2014 TOYOTA AVALON heating

792. Instrument cluster
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Instrument cluster
AVALON (U)_(OM41452U)
The brightness of the instrument panel lights can be adjusted.
Darker
Brighter
■ The meters and display illuminate when
The engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode.
■ The brightness of the in strument panel lights
● When the headlight switch is turned to on, the brightness will be reduced
slightly unless the control knob is turned fully clockwise.
● When the knob is turned fully clockwise, the display audio/navigation sys-
tem screen will always be in day mode regardless of the headlight switch
position.
■ Customization
The instrument panel light auto dimmer control can be changed.
(Customizable feature: P. 453) 
Instrument panel light control
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NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the engine and its components
● Do not let the indicator needle of the tachometer enter the red zone, which
indicates the maximum engine speed.
● The engine may be overheating if the engine coolant temperature gauge is
in the red zone (H). In this case, immediately stop the vehicle in a safe
place, and check the engine after it has cooled completely. (P. 422)

1464-1. Before driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41452U)
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire
due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to
death or a serious health hazard.
■ When braking
● When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this may cause
one side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also, the
parking brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
● If the power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other\
vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
● Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking distance will
increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.

1594-2. Driving procedures
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Driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41452U)■
When the steering lock cannot be released
■ Steering lock motor overheating prevention
To prevent the steering lock motor from overheating, the motor may be sus-
pended if the engine is turned on and off repeatedly in a short period of time.
In this case, refrain from operating the engine. After about 10 seconds, the
steering lock motor will resume functioning.
■ When a message requesting the smart key system be inspected is dis-
played on the multi-information display
The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer immediately.
■ If the electronic key battery is depleted
P. 350
■ Operation of the engine switch
●When operating the engine switch, one short, firm press is enough. If the
switch is pressed improperly, the engine may not start or the engine switch
mode may not change. It is not necessary to press and hold the switch.
● If attempting to restart the engine immediately after turning the engine
switch off, the engine may not start in some cases. After turning the engine
switch off, please wait a few seconds before restarting the engine.
■ If the smart key system has been deactivated in a customized setting
P. 415
■ Customization
The time elapsed before the engine switch related messages on the multi-
information display turn off can be changed.
(Customizable features: P. 453)
A message informing the driver that the
steering wheel is locked will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
Check that the shift lever is set in P. Press
the engine switch while turning the steer-
ing wheel left and right.

1664-2. Driving procedures
AVALON (U)_(OM41452U)
To set the parking brake, fully
depress the parking brake pedal
with your left foot while depress-
ing the brake pedal with your right
foot.
(Depressing the pedal again
releases the parking brake.)
■Usage in winter time
P. 233
Parking brake
U.S.A.Canada
NOTICE
■Before driving
Fully release the parking brake.
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake set will lead to brake components
overheating, which may affect braking performance and increase brake
wear.

2104-5. Using the driving support systems
AVALON (U)_(OM41452U)
Sport mode
Use sport mode when increased ac celeration response and precise
handling is desired, for example, when driving on mountain roads.
When the “SPORT” switch is pressed, the “SPORT” indicator comes on in
the instrument cluster.
■Operation of the air conditio ning system in Eco drive mode
Eco drive mode controls the heating/cooling operations and fan speed of the
air conditioning system to enhance fuel efficiency ( P. 238). To improve air
conditioning performance, adjust the fan speed or turn off Eco drive mode.
■ Sport mode automatic deactivation
Sport mode is automatically deactivated if the engine switch is turned off after
driving in sport mode.
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2134-5. Using the driving support systems
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Driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41452U)
■Turning off both TRAC/VSC systems
To turn the TRAC/VSC systems off, press and hold the switch for more than 3
seconds while the vehicle is stopped.
The VSC OFF and “TRAC OFF” indica tor lights will come on and the mes-
sage will be shown on the multi-information display.
Press the switch again to turn the systems back on.
■ When the message is displayed on th e multi-information display show-
ing that TRAC has been disabled and “TRAC OFF” indicator light comes
on even if the TRAC/VSC OFF switch has not been pressed
TRAC cannot be operated. Contact your Toyota dealer.
■ Sounds and vibrations caused by the ABS, brake assist, VSC and TRAC
systems
● A sound may be heard from the engine compartment when the brake pedal
is depressed repeatedly, when the engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This sound does not indicate that a malfunction has
occurred in any of these systems.
● Any of the following conditions may occur when the above systems are
operating. None of these indicates that a malfunction has occurred.
• Vibrations may be felt through the vehicle body and steering.
• A motor sound may be heard after the vehicle comes to a stop.
• The brake pedal may pulsate slightly after the ABS is activated.
• The brake pedal may move down slightly after the ABS is activated.
■ EPS operation sound
When the steering wheel is operated, a motor sound (whirring sound) may be
heard. This does not indicate a malfunction.
■ Automatic reactivation of TRAC and VSC systems
After turning the TRAC and VSC systems off, the systems will be automati-
cally re-enabled in the following situations:
● When the engine switch is turned off
● If only the TRAC system is turned off, the TRAC will turn on when vehicle
speed increases
If both the TRAC and VSC systems are turned off, automatic re-enabling will
not occur when vehicle speed increases.
■ Reduced effectiveness of the EPS system
The effectiveness of the EPS system is reduced to prevent the system from
overheating when there is frequent steering input over an extended period of
time. The steering wheel may feel heavy as a result. Should this occur, refrain
from excessive steering input or stop the vehicle and turn the engine off. The
effectiveness of the EPS system will be restored after a short while.

2765-5. Other interior features
AVALON (U)_(OM41452U)
CAUTION
■Burns
● Use caution when seating the following persons in a seat with the seat
heater on to avoid the possibility of burns:
• Babies, small children, the elderly, the sick and the physically chal-
lenged
• Persons with sensitive skin
• Persons who are fatigued
• Persons who have taken alcohol or drugs that induce sleep (sleeping drugs, cold remedies, etc.)
● Do not cover the seat with anything when using the seat heater.
Using the seat heater with a blanket or cushion increases the temperature
of the seat and may lead to overheating.
● Do not use seat heater more than necessary. Doing so may cause minor
burns or overheating.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the seat heaters/seat ventilators
Do not put heavy objects that have an uneven surface on the seat and do
not stick sharp objects (needles, nails, etc.) into the seat.
■ To prevent battery discharge
Turn the seat heaters/seat ventilators off when the engine is off.

4227-2. Steps to take in an emergency
AVALON (U)_(OM41452U)
●The needle of the engine coolant temperature gauge ( P. 7 7 )
enters the red zone or a loss of engine power is experienced.
(For example, the vehicle speed does not increase.)
● Steam comes out from under the hood.
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and turn off the air conditioning sys-
tem, and then stop the engine.
If you see steam:
Carefully lift the hood after the steam subsides.
If you do not see steam:
Carefully lift the hood.
After the engine has cooled
down sufficient ly, inspect the
hoses and radiator core (radia-
tor) for any leaks.
Radiator
Cooling fan
If a large amount of coolant leaks,
immediately contact your Toyota
dealer.
The coolant level is satisfactory
if it is between the “F” and “L”
lines on the reservoir.
Reservoir
“F” line
“L” line
Radiator cap
If your vehicle overheats
The following may indicate that your vehicle is overheating:
Correction procedures
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