1997 TOYOTA RAV4 ECU

12
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WITH KEY
Insert the key into the keyhole and turn
it.
To lock: Turn the key counterclockwise.
To unlock: Turn the key clockwise.
When closing the backdoor, make sure it is fully closed. See Luggage stowage precautionsº in
Part 2 for precautions to observe in load- ing luggage.
CAUTION!
Keep the back door closed while
driving. This not only keeps the
luggage from being thrown out but
also prevents exhaust gases from
entering the vehicle.
If the open back door hides the rear
stop and tail lights or rear turn sig-
nal lights while you are parked, oth- er road users must be warned of the
presence of your vehicle by a warn-
ing triangle or other device.
To open the hood, do the following.
1. Pull the hood lock release lever.
The hood will spring up slightly.
Before driving, be sure that the hood
is securely locked. Otherwise, the
hood may open unexpectedly while
driving and an accident may occur.
CAUTION!
Back door
Hood

13
2. In front of the vehicle, pull up on theauxiliary catch lever and lift the hood.3. Hold the hood open by insertingthe support rod into the slot.
Before closing the hood, check that you
have not forgotten any tools, rags, etc.
and return the support rod to its clip-this
prevents ra ttles. Then lower the hood until
it is about 20 cm (8 in.) above the engine
compartment and release it. If the hood is
still not fully closed, lift and release the
hood again. After closing the hood, make sure it is securely locked.
If you notice while driving that the hood is not securely locked, stop the vehicle at
once and close the hood.
Right after driving the support rod may be hot, so only touch the part coated with nylon.
After inserting the rod into the slot,
make sure the rod supports the
hood securely from falling down on
to your head or body.
When closing the hood, be careful
not to get your hands caught be-
tween the hood and the vehicle
body.
NOTICE
Do not press on the hood, or you may deform the hood.
! CAUTION

14
1. To open the fuel filler door, pull thelever up.
CAUTION!
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames when refuelling.
The fumes are flammable.
When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot weath-
er, fuel under pressure could cause
injury by spraying out of the filler
neck if the cap is suddenly re- moved.
2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turn
the cap slowly counterclockwise,
then pause slightly before remov-
ing it. After removing the cap, hang
it on the cap hanger.
It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When installing,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a click.
If the cap is not tightened securely, themalfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Make sure the cap is tightened securely.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
CAUTION!
Make sure the cap is tightened se-
curely to prevent fuel spillage in
case of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel tankcap for replacement. It has a built incheck valve to reduce fuel tank vac- uum.
Fuel tank cap

16
Never sit on top of the vehicle
around the roof opening.
CAUTION!
To avoid serious personal injury, you
must do the following. While the vehicle is moving, always
keep the head, hands and other
parts of the body of all occupants away from the roof opening. Other-
wise, you could be seriously in-
jured if the vehicle stops suddenly
or if the vehicle is involved in an ac- cident.
Never sit on top of the vehicle
around the roof opening.
Never attempt to remove the sun
roof panels while driving. Other-
wise, the panels may become a haz-
ard by falling into or flying off the vehicle.
After installing the sun roof panel,
make sure they are firmly secured
by pushing up on the underside ofeach panel.
Never put your hands between the
sun roof panel and the surrounding roof.
To tilt up the sun roof, first pull down
on the handle while pushing in one of
the lock buttons. Then push up the
sun roof until it locks.
The rear sun roof can only be removedÐit is not designed for tilting up.
After tilting up the sun roof, make sure the
handle is securely in place. When closing the sun roof, slowly pull
down the handle while supporting the roof
with your hand. Close and lock the sun
roof by pushing the handle until it clicks.
Be sure to use your palm to push the han- dle. After closing the sun roof, make sure it is securely locked.
Detachable sun roofÐ ÐSun roof precautions
ÐTilting up
and closing
(front only)

19
3. Place the removed holder over thesun roof handle.4. Secure the holder by turning thebolts clockwise.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle without checking that the roof panels are
securely attached to the back door.
1. Insert the flat hinges of the sun roof
panel into the hinge cases on the
body. Then slowly lower it while
holding the roof with your hands.
Make sure both flat hinges are inserted into the hinge cases.
ÐInstalling

23
For easy access to the rear seat, do this.
1. Lift the seatback angle adjusting leveror press the pedal behind the seat- back.
The seat will slide forward slightly.
2. Move the seat to the front-most posi- tion.
After passengers are in, lift up the seat- back and return the seat until it locks.
CAUTION!
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat forward and rear-
ward to make sure it is secured inplace.
Never allow anyone to rest their
foot on the release pedal while the
vehicle is moving.
Lean forward and pull the lock release
lever. Then lean back to the desired
angle and release the lever.
ÐMoving passenger's seat for rear seat entry (2-door models)
Rear seatsÐ ÐAdjusting seatback angle

25
3. Lock the raised bottom cushion inplace by attaching the support rod
onto the hook. Then store the head
restraint in the head restraint re-
straining holes in the bottom cush-ion.When returning the rear seat to its
original position, first remove the
head restraint. Unlock the seat and re-
turn it. Be certain to replace the headrestraint.
CAUTION!
When returning seats to their origi-
nal position: Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rearward on the top of the seat-
back or by trying to pull up the
edge of the bottom cushion.

27
3. Lock the raised bottom cushion inplace by clipping the strap to the
hook. Then store the head restraint
in the head restraint retaining holes
in the bottom cushion.When returning the rear seat to its
original position, first remove the
head restraint. Unlock the seat and re-
turn it. Be certain to replace head re-straint.
CAUTION!
When returning seats to their origi- nal position: Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and
rearward on the top of the seat-
back or by trying to pull up the
edge of the bottom cushion.