Page 165 of 512

165
4Driving
AVALON_HV_U (OM41451U)4-1. Before driving
Driving the vehicle ............. 166
Cargo and luggage ........... 177
Vehicle load limits ............. 180
Trailer towing..................... 181
Dinghy towing ................... 182
4-2. Driving procedures Power (ignition) switch ...... 183
EV drive mode .................. 189
Hybrid transmission........... 191
Turn signal lever................ 194
Parking brake .................... 195
Horn .................................. 196
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch ................ 197
Automatic High Beam ....... 201
Fog light switch ................. 206
Windshield wipers and washer ............................ 207 4-4. Refueling
Opening the fuel tank cap .................................. 212
4-5. Using the driving support systems
Cruise control .................... 217
Dynamic radar cruise control ............................. 221
Driving mode select switch .............................. 236
Driving assist systems ...... 238
Hill-start assist control ....... 243
PCS (Pre-Collision System) .... 245
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) ........ 251
4-6. Driving tips Hybrid vehicle driving tips .................................. 260
Winter driving tips ............. 262
Page 168 of 512

1684-1. Before driving
AVALON_HV_U (OM41451U)■
Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system. This type of brake
system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodically or whenever the
parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced. Have your Toyota dealer per-
form the bedding down operation.
■ Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws and confirm the availability
of the correct fuel. ( P. 461)
■ For efficient use
●Shift the shift lever to D when driving.
In the N position, the gasoline engine operates but electricity cannot be gen-
erated. The hybrid battery (traction battery) will discharge, requiring unnec-
essary engine power to recharge.
● Drive your vehicle smoothly.
Avoid abrupt acceleration and deceleration. Gradual acceleration and decel-
eration will make more effective use of the electric motor (traction motor)
without having to use gasoline engine power.
● Avoid repeated acceleration.
Repeated acceleration consumes hybrid battery (traction battery) power,
resulting in poor acceleration. Battery power can be restored by driving with
the accelerator pedal slightly released.
● Shift the shift lever to P when parking.
In the N position, the hybrid battery (traction battery) does not recharge.
Leaving the shift lever in the N position for an extended period of time may
discharge the hybrid battery (traction battery). The vehicle cannot ru\
n if the
hybrid battery (traction battery) is discharged.
Page 169 of 512

1694-1. Before driving
4
Driving
AVALON_HV_U (OM41451U)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the brake pedal while stopped with the hybrid sys-
tem operating. This prevents the vehicle from creeping.
■ When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if you are unfamiliar with the location of the brake and ac\
cel-
erator pedals to avoid depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake
pedal will result in sudden acceleration that may lead to an accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a diffi- culty in operating the pedals. Make sure to operate the pedals properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when moving the vehicle only slightly. This allows you to depress the brake and accelera-
tor pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the brake pedal using your left foot may delay response in an emergency, result-
ing in an accident.
● The driver should pay extra attention to pedestrians when the vehicle is
powered only by the electric motor (traction motor). Because there is no
engine noise, the pedestrians may misjudge the vehicle’s movement.
● Do not drive the vehicle over or stop the vehicle near flammable materials.
The exhaust system and exhaust gases can be extremely hot. These hot
parts may cause a fire if there is any flammable material nearby.
Page 173 of 512

1734-1. Before driving
4
Driving
AVALON_HV_U (OM41451U)
CAUTION
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in
the vehicle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a
fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle’s
electrical components.
● Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a
place such as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
● Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehi-
cle.
● Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.
● Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the hybrid
system and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the hybrid system is operating.
● Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the hybrid system is operating or
immediately after turning the hybrid system off.
Doing so may cause burns.
Page 188 of 512
1884-2. Driving procedures
AVALON_HV_U (OM41451U)
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery discharge
●Do not leave the power switch in ACCESSORY or ON mode for long peri-
ods of time without the hybrid system on.
● Do not stop the hybrid system when the shift lever is in a position other
than P. If the hybrid system is stopped in another shift lever position, the
power switch will not be turned off but instead be turned to ACCESSORY
mode. If the vehicle is left in ACCESSORY mode, 12-volt battery dis-
charge may occur.
■ When starting the hybrid system
●Do not depress the accelerator pedal unnecessarily.
● If the hybrid system becomes difficult to start, have your vehicle checked
by your Toyota dealer immediately.
■ Symptoms indicating a malf unction with the power switch
If the power switch seems to be operating somewhat differently than usual,
such as the switch sticking slightly, there may be a malfunction. Contact
your Toyota dealer immediately.
Page 194 of 512
1944-2. Driving procedures
AVALON_HV_U (OM41451U)
The lever will return to its original position after operation.
Right turn
Lane change to the right (push
and hold the lever partway)
The right hand signals will flash
until you release the lever.
Lane change to the left (push
and hold the lever partway)
The left hand signals will flash until
you release the lever.
Left turn
■ Turn signals can be operated when
The power switch is in ON mode.
■ If the indicator flashes faster than usual
Check that a light bulb in the front or rear turn signal lights has not burned
out.
Tur n signal lever
Operating instructions
1
2
3
4
Page 197 of 512
197
4
Driving
AVALON_HV_U (OM41451U)
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Turning the end of the lever turns on the lights as follows:
Headlight switch
The headlights can be operated manually or automatically.
Operating instructions
The headlights, parking
lights, daytime running
lights and so on turn on
and off automatically
(when the power switch
is in ON mode).
The side marker, park-
ing, tail, license plate,
daytime running lights
and instrument panel
lights turn on.
The headlights and all
the lights listed above
(except daytime run-
ning lights) turn on.
The daytime running
lights turn off.1
2
3
4
Page 198 of 512
1984-3. Operating the lights and wipers
AVALON_HV_U (OM41451U)
With the headlights on, push
the lever away from you to turn
on the high beams.
Pull the lever toward you to the
center position to turn the high
beams off.
Pull the lever toward you and
release it to flash the high
beams once.
You can flash the high beams with
the headlights on or off.
Turning on the high beam headlights
1
2