1997 TOYOTA RAV4 lights

157
Tire surface and wheel nuts Check the tires carefully
for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Chapter 7-2 for
additional information. When checking the tires, make sure no nuts are missing,
and check the nuts for looseness. T ighten
them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500
miles). See Chapter 7-2 for additional in-formation.
Fluid leaks Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has been
parked for a while. If you smell fuel fumes
or notice any leak, have the cause found
and corrected immediately. Doors and engine hood Check that all doors and back door oper-
ate smoothly and all latches lock securely. Make sure the engine hood secondary latch secures the hood from opening
when the primary latch is released. INSIDE THE VEHICLE Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing peri-
odic services, cleaning the vehicle,etc. Lights Make sure the headlights, stop lights, tail lights, turn signal lights, and other lights are all working. Check headlight aim. Service reminder indicators and
warn-
ing buzzers Check that all service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers function properly. Steering wheel
Check that it has the specified freeplay.
Be alert for changes in steering condition,such as hard steering or strange noise. Seats Check that all seat controls such as seat
adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. operate
smoothly and that all latches lock securely
in any position. For folding-up rear
seat-backs, check that the latches lock
securely. Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as
buckles, retractors and anchors operate
properly
and smoothly. Make sure the belt
webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or dam-aged. Accelerator pedal Check the pedal for smooth operation and
uneven pedal effort or catching. Clutch pedal Check the pedal for smooth operation. Brake pedal Check the pedal for smooth operation and
that the pedal has the proper clearance. Check the brake booster function. Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do not pull to one side when applied. Parking brake Check that the lever has the proper travel and that, on a safe incline, your vehicle is
held securely with only the parking brake applied.

183
NOTICE
Never recharge the battery while the
engine is running. Also, be sure all
accessories are turned off.
If the headlights or other electrical
components do not work, check the
fuses. If any of the fuses are blown,
they must be replaced.
See Fuse locationsº in Chapter 7-1 for
locations of the fuses.
Turn the ignition switch and inopera-
tive component off. Pull a suspected
fuse straight out and check it.
Determine wh ich fuse may be causing the
problem. The lid of the fuse box shows the name of the circuit for each fuse. See Part8 of this manual for the functions con-
trolled by each circuit.
Checking and replacing fuses

185
To prevent burning yourself, do not check the washer fluid level when
the engine is hot.CAUTION
!
NOTICE
After checking the washer fluid
level, make sure the dipstick is se-
curely reinserted. If it is loose, fluid may leak from the reservoir.
Do not check the washer fluid lev-el or add washer fluid when the en-gine is running or when it is hot.If the fluid is spilled over the hot
engine, a fire could result.
If you have added washer fluid un-til it is close to the top of the open-
ing for adding fluid, do not pullout the dipstick. Otherwise, thefluid will overflow.
Do not use engine antifreeze or
any other substitute because itmay damage your vehicle's paint.
The headlights have the beam angle
gauges to check:
1. Vertical movement
2. Horizontal movement
To obtain correct gauge readings, do
these before you check the headlightaims. Make sure the body around the head- light is not deformed.
Park the vehicle on a level spot.
Fill up the fuel tank.
Bounce the vehicle several times.
A passenger should sit on the driver's
seat while checking the headlight aims.Vertical movement gauges: The bubble
on the gauge should be within six marks
from center on both sides.
Checking headlight aims

186
Horizontal movement gauges: The red
mark on the gauge should be within two
marks from the center on both sides.
If a gauge reading is not within the accept-
able range, have the aiming adjusted by
your Toyota dealer.The following illustrations show how to
gain access to the bulbs. When replacing
a bulb, make sure the ignition switch and
light switch are off. Use bulbs with the wattage ratings given in the table.
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and require special
handling. They can burst or shatter
if scratched or dropped. Hold a bulb
only by its plastic or metal case. Do
not touch the glass part of a bulb
with bare hands.
CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Only use a bulb of the listed type.
Light bulbsBulb
No.WType
HeadlightHB260/55A
Parking and front turn signal lights115727/8B
Front side marker lights1943.8C
Rear side marker lights1943.8C
Rear turn signal lights115627B
Stop and tail lights115727/8B
Back-up lights115627B
Licenses plate lightÐ5C
High mounted stop light92118C
Interior lightÐ10D
Personal lightÐ8B
A: HB1 halogen bulbs B: Single end bulbs
C: Wedge base bulbsD: Double end bulbs
Replacing light bulbsÐ

187
1. Open the hood. Unplug the con-nector. Turn the plastic cover coun-
terclockwise and remove it.
If the connector is tight, wiggle it.2. Remove the rubber cover.3. Release the bulb retaining spring and remove the bulb. Install a new
bulb and the bulb retaining spring.
To install a bulb, align the tabs of the bulb with the cutout of the mounting hole.
ÐHeadlights

188
4. Install the rubber cover andsnuggle on the boss.
Make sure the rubber cover fits snugly on
the connector and the headlight body.5. Install the plastic cover with the TOPº mark upward and turn it
clockwise. Insert the connector.
Aiming is not necessary after replacing
the bulb. When aiming adjustment is nec-
essary, contact your Toyota dealer.Use a Philips-head screwdriver.
ÐParking and front turn signal lights

189
ÐFront side marker lights lights

190
Use a Philips-head screwdriver.Use a Philips-head screwdriver.
ÐRear side marker lightsÐRear turn signal, stop and tail,
and back-up lights