Toyota 2012 Avalon Owner's Manual page 146

2-1. Driving procedures
■
Shift ranges and their functions
● Automatically selecting gears between 1 and 6 according to
vehicle speed and driving condition. (However the gear is limited
according to selected shift range.)
● 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.
■
S mode
●
When the shift range is 5 or lower, holding the shift lever toward "+" sets
the shift range to 6.
●
To prevent excessive engine speed, a function was adopted that auto-
matically selects a higher shift range before engine speed becomes too
high.
●
To protect the automatic transmission, a function is adopted that auto-
matically selects a higher shift range when the fluid temperature is high.
■
Down shifting restrictions warning buzzer (in the S mode)
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 is operated. (The warning buzzer will
sound twice.)
■
When driving with the cruise control system
Engine braking will not occur in the S mode, even when downshifting to 5 or
4. (→P. 194)
■
If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
→P. 503
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I n f o r ma t i o n P r o v i d e d b y :