2008 TOYOTA AVALON Owners Manual

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1-3. Adjustable components (seat
s, steering wheel, mirrors)
1
Before driving
AVALON_U_(L/O_0802)
■Pregnant women
■ People suffering illness
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat belt in the proper way. ( P. 54)
■ Child seat belt usage
The seat belts of your vehicle were principally designed for persons of adult
size.
● Use a child restraint system appropriately for the child, until the child
become large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s seat belt. ( P. 99)
● When the child becomes large enough to properly wear the vehicle’s
seat belt, follow the instructions on P. 54 regarding seat belt usage.
■ Replacing the belt after the pretensioner has been activated
If the vehicle is involved in multiple collisions, the pretensioner will activate
for the first collision, but will not activate for the second or subsequent colli-
sions.
Obtain medical advice and wear the seat
belt in the proper way. ( P. 54)
Women who are pregnant should position
the lap belt as low as possible over the
hips in the same manner as other occu-
pants. Extend the shoulder belt com-
pletely over the shoulder and position the
belt across the chest. Avoid belt contact
over the rounding of the abdominal area.
If the seat belt is not worn properly, not
only a pregnant woman, but also the fetus
could suffer death or serious injury as a
result of sudden braking or a collision.

58 1-3. Adjustable components (seats, steering wheel, mirrors)
AVALON_U_(L/O_0802)
■Seat belt extender
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
sudden braking or an accident. Failing to do so may cause death or serious
injury.
■Wearing a seat belt
● Ensure that all passengers wear a seat belt.
● Always wear a seat belt properly.
● Each seat belt should be used by one person only. Do not use a seat belt
for more than one person at the same time, including children.
● Toyota recommends that children should be seated in the rear seat and
always use a seat belt and/or an appropriate child restraint system.
● Do not recline the seat any more than necessary to achieve a proper seat-
ing position. The seat belt is most effective when the occupants are sitting
up straight and well back in the seats.
● Do not wear the shoulder belt under your arm.
● Always wear your seat belt low and snug across your hips.
If your seat belts cannot be fastened
securely because they are not long
enough, a personalized seat belt
extender is available from your Toyota
dealer free of charge.

59
1-3. Adjustable components (seat
s, steering wheel, mirrors)
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Before driving
AVALON_U_(L/O_0802)
CAUTION
■Seat belt pretensioners
● Do not place anything, such as a cushion, on the front passenger’s seat.
Doing so will disperse the passenger’s weight, which prevents the sensor
from detecting the passenger’s weight properly. As a result, the seat belt
pretensioner for the front passenger’s seat may not activate in the event of
a collision.
● If the pretensioner has activated, the seat belt becomes locked: it cannot
be further extended, nor will it return to the stowed position. The seat belt
cannot be used again and must be replaced at your Toyota dealer.
■ Seat belt damage and wear
● Do not damage the seat belts by allowing the belt, plate or buckle to be
jammed in the door.
● Inspect the seat belt system periodically. Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Do not use a damaged seat belt until it is replaced. Damaged seat
belts cannot protect an occupant from injury.
● Ensure that the belt and tab are locked and the belt is not twisted. If the
seat belt does not function correctly, immediately contact your Toyota
dealer.
● Replace the seat assembly, including the belts, if your vehicle has been
involved in a serious accident, even if there is no obvious damage.
● Do not attempt to install, remove, modify, disassemble or dispose of a seat
belt. Have any necessary repairs carried out by your Toyota dealer. Inap-
propriate handling of the pretensioner may cause it to activate or operate
improperly and may cause death or serious injury.

60 1-3. Adjustable components (seats, steering wheel, mirrors)
AVALON_U_(L/O_0802)
CAUTION
■Using a seat belt comfort guide
● Make sure the belt is not twisted and that it lies flat. The elastic cord must
be behind the belt and the guide must be on the front.
● To reduce the chance of injury in case of an accident or a sudden stop
while driving, remove and store the comfort guide in its pocket when it is
not in use.
● Always make sure the shoulder belt is positioned across the center of the
shoulder. The belt should be kept away from the neck, and should not fall
off the shoulder. 
Failure to observe these precautions could reduce the effectiveness of the
seat belt in an accident, causing death or serious injury.
■ Using a seat belt extender
● Do not wear the seat belt extender, if you can fasten the seat belt without
the extender.
● Do not use the seat belt extender when installing a child restraint system,
because the belt will not securely hold the child restraint system, increas-
ing the risk of death or injury in the event of a collision.
● The personalized extender may not be safe on another vehicle, when
used by another person, or at a different seating position other than the
one originally intended.
NOTICE
■When using a seat belt extender
When releasing the seat belt, press on the buckle release button on the
extender, not on the seat belt. 
This helps prevent damage to the vehicle interior and the extender itself.

61
1
1-3. Adjustable components (seats, steering wheel, mirrors)
Before driving
AVALON_U_(L/O_0802)
Steering wheel
CAUTION
■After adjusting the steering wheel
Make sure that the steering wheel is locked. 
Otherwise, the steering wheel may move suddenly, possibly causing an
accident and resulting in death or serious injury.
■ While driving
Do not adjust the steering wheel. 
Doing so may cause the driver to mishandle the vehicle and an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.
The steering wheel can be adjust ed to a comfortable position.
■To change the angle
Up
Down
■ To change the column length
Toward the driver
Away from the driver

62
1-3. Adjustable components (seats, steering wheel, mirrors)
AVALON_U_(L/O_0802)
Inside rear view mirror
Glare from the headlights of vehicles behind can be reduced by
using the following functions.
Manual anti-glare inside rear view mirror
Normal position
Anti-glare position
Auto anti-glare inside rear view mirror
In auto mode, sensors are used to detect the headlights of vehi-
cles behind and automatically reduces the reflected light.
Press the button for longer
than 3 seconds to turn auto
mode on/off.
The indicator comes on when
auto mode is turned on.
The anti-glare mirror is auto-
matically set to auto whenever
the “ENGINE START STOP”
switch or the engine switch is
turned on.

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1-3. Adjustable components (seat
s, steering wheel, mirrors)
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Before driving
AVALON_U_(L/O_0802)
■To prevent sensor error (vehicles with auto anti-glare inside rear view
mirror)
CAUTION
■While driving
Do not adjust the position of the mirror.
Doing so may lead to mishandling of the vehicle and an accident, or result-
ing in death or serious injury.
To ensure correct functioning of the sen-
sors, do not touch or cover the sensors.

64
1-3. Adjustable components (seats, steering wheel, mirrors)
AVALON_U_(L/O_0802)
Outside rear view mirrors
■When the mirrors are fogged up (vehic les with outside rear view mirror
defoggers)
Turn on the mirror heaters to defog the mirrors. (P. 187)
■ Auto anti-glare function (vehicles with auto anti-glare inside rear view
mirror)
When the anti-glare inside rear view mirror is set to auto mode, the outside
rear view mirrors will activate in conjunction with the anti-glare inside rear
view mirror to reduce reflected light. ( P. 62)
■ One touch power adjustment
You can store and recall power adjustments such as the driver’s seat and
the outside rear view mirrors. ( P. 50)
Mirror angle can be adjusted usin g the switch when the “ENGINE
START STOP” switch or the engine switch is in ACC or ON mode.
Select a mirror to adjust.
Left
Right
Adjust the mirror. Up
Right
Down
LeftSTEP1
STEP2