1997 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

137
1. Get the required tools and sparetire.
Tool bag (in the right side miscellany box)
Jack (under the right side front seat) Spare tire (on the back door)
To prepare yourself for an emergency, you should familiarize yourself with the
use of the jack, each of the tools and their storage locations.To remove the jack, move the seat to the
front-most position and turn the jack joint by hand.
To remove: Turn the joint in direction 1 un- til the jack is free.
To store: Turn the joint in direction 2 until the jack is firmly secured to prevent it fly-
ing forward during a collision or sudden braking.
ÐRequired tools and spare tire

138
To remove the spare tire:
Turn the hold-down nuts counterclock-
wise with the wheel nut wrench and re-move them.
When storing the spare tire, put it in place
and secure it to prevent it from flying for-
ward during a collision or sudden braking.2. Block the wheel diagonally oppo-
site the flat tire to keep the vehicle from rolling when it is jacked up.
When blocking the wheel, place a wheel
block from the front for the front wheels or
from the rear for the rear wheels.Steel wheels
Aluminum wheels
ÐBlocking the wheel ÐRemoving wheel ornament

139
3. Remove the wheel ornament.
Pry off the wheel ornament, using the bev-
eled end of the wheel nut wrench asshown.
Do not try to pull the ornament by
hand. Take due care in handling the
ornament to avoid unexpected
personal injury.
CAUTION
!
4. Loosen all the wheel nuts. Always l
oosen the wheel nuts before rais-
ing the vehicle.
The nuts turn counterclockwise to loosen.
To get maximum leverage, fit the wrench
to the nut so that the handle is on the right
side, as shown above. Grab the wrench
near the end of the handle and pull up on
the handle. Be careful that the wrench
does not slip off the nut.
Do not remove the nuts yetÐjust unscrew
them about one-half turn.5. Position the jack at the following
jack points
1 Front suspension arm rear mounting
2 Rear suspension arm
Make sure the jack is positioned on a l evel
and solid place.
ÐLoosening wheel nuts ÐPositioning the jack

140
6. After making sure that no one is inthe vehicle, raise it high enough so
that the spare tire can be installed.
Remember you will need more ground
clearance when putting in the spare tirethan when removing the flat tire.
To raise the vehicle, insert the jack handle
into the jack (it is a loose fit) and turn it
clockwise. As the j ack touches the vehicle
and begins to lift, double-check that it is
properly positioned.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack alone. CAUTION
!
7. Remove the wheel nuts and change
tires.
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it aside.
Roll the spare wheel into position and
align the holes in the wheel with the bolts.
Then lift up the wheel and get at least thetop bolt started through its hole. Wigglethe tire and press it back over the other bolts. ÐChanging wheels
ÐRaising your vehicle

141
Before putting on wheels, remove any
corrosion on the mounting surfaces with a
wire brush or such. Installation of wheels
without good metal-to-metal contact at
the mounting surface can cause wheel
nuts to loosen and eventually cause a
wheel to come off while driving. Therefore
after the first 1600 km (1000 miles), check
to see that the wheel nuts are tight.8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts finger
tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end in-
ward) and tighten them as much as youcan by hand. Press back on the tire back and see if you can tighten them more.9. Lower the vehicle completely and tighten the wheel nuts.
Turn the jack handle counterclockwise to lower the vehicle.
Use only the wheel nut wrench and turn it
clockwise to tighten the nuts. Do not use other tools or any additional leverage oth-
er than your hands, such as a hammer,
pipe or your foot. Make sure the wrench is
securely engaged over the nut.
Tighten each nut a little a time in the order
shown. Repeat the process until all the
nuts are tight.
ÐReinstalling wheel nuts ÐLowering your vehicle

142
When lowering the vehicle, make sure all portions of your body and
all other persons around will not be
injured as the vehicle is lowered tothe ground.CAUTION
!
10. Reinstall the wheel ornament.
Align the cutout of the wheel ornament with the valve stem as shown. Then tap it
firmly
with the side or heel of your hand to
snap it into place.
Take due care in handling the
ornament to avoid unexpected
personal injure. CAUTION
! 11. Check the air pressure of the re-
placed tire.
Adjust the air pressure to the specification
designated in Part 8. If the pressure is
lower, drive slowly to the nearest service station and fill to the correct pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire inflation valve cap as dirt and moisture could get into the valve core and possibly cause air
leakage. If the cap is missing, have a new
one put on as soon as possible.
12. Restow all the tools, jack and flat
tire securely.
As soon as possible after changing
wheels, tighten the wheel nuts to the torque specified in Part 8 with a torque wrench, have a technician repair the flat tire and replace the spare tire with it.
Before driving, make sure all the
tools, jack and flat tire are securely in place in their storage location to
reduce the possibility of personal
injury during a collision or suddenbraking. CAUTION
!
ÐReinstalling wheel ornament ÐAfter changing wheels

143
Two-wheel drive modelsFour-wheel drive modelsIf towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice. In consultation with them, have
your vehicle towed using either (a) or(b).
Only when you cannot receive a tow-
ing service from a Toyota dealer or
commercial tow truck service, tow
your vehicle carefully in accordance
with the instructions given in
ÐEmergency towingº in this part. Proper equipment will help ensure that your vehicle is not damaged while being
towed. Commercial operators are gener-
ally
aware of the state/provincial and local
laws pertaining to towing.
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is towed
incorrectly. Although most operators know the correct procedure, it is possible
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to your vehicle, make sure the following few
precautions are observed. If necessary,
show this page to the tow truck driver.
If your vehicle needs to be towedÐ

144TOWING PRECAUTIONS: Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly.
Two-wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From front
ÐRelease the parking brake.
NOTICE
When lifting wheels, take care to ensure adequate ground clearance
for towing at the opposite end of theraised vehicle. Otherwise, the bumper and/or underbody of thetowed vehicle will be damaged during towing.
From rearÐ Manual transmission:
We recommend using a towing dolly
under the front wheels. If you do not
use a towing dolly, place the ignition key in the ACCº position and put thetransmission in neutral.
NOTICE
Do not tow with the key removed or in the LOCKº position when
towing from the rear without atowing dolly. The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough tohold the front wheels straight.
Automatic transmission: Use a towing dolly under the front wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an automatic transmission from the
rear with the front wheels on theground, as this may cause serious damage to the transmission.
(b) Using a flat bed truck Four-wheel drive modelsÐ
(a) Towing with a wheel lift type truck
Using a towing dolly under the wheels not
lifted by the truck. (b) Using flat bed truck
All modelsÐ
(c) Towing with sling type truck
Do not tow with sling type truck,
either from the front or rear. This
may cause body damage.
NOTICE