2011 TOYOTA AVALON wheel

Maintenance and care4
373
AVALON_U (OM41428U)
4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior ......... 374
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle interior .......... 377
4-2. Maintenance
Maintenance
requirements .................. 380
General maintenance....... 383
Emission inspection and
maintenance (I/M)
programs ........................ 386
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions .................... 387
Hood ................................ 391
Positioning a floor jack ..... 392
Engine compartment ........ 394
Tires ................................. 409
Tire inflation pressure ...... 418
Wheels ............................. 422
Air conditioning filter......... 425
Key battery ....................... 428
Checking and replacing
fuses .............................. 432
Headlight aim (with
discharge headlights) ..... 441
Light bulbs........................ 443

374
AVALON_U (OM41428U)
4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime
condition.
●Working from top to bottom, liberally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any
dirt and dust.
Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a cham-
ois.
●For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thor-
oughly with water.
●Wipe away any water.
●Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.

375 4-1. Maintenance and care
4
Maintenance and care
AVALON_U (OM41428U)
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors back before washing the vehicle.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface
and harm your vehicle’s paint.
■High pressure car washes
Do not allow the nozzles of the car wash to come within close proximity of
the windows. Before car wash, check that the fuel filler door is closed.
■Aluminum wheels
●Remove any dirt immediately by using a neutral detergent. Do not use
hard brushes or abrasive cleaners. Do not use strong or harsh chemical
cleaners. Use the same mild detergent and wax as used on the paint.
●Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, for example after
driving for long distance in the hot weather.
●Wash detergent from the wheels immediately after use.
■Bumpers and side moldings
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
CAUTION
■Caution about the exhaust pipe
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipe to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipe until it has cooled
sufficiently, as touching a hot exhaust pipe can cause burns.

376 4-1. Maintenance and care
AVALON_U (OM41428U)
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If you see coal tar or tree sap on the paint surface
• If you see dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings on the paint
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust,
iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled in dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzine and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
●Do not apply wax on the surface of the lights. Wax may cause damage to
the lenses.
■When using an automatic car wash
(vehicles equipped with the raindrop detection windshield wipers)
Turn off the wiper switch.
If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the wip-
ers may operate and the wiper blades
may be damaged.
AUTO

384 4-2. Maintenance
AVALON_U (OM41428U)
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• Moves smoothly (without uneven pedal
effort or catching)?
Automatic transmission
“Park” mechanism• Can the vehicle be hold securely on an
incline with the shift lever in “P”?
Brake pedal• Moves smoothly?
• Does it have appropriate clearance and
correct amount of free play?
Brakes• Pulls to one side when applied?
• Loss of brake effectiveness?
• Spongy feeling brake pedal?
• Pedal almost touches floor?
Head restraints • Move smoothly and lock securely?
Indicators/buzzers • Function properly?
Lights• Do all the lights come on?
• Headlights aimed correctly? (P. 441)
Parking brake• Moves smoothly?
• Can hold the vehicle securely on an
incline?
Seat belts• Does the seat belt system operate
smoothly?
• Are the belts undamaged?
Seats • Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel• Moves smoothly?
• Has correct free play?
• No strange noises?

385 4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
AVALON_U (OM41428U)
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors/trunk • Operate smoothly?
Engine hood • The lock system works properly?
Fluid leaks • Is there any leakage after parking?
Tire• Inflation pressure is correct?
• Tire surfaces not worn or damaged?
• Tires rotated according to the mainte-
nance schedule?
• Wheel nuts are not loose?
CAUTION
■If the engine is running
Turn off the engine and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.

410 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
AVALON_U (OM41428U)
Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID codes
must be registered in the tire pressure warning computer and tire
pressure warning system must be initialized. Have tire pressure
warning valve and transmitter ID codes registered by your Toyota
dealer.
Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances:
●When rotating the tires on vehicles differing with front and rear
tire inflation pressures.
●When changing the tire inflation pressure by changing traveling
speed or load weight, etc.
●When changing the tire size.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current
tire inflation pressure is set as the pressure benchmark.
■The tire pressure warning system
Your Toyota is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that
uses tire pressure warning valves and transmitters to detect low
tire inflation pressure before serious problems arise. (P. 470)

412 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
AVALON_U (OM41428U)
Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a
unique ID code.
When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and transmitter, it is
necessary to register the ID code of tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter. Have the ID code registered by your Toyota dealer.
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to
expose the fabric or bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the
size or location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.
■Replacing tires and wheels
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not
registered, the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After
about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking
for 1 minute to indicate a system malfunction.