For automatic operation
Press in the “AUTO” button.
Temperature—To the desired
temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning—OFF
—For manual operation
Fan speed—To the desired fan speed
Temperature—To w a r d s high temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—FLOOR
Air conditioning—OFF
For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the
windows from fogging, select fresh af-
ter the vehicle interior has been
warmed.
Press the “A/C” button on for dehumidi-
fied heating.
Choose floor/windshield air flow to heat
the vehicle interior while defrosting or
defogging the windshield.Air conditioning
For best results, set controls to:
—For automatic operation
Press in the “AUTO” button.
Temperature—To the desired
temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning—ON
—For manual operation
Fan speed—To the desired fan speed
Temperature—Towards low temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—PANEL
Air conditioning—ON
For quick cooling, select recirculated
air for a few minutes.

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1812003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
—For automatic operation
Press in the “AUTO” button.
Temperature—Towards low temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air conditioning—OFF
—For manual operation
Fan speed—To the desired fan speed
Temperature—Towards low temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—PANEL
Air conditioning—OFF
Defogging and defrosting
—The inside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
—For automatic operation
Temperature—To w a r d s high temperature
to heat; low temperature
to cool
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
—For manual operation
Fan speed—To the desired fan speed
Temperature—To w a r d s high temperature
to heat; low temperature
to cool
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
Pressing the windshield air flow button
turns on the defogging function with the
purpose of clearing the front view.
When pressing the windshield air flow but-
ton, the air intake selects FRESH auto-
matically. This is to clean up the front
view more quickly.
If you want to return the setting to
RECIRCULATE mode, press the air intake
selector button once again.Press the “A/C” button for dehumidified
heating or cooling. This setting clears the
front view more quickly.
On humid days, do not blow cold air
on the windshield—the difference be-
tween the outside and inside tempera-
tures could make the fogging worse.
—The outside of the windshield
For best results, set controls to:
—For automatic operation
Temperature—Towards high temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
—For manual operation
Fan speed—To the desired fan speed
Temperature—Towards high temperature
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—WINDSHIELD
Pressing the windshield air flow button
turns on the defrosting function with the
purpose of clearing the front view.
When pressing the windshield air flow but-
ton, the air intake selects FRESH auto-
matically. This is to clean up the front
view more quickly.

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1922003 AVALON (OM41401U)
The compass may not show the correct
direction in the following conditions:
The vehicle is stopped immediately af-
ter turning.
The compass does not adjust while the
vehicle is stopped.
The ignition switch is turned off imme-
diately after turning.
The vehicle is on an inclined surface.
The vehicle is in a place where the
earth’s magnetic field is subject to in-
terference by artificial magnetic fields
(underground parking, under a steel
tower, between buildings, roof parking,
near a crossing, near a large vehicle,
etc.).
The vehicle is magnetized. (There is a
magnet or a metal object on or near
the roof.)
The battery has been disconnected.
The compass works to calibrate the direc-
tion automatically while the vehicle is in
motion, if deviation is small.
For additional precision or for complete
calibrating, see “CALIBRATING THE
COMPASS” below.
Compass sensor
NOTICE
Do not put magnets or a metal object
on or near the roof of the vehicle.
Doing this may cause malfunction of
the compass sensor.
CALIBRATING THE COMPASS (deviation
calibration)
The direction display on the compass
deviates from the true direction deter-
mined by the earth’s magnetic field. The
angle of deviation varies according to the
geographic position of the vehicle.
To adjust for this deviation, stop the ve-
hicle and push the “MODE” button several
times until “ZONE XX” appears on the
calendar display. Then push the “RESET/
ADJ” button, referring to the following map
to select the number of the zone where
the vehicle is.

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1942003 AVALON (OM41401U)
CALIBRATING THE COMPASS (circling
calibration)
Sometimes the direction display on the
compass may not change after a turn. To
rectify this, stop the vehicle and push the
“MODE” button several times until
“COMPASS” appears and blinks on the
display. Then push the “RESET/ADJ” but-
ton. “CALIBRATE” appears and blinks to-
gether with the compass display.Drive the vehicle in a circle until the blink-
ing stops. If there is not enough space to
drive in a circle, drive around the block
until the blinking stops.
When the compass and the calendar dis-
play return to normal mode, calibration is
complete.
If you want to cancel the calibration be-
fore it is complete, push the “MODE” but-
ton again.Perform circling calibration just after
you have purchased your Toyota. And
then always perform circling calibration
after the battery has been removed, re-
placed or disconnected.
Do not perform circling calibration of
the compass in a place where the
earth’s magnetic field is subject to in-
terference by artificial magnetic fields
(underground parking, under a steel
tower, between buildings, roof parking,
near a crossing, near a large vehicle,
etc.).
During calibration, do not operate elec-
tric systems (moon roof, power win-
dows, etc.) as they may interfere with
the calibration.
CAUTION
When doing the circling calibration,
be sure to secure a wide space,
and watch out for people and ve-
hicles in the neighborhood. Do not
violate any local traffic rules while
performing circling calibration.
Do not adjust the display while the
vehicle is moving. Be sure to adjust
the display only when the vehicle is
stopped.

’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)
2102003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
breakin. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Avoid full throttle acceleration when
starting and driving.
Avoid racing the engine.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles).FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5M93
in Canada.NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research Oc-
tane Number 91) or higher. For im-
proved vehicle performance, the use of
premium unleaded gasoline with an Oc-
tane Rating of 91 (Research Octane
Number 96) or higher is recommended.
Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating or research octane number lower
than stated above will cause persistent
heavy knocking. If it is severe, this will
lead to engine damage.
If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even when
using the recommended fuel, or if you
hear steady knocking while holding a
steady speed on level roads, consult your
Toyota dealer.
However, now and then, you may notice
light knocking for a short time while accel-
erating or driving up hills. This is no need
of concern.
Breakin period Fuel

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2192003 AVALON (OM41401U)
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to where
replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:
Put luggage or cargo in the trunk when
at all possible. Be sure all items are
secured in place.
Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.
For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION
Never allow anyone to ride in the
enlarged trunk. It is not designed
for passengers. They should ride in
their seats with their seat belts
properly fastened. Otherwise, they
are much more likely to suffer seri-
ous bodily injury, in the event of
sudden braking or a collision.
Do not place anything on the pack-
age tray behind the rear seatback.
Such items may be thrown about
and possibly injure people in the
vehicle during sudden braking or an
accident.
Do not drive with objects left on
top of the instrument panel. They
may interfere with the driver’s field
of view. Or they may move during
sharp vehicle acceleration or turn-
ing, and impair the driver’s control
of the vehicle. In an accident they
may injure the vehicle occupants.
NOTICE
Do not load the vehicle beyond the
vehicle capacity weight specified in
Section 8.
Brake pad wear limit
indicatorsLuggage stowage precautions

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2232003 AVALON (OM41401U)
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the engine224 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to start the engine224 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for driving in various conditions225 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Winter driving tips226 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dinghy towing227 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer towing227 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer233 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 3