1997 TOYOTA RAV4 General maintenance

Publication No. OM42453U
Part No. 01999-42453
Printed in Japan 01- 9705- 00
Quick index If a service reminder indicator or warning buzzer comes on 71 . . . . .
If your vehicle will not start 131
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If your engine stalls while driving 134 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If your vehicle overheats 135
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If you have a flat tire 136
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If your vehicle needs to be towed 143 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for driving during break- in period 108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to start the engine 119
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General maintenance 156
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Complete index 203
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Gas station information
Fuel type: UNLEADED gasoline, Octane Rating 87 (Research Octane Number
91) or higher.
For improved vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded
gasoline with an Octane Rating of 91 (Research Octane Number
96) or higher is recommended.
See page 108 for detailed information.
Fuel tank capacity: 58 L (15.3 gal., 12.8 lmp. gal.)
Engine oil: API SH, ''Energy- Conserving II'' or ILSAC multigrade engine oil
is recommended.
See page 170 for detailed information.
Tire information: See pages 173 through 178.
Tire pressure: See page 198. U
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Part 6Maintenance requirements
155
VEHICLE MAINTENANCEAND CARE
Maintenance requirements
General maintenance
Does your vehicle need repairing?
For scheduled maintenance infor-
mation, please refer to the sep-
arate Owner's Manual Sup-
plement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Your Toyota vehicle has been designed to
for fewer maintenance requirements with longer service intervals to save both your
time and money. However, each regular
maintenance, as well as day-to-day
care, is more important than ever before
to ensure smooth, and trouble-free, safe,
and economical drivings.
It is the owner's responsibility to make sure
the specified maintenance, including
general maintenance service, is per-
formed. Note that both the new vehicle
and emission control system warranties
specify that proper maintenance and care
must be performed. See Owner's Guide,
Owner 's Manual Supplement or W arranty
Booklet for complete warranty informa- tion.
General maintenance General maintenance items are those
day-to-day care practices that are impor-
tant to your vehicle for proper operation.
It is the owner's responsibility to ensure
that the general maintenance items are
performed regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done
either by yourself or a qualified technician,
or if you prefer, your Toyota dealer will be
pleased to do them at a nominal cost. Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed
in the Owner's Manual Supplementº arethose
required to be serviced at regular in-
tervals.
For details of your maintenance Sched-
ule, read the separate ºOwner's Manual
Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
It is recommended that any replace-
ment parts used for maintenance or
for the repair of the emission control
system be Toyota supplied.
The owner may elect to use non-Toyo- ta supplied parts for replacement
purposes without invalidating the
emission control system warranty.
However, use of replacement parts
which are not of equivalent quality
may impair the effectiveness of the
emission control systems.
You may also elect to have mainte-
nance, replacement, or repair of the
emission control devices and system
performed by any automotive repair
establishment or individual without
invalidating this warranty. See Own-
er's Guide, Owner's Manual Supple-
ment or Warranty Booklet for complete
warranty information.

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