1997 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

120
Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in (a) Before crank- ingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system in
your engine automatically controls the
proper air-fuel mixture for starting. You can start a cold or hot engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped-
al, crank the engine by turning the key
to STARTº. Release it when the en-
gine starts.
2. After the engine runs for about 10 sec-
onds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the en-
gine warm up for a few minutes before driving.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce- dure given in normal starting. If the engine will not startÐ
See If your vehicle will not startº in Part 4.
NOTICE
Avoid driving with the tailgate open.
Do not crank for more than 30 sec-
onds at a time. This may overheatthe starter and wiring systems.
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have theengine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty cross- winds. This will allow you much better control
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving onto high, sharp-edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to server tire damage result- ing in tire bursts.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so that
the vehicle will not roll. Apply the park-
ing brake, and place the transmission in Pº (automatic) or in first or reverse
(manual). If necessary, block thewheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving
through deep water may get the
brakes wet. To see whether they are
wet, check that there is no traffic near
you, and then press the pedal lightly. If
you do not feel a normal braking force,
the brakes are probably wet. To dry
them, drive the vehicle cautiously
while lightly pressing the brake pedal
with the parking brake pulled. If they
still do not work safely, pull to the side
of the road and call a T oyota dealer for
assistance.
(b) Starting the engine
Tips for driving in various conditions

121
CAUTION!
Before driving off, make sure that the parking brake if fully released
and the parking brake reminder
light is off.
Do not leave your vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is running.
Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. It can cause
dangerous overheating, needless
wear, and poor fuel economy.
To drive down a long or steep hill,reduce your speed and downshift.
Remember, if you ride the brakes
excessively, they may overheat and
not work properly.
Be careful when accelerating, up-
shifting, down shifting or braking
on a slippery surface. Sudden ac-
celeration or engine braking, could cause the vehicle to spin or skid.Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has high-speed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are high-speed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a lon-ger stopping distance, and it may
pull to one side when the brakes are
applied. Also, the parking brake
will not hold the vehicle securely.CAUTION!
Always observe the following pre-
cautions to minimize the risk of seri-
ous personal injury or damage to
your vehicle: Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous places.
Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off-road. A
bad bump could jerk the wheel and
injure your hands. Keep both
hands and especially your thumbs
on the outside of the rim.
Always cehck your brakes for ef-fectiveness immediately after driv-
ing in sand, mud, water or snow.
After driving through tall grass,
mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check
that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or
trapped on the underbody. Clear
off any such matter from the un-
derbody. If the vehicle is used with these materials trapped or adher-
ing to the underbody, a breakdown
or fire could occur.
Off-road driving precautions

122
The driver and all passengers
should fasten their seat belts when-
ever the vehicle is moving.
NOTICE
If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the river bed forfirmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
Take all necessary safety measuresto ensure that water damage to the
engine or other components does
not occur.Water entering the engine air in-
take will cause severe engine dam-age.Water can wash the grease from
wheel bearings, causing rusting and premature failure, and mayalso enter the differentials, trans-
mission and transfer case, reduc-ing the gear oil's lubricating quali-ties.
Sand and mud that has accumu-lated in brake drums and around
brake discs may affect braking ef-
ficiency and may damage brakesystem components.
Always perform a maintenance in-
spection after each day of off- road driving that has taken you
through rough terrain, sand, mud,
or water. For scheduled mainte-nance information, refer to the
separate Owner's Manual Sup- plement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Make sure you have ethylene-glycol
antifreeze in the radiator.
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze.
NOTICE
Check the condition of the battery and cables. Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any battery, so it must be in top shape to provide enough power for winter starting. Chapter 7-3 tells you how to visually in-
spect the battery. Your Toyota dealer and
most service stations will be pleased to check the level of charge.
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See Chapter 7-2 for recommended vis-
cosity. Leaving a heavy summer oil in your
vehicle during winter months may cause
harder starting. If you are not sure about
which oil to use, call your Toyota dealer- he will be pleased to help. Keep the door locks from freezing. Squirt lock de-icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing. To open
a frozen lock, try heating the key before in-serting it.
Winter driving tips

123
Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer's directions for how
much to mix with water.
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may
damage your vehicle's paint.
NOTICE
Do not use your parking brake when there is a possibility it could freeze. When parking, put the transmission into
Pº (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or wa-
ter accumulated in and around the parking brake mechanism may freeze, making it
hard to release. Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally. Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer- gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the ve-
hicle are tire chains, window scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel, jump- er cables, etc.
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a passenger-and-load-carrying vehicle.
Towing a trailer will have an adverse ef-fect on handling, performance, braking, durability and driving economy (fuel con-
sumption, etc.). Your safety and satis-faction depend on the proper use of cor- rect equipment and cautious driving habits. For your safety and the safety ofothers, you must not overload your ve-
hicle or trailer. Ask your local Toyota dealer for further details before towing. WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, grossaxle weight and trailer tongue load are
all within the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station,
building supply company, trucking com-
pany, junk yard, etc.
Trailer towing

124
CAUTION!
The total trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo load) must
not exceed 680 kg (1500 lb.).
The gross combination weight
(sum of your vehicle weight plus its
load and the total trailer weight)
must not exceed the following.
2-door models
Two-wheel drive models
2255 kg (4971 lb.)
Four-wheel drive models 2270 kg (5004 lb.)
4-door models
Two-wheel drive models2430 kg (5357 lb.)
Four-wheel drive models 2445 kg (5390 lb.)
The gross vehicle weight must not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) indicated on the
Certification Label. The gross ve-
hicle weight is the sum of weights
of the unloaded vehicle, driver,
passengers, luggage, hitch and
trailer tongue load. It also includes
the weight of any special equip-
ment installed on your vehicle.
2-door models
4-door models
The load on either the front or rear axle resulting from distribution of
the gross vehicle weight on both axles must not exceed the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) listed
on the Certification Label.

125
The trailer cargo load should be
distributed so that the tongue load
is 9 to 11% of the total trailer weight,
not exceeding 68 kg (150 lb.).
Never load the trailer with more
weight in the back than in the front.
About 60% of the trailer load
should be in thefront half of the
trailer and the remaining 40% in the
rear. HITCHES
Use only a weight carring hitch de-
signed for the total trailer weight. T oyota
does not recommend using a weight
distribution (load equalizing) hitch.
The hitch must be bolted securely to the vehicle frame and installed according to
the hitch manufacturer's instructions.
The hitch ball should have a light coat of grease.
Toyota recommends that the trailer
hitch be removed when not towing toprevent injury and/or damage by the
hitch in event of a rear end collision. Af-
ter removing the hitch, the installation
area should be sealed to prevent entry of exhaust fumes and mud.
NOTICE
Do not use an axle-mounting hitch as it may cause damage to the axle
housing, wheel bearings, wheels and/or tires.
BRAKES AND SAFETY CHAINS Toyota recommends trailers with brakes that conform to any applicable
federal and state/provincial regulations.
A safety chain must always be used
between the towing vehicle and the
trailer. Leave sufficient slack in the
chain for turns. The chain should
cross under the trailer tongue toprevent the tongue from dropping to
the ground in case it becomes dam-
aged or separated. For correct safety
chain procedures, follow the hitch or
trailer manufacturer's recommenda-tions.
CAUTION!
If the total trailer weight exceeds
272 kg (600 lb.), trailer brakes are required.
Never tap into your vehicle's hy-
draulic system as it would lower its
braking effectiveness.
Never tow a trailer without using a
safety chain securely attached to
both the trailer and the vehicle. If
damage occurs to the coupling unit
or hitch ball, there is danger of the
trailer wandering over into anotherlane.

126
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See Chapter 7-2 forinstructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the
trailer manufacturer in respect to the
total trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS Trailer lights must comply with federal,
state/provincial and local regulations. See your local recreational vehicle
dealer or rental agency for the correcttype of wiring and relays for your trail-
er. Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each time
you hitch up. Direct splicing may dam-
age your vehicle's electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.
BREAK-IN SCHEDULE Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a ve-
hicle with any new power train compo-
nent (engine, transmission, differen-tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving. MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will re-
quire more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the Own-
er 's Manual Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
PRE-T OWING SAFETY CHECK Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspen-
sion or other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulation. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose. TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-ing. The three main causes of vehicle
trailer accidents are driver error, ex-
cessive speed and improper trailer
loading.
Keep these in mind when tow-
ing: Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle-trailer con-
nections. After driving a short dis-
tance, stop and recheck the lights and
connections. Before actually towing a
trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing with a trailer in an area away
from traffic until you learn the feel.
Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle-to-vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) ofspeed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in jackknifing and loss of control This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.

127

Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera- tion. If your vehicle has manual trans-
mission, prevent excessive clutch slip-
page by keeping engine rpm low and
not racing the engine. Always start out
in first gear.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden braking.
Backing w ith a trailer is difficult and re-
quires practice. Grip the bottom of thesteering wheel and move your hand to
the left to move the trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to move
the trailer to the right. (This procedure is generally opposite to that when
backing without a trailer). Also, just
turn the steering wheel a little at a time,
avoiding sharp or prolonged turning. Have someone guide you when back-
ing to reduce the risk of an accident.
Remember that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this
by making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay atten-
tion to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by largetrucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed.
Steer straight ahead. If you make no
extreme correction with the steering or
brakes, the vehicle and trailer will sta- bilize.
Be careful when passing other ve- hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking ef-
ficiency, do not use fifth gear (manual
transmission or overdrive (automatic transmission).
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over30 5C [85 5F]) when going up a long or steep
grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant termperatue gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the
air conditioning (if in use), pull off the
road and stop in a safe spot. Refer to
If your vehicle overheatsº in Part 4 ofthis manual.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels whenparking. Apply the parking brake firm-
ly. Put the transmission in Pº (auto-
matic) or in first or reverse (manual).
Avoid parking on a slope with a trailer, but if it cannot be avoided, do so onlyafter performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake frimly.
5. Shift into first or reverse (manual) or Pº (automatic) and turn off the engine.