2003 TOYOTA AVALON trunk

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
992003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Automatic light cut off system
Position 1 or “AUTO” position with the
tail lights on—
The lights automatically turn off when the
driver ’s door is opened with the ignition
key in the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
Position 2 or “AUTO” position with the
headlights on—
The lights automatically turn off after 30
seconds when any of the door or trunk lid
is opened and closed with the ignition key
in the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
Vehicles with wireless remote control sys-
tem—The lights can be turned off immedi-
ately by pushing the “LOCK” switch on the
wireless remote control transmitter with all
the doors locked and the trunk lid closed.
If any of the door or trunk lid is kept
opened, the lights automatically turn off
after 20 minutes.
To turn on the lights again, turn the igni-
tion key to the “ON” position or actuate
the headlight switch. If you are going to
park for over one week, make sure the
knob is in the “AUTO” position.NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on
for a long period when the engine is
not running.
Daytime running light (DRL) system
Daytime Running Light (DRL) System can
make it easier for others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day. The DRL
system can be helpful in many different
driving conditions, but they can be espe-
cially helpful in the short periods after
dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your headlights
come on at a reduced brightness when:
The ignition is on with the engine run-
ning.
The light switch is in the “AUTO” posi-
tion.
The parking brake is released.
To turn on the other exterior lights and
instrument panel lights, twist the knob to
the position 1.
Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
the headlights to full intensity for night
driving.To turn off the DRL system, twist the knob
to the position 3 (“DRL OFF”) or turn the
ignition switch off.

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
1012003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Automatic operation—
To turn on or off the lights automatical-
ly, twist the headlight/turn signal lever
knob to the position 3 (“AUTO”) when
the ignition key is in the “ON” position.
The headlights and/or all of the lights in
position 1 automatically turn on or off de-
pending on the darkness of the surround-
ings.
Manually twist the knob to the position 2
to turn on the headlights if they are need-
ed immediately when entering a dark tun-
nel, parking structure, etc.
The automatic light control sensor is on
the top of the driver’s side instrument
panel.
Do not place anything on the instrument
panel, and/or do not affix anything on the
windshield to block this sensor.
Automatic light cut off system
Position 1 or position 3 with the tail
lights on—
The lights automatically turn off when the
driver ’s door is opened with the ignition
key in the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.Position 2 or position 3 with the head-
lights on—
The lights automatically turn off after 30
seconds when any of the door or trunk lid
is opened and closed with the ignition key
in the “ACC” or “LOCK” position.
Vehicles with wireless remote control sys-
tem—The lights can be turned off immedi-
ately by pushing the “LOCK” switch on the
wireless remote control transmitter with all
the doors locked and the trunk lid closed.
If any of the door or trunk lid is kept
opened, the lights automatically turn off
after 20 minutes.
To turn on the lights again, turn the igni-
tion key to the “ON” position or actuate
the headlight switch. If you are going to
park for over one week, make sure the
headlight switch is off.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on
for a long period when the engine is
not running.

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2142003 AVALON (OM41401U)
Keep the trunk lid closed while
driving. An open or unsealed trunk
lid may cause exhaust gases to be
drawn into the vehicle.
To allow proper operation of your
vehicle’s ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, drive with the windows
open and the trunk lid closed. Have
the cause immediately located and
corrected.
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.
Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a pis-
ton moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated when
the vehicle is decelerating sucks some
of this oil into the combustion chamber.
This oil as well as some part of the oil
film left on the cylinder wall is burned
by the high temperature combustion
gases during the combustion process.
Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.
The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by highspeed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note the that oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.
Facts about engine oil
consumption

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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)
2632003 AVALON (OM41401U)
What about doityourself maintenance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented in Section 7.
If you are a skilled doityourself mechan-
ic, the Toyota service manuals are recom-
mended. Please be aware that doityour-
self maintenance can affect your warranty
coverage. See “Owner ’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment” for the details.Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer or a quali-
fied service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only where ade-
quate ventilation can be obtained if
you run the engine.
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be performed
from time to time, unless otherwise
specified.
Tire pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge every
two weeks, or at least once a month. See
Section 72 for additional information.Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Section 72 for
additional information. When checking the
tires, make sure no nuts are missing, and
check the nuts for looseness. Tighten
them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires according to the mainte-
nance schedule. (For scheduled mainte-
nance information, please refer to the
“Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or “Own-
er ’s Manual Supplement”.) See Section
72 for additional information.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has
been parked for a while. If you smell fuel
fumes or notice any leak, have the cause
found and corrected immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including trunk lid
operate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. Make sure the engine hood sec-
ondary latch secures the hood from open-
ing when the primary latch is released.
General maintenance

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
2922003 AVALON (OM41401U)
The inside of the lens of exterior lights
such as headlights may temporarily fog up
when the lens becomes wet in the rain or
in a car wash. This is not a problem
because the fogging is caused by the
temperature difference between the outside
and inside of the lens, just like the
windshield fogged up in the rain. However,
if there is a large drop of water on the
inside of the lens, or if there is water
pooled inside the light, contact your
Toyota dealer.Light bulbsBulb
No.WTy p e
Headlights
(low beam)900651A
Headlights
(high beam)900560B
Front fog lights900651A
Front turn
signal/parking
lights
1157NA27/8C
Rear turn signal
lights—21D
Stop/tail lights744321/5E
Rear side
marker lights1943.8E
Backup lights92118E
Tail lights1685E
License plate
lights1685E
High mounted
stoplight92118E
Interior light—7F
Front personal
lights—7F
Light bulbsBulb
No.WTy p e
Rear personal
lights—5F
Vanity lights—2F
Glove box light—1.2E
Door courtesy
lights—6F
Trunk light—3F
A: HB4 halogen bulbs
B: HB3 halogen bulbs
C: Single end bulbs
D: Wedge base bulbs (amber)
E: Wedge base bulbs (clear)
F: Double end bulbs

’03 AVALON U (L/O 0206)
3062003 AVALON (OM41401U)
47. DOME 7.5 A: Interior lights, front per-
sonal lights, door courtesy lights, igni-
tion switch light, vanity lights, garage
door opener, open door warning light,
illuminated entry system, rear personal
lights, automatic light control system,
trunk light, wireless remote control sys-
tem, multiplex communication system
48. OPNER 5 A: No circuit
49. RL P/W 20 A: Power window (for rear
left passenger)
50. RR P/W 20 A: Power window (for rear
right passenger)
51. WIP 25 A: Windshield wipers and
washer
52. ECUIG NO.2 10 A: Antilock brake
system, cruise control system, multiin-
formation display, theft deterrent sys-
tem, vehicle skid control system, me-
ters, multiplex communication system
53. CIG 15 A: Cigarette lighter
54. DOOR NO.1 25 A: Theft deterrent sys-
tem, trunk opener, multiplex commu-
nication system
55. SUN ROOF 30 A: Electric moon roofFuses (type B)
56. AM1 40 A: Multiport fuel injection sys-
tem/sequential multiport fuel injection
system
57. HTR 50 A: Air conditioning system
58. CDS 30 A: Electric cooling fans
59. RDI 30 A: Electric cooling fans
60. MAIN 40 A: Starter system
61. DEF 40 A: Rear window defogger,
noise filter
62. PWR SEAT 30 A: Power seats
Fuses (type C)
63. ABS 60 A: Antilock brake system,
“ABS NO.4” fuse
64. ALT 120 A: “HTR”, “A/C”, “ABS NO.2”,
“ABS NO.3”, “RDI”, “CDS”, “AM1”,
“ABS” and “ABS NO.4” fuses