2005 TOYOTA AVALON suspension

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The seat belt pretensioners are controlled
by the airbag sensor assembly. The airbag
sensor assembly consists of a safing sen-
sor and airbag sensor.
When the seat belt pretensioners are acti-
vated, an operating noise may be heard
and a small amount of non−toxic gas may
be released. This does not indicate that
a fire is occurring. This gas is normally
harmless.
Once the seat belt pretensioners have
been activated, the seat belt retractors
remain locked.
CAUTION
Do not modify, remove, strike or open
the seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
airbag sensor or surrounding area or
wiring. Failure to follow these instruc-
tions may prevent the seat belt pre-
tensioners from activating correctly,
cause sudden operation of the system
or disable the system, which could
result in death or serious injury. Con-
sult your Toyota dealer about any re-
pair and modification.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
seat belt pretensioners in some
cases.
 Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile twoway radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 Repairs on or near the front seat
belt retractor assemblies
 Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
 Modification of the front end struc-
ture
 Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment to
the front end
 Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure or con-
sole
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion switch is set at ON. It goes off
after about 6 seconds. This means the
seat belt pretensioners are operating
properly.

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Do not attach any heavy, sharp or
hard objects such as keys or acces-
sories to the ignition switch. The
objects may restrict the SRS knee
airbag inflation or be thrust into the
driver’s seat area by the force of
the deploying airbag, thus causing
a danger.
NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
SRS front airbag system in some
cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile twoway radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
 Modification of the front end struc-
ture
 Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment to
the front end
 Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure, con-
sole, steering column, steering
wheel, lower portion of driver’s side
instrument panel or dashboard near
the front passenger airbag
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion switch is set at ON. It goes off
after about 6 seconds. This means the
SRS front airbags are operating proper-
ly.

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NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
SRS side airbag and curtain shield
airbag system in some cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile twoway radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
 Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
 Modification of the side structure of
the passenger compartment
 Repairs made on or near the con-
sole or front seat
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion switch is set at ON. It goes off
after about 6 seconds. This means the
SRS side airbags and curtain shield air-
bags are operating properly. This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors, curtain shield airbag sensors, driv-
er ’s seat position sensor, driver ’s seat belt
buckle switch, front passenger occupant
classification system, “AIRBAG ON” indi-
cator light, “AIRBAG OFF” indicator light,
front passenger ’s seat belt buckle switch,
seat belt pretensioner assemblies, inflat-
ors, interconnecting wiring and power
sources. (For details, see “Service remind-
er indicators and warning buzzers” on
page 145 in Section 1
−6.)
If any of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction of the airbags
or seat belt pretensioners. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
The light does not come on when the
ignition switch is set at ON or remains
on for more than 6 seconds.
The light comes on while driving.
The SRS warning light and “AIRBAG OFF”
indicator light will come on if there is a
malfunction in the front passenger occu-
pant classification system.

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If you replace the rear suspension and/or
the vehicle height changes, contact your
Toyota dealer to check the automatic
headlight leveling system and headlight
beam level.
HighLow beams—For high beams, turn
the headlights on and push the lever away
from you (position 1). Pull the lever to-
ward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will
tell you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)—Pull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
even when the headlight switch is off.TURN SIGNALS
To signal a turn, push the headlight/
turn signal lever up or down to position
1.
The ignition switch must be set at ON.
The lever automatically returns after you
make a turn, but you may have to return
it by hand after you change lanes.
To signal a lane change, move the lever
up or down to the pressure point (position
2) and hold it.
If the turn signal indicator lights (green
lights) on the instrument panel flash faster
than normal, a front or rear turn signal
bulb is burned out. See “Replacing light
bulbs” on page 369 in Section 7 −3.

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INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your Toyota
Break−in period 258
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Fuel 258
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Fuel pump shut off system 260
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Operation in foreign countries 260
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Three −way catalytic converters 261
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Engine exhaust cautions 262
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Facts about engine oil consumption 262
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Iridium −tipped spark plugs 264
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Brake system 264
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 268
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Your Toyota’s identification 269
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Theft prevention labels 270
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Suspension and chassis 270
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Tire information 271
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Vehicle load limits 281
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Cargo and luggage 282
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Types of tires 284
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SECTION 2

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Your new vehicle carries theft preven-
tion labels which are approximately 47
mm (1.85 in.) by 12 mm (0.47 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.
Theft prevention labels
(except for Canada)Suspension and chassis

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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 nose −up or nose −down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspension
or other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it can not shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulations. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose.
TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-
ing. The three main causes of vehicle
trailer accidents are driver error, exces-
sive speed and improper trailer loading.
Keep these in mind when towing:
Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle −trailer connec-
tions. After driving a short distance,
stop and recheck the lights and con-
nections. Before actually towing a trail-
er, practice turning, stopping and back-
ing with a trailer in an area away from
traffic until you learn the feel.
Backing with a trailer is difficult and
requires practice. Grip the bottom of
the steering wheel and move your hand
to the left to move the trailer to the
left. Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to the right. (This pro-
cedure is generally opposite to that
when backing without a trailer.) Also,
just turn the steering wheel a little at
a time, avoiding sharp or prolonged
turning. Have someone guide you when
backing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle− to−vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) of
speed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as
you may skid, resulting in jackknifing
and loss of control. This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.
Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera-
tion.

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Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts,
damage or excessive wear. See page
356 in Section 7−2 for additional in-
formation. 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
maintenance schedule. (For sched-
uled maintenance information, please
refer to the “Scheduled Maintenance
Guide” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment”.) See page 358 in Section 7 −2
for additional information.Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip −offs that
indicate service is needed. Some impor-
tant clues are as follows:
Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and
have the exhaust system checked im-
mediately.)
Flat −looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when driving
straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspension
movement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake; pedal almost touches
floor; vehicle pulls to one side when
braking
Engine coolant temperature continually
higher than normal If you notice any of these clues, take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. It probably needs adjustment or
repair.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving with the ve-
hicle unchecked. It could result in se-
rious vehicle damage and possibly
personal injury.
Does your vehicle need
repairing?