1997 TOYOTA RAV4 wheel

129

Avoid continuous speeding up and
slowing down. Stop-and-go driving
wastes fuel.
Avoid unnecessary stopping and braking. Maintain a steady pace. Try
to time the traffic signals so you only
need to stop as little as possible or take
advantage of through streets to avoid
traffic lights. Keep a proper distance
from other vehicles to avoid suddenbraking. This will also reduce wear onyour brakes.
Avoid heavy traffic or traffic jams
whenever possible.
Do not rest your foot on the clutch
or brake pedal. This causes needless
wear, overheating and poor fuel econ-
omy.
Maintain a moderate speed on highways. The faster you drive, the
greater the fuel consumption. By re-
ducing your speed, you will cut down
on fuel consumption.
Keep the front wheels in proper alignment. Avoid hitting the curb and
slow down on rough roads. Improper
alignment not only causes faster tire
wear but also puts an extra load on the
engine, which, in turn, wastes fuel.
Keep the bottom of your vehicle
free from mud, etc. This not only
lessens weight but also helps prevent corrosion.
Keep your vehicle tuned-up and in
top shape. A dirty air cleaner, improp-
er valve clearance, dirty plugs, dirty oil
and grease, brakes not adjusted, etc.
all lower engine performance and con-
tribute to poor fuel economy. For lon-
ger life of all parts and lower operating
costs, keep all maintenance work on
schedule, and if you often drive undersevere conditions, see that your ve-
hicle receives more frequent mainte-
nance (For scheduled maintenance in-
formation, please refer to the separate
Owner 's Manual Supplement/Main-
tenance Scheduleº).
CAUTION!
Never turn off the engine to coast
down hills. Your power steering and
brake booster will not function with-
out the engine running. Also, the
emission control system operates
properly only when the engine is run-
ning.

1361. Reduce
your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place well away from the
traf fic. Avoid stopping on the center di-
vider of a highway. Park on a level spotwith firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in Pº (automatic) or reverse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thor- oughly.
When jacking, be sure to observe
the following to reduce the possibil-
ity of personal injury: Follow jacking instructions.
Do not start or run the engine
while your vehicle is supported by
the jack. CAUTION
!

Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking
brake and put the transmission in Pº (automatic) or reverse (manu-
al). Block the wheel diagonally op-
posite to the one being changed if
necessary.
Make sure to set the jack properly
in the jack point. Raising the ve-
hicle with jack improperly posi-
tioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow the vehicle to fall off thejack and cause injury to the per- son.
Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack alone.
Use the jack only for lifting your
vehicle during wheel changing.
Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.
When raising the vehicle, do not
put an object on or under the jack.
Raise the vehicle only high
enough to remove and change the tire.NOTICE
Do not continue driving with a deflated tire. Driving even a short
distance can damage a tire beyondrepair.
If you have a flat tireÐ

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