2017 TOYOTA AVALON engine

1634-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■When the steering lock cannot be released
■ Steering lock motor o verheating 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. 360
■ Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly and firmly, the engine switch mode may
not change or the engine may not start.
● 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. 4 1 1
■ Customization
The time elapsed before the engine switch related messages on the multi-
information display turn off can be changed.
(Customizable features: →P. 449)
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.

1644-2. Driving procedures
WARNING
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■ Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the
doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the
steering lock in this circumstance may lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
■ Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle,
press and hold the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly
3 times or more in succession. ( →P. 381)
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. 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.
NOTICE
■ To prevent battery discharge
● Do not leave the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON mode
for long periods of time without the engine running.
● Do not stop the engine when the shift lever is in a position other than P. If
the engine is stopped in another shift lever position, the engine switch will
not be turned off but instead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. If the vehi-
cle is left in ACCESSORY mode, battery discharge may occur.
■ When starting the engine
● Do not race a cold engine.
● If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, have your vehi-
cle checked by your Toyota dealer immediately.
■ Symptoms indicating a malfunction with the engine switch
If the engine 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.

1654-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
While the engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode, move the
shift lever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the
vehicle is completely stopped.
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and reduce noises, set the shift lever in the Dposition for normal driving.
*2: Selecting shift ranges using S mode restricts the upper limit of the possiblegear ranges, controls engine braking force, and prevents upshifting above
the selected range.
Automatic transmission
Shifting the shift lever
Shift position purpose
Shift positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2 ( →P. 166)

1664-2. Driving procedures
When the shift lever is in the S position, the shift lever or paddle shift
switches can be operated as follows:
The initial shift range in S mode is set automatically to “4” or “5”
according to vehicle speed. However, the initial shift range may be set
to “3” if AI-SHIFT has operated while the shift lever was in the D posi-
tion. ( →P. 168)
■Shift ranges and their functions
● The vehicle is allowed to shift up and down to provide the most
suitable gear selection based on your driving situat ion. (e.g. S4:
1 to 4 or, 4 to 1)
● You can choose from 6 levels of engine braking force.
A lower shift range will provide greater engine braking force than
a higher shift range, and the engine speed will also increase.
● You can choose the gear range y ou want for different levels of
acceleration. (e.g. uphill, sporty driving, etc.)
Changing shift ranges in S mode
Shift leverPaddle shift switches
Upshifting Downshifting
12

1674-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
To drive using temporary shift range selection, operate the “-” paddle
shift switch. The shift range can then be selected by operating the “-”
and “+” paddle shift switches. Changing the shift range allows restric-
tion of the highest gear, preventing upshifting and enabling the level of
engine braking force to be selected.Upshifting
Downshifting
The selected shift range, from “1”
to “5”, or D will be displayed in the
meter.
To return to normal D position
driving, the “+” paddle shift switch
must be held down for a period of
time.
When a shift range higher than “5” is selected, the shift range will
return to the normal D position.
When the vehicle comes to a stop, the shift range will return to the
normal D position.
Selecting shift ranges in the D position
1
2

1684-2. Driving procedures
■S mode
●When the shift range is “4” or lower, holding the shift lever toward “+” sets
the shift range to “6”.
● To prevent the engine from over-re vving, upshifting may automatically
occur.
● To protect the automatic transmission, a function is adopted that automati-
cally shifts to the top range when the temperature is too hot.
■ AI-SHIFT
AI-SHIFT automatically selects the suitable gear according to driver input and
the driving situation.
AI-SHIFT automatically operates when the shift lever is in the D position.
(Shifting the shift lever to the S position or paddle shifting cancels the func-
tion.)
■ When driving with cruise control or radar cruise control activated
When downshifting to 5 or 4 by shifting the shift lever to the S position or pad-
dle shifting, cruise control or radar cruise control will not be cancele\
d.
( →P. 222, 235)
■ Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to prevent accidental operation of the shift
lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only when the engine switch is in ON
mode and the brake pedal is being depressed.

1694-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■If the shift lever canno t be shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal is being depressed.
If the shift lever cannot be shifted with your foot on the brake pedal, there may
be a problem with the shift lock system. Have the vehicle inspected by y\
our
Toyota dealer immediately.
The following steps may be used as an emergency measure to ensure that
the shift lever can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
Set the parking brake.
Turn the engine switch is off.
Depress the brake pedal.
■ If the “S” indicator does not come on or the “D” indicator is displayed
even after shifting the shift lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in the automatic transmission system. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
(In this situation, the transmission will operate in the same manner as when
the shift lever is in D.)
■ Downshift restriction warning buzzer (S mode or paddle shifting)
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting operation may
sometimes be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting may not be
possible even when the shift lever or paddle shift switches are operated. (A
buzzer will sound twice.) Pry the cover up with a flathead screw-
driver 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.
1
2
3
4
5

1704-2. Driving procedures
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Do not accelerate or shift gears suddenly.
Sudden changes in engine braking may cause the vehicle to spin or skid,
resulting in an accident.
■ To prevent an accident when releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override button, make sure to set the parking
brake and depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed instead of the brake pedal
when the shift lock override button is pressed and the shift lever is shifted
out of P, the vehicle may suddenly start, possibly leading to an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.