2021 TOYOTA AVALON HYBRID Owners Manual (in English)

385
6Maintenance and care
6-1. Maintenance and care
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle exterior .......... 386
Cleaning and protecting
the vehicle interior ........... 389
6-2. Maintenance
Maintenance
requirements ................... 392
General maintenance........ 394
Emission inspection and
maintenance (I/M)
programs......................... 398
6-3. Do-it-yourself
maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions ..................... 399
Hood ................................. 401
Positioning a floor jack ...... 402
Engine compartment ......... 403
12-volt battery ................... 411
Tires .................................. 415
Tire inflation pressure ....... 427
Wheels .............................. 430
Air conditioning filter.......... 432
Cleaning the hybrid
battery (traction battery)
air intake vent and
filter ................................. 434
Electronic key battery........ 439
Checking and replacing
fuses ............................... 442
Light bulbs......................... 445

3866-1. Maintenance and care
●Working from top to bottom, liberally apply water to the vehicle
body, wheel wells and underside of the vehicle to remove any dirt
and dust.
●Wash the vehicle body using a sponge or soft cloth, such as a
chamois.
●For hard-to-remove marks, use car wash soap and rinse thoroughly
with water.
●Wipe away any water.
●Wax the vehicle when the waterproof coating deteriorates.
If water does not bead on a clean surface, apply wax when the vehicle
body is cool.
■Automatic car washes
●Fold the mirrors before washing the vehicle. Start washing from the front of
the vehicle. Make sure to extend the mirrors before driving.
●Brushes used in automatic car washes may scratch the vehicle surface,
parts (wheel, etc.) and harm your vehicle's paint.
●Vehicles with a rear spoiler: In certain automatic car washes, the rear spoiler
may interfere with machine operation. This may prevent the vehicle from
being cleaned properly or result in damage to the rear spoiler.
■High pressure car washes
As water may enter the cabin, do not bring the nozzle tip near the gaps
around the doors or perimeter of the windows, or spray these areas continu-
ously.
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle
exterior
Perform the following to protect the vehicle and maintain it in
prime condition:

3876-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
■When using a car wash
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range, the door may lock and unlock repeatedly. In that case, follow the fol-
lowing correction procedures to wash the vehicle:
●Place the key in a position 6 ft. (2 m) or more separate from the vehicle
while the vehicle is being washed. (Take care to ensure that the key is not
stolen.)
●Set the electronic key to battery-saving mode to disable the smart key sys-
tem. (P. 150)
■Wheels and wheel ornaments
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●Wash detergent off with water immediately after use.
●To protect the paint from damage, make sure to observe the following pre-
cautions.
• Do not use acidic, alkaline or abrasive detergent
• Do not use hard brushes
• Do not use detergent on the wheels when they are hot, such as after driv-
ing or parking in hot weather
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Plated portions
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●Use a soft cloth dampened with an approximately 5% solution of neutral
detergent and water to clean the dirt off.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remaining moisture.
●To remove oily deposits, use alcohol wet wipes or a similar product.
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the engine compartment. Doing so may
cause the electrical components, etc. to catch fire.
■Precautions regarding the exhaust pipes
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipes to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipes until it has
cooled sufficiently, as touching a hot exhaust pipes can cause burns.
■Precaution regarding the rear bumper with Blind Spot Monitor
If the paint of the rear bumper is chipped or scratched, the system may mal-
function. If this occurs, avoid using the system and consult your Toyota
dealer.

3886-1. Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels, etc.)
●Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust,
iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
●If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
●To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
■Cleaning the exterior lights
●Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
●Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■When using a high pressure car wash
●Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following parts. The parts may be damaged if
they come into contact with high-pressure water.
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
●Do not wash the underside of the vehicle using a high-pressure car
washer.
●Keep the cleaning nozzle at least 11.9 in. (30 cm) away from the vehicle
body. Otherwise resin section, such as moldings and bumpers, may be
deformed and damaged. Also, do not continuously hold the nozzle in the
same place.
●Do not spray the lower part of the windshield continuously. If water enters
the air conditioning system intake located near the lower part of the wind-
shield, the air conditioning system may not operate correctly.
●Do not wash the underside of the vehicle using a high pressure car
washer.

3896-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner. Wipe dirty surfaces
with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water.
●If dirt cannot be removed, wipe it off with a soft cloth dampened with
neutral detergent diluted to approximately 1%.
Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly wipe off
remaining traces of detergent and water.
●Remove dirt using a soft cloth or synthetic chamois dampened in a
baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) solution.
Use a solution of approximately 9% baking soda dissolved in water.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remaining
moisture.
●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
●Wipe off any excess dirt and dust with a soft cloth dampened with
diluted detergent.
Use a diluted water solution of approximately 5% neutral wool detergent.
●Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly wipe off
all remaining traces of detergent.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth to remove any remaining
moisture. Allow the leather to dry in a shaded and ventilated area.
●Remove dirt and dust using a vacuum cleaner.
●Wipe it off with a soft cloth dampened with neutral detergent diluted
to approximately 1%.
●Wring out any excess water from the cloth and thoroughly wipe off
remaining traces of detergent and water.
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle
interior
The following procedures will help protect your vehicle’s interior
and keep it in top condition:
Protecting the vehicle interior
Cleaning the areas with satin-finish metal accents
Cleaning the leather areas
Cleaning the synthetic leather areas

3906-1. Maintenance and care
■Caring for leather areas
Toyota recommends cleaning the interior of the vehicle at least twice a year to
maintain the quality of the vehicle's interior.
■Shampooing the carpets
There are several commercial foaming-type cleaners available. Use a sponge
or brush to apply the foam. Rub in overlapping circles. Do not use water.
Wipe dirty surfaces and let them dry. Excellent results are obtained by keep-
ing the carpet as dry as possible.
■Seat belts
Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water using a cloth or sponge. Also
check the belts periodically for excessive wear, fraying or cuts.
WARNING
■Water in the vehicle
●Do not splash or spill liquid in the vehicle, such as on the floor, in the
hybrid battery (traction battery) air vent, and in the trunk.
Doing so may cause the hybrid battery, electrical components, etc. to mal-
function or catch fire.
●Do not get any of the SRS components or wiring in the vehicle interior wet.
(P. 36)
An electrical malfunction may cause the airbags to deploy or not function
properly, resulting in death or serious injury.
●Vehicles with wireless charger:
Do not let the wireless charger (P. 366) get wet. Failure to do so may
cause the charger to become hot and cause burns or could cause electric
shock resulting in death or serious injury.
■Cleaning the interior (especially instrument panel)
Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel may reflect
off the windshield, obstructing the driver’s view and leading to an accident,
resulting in death or serious injury.

3916-1. Maintenance and care
6
Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■Cleaning detergents
●Do not use the following types of detergent, as they may discolor the vehi-
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• Areas other than the seats and steering wheel: Organic substances
such as benzene or gasoline, alkaline or acidic solutions, dye, and
bleach
• Seats: Alkaline or acidic solutions, such as thinner, benzene, and alco-
hol
• Steering wheel: Organic substances, such as thinner, and cleaner that
contains alcohol
●Do not use polish wax or polish cleaner. The instrument panel’s or other
interior part’s painted surface may be damaged.
■Preventing damage to leather surfaces
Observe the following precautions to avoid damage to and deterioration of
leather surfaces:
●Remove any dust or dirt from leather surfaces immediately.
●Do not expose the vehicle to direct sunlight for extended periods of time.
Park the vehicle in the shade, especially during summer.
●Do not place items made of vinyl, plastic, or containing wax on the uphol-
stery, as they may stick to the leather surface if the vehicle interior heats
up significantly.
■Water on the floor
Do not wash the vehicle floor with water.
Vehicle systems such as the audio system may be damaged if water comes
into contact with electrical components such as the audio system above or
under the floor of the vehicle. Water may also cause the body to rust.
■When cleaning the inside of the windshield
Do not allow glass cleaner to contact the lens. Also, do not touch the lens.
(P. 236)
■Cleaning the inside of the rear window
●Do not use glass cleaner to clean the rear window, as this may cause
damage to the rear window defogger heater wires or antenna. Use a cloth
dampened with lukewarm water to gently wipe the window clean. Wipe the
window in strokes running parallel to the heater wires or antenna.
●Be careful not to scratch or damage the heater wires or antenna.

3926-2. Maintenance
General maintenance should be performed on a daily basis. This can
be done by yourself or by a Toyota dealer.
Scheduled maintenance should be performed at specified intervals
according to the maintenance schedule.
For details about maintenance items and schedules, refer to the “Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
You can perform some maintenance procedures by yourself.
Please be aware that do-it-yourself maintenance may affect warranty
coverage.
The use of Toyota Repair Manuals is recommended.
For details about warranty coverage, refer to the separate “Owner’s War-
ranty Information Booklet” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
Maintenance requirements
To ensure safe and economical driving, day-to-day care and reg-
ular maintenance are essential. It is the owner’s responsibility to
perform regular checks. Toyota recommends the following main-
tenance:
General maintenance
Scheduled maintenance
Do-it-yourself maintenance