1997 TOYOTA RAV4 engine

147
If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of Pº position to other positions
even though the brake pedal is de-pressed, use the shift lock override
button as follows:
1. Turn the ignition key to LOCKºposition. Make sure the parking brake is set.
2. Pry up the cover with a flat-bladed screwdriver or equivalent.3. Insert the screwdriver or equivalent
into the hole to push down the shift
lock override button. You can shift
out of Pº position only while push-
ing the button.
4. Shift into Nº position.
5. Insert the cover.
6. Start the engine. For your safety, keep the brake pedal depressed.
Be sure to have the system checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible. Many Toyota dealers can make a new
key if you can give them the key num-
ber. See the suggestion given in Keysº in Chapter 1-2.
If your keys are locked in the vehicle and
you cannot get a duplicate, many Toyota
dealers
can still open the door for you, us-
ing their special tools. If you must break a
window to get in, we suggest breaking the
smallest side window because it is the least expensive to replace. Be extremely cautious to avoid cuts from the glass.
If you cannot shift automatic transmission selector lever
If you lose your keys

156Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are well-trained spe- cialists
and are kept up to date with the lat-
est service information through technical
bulletins, service tips, and in-dealership
training programs. They learn to work on
Toyotas before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer's service department performs the
best job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicleÐreliably and eco-
nomically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof that
all required maintenance has been per-
formed for warranty coverage. And if any
problems should arise with your vehicle
while under warranty, your Toyota dealer
will promptly take care of it. Again, be sure
to keep a copy of the repair order for any
service performed on your Toyota.
What about do-it-yourself mainte- nance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented in Part 7. If you are a skilled do-it-yourself me-
chanic, the Toyota service manuals are recommended. Please be aware that do-
it-yourself maintenance can affect your
warranty coverage. See Owner's Guide,
Owner 's
Manual Supplement or W arranty
Booklet for the details. Listed
below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any un-
usual noise, smell or vibration, you should
investigate the cause or take your vehicle
to your T oyota dealer or a qualified service
shop immediately. It is recommended
that any problem you notice be brought to
the attention of your dealer or the qualified service shop for their advice.
Make these checks only where
adequate ventilation can be ob-
tained if you run the engine. CAUTION
!
OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be per-
formed from time to time, unless
otherwise specified.
Tire pressure Check the pressure with a gauge every
two weeks, or at least once a month. See Chapter 7-2 for additional information.
General maintenance

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.

158Automatic transmission Parkº
mech-
anism
Check the lock release button of the se-
lector lever for proper and smooth opera-
tion. On a safe incline, check that your ve-
hicle is held securely with the selector lever in ºPº position and all brakes re- leased.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT Items listed below should be checked
from time to time , e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See Chapter 7-3 for additional infor-
mation.
Engine coolant level Make sure the coolant level is between
the ºFULLº and ºLOWº lines on the see-
through reservoir when the engine is cold.
See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa-tion.
Battery electrolyte level Make sure the electrolyte level of all bat-
tery cells is between upper and lower level
lines on the case. Add only distilled water
when replenishing. See Chapter 7-3 for
additional information. Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct. See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa-tion.
Engine oil level
Check the l
evel on the dipstick with the en-
gine turned off and the vehicle parked on
a level spot. See Chapter 7-2 for addition-
al information. Power steering fluid level Check the level through the reservoir. The
level should be in the HOTº or COLDº
range depending on the fluid t emperature.
See Chapter 7-2 for additional informa- tion.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, have the cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See engine exhaust cautions in
Part 2.) Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip-offs
that in-
dicate service is needed. Some important
clues are as follows: Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monox-
ide leak. Drive with the windows open
and have the exhaust system checked
immediately.)
Flat-looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when drivingstraight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspensionmovement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
Engine coolant temperature continual-
ly higher than normal
Does your vehicle need repairing?

Part 7161
DO-IT-YOURSELF MAINTENANCEÐ
Chapter 7-1 Introduction
Engine compartment overview
Fuse locations
Do-it-yourself service precautions
Parts and tools

1621. Windshield washer, rear window
washer fluid tank
2. Battery
3. Fuse blocks
4. Engine oil filler cap
5. Brake fluid reservoir
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Electric cooling fans
8. Engine oil level dipstick
9. Power steering fluid reservoir
10. Windshield washer fluid level dipstick
Engine compartment overview

164
If you perform maintenance by your-
self, be sure to follow the correct pro- cedure given in this part.
You should be aware that improper or in- complete servicing may result in operat-
ing problems.
Performing do-it-yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect
your warranty coverage. Read the sepa-
rate Toyota Warranty statement for details
and suggestions.
This part gives instructions only for those
items that are relatively easy for an owner
to perform. As explained in Part 6, there
are still a number of items that must be
done by a qualified technician with special
tools.
For information on tools and parts for do-
it-yourself maintenance, see Parts andtoolsº.
Utmost care should be taken when work-
ing on your vehicle to prevent accidental
injury. Here are a few precautions that
you should be especially careful to ob- serve:
When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)
Right after driving, the engine
compartmentÐthe engine, radia-
tor, exhaust manifold, power
steering fluid reservoir and spark
plug boots, etc.Ðwill be hot. So
be careful not to touch them. Oil,
fluids and spark plugs may also be
hot.
If the engine is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the
drain plugs to prevent burning yourself.
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flamable.
Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it.
Always use automotive jack
stands or other solid supports. CAUTION
!
Do-it-yourself service precautions

165
Be sure that the ignition is off if
you work near the electric cooling
fans or radiator grille. With the
ignition on, the electric cooling
fans will automatically start to run
if the engine coolant temperature
is high and/or the air conditioning
is on.
Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under you vehicle
where you may be exposed to fly-
ing or falling material, fluid spray,etc.
Used engine oil contains poten-
tially harmful contaminants which
may cause skin disorders such as
inflammation or skin cancer, so
care should be taken to avoid pro-
longed and repeated contact with
it. To remove used engine oil from
your skin, wash thoroughly with
soap and water.
Do not leave used oil within the reach of children.Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers
or onto the ground. Call your deal- er or a service station for informa-
tion concerning recycling or dis- posal.

Remember that battery and igni- tion cable carry high currents or
voltages. Be careful of accidental-
ly causing a short circuit.
Add only demineralized or dis- tilled water to fill the radiator. And
if you spill some of the coolant, be sure to wash it off with water to
prevent it from damaging theparts or paint.
Do not allow dirt or anything elseto fall through the spark plug
holes.
Do not pry the outer electrode of aspark plug against the center elec-
trode.
Use only spark plugs of the speci- fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-
formance or radio noise.
NOTICE
Do not overfill automatic trans-
mission fluid and transfer oil or
the transmission and transfercould be damaged.
Do not drive with the air cleaner fil-
ter removed, or excessive enginewear could result. Also backfiringcould cause a fire in the engine
compartment.
Be careful not to scratch the glasssurface with the wiper frame.
When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-
gotten any tools, rags, etc.