2012 TOYOTA AVALON wheel

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

386
4-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior
■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.
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in prime
condition.
● Working from top to bottom, liber ally 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.

388 4-1. Maintenance and care
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.
Off

396 4-2. Maintenance
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. 453)
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?

397
4-2. Maintenance
4
Maintenance and care
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.

422 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmittersWhen 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 warn ing valve and transmitter ID codes
must be registered in the tire pr essure 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
■ Initializing the tire pressure warning system
Initialize the system with the tire inflation pressure adjusted to the
specified level.
■ 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. 482)

424 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Registering ID codesThe 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 c annot 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 pre ssure warning system will not work properly. After
driving for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1
minute and stays on to indicate a system malfunction.

426 4-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Tire types
1 Summer tiresSummer tires are high-speed performance tires best suited to highway
driving under dry conditions. Sinc e summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tire s, summer tires are inadequate for
driving on snow-covered or icy roads. For driving on snow-covered
roads or icy roads, the use of snow tires is recommended. When
installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2 All season tires All season tires are designed to provide better traction in snow and to
be adequate for driving in most winter conditions, as well as for use
year round. All season tires, however, do not have adequate traction
performance compared with snow tires in heavy or loose snow. Also,
all season tires fall short in acceleration and handling performance
compared with summer tires in highway driving.
3Snow tires For driving on snow-covered roads or icy roads, we recommend using
snow tires. If you need snow tires, select tires of the same size, con-
struction and load capacity as the or iginally installed tires. Since your
vehicle has radial tires as original equipment, make sure your snow
tires also have radial construction. Do not install studded tires without
first checking local regulations for possible restriction. Snow tires
should be installed on all wheels. ( P. 219)
■Initializing the tire pr essure warning system
Initialize the tire pressure warning sy stem with the tire inflation pressure
adjusted to the specified level.
■If you push the tire pressure warning reset switch accidentally
If initialization is performed, adjust the tire in flation pressure to the speci-
fied level and initialize the tire pressure warning system again.