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2374-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
AVALON (U)_(OM41456U)
Perform the following according to the driving conditions:
● Do not try to forcibly open a window or move a wiper that is frozen.
Pour warm water over the frozen area to melt the ice. Wipe away
the water immediately to prevent it from freezing.
● To ensure proper operation of the climate control system fan,
remove any snow that has accumulated on the air inlet vents in
front of the windshield.
● Check for and remove any excess ice or snow that may have accu-
mulated on the exterior lights, ve hicle’s roof, chassis, around the
tires or on the brakes.
● Remove any snow or mud from the bottom of your shoes before
getting in the vehicle.
Accelerate the vehicle slowly, keep a safe distance between you and
the vehicle ahead, and drive at a reduced speed suitable to road con-
ditions.
Park the vehicle and move the shift lever to P without setting the park-
ing brake. The parking brake may fr eeze up, preventing it from being
released. If necessary, block the wheels to prev ent inadvertent sliding
or creeping.
Before driving the vehicle
When driving the vehicle
When parking the vehicle
Page 313 of 500
3136-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
AVALON (U)_(OM41456U)
Head restraints• Do the head restraints movesmoothly and lock securely?
Indicators/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzersfunction properly?
Lights • Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Moves smoothly?
• When parked on a slope and the parking brake is on, is the vehicle
securely stopped?
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operatesmoothly?
• The seat belts should not be dam- aged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate prop-erly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotatesmoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correct amount of free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds coming from the steering
wheel.
ItemsCheck points
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3216-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
AVALON (U)_(OM41456U)
CAUTION
■When raising your vehicle
Make sure to observe the following precautions to reduce the possibility of
death or serious injury:
● When using a floor jack, follow the in structions of the manual provided with
the jack.
● Do not use the jack that was supplied with your vehicle.
● Do not put any part of your body underneath the vehicle when it is sup-
ported only by the floor jack.
● Always use floor jack and/or automotive jack stands on a solid, flat, level
surface.
● Do not start the engine while the vehicle is supported by the floor jack.
● Stop the vehicle on level, firm ground, firmly set the parking brake and shift
the shift lever to P.
● Make sure to set the floor jack properly at the jack point.
Raising the vehicle with an improperly positioned floor jack will damage
the vehicle and may cause the vehicle to fall off the floor jack.
● Do not raise the vehicle while someone is in the vehicle.
● When raising the vehicle, do not place any object on top of or underneath
the floor jack.
●Lift up the vehicle using a floor jack
such as the one shown in the illustra-
tion.
Page 383 of 500
3837-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
AVALON (U)_(OM41456U)
Do not tow with a sling-type truck
to prevent body damage.
Towing with a sling-type truck
Towing with a wheel-lift type truck
From the frontFrom the rear
Release the parking brake. Use a towing dolly under the front wheels.
Page 388 of 500

3887-2. Steps to take in an emergency
AVALON (U)_(OM41456U)
The following warning indicates a possible problem in the brake sys-
tem. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
*: Parking brake engaged warning buzzer: The buzzer sounds to indicate that the parking brake is still engaged (with the vehicle having reached a
speed of 3 mph [5 km/h]).
If a warning light turns on or a warning
buzzer sounds
Calmly perform the following acti ons if any of the warning lights
comes on or flashes. If a light comes on or flashes, but then
goes off, this does not necessarily indicate a malfunction in the
system. However, if this continues to occur, have the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer.
Stop the vehicle immediately. Continuing to drive the vehicle
may be dangerous.
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada)
Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)*
• Low brake fluid
• Malfunction in the brake booster system
This light also comes on when the parking brake is not
released. If the light turns off after the parking brake is fully
released the system is operating normally.
Page 400 of 500
4007-2. Steps to take in an emergency
AVALON (U)_(OM41456U)
●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. ( P. 380)
If you have a flat tire
Your vehicle is equipped with a spare tire. The flat tire can be
replaced with the spare tire.
For details about tires: P. 3 3 4
CAUTION
■If you have a flat tire
Do not continue driving with a flat tire.
Driving even a short distance with a fl at tire can damage the tire and the
wheel beyond repair, which could result in an accident.
Before jacking up the vehicle
Page 414 of 500

4147-2. Steps to take in an emergency
AVALON (U)_(OM41456U)
One of the following may be the cause of the problem:
●One or both of the battery terminals may be disconnected.
● The battery may be discharged. ( P. 419)
● There may be a malfunction in the steering lock system.
Contact your Toyota dealer if the problem cannot be repaired, or if repair
procedures are unknown.
When the engine does not start, the following steps can be used as an
interim measure to start the engine if the engine switch is functioning
normally:
Set the parking brake.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Turn the engine switch to ACCESSORY mode.
Press and hold the engine switch for about 15 seconds while
depressing the brake pedal firmly.
Even if the engine can be started using the above steps, the system
may be malfunctioning. Have the v ehicle inspected by your Toyota
dealer.
The starter motor does not turn ov er, the interior lights and head-
lights do not turn on, or the horn does not sound.
Emergency start function
1
2
3
4
Page 415 of 500
4157-2. Steps to take in an emergency
7
When trouble arises
AVALON (U)_(OM41456U)
Set the parking brake.
Turn the engine switch to ACCESSORY mode.
Depress the brake pedal.
Pry the cover up with a flathead
screwdriver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover,
cover the tip of the screwdriver with
a rag.
Press the shift lock override
button.
The shift lever can be shifted while
the button is pressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
If the shift lever cannot be shifted with your foot on the brake
pedal, there may be a problem with the shift lock system (a sys-
tem to prevent accidental operation of the shift lever). Have the
vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
The following steps may be used as an emergency measure to
ensure that the shift lever can be shifted:
1
2
3
4
5