1997 TOYOTA RAV4 ECO mode

11
CAUTION!
To avoid serious personal injury, you
must do the following. Always make sure the head, hands
and other parts of the body of all oc-
cupants are kept completely inside
the vehicle before you close the
power windows. If someone's
neck, head or hands gets caught in
a closing window, it could result in
a serious injury. When anyone
closes the power windows, be sure
that they operate the windows safe-
ly.
When small children are in the ve-
hicle, never let them use the power
window switches without supervi-
sion. Use the WINDOW LOCKº
button to prevent them from mak-
ing unexpected use of the switches.
Never leave small children alone in
the vehicle, especially with the igni-
tion key still inserted. They could
use the power window switches
and get trapped in a window. Unat-
tended children can become in-
volved in serious accidents.
To open the quarter window, pull the
latch handle toward you and swing it
fully out.
When closing the window, make sure it is completely closed.
Quarter window
(right side onlyÐ2-door models)

30
Toyota strongly urges that the driver and passengers in the vehicle be properly re- strained at all times with the seat belts
provided. Failure to do so could increase
the chance of injury and/or the severity of
injury in accidents. Child.
Use a child restraint system ap-
propriate for the child until the child be-
comes large enough to properly wear the
vehicle's seat belts. See Child restraintº
for details.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child should sit in the rear seat
and must be restrained using the vehicle's
seat belt. According to accident statistics,the child is safer when properly restrained
in the rear seat than in the front seat.
If a child must sit in the front seat, the seat
belts should be worn properly. If an acci-
dent occurs and seat belts are not worn
properly, the force of the rapid inflation of
the airbag may cause serious injury to the child. Do not allow the child to stand up or kneel
on either rear or front seats. An unre-
strained child could suffer serious injury
during emergency braking or a collision.
Also, do not let the child sit on your lap. It
does not provide sufficient restraint.
If the shoulder belt falls across the child's neck or face: 2-door models-
Have
the child sit slightly closer to the cen-
ter of the vehicle so that the belt lays
across the shoulder. 4-door models- Move the child to the center position and use the center lap belt.
Pregnant woman. Toyota recommends
the use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the injury,
first check with your doctor for specificrecommendations.
CAUTION!
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing in their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely
to suffer serious bodily injury in theevent of sudden braking or a colli-sion.
When using the seat belts, observe
the following: Use the belt for only one person at a time. Do not use a single belt for
two or more people-even children.
Avoid reclining the seatbacks too
much. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection when the seat-
backs are in the upright position.
(Refer to the seat adjustment in-structions.)
Be careful not to damage the belt
webbing or hardware. Take care
that they do not get caught or
pinched in the seat or side doors.
Seat belts- -Seat belt precautions

73
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine drive belt is broken or loose.
(d) Low Oil Pressure Warning Light
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are driv-
ing, pull off the road to a safe place and
stop the engine immediately. Call a Toyo-
ta dealer or qualified repair shop for assis-tance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on brief-
ly after a hard stop. There is no cause for concern if it then goes out when the en-
gine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to indi- cate low oil level, and the oil level must bechecked using the level dipstick.
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light onÐeven for one
block. It may ruin the engine. CAUTION
! (e) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on in the following cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See Fuel gaugeº in Chapter 1-5 for in- structions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See Fuel tank capº in Chapter
1-2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electri- cal system.
If it comes on while you are driving in case
c, have your vehicle checked/repaired by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
(f) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level in
the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than usual.
(g) ABSº Warning Light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in your anti-lock brake sys- tem. If the light comes on while you are driving,
have your vehicle checked by your T
oyota
dealer as soon as possible.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to the ONº position. After
about 3 seconds, the light will go off. When the ABSº warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the brake system operates conventionally but
anti-lock brake system is not assisting brake performance so that the wheels can
lock-up during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces.
(h) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors
and back door are completely closed.
(i) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem-
perature Warning Light (four-
wheel drive models)
This light warns that the automatic trans- mission fluid temperature is too high.

77
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of Pº position when the brake
pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ONº position and the lock re-
lease button depressed). (a) Normal Driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in How to start the engineº in Part 3. The trans- mission must be in Pº or Nº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to Dº.
In Dº position, the automatic transmis-
sion system will select the most suitable
gear for running conditions such as nor-
mal cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive switch on for
better fuel economy and quieter driving. If
the engine coolant temperature is low, thetransmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive switch on.
Never put your foot in the accelera- tor pedal while shifting. CAUTION
! 3. Release the parking brake and brake
pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(b) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift the transmission as follows: Turn off the overdrive switch. The O/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the 2º position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops down to or lower than the following speed, and more powerful engine
braking will be obtained.
Two-wheel drive models
108 km/h (67 mph)
Four-wheel drive models 215/70R16 tires
96km/h (60 mph)
235/60R16 tires
93 km/h (58 mph)
Shift into the Lº position. The trans- mission will downshift to the first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be ap- plied.
Two-wheel drive models
55 km/h (34 mph)
Four-wheel drive models 215/70R16 tires 44 km/h (27 mph)
235/60R16 tires 43 km/h (27 mph)
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin orskid. CAUTION
!
(c) Using the 2º and Lº positions
The 2º and Lº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously. With the selector lever in 2º or Lº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in Dº.

78With the selector lever in 2º, the vehicle
will
start in the first gear and automatically
shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in Lº, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to
keep engine rpm from going intothe red zone. The approximatemaximum allowable speed for
each position is given below foryour reference:Two-wheel drive models
2º 130 km/h (80 mph). . . . . .
Lº 72 km/h (44 mph) . . . . .
Four-wheel drive models
215/70R16 tires 2º 121 km/h (75 mph). . . . . .
Lº 67 km/h (41 mph) . . . . .
235/60R16 tires 2º 188 km/h (73 mph). . . . . .
Lº 65 km/h (40 mph) . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
2º or Lº position. This may
cause severe automatic transmis-sion damage from overheating.
To prevent such damage, Dºposition should be used in hillclimbing or hard towing.
(d) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
Rº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the vehicle is moving.
(e) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the Pº posi- tion.
While the vehicle is moving, never
attempt to move the selector lever
into Pº position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical dam-
age and loss of vehicle control mayresult. CAUTION
!
(f) Good driving practice If the transmission is repeatedly up-
shifted and downshifted between third
gear and overdrive when climbing a
gentle slope, the overdrive switch
should be turned off. Be sure to turn the switch on immediately afterward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do notuse overdrive.
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping. CAUTION
!

79
NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an upgrade with the accelerator pedal.
It can cause the transmission tooverheat. Always use the brake pedal or parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
To rock you vehicle if it becomes
stuck in snow, mud, sand, etc., first check that there are no objects or
people around the vehicle. During
the rocking operation the vehicle
may suddenly move forward or
backward as it becomes unstuck,
causing injury or damage to nearby
people or objects. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the following precautions to prevent
damage to the transmission andother parts.
Do not depress the acceleratorpedal while shifting the selectorlever or before the transmission is
completely shifted to forward or reverse gear.
Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck afterrocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-ing.
(h) Driving in POWERº mode In the POWERº mode, the transmission
is shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the NORMALº mode and a
more powerful acceleration is achieved.
To set the POWERº mode, push in the
driving pattern selector button. The
POWERº mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the NORMALº mode to improve
fuel economy.
(i) If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of Pº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from the Pº position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see If you cannot shift automatic transmission selector leverº in Part 4.

80
The shift pattern is as shown above.
Press the clutch pedal down fully while
shifting, and then release it slowly. Do not
rest your foot on the pedal while driving, because it will cause clutch trouble. And do not use the clutch to hold the vehicle
when stopped on an uphill grade-use the
parking brake. Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized
and upshifting or downshifting is easy.
For the best compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at the follow-
ing speeds: gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 41 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 65 (40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72 (45)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if accel-
eration is needed when you are cruising
below the above downshifting speeds.
Upshifting too soon or downshifting too late will cause lugging and, possibly, ping-
ing. Regularly revving the engine to maxi-
mum speed in each gear will cause exces-sive engine wear and high fuel consump- tion.
Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower traf- fic, maximum acceleration may be neces-
sary. Make sure you observe the following
maximum allowable speeds in each gear:
Two-wheel drive models
gear km/h (mph)
1 47 (29)
2 95 (59)
3 144 (89)
4 198 (114) Four-wheel drive models 215/60R16 tires
gear km/h (mph)
1 44 (27)
2 88 (53)
3 133 (83)
4 183 (114)
235/60R16 tires
gear km/h (mph)
1 43 (26)
2 86 (53)
3 121 (75)
4 165 (102)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.
Good driving practice If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put
the transmission in neutral, release
the clutch pedal momentarily, and then
try again.
Manual transmission

901 2 3 4 5 6 (Preset buttons)
These buttons are useed to preset and tune in radio stations.
To preset a station to a button: Tune in the
desired station (see TUNEº). Push and
hold down the button until you hear a
beep-this
will set the station to the button.
The button number will appear on the dis-
play.
To tune in to a preset station: Push the
button for the station you want. The button
number and station frequency will appear
on the display.
These systems can store one AM and one
FM station for each button. The preset
station memeory will be canceled out if
the power source is interrupted (battery
disconnected or fuse blown). AM V FM
Push AM V FMº to switch between the AM
and FM brands. AMº or FMº will appear
on the display.
If the audio system is off, you can turn on the radio by pushing AM V FMº.
BAL (Balance)
This knob lets you adjust the balance be- tween the right and left speakers. PushBAL/FADEº so
that it pops out of its
retracted position. Turn the knob to adjust
the balance. Push the knob back into its
retracted position. BASS This knob lets you adjust the bass level. Push BASS/TREBº so that it pops out of
its retracted position. Turn the knob to ad-
just the bass. Push the knob back into its
retracted position.
FADE
This knob lets you adjust the balance be- tween the front and rear speakers. Push BAL/F ADEº so that it pops out of its
retracted position. Pull out the knob. Turn
the knob to adjust the front/rear balance.Push the knob back into its retracted posi-
tion.
PWR V VOL (Power V Volume)
Push PWR V VOLº to turn the audio sys-
tem on and off. Turn the PWR V VOLº
knob to adjust the volume.SCAN When you push SCANº, the radio finds
the next station up the station band, plays
it for 5 seconds, and then scans again. To select a station, push SCANº a second time.
ST (Stereo reception) display
Your radio automatically changes to re-
ception when a stereo broadcast is re- ceived.
STº appears on the display. If the
signal becomes weak, the radio reduces
the amount of channel separation to pre- vent the weak signal from creating noise.
If the signal becomes extremely weak, the
radio switches from stereo to mono recep- tion.
TREB (Treble)
This knob lets you adjust treble level. Push BASS/TREBº so that it pops out of
its retracted position. Pull out the knob.
Turn the knob to adjust the treble. Push the knob back into its retracted position. TUNE
Tuning
Your Toyota has an electronic tuning radio (ETR). Push and release the  ~º (up) or  !º
(down) side of TUNEº to step up or down
the station band. If you hear a beep, you
held the button too long and the radio will
go into the seek mode.