Page 264 of 492

2644-5. Using the driving support systems
AVALON_HV_U (01999-07002)
WARNING
■Stopping distance when the ABS is operating may exceed that of nor-
mal conditions
The ABS is not designed to shorten the vehicle’s stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, especially in the
following situations:
● When driving on dirt, gravel or snow-covered roads
● When driving with tire chains
● When driving over bumps in the road
● When driving over roads with potholes or uneven surfaces
■ TRAC may not operat e effectively when
Directional control and power may not be achievable while driving on slip-
pery road surfaces, even if the TRAC system is operating.
Drive the vehicle carefully in conditions where stability and power may be
lost.
■ When the VSC is activated
The slip indicator light flashes. Always drive carefully. Reckless driving may
cause an accident. Exercise particular care when the indicator light flashes.
■ When the TRAC/VSC syst ems are turned off
Be especially careful and drive at a speed appropriate to the road condi-
tions. As these are the systems to help ensure vehicle stability and driving
force, do not turn the TRAC/VSC systems off unless necessary.
■ Hill-start assist control
●Do not overly rely on hill-start assist control. Hill-start assist control may
not operate effectively on extremely steep inclines and roads covered with
ice.
● Unlike the parking brake, hill-start assist control is not intended to hold the
vehicle stationary for an extended period of time. Do not attempt to use
hill-start assist control to hold the vehicle on an incline for an extended
period of time, as doing so may lead to an accident.
■ Replacing tires
Make sure that all tires are of the specified size, brand, tread pattern and
total load capacity. In addition, make sure that the tires are inflated to the
recommended tire inflation pressure level.
The ABS, TRAC and VSC systems will not function correctly if different tires
are installed on the vehicle.
Contact your Toyota dealer for further information when replacing tires or
wheels.
■ Handling of tires and the suspension
Using tires with any kind of problem or modifying the suspension will affect
the driving assist systems, and may cause a system to malfunction.
Page 266 of 492

2664-6. Driving tips
AVALON_HV_U (01999-07002)
◆When braking
Make sure to operate the brakes gently and in a timely manner. A
greater amount of electrical energy can be regenerated when slow-
ing down.
◆Delays
Repeated acceleration and deceleration, as well as long waits at
traffic lights, will lead to bad fu el economy. Check traffic reports
before leaving and avoid delays as much as possible. When driving
in a traffic jam, gently release the brake pedal to allow the vehicle to
move forward slightly while avoi ding overuse of the accelerator
pedal. Doing so can help control excessive gasoline consumption.
◆Highway driving
Control and maintain the vehicle at a constant speed. Before stop-
ping at a toll booth or similar, allow plenty of time to release the
accelerator and gently apply the br akes. A greater amount of elec-
trical energy can be regenerated when slowing down.
◆Air conditioning
Use the air conditioning only when necessary. Doing so can help
reduce excessive gasoline consumption.
In summer: When the ambient temperature is high, use the recircu-
lated air mode. Doing so will help to reduce the burden on the air
conditioning system and reduce fuel consumption as well.
In winter: Because the gasoline eng ine will not automatically cut out
until it and the interior of the vehi cle are warm, it will consume fuel.
Also, fuel consumption can be improved by avoiding overuse of the
heater.
◆Checking tire inflation pressure
Make sure to check the tire infl ation pressure frequently. Improper
tire inflation pressure can cause poor fuel economy.
Also, as snow tires can cause large amounts of friction, their use on
dry roads can lead to poor fuel economy. Use tires that are appro-
priate for the season.
Page 270 of 492

2704-6. Driving tips
AVALON_HV_U (01999-07002)
WARNING
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or
serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
● Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
● Do not drive in excess of 75 mph (120 km/h), regardless of the type of
snow tires being used.
● Use snow tires on all, not just some wheels.
■ Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle being unable to be driven safely,
and may cause death or serious injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tire chains being
used, or 30 mph (50 km/h), whichever is lower.
● Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.
● Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shifting
operations that cause sudden engine braking.
● Slow down sufficiently before entering a curve to ensure that vehicle con-
trol is maintained.
● Vehicles with LDA (Lane Departure Alert with steering control) system:
Do not use LDA (Lane Departure Alert with steering control) system.
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow tires from Toyota dealers or legiti-
mate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the opera-
tion of the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters.
■ Fitting tire chains
The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function correctly
when tire chains are fitted.
Page 323 of 492
323
Maintenance and care6
AVALON_HV_U (01999-07002)6-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 324
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ........... 327
6-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ................... 330
General maintenance........ 332
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs ......................... 336
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions ..................... 337
Hood ................................. 339
Positioning a floor jack ...... 340
Engine compartment ......... 341
12-volt battery ................... 350
Tires .................................. 354
Tire inflation pressure ....... 364
Wheels .............................. 367
Air conditioning filter.......... 370
Electronic key battery........ 372
Checking and replacing fuses ............................... 374
Light bulbs......................... 377
Page 335 of 492
3356-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
AVALON_HV_U (01999-07002)
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors/trunk• Do the doors/trunk operatesmoothly?
Engine hood• Does the engine hood lock systemwork properly?
Fluid leaks
• There should not be any signs offluid leakage after the vehicle has
been parked.
Tires
• Is the tire inflation pressure cor-rect?
• The tires should not be dam- aged or excessively worn.
• Have the tires been rotated
according to the maintenance
schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be
loose.
Windshield wipers
• The wiper blades should not show
any signs of cracking, splitting,
wear, contamination or deforma-
tion.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield without streaking or
skipping.
WARNING
■If the hybrid system is operating
Turn the hybrid system off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation
before performing maintenance checks.
Page 337 of 492

337
6
Maintenance and care
AVALON_HV_U (01999-07002)
6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself ser vice precautions
If you perform maintenance by yourself, be sure to follow the
correct procedure as given in these sections.
ItemsParts and tools
12-volt battery condi-
tion (P. 350)• Grease
• Conventional wrench
(for terminal clamp bolts)
Brake fluid level (P. 348)
• FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE J1703 brake
fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake fluid)
Engine/power control
unit coolant level (P. 345)
• “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” or a similar
high quality ethylene glycol-based non-silicate,
non-amine, non-nitrite and non-borate coolant
with long-life hybrid organic acid technology.
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is pre-mixed
with 50% coolant and 50% deionized water.
• Funnel (used only for adding coolant)
Engine oil level
(P. 342)• “Toyota Genuine Motor Oil” or equivalent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding engine oil)
Fuses ( P. 374)• Fuse with same amperage rating as original
Light bulbs (P. 377)
• Bulb with same number and wattage rating as
original
• Phillips-head screwdriver
• Flathead screwdriver
• Wrench
Radiator and con-
denser ( P. 347)
Tire inflation pressure
( P. 364)• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air source
Washer fluid
(P. 349)
• Water or washer fluid containing antifreeze (for
winter use)
• Funnel (used only for adding water or washer fluid)
Page 354 of 492
3546-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
AVALON_HV_U (01999-07002)
Check if the treadwear indicators are showing on the tires. Also check
the tires for uneven wear, such as excessive wear on one side of the
tread.
Check the spare tire condition and pressure if not rotated.
New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicator
The location of treadwear indicators is shown by a “TWI” or “ ” mark,
etc., molded into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
Rotate the tires in the order
shown.
To equalize tire wear and extend
tire life, Toyota recommends that
tire rotation is carried out at the
same interval as tire inspection.
Do not fail to initialize the tire
pressure warning system after
tire rotation.
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in acco rdance with maintenance sched-
ules and treadwear.
Checking tires
Tire rotation
1
2
3
Front
Page 355 of 492

3556-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
AVALON_HV_U (01999-07002)
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and tr ansmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise.
● If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a screen display and a warning light. ( P. 399)
◆Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When 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 ID codes must be registered in the tire pressure
warning computer and the tire pr essure warning system must be
initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID
codes registered by your Toyota dealer. ( P. 357)
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
■The tire pressure warning system must be initialized in the fol-
lowing circumstances:
● When changing the tire size.
● When the tire inflation pressure is changed such as when chang-
ing traveling speed or load weight.
● When rotating the tires.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system
● The tire pressure detected by the
tire pressure warning system can
be displayed on the multi-informa-
tion display.