2012 TOYOTA AVALON check engine light

Maintenance and care4
385
4-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior ......... 386
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior .......... 389
4-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements .................. 392
General maintenance....... 395
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs........................ 398
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions .................... 399
Hood ................................ 403
Positioning a floor jack ..... 404
Engine compartment ........ 406
Tires ................................. 421
Tire inflation pressure ...... 430
Wheels ............................. 434
Air conditioning filter......... 437
Key battery ....................... 440
Checking and replacing fuses .............................. 444
Headlight aim (with discharge headlights) ..... 453
Light bulbs........................ 455

455
4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
Light bulbs
You may replace the following bulbs yourself. The difficulty level of
replacement varies depending on the bulb. If necessary bulb
replacement seems difficult to perfor m, contact your Toyota dealer.
For more information about replacing other light bulbs, contact your
Toyota dealer.
■ Prepare a replacement light bulb.
Check the wattage of the light bulb being replaced. ( P. 527)
■ Remove the engine compartment cover
P. 407
■ Front bulb locations
Front side marker light
Front turn signal/parking light
Front fog light
Headlight high beam and
daytime running light
Auxiliary light
Headlight low beam

480 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Stop the vehicle immediately.The following warning indicates the possibility of damage to the vehi-
cle that may lead to an accident. Immediately stop the vehicle in a
safe place and contact your Toyota dealer.
Have the vehicle inspected immediately.Failing to investigate the cause of the following warnings may lead to
the system operating abnormally and possibly cause an accident.
Have the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
Charging system warning light Malfunction in the vehicle’s charging system.
Low engine oil pressure warning light Abnormal level of engine oil pressure.
This warning light may turn on if the level of engine oil
declines. The light should turn off after checking the oil
and adding oil if necessary.
Warning lightWarning light/Details

(U.S.A.)

(Canada)
Malfunction indicator lampMalfunction in:
• The electronic engine control system;
• The electronic throttle control system; or
• The transmission control system.

484 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Have the malfunction repaired immediately. (vehicles with smart
key system)After taking the specified steps to correct the suspected problem,
check that the warning light turn off.
Interior buzzerExterior buzzerWarning lightDetailsCorrection procedure
Once
(Flashing)
The electronic key
is not detected
when attempting to
start the engine.
• Confirm the location of the
electronic key.
• The electronic key battery
maybe dis-
charged.
( P. 440)
Once3 times
(Flashing)
An open door
other than the
driver’s door is
closed while the
electronic key is
outside the detec-
tion range and the
“ENGINE START
STOP” switch is in
ACCESSORY or
IGNITION ON
mode.
Confirm the
location of the
electronic key.

488 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■If the tire pressure warning light frequently comes on after blinking
for 1 minute
Vehicles without smart key system
If the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1 minute fre-
quently when the engine switch is turned to the “ON” position, have it
checked by your Toyota dealer.
Vehicles with smart key system
If the tire pressure warning light comes on after blinking for 1 minute fre-
quently when the “ENGINE START STOP” switch is turned to IGNITION ON
mode, have it checked by your Toyota dealer.
■
When the tire pressure warning light comes on
Check the tire inflation pressure and adjust to the appropriate level.
Pushing the tire pressure warning reset switch does not turn off the tire
pressure warning light.
■The tire pressure warning light ma y turn on due to natural causes
The tire pressure warning light may turn on due to natural causes such
as natural air leaks or tire inflation pressure changes caused by temper-
ature. In this case, adjusting the ti re inflation pressure will turn off the
light (after a few minutes).
■When a tire is replaced with a spare tire
The spare tire is also equipped with the tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter. The tire pressu re warning light will turn on if the tire inflation
pressure of the spare tire is low. If a tire goes flat, even though the flat
tire is replaced with the spare tire, the tire pressure warning light does
not turn off. Replace the spare tire with the repaired tire and adjust the
proper tire inflation pressure. The ti re pressure warning light will turn off
after a few minutes.

502 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Emergency start function (vehicles with smart key system)When the engine does not start, the following steps can be used as
an interim measure to start the engine if the “ENGINE START STOP”
switch is functioning normally. Set the parking brake.
Shift the shift lever to “P”.
Set the “ENGINE START STOP” switch to the ACC mode.
Push and hold the “ENGINE START STOP” switch about 15
seconds while depressing the brake pedal firmly.
Even if the engine can be start ed using the above steps, the system
may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle checked by your Toyota
dealer.
■ The starter motor does not turn over, the interior lights and
headlights do not turn on, or the horn does not sound
One of the following may be the cause of the problem.
● One or both of the battery terminals may be disconnected.
● The battery may be discharged. ( P. 508)
● There may be a malfunction in the steering lock system (vehi-
cles with smart key system).
Contact your Toyota dealer if the problem cannot be repaired, or if
repair procedures are unknown.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4

5
When trouble arises
509
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Start the engine of the second vehicle. Increase the engine
speed slightly and maintain at
that level for approximately
five minutes to recharge the battery of your vehicle.
Vehicles with smart key system  Open and close any of
the doors with the “ENGINE START STOP” switch OFF.
Vehicles with smart key system: Maintain the engine speed
on the second vehicle and turn the “ENGINE START
STOP” switch to IGNITION ON mode, then start the vehi-
cle’s engine.
Vehicles without smart key system: Maintain the engine
speed on the second vehicle and turn the engine switch to
the “ON” position, then start the vehicle’s engine.
Once the vehicle’s engine has started, remove the jumper
cables in the exact reverse order in which they were con-
nected.
Once the engine starts, have the vehicle checked at your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible.STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5

524 6-1. Specifications
Cooling system
Ignition system
Electrical system
Capacity8.8 qt. (8.3 L, 7.3 lmp.qt.)
Coolant typeUse either of the following:
• “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant”
• Similar high-quality ethylene glycol-based non-
silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite, and non-borate
coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technol-
ogy
Do not use plain water alone.
Spark plug
Make DENSO
FK20HR11
Gap 0.043 in. (1.1 mm)
NOTICE
■Iridium-tipped spark plugs
Use only iridium-tipped spark plugs. Do not adjust gap when tuning engine.
Battery
Open voltage at
68  F (20 C):
12.6  12.8 V Fully charged
12.2  12.4 V Half charged
11 . 8  12.0 V Discharged
(Voltage is checked 20 minutes after the engine
and all lights are turned off.)
Charging rates 5A max.