2013 TOYOTA AVALON Owners Manual

137
Driving4
AVALON (U)_(OM41440U)4-1. Before driving
Driving the vehicle............. 138
Cargo and luggage ........... 149
Vehicle load limits ............. 152
Trailer towing .................... 153
Dinghy towing ................... 154
4-2. Driving procedures Engine (ignition) switch ..... 155
Automatic transmission .................... 161
Turn signal lever ............... 165
Parking brake .................... 166
Horn .................................. 167
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch ................ 168
Automatic High Beam ....... 172
Fog light switch ................. 177
Windshield wipers and washer ............................ 179
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap .................................. 185
4-5. Using the driving support systems
Cruise control .................... 190
Dynamic radar cruise control ............................. 194
Driving mode select switches .......................... 209
Driving assist systems ...... 211
PCS (Pre-Collision System) ........................... 216
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) ........ 223
4-6. Driving tips Winter driving tips ............. 232

138
AVALON (U)_(OM41440U)
4-1. Before driving
P. 1 5 5
With the brake pedal depressed, shift the shift lever to D. ( P. 161)
Release the parking brake. ( P. 166)
Gradually release the brake pedal and gently depress the accelera-
tor pedal to accelerate the vehicle.
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal until the vehicle
comes to a stop.
If necessary, set the parking brake.
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an extended period of time, shift the shift
lever to P or N. ( P. 161)
With the shift lever in D, depress the brake pedal.
Set the parking brake. ( P. 166)
Shift the shift lever to P. ( P. 161)
If parking on a hill, block the wheels as needed.
Press the engine switch to stop the engine.
Lock the door, making sure that you have the electronic key on your
person.
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures should be observed to ensure safe
driving:
Starting the engine
Driving
Stopping
Parking the vehicle
1
2
3
1
2
1
2
3
4
5

1394-1. Before driving
4
Driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41440U)
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-
dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
● Refrain from driving at high speeds in the rain, as there may be a layer of
water between the tires and the road surface, preventing the steering and
brakes from operating properly.
■ Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to
meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
● When the brake pedal is depressed while sport mode is selected ( P. 209)
Starting off on a steep uphill
1
2
3

1404-1. Before driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41440U)■
Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-
mended:
●For the first 186 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■ 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. 437)
■ Eco-friendly driving
During Eco-friendly acceleration (Eco driv-
ing), Eco Driving Indicator Light will turn on.
If the acceleration exceeds the Eco driving
accelerator upper limit, or the vehicle is
stopped, the light turns off.
Eco Driving Indicator Light will not operate
in the following conditions:
●The shift lever is in anything other than
D.
● The paddle shift switch is used. (If
equipped)
● The vehicle is in sport mode. (If
equipped)
● The vehicle speed is approximately 80
mph (130 km/h) or higher.

1414-1. Before driving
4
Driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41440U)
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 engine
running. 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.
● 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.

1424-1. Before driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41440U)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
●During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine off
while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the
power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more difficult to
steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as soon as it
is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 381
● Use engine braking (downshift) to maintain a safe speed when driving
down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 161)
● Do not adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control.
● Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph ( 140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on y our vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.

1434-1. Before driving
4
Driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41440U)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
● Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shift changing, or changes in
engine speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected.
■ When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving posi-
tion, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
● Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to D while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is
selected.
● Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in
death or serious injury.

1444-1. Before driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41440U)
CAUTION
■If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.
■ When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
● In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the engine is running, and apply the
parking brake as necessary.
● If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake as needed.
● Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combusti\
ble
material is nearby.