2012 TOYOTA AVALON Owners Manual

5
When trouble arises
489
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
CAUTION
■If the tire pressure warning light comes on
Be sure to observe the following precautions. Failure to do so could
cause loss of vehicle control and result in death or serious injury.
●Stop your vehicle in a safe place as
soon as possible. Adjust the tire
inflation pressure immediately.
●If the tire pressure warning light comes on even after tire inflation pres-
sure adjustment, it is pr obable that you have a flat tire. Check the tires.
If the tire is flat, change to the spare tire and have the flat tire repaired
by the nearest Toyota dealer.
●Avoid abrupt maneuvering and braking. If the vehicle tires deteriorate,
you could lose control of the steering wheel or the brakes.
■If a blowout or sudden air leakage should occur
The tire pressure warning syste m may not activate immediately.
■Maintenance of the tires
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label (tire and load information label). (If your vehicle has tires of a differ-
ent size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label [tire and load information label], you should determine the
proper tire inflation pr essure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS-ti re pressure warning system) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltal e (tire pressure warning light) when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressure telltale (tire pre ssure warning light) illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-
inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflation also reduces fuel effi ciency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle’s handling and stopping ability.

490 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
CAUTION
Please note that the TPMS (tire pressure warning system) is not a sub-
stitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the
level to trigger illu mination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale (tire
pressure warning light).
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS (tire pressure warning
system) malfunction indicator to indi cate when the system is not operat-
ing properly. The TPMS (tire pressure warning system) malfunction indi-
cator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale (tire pressure
warning light). When the system det ects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute an d then remain continuously illumi-
nated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle start-ups as
long as the malfunction exists. When the malfunction indi cator is illumi-
nated, the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended.
TPMS (tire pressure warning system) malfunctions may occur for a vari-
ety of reasons, including the installati on of replacement or alternate tires
or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS (tire pressure warning
system) from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS (tire pres-
sure warning system) malfunction te lltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alter-
nate tires and wheels allow the TPMS (tire pressure warning system) to
continue to function properly.
NOTICE
■Precaution when installing a different tire
When a tire of a different specification or maker is installed, the tire pres-
sure warning system may not operate properly.

5
When trouble arises
491
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If you have a flat tire
Remove the flat tire and replace it with the spare provided.
■Before jacking up the vehicle
●Stop the vehicle on a hard, flat surface.
● Set the parking brake.
● Shift the shift lever to “P”.
● Stop the engine.
● Turn on the emergency flashers.
■ Location of the spare tire, jack and tools
Jack handle
Jack
Wheel nut
wrench
Spare tire
cover
Luggage floor
cover
Spare tire

492 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Take out the jackRemove the cover.
To remove the jack, turn the jack
joint by hand until the jack
becomes free.
Taking out the spare tireRemove the luggage floor cover.
STEP1
STEP2
STEP1

5
When trouble arises
493
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Loosen the center fastener that
secures the spare tire.
Remove the spare tire cover.
Replacing a flat tire
Chock the tires.
STEP2
STEP3
STEP1
Flat tireWheel chock positions
Front Left-hand side Behind the rear right-hand side tire
Right-hand side Behind the rear left-hand side tire
Rear Left-hand side In front of the front right-hand side tire
Right-hand side In front of the front left-hand side tire

494 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Slightly loosen the wheel nuts
(one turn).
Turn the tire jack portion “A” by
hand until the notch of the jack is
in contact with the jack point.
Raise the vehicle until the tire is
slightly raised off the ground.STEP2
STEP3
STEP4

5
When trouble arises
495
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Remove all the wheel nuts and
the tire.
When resting the tire on the
ground, place the tire so that the
wheel design faces up to avoid
scratching the wheel surface.
Remove the wheel ornament by
pushing from the reverse side.
STEP5
STEP6

496 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Installing the spare tireRemove any dirt or foreign mat-
ter from the wheel contact sur-
face.
If foreign matter is on the wheel
contact surface, the wheel nuts
may loosen while the vehicle is
in motion, and the tire may
come off the vehicle.
Install the spare tire and loosely
tighten each wheel nut by hand
to approximately the same
amount.
Turn the nut washers until they
come into contact with the disc
wheel.
Lower the vehicle.
STEP1
STEP2
Disc wheelWasher
STEP3