2006 TOYOTA AVALON check engine

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Do not allow dirt or anything else
to fall through the spark plug holes.
 Do not pry the outer electrode of a
spark plug against the center elec-
trode.
 Use only spark plugs of the speci-
fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
 Do not reuse iridiumtipped spark
plugs by cleaning or regapping.
 Do not overfill automatic transmis-
sion fluid and power steering fluid,
or the transmission and power
steering could be damaged.
 Do not drive with the air cleaner
filter removed, or excessive engine
wear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the engine
compartment.
 Be careful not to scratch the glass
surface with the wiper frame.
 When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-
gotten any tools, rags, etc.
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.
Positioning the jack

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346
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
place any objects on top of or un-
derneath the jack.
NOTICE
Make sure to place the jack correctly,
or your vehicle may be damaged.
Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need to perform do−it−yourself mainte-
nance. Remember all Toyota parts are de-
signed in metric sizes, so your tools must
be metric.
CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equiva-
lent
See page 351 in Section 7 −2 for de-
tails about engine oil selection.
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding oil)
CHECKING THE ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” or
similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non −silicate, non −amine, non− ni-
trite, and non −borate coolant with long −
life hybrid organic acid technology.
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a
mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deion-
ized water (for the U.S.A.) or 55%
coolant and 45% deionized water (for
Canada). Tools:
Funnel (only for adding coolant)
CHECKING BRAKE FLUID
Parts (if level is low):
SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
brake fluid
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING POWER STEERING FLUID
Parts (if level is low):
Automatic transmission fluid
DEXRON II or III
Tools:
Rag or paper towel
Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING BATTERY CONDITION
Tools:
Warm water
Baking soda
Grease
Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Parts and tools

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DOITYOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level350
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the engine coolant level 352
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the radiator and condenser 353
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking brake fluid 353
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. . . .
Checking power steering fluid 354
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking tire inflation pressure 355
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking and replacing tires 357
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating tires 359
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. . . . . . . . . . .
Installing snow tires and chains 361
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing wheels 362
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . .
Aluminum wheel precautions 363
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 7 2

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Low level Full level
Add oil O.K. Too full
With the engine at operating tempera-
ture and turned off, check the oil level
on the dipstick. 1. To get a correct reading, the vehicle should be on level ground. After turning
off the engine, wait a few minutes for
the oil to drain back into the bottom of
the engine.
2. Pull the dipstick out, hold a rag under the end and wipe it clean.
3. Reinsert the dipstick—push it in as far as it will go, or the reading will not be
correct.
4. Pull the dipstick out and look at the oil level while holding a rag under the
end.
CAUTION
Be careful not to touch the hot ex-
haust manifold.
NOTICE
Be careful not to drop engine oil on
the vehicle components.
If the oil level is below or only slightly
above the low level, add engine oil of
the same type as already in the engine.
Remove the oil filler cap and add engine
oil in small quantities at a time, checking
the dipstick. We recommend that you use
a funnel when adding oil.
The approximate quantity of oil needed to
raise the level between low and full on the
dipstick is indicated as follows:1.5 L (1.6 qt., 1.3 Imp. qt.)
For the engine oil capacity, see “Service
specifications” on page 377 in Section 8.
When the level reaches within the correct
range, install the filler cap hand− tight.
NOTICE
Be careful not to spill engine oil on
the vehicle components.
 Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
 Check the oil level on the dipstick
once again after adding the oil.
Checking the engine oil level

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To ensure excellent lubrication perfor-
mance for your engine, “Toyota Genuine
Motor Oil” is available, which has been
specifically tested and approved for all
Toyota engines.
Please contact your Toyota dealer for fur-
ther details about “Toyota Genuine Motor
Oil”.Look at the seethrough coolant reser-
voir when the engine is cold. The cool-
ant level is satisfactory if it is between
the “F” and “L” lines on the reservoir.
If the level is low, add the coolant. (For
the coolant type, see “Coolant type
selection” described below.)
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the “L” line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the “F” line.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the
radiator, hoses, radiator cap and drain
cock and water pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check
for leaks in the cooling system.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot.
Coolant type selection
Use of improper coolants may damage
your engine cooling system.
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
or similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non
−silicate, non −amine, non− nitrite,
and non− borate coolant with long −life
hybrid organic acid technology. (Coolant
with long −life hybrid organic acid
technology is a combination of low
phosphates and organic acids.)
For the U.S.A.—“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is a mixture of 50% coolant and
50% deionized water. This coolant pro-
vides protection down to about −35 C
( − 31 F).
For Canada—“Toyota Super Long Life
Coolant” is a mixture of 55% coolant and
45% deionized water. This coolant pro-
vides protection down to about −42 C
( − 44 F).
NOTICE
Do not use plain water alone.
Checking the engine coolant
level

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Toyota recommends “Toyota Super Long
Life Coolant”, which has been tested to
ensure that it will not cause corrosion nor
result in malfunction of your engine
coolant system with proper usage. “Toyota
Super Long Life Coolant” is formulated
with long−life hybrid organic acid
technology and has been specifically
designed to avoid engine cooling system
malfunction on Toyota vehicles.
Please contact your Toyota dealer for
further details. If any of the above parts are extremely
dirty or you are not sure of their condi-
tion, take your vehicle to a Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, be care-
ful not to touch the radiator or con-
denser when the engine is hot.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the radiator
and condenser, do not perform the
work by yourself.
To check the fluid level, simply look at
the seethrough reservoir. The level
should be between the “MAX” and
“MIN” lines on the reservoir.
It is normal for the brake fluid level to go
down slightly as the brake pads wear. So
be sure to keep the reservoir filled.
If the reservoir needs frequent refi
lling, it
may indicate a serious mechanical prob-
lem.
Checking the radiator and
condenser Checking brake fluid

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If the level is low, add SAE J1703 or
FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 brake fluid to the
brake reservoir.
Remove and replace the reservoir cap by
hand. Fill the brake fluid to the dotted
line. This brings the fluid to the correct
level when you put the cap back on.
Use only newly opened brake fluid. Once
opened, brake fluid absorbs moisture from
the air, and excess moisture can cause a
dangerous loss of braking.
CAUTION
Take care when filling the reservoir
because brake fluid can harm your
hands or eyes. If fluid gets on your
hands or in your eyes, flush the af-
fected area with clean water immedi-
ately. If you still feel uncomfortable
with your hands or eyes, go to the
doctor.
NOTICE
If you spill the fluid, be sure to wash
it off with water to prevent it from
damaging the parts or paint.
If hot O.K.
If hot
add Close Open
If cold O.K.
If cold
add
Check the fluid level through the reser-
voir. If necessary, add automatic trans-
mission fluid DEXRON II or III.
If the vehicle has been driven around 80
km/h (50 mph) for 20 minutes (a little
more in frigid temperatures), the fluid is
hot (60 C—80 C or 140 F—175 F). You
may also check the level when the fluid
is cold (about room temperature,
10 C—30 C or 50 F—85 F) if the engine
has not been run for about five hours. Clean all dirt from the outside of the res-
ervoir tank and look at the fluid level. If
the fluid is cold, the level should be in the
“COLD” range. Similarly, if it is hot, the
fluid level should be in the “HOT” range.
If the level is at the low side of either
range, add automatic transmission fluid
DEXRON
II or III to bring the level within
the range.
To remove the reservoir cap, turn it coun-
terclockwise and lift up. To reinstall it,
turn it clockwise. After replacing the reser-
voir cap, visually check the steering box
case, vane pump and hose connections
for leaks or damage.
CAUTION
The reservoir tank may be hot so be
careful not to burn yourself.
NOTICE
Avoid overfilling, or the power steer-
ing could be damaged.
Checking power steering fluid

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NOTICE
Be sure the engine and all accesso-
ries are off before performing main-
tenance.
 When checking the battery, remove
the ground cable from the negative
terminal (“” mark) first and rein-
stall it last.
 Be careful not to cause a short cir-
cuit with tools.
 Take care no solution gets into the
battery when washing it.
If the battery is disconnected or run
down, the power window and moon roof
may not operate automatically and the jam
protection function will not function cor-
rectly after you reconnect, replace or re-
charge the battery. In any of these cases,
you should normalize each system. To
normalize them, see “Power windows” on
page 40 and “Electric moon roof” on page
51 in Section 1 −2.
Ty p e A
Green Dark Clear or
light yellow
Ty p e B Blue White Red
CHECKING BY INDICATOR
Check the battery condition by the indi-
cator color.
Indicator color
ConditionTy p e ATy p e B
GreenBlueGood
DarkWhite
Charging necessary.
Have battery
checked by your
Toyota dealer.
Clear orlight
yellow
Red
Have battery
checked by your
Toyota dealer.
During recharging, the battery is pro-
ducing hydrogen gas.
Therefore, before recharging:
1. If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to disconnect
the ground cable.
2. Be sure the power switch on the re- charger is off when connecting the
charger cables to the battery and when
disconnecting them.
CAUTION
Always charge the battery in an un-
confined area. Do not charge the
battery in a garage or closed room
where there is not sufficient ventila-
tion.
Only do a slow charge (5 A or
less). Charging at a quicker rate is
dangerous. The battery may ex-
plode, causing personal injuries.
NOTICE
Never recharge the battery while the
engine is running. Also, be sure all
accessories are turned off.
—Checking battery c ondition Battery recharging pr ecautions