2003 TOYOTA AVALON lock

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Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of “P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in “ON” position and the selector
lever pulled toward you).
(a) Selector lever
The shift position is displayed on the in-
strument cluster.
P:Parking, engine starting and
key removal
R:Reverse
N:Neutral
D:Normal driving (with overdrive on)
2:Stronger engine braking
L:Maximum engine braking Column shift type
Overdrive switch
Selector lever
With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while pilling the selector
lever toward you. (The ignition
switch must be in “ON”
position.)
Shift while pulling the
selector lever toward you.
Shift normally.

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(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The “O/D OFF” indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The “O/D OFF” indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will automatically be on.When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift the transmission by
pushing and releasing the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not be enabled
because the cruise control is not can-
celled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” in this section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How
to start the engine” in Section 3. The
transmission must be in “P” or “N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to “D”.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
If the automatic locking operation linked
with the shift position is set, all doors are
automatically locked when the selector le-
ver is moved out of the “P” position after
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position and all the doors are closed. For
details, see “—Automatic door locking and
unlocking functions” in Section 12.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push the overdrive switch. The “O/D
OFF” indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to third
gear.
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 132 km/h (82 mph), and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
When the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 59 km/h (36 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.

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When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift the transmission by
pushing and releasing the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not be enabled
because the cruise control is not can-
celled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” in this section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in “2” or “L”, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “2”, the vehicle
will start in first gear and automatically
shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
“2” 139 km/h (86 mph). . . . . . . . . . .
“L” 76 km/h (47 mph). . . . . . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, “D” position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(f) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with
your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(g) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal pressed down,
fully depress the parking brake pedal
to apply the parking brake securely.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down,
shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
If the automatic unlocking operation linked
with the shift position is set, all doors are
automatically unlocked when the selector
lever is moved to the “P” position after
the ignition switch is turned to the “ON”
position. For details, see “—Automatic
door locking and unlocking functions” in
Section 12.

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(h) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope, the
overdrive should be turned off. Be sure
to turn the switch on immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use overdrive.
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) 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.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.
Traction control system

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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

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Preset buttons
These buttons are used to preset and
tune in radio stations.
To preset a station to a button: Tune in
the desired station. (See “TUNE” or
“SEEK” button.) Push and hold down the
button until you hear a beep—this will set
the station to the button. The button num-
ber will appear on the display.
To tune in to a preset station: Push the
button for the station you want. The but-
ton number and station frequency will ap-
pear on the display.
These systems can store one AM and two
FM stations for each button. (The display
will show “AM”, “FM1” or “FM2” when you
push “AM” “FM”.)
(Eject button)
Push the cassette tape eject button to
eject a cassette. Push the compact disc
eject button to eject a compact disc.
After you turn the ignition to “LOCK”, you
will be able to eject a cassette or disc,
but you will not be able to reinsert it.
(Reverse/Fast forward button)
Cassette Player
Push the fast forward button to fast for-
ward a cassette tape. “
” will appear
on the display. Push the reverse button to
rewind a tape. “
” will appear on the
display.
To stop the tape while it is fast forward-
ing, push the fast forward button or
“TAPE”; to stop the tape while it is re-
winding, push the reverse button or
“TAPE”.
If a tape side rewinds completely, the cas-
sette player will stop and then play that
same side. If a tape fast forwards com-
pletely, the cassette player will play the
other side of the tape, using the autore-
verse feature.
Compact Disc Player
If you want to fast forward or reverse
through a compact disc track, push and
hold in the fast forward or reverse button.
When you release the button, the compact
disc player will resume playing.AM
Push “AM” to turn on the radio and select
the AM band. “AM” will appear on the
display.
If the audio system is off, you can turn
on the radio by pushing “AM”. Also, push
“AM” to switch from cassette or compact
disc operation to radio operation.
AUDIO CTRL / MODE (Audio control
and mode adjustment)
Manual tone adjustment function—
This knob is used to adjust the tone
manually.
For lowpitch tone adjustment, push
“AUDIO CTRL / MODE” repeatedly until
“BASS” appears on the display. Then turn
the knob to suit your preference.
The display will show the range from
“BASS 5” to “BASS 5”.
For middlepitch tone adjustment, push
“AUDIO CTRL / MODE” repeatedly until
“MID” appears on the display. Then turn
the knob to suit your preference.
The display will show the range from “MID
5” to “MID 5”.

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Preset buttons
These buttons are used to preset and
tune in radio stations. These preset but-
tons are programmable only when RDS is
not selected.
To preset a station to a button: Tune in
the desired station. (See “TUNE” or
“SEEK” button.) Push and hold down the
button until you hear a beep—this will set
the station to the button. The preset but-
ton number will appear on the display.
To tune in to a preset station: Push the
button for the station you want. The pre-
set button number and station frequency
will appear on the display.
This radio can store one AM and two FM
stations for each button. (The display will
show “AM”, “FM1” or “FM2” when you
push “AM” “FM”.)
(Eject button)
Cassette tape
This button is used to eject a cassette.
While the ignition is in “LOCK”, you can
eject a cassette but you cannot reinsert
it.Compact disc
This button is used to eject one or all
compact discs. To eject the current com-
pact disc, push and release the compact
disc eject button. To eject all specific
discs, push either side of the “DISC” but-
ton until the number of the disc you want
to eject is displayed. Push and release
the eject button. To eject all discs, press
and hold the eject button until you hear
a beep. The last compact disc played be-
fore pushing the button will be ejected
first. If the ejected disc is not removed for
a long time, the eject function will be
cancelled.
While the ignition is in “LOCK”, you can
eject one or all discs but you cannot rein-
sert them.
(Reverse/Fastforward button)
Cassette Player
Push the fastforward button to fastfor-
ward a cassette tape. “
” will appear
on the display. Push the reverse button to
rewind a tape. “
” will appear on the
display.
To stop the tape while it is fastforward-
ing, push the fastforward button or
“TAPE”; to stop the tape while it is re-
winding, push the reverse button or
“TAPE”.
If a tape rewinds completely, the cassette
player will stop and then play that same
side. If a tape fastforwards completely,
the cassette will play the other side of the
tape using the autoreverse feature.
Compact Disc Player
If you want to fastforward or reverse a
compact disc track, push and hold the
fastforward or reverse button. When you
release the button, the compact disc play-
er will resume playing.

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NOTICE
To ensure correct audio system op-
erations:
Be careful not to spill beverages
over the audio system.
Do not put anything other than a
cassette tape or Compact Disc into
the slot.
The use of a cellular phone inside
or near the vehicle may cause a
noise from the speakers of the au-
dio system which you are listening
to. However, this does not indicate
a malfunction.
RADIO RECEPTION
Usually, a problem with radio reception
does not mean there is a problem with
your radio—it is just the normal result of
conditions outside the vehicle.
For example, nearby buildings and terrain
can interfere with FM reception. Power
lines or telephone wires can interfere with
AM signals. The farther you are from a
station, the weaker its signal will be. In
addition, reception conditions change
constantly as your vehicle moves.Here are some common reception prob-
lems that you may experience.
FM
Fading and drifting stations—Generally, the
effective range of FM is about 40 km (25
miles). Once outside this range, you may
notice fading and drifting, which increase
with the distance from the radio transmit-
ter. They are often accompanied by distor-
tion.
Multipath—FM signals are reflective,
making it possible for two signals to reach
your antenna at the same time. If this
happens, the signals will cancel each oth-
er out, causing a momentary flutter or
loss of reception.
Static and fluttering—These occur when
signals are blocked by buildings, trees, or
other large objects. Increasing the bass
level may reduce static and fluttering.
Station swapping—If the FM signal you
are listening to is interrupted or weak-
ened, and there is another strong station
nearby on the FM band, your radio may
tune in the second station until the origi-
nal signal can be picked up again.AM
Fading—AM broadcasts are reflected by
the upper atmosphereespecially at night.
These reflected signals can interfere with
those received directly from the radio sta-
tion, causing the radio station to sound
alternately strong and weak.
Station interference—When a reflected sig-
nal and a signal received directly from a
radio station are very nearly the same
frequency, they can interfere with each
other, making it difficult to hear the broad-
cast.
Static—AM is easily affected by external
sources of electrical noise, such as high
tension power lines, lightening, or electri-
cal motors. This results in static.
Car audio system operating
hints