1997 TOYOTA RAV4 suspension

41
Do not put objects on or in front of
the dashboard or steering wheel
pad that houses the airbag sys-
tem. They might restrict inflation
or cause serious injury as they are
projected rearward by the force of deploying airbags.
Do not modify or remove any wir-
ing. Do not modify, remove, strike
or open any components, such as
the steering wheel column cover,
front passenger airbag cover, front
passenger airbag, airbag sensor
assembly. Doing any of these may cause sudden SRS airbag inflation or disable the system, which could
result in death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions can result in death or serious inju-ries.
Do not perform any of the following changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can interfere with proper operation ofthe SRS airbag system in some cases.
Installation of electronic itemssuch as a mobile two-way radio,
cassette tape player or compactdisc player
Modification of the suspension
system
Modification of the front endstructure
Attachment of a grille guard (bullbar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snow-
plow, winches or any other equip-
ment to the front end
Repairs made on or near the frontend structure, console, steeringcolumn, steering wheel or dash-board near the front passenger
airbag
NOTICE

Part 2Off-road vehicle precautions
107
INFORMATION
BEFORE DRIVING
YOUR TOYOTA
Off-road vehicle precautions
Break-in period
Fuel
Operation in foreign countries
Three-way catalytic converter
Engine exhaust cautions
Facts about engine oil consumption
Brake system
Brake pad wear limit indicators
Luggage stowage precautions
Limited-slip differential
Your Toyota's idenitification
Theft prevention labels
Suspension and chassis
Types of tires
This vehicle is one of the class of ve-
hicles which have higher ground
clearances and narrower tread in rela-
tion to the height of their center of
gravity to make them capable of per-forming in a wide variety of off-road applications. Specific design charac-
teristics
give it a higher center of gravi-
ty than ordinary cars. An advantage of
the higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road allowing you to antici-
pate problems. It is not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as con-
ventional two-wheel drive vehicles
any more than low-slung sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily under off-road condtions.
CAUTION!
Always observe the following pre-
cautions to minimize the risk of se-
rious personal injury or damage toyour vehicle: Avoid loading any items on the
roof that will make the center of
gravity even higher.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt ma-
neuvers, if at all possible. As with
other vehicles of this type, failure
to operate this vehicle correctly
may result in loss of control or ve-
hicle rollover.
Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its high center
of gravity, your vehicle is more
sensitive to side winds than an or-
dinary passsenger car. Slowing
down will allow you to have much
better control.

108
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar off-road ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back- ward.
When driving off-road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump the vehicle, or strike
objects, etc. This may cause loss or
control or vehicle rollover. You are
also risking expensive damage to
your vehicle's suspension and chassis. Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of your vehicle:
Do not drive over 88 km/h (55 mph).
Run the engine at moderate speed be- tween 2000 and 4000 rpm.
Avoid full-throttle starts.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive slowly with the manual
transmission in a high gear.
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles) FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a new smaller fuel tank open- ing.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the
three-way catalytic converter tolose its effectiveness and the emis- sion control system to function im-properly. Also, this can increase maintenance costs.
NOTICE
OCTANE NUMBER
Select Research Octane Number 91
(Octane Rating 87) or higher.
Use of unleaded fuel with an octane num- ber rating lower than stated above will
cause persistent heavy knocking. If se-
vere, this will lead to engine damage.
Break-in period
Fuel

11 8
CAUTION!
Do not modify the suspension/
chassis with lift kits, spacers,
springs, etc. It can cause danger-
ous handling characteristics, re-
sulting in loss of control. Determine what kind of tires your ve-
hicle is originally equipped with.
1. Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability
tires best suited to highway driving under dry conditions. Since
summer tires do not have the same
traction performance as snow tires, sum-
mer tires are inadequate for driving on
snow-covered or icy roads. For driving on
snow-covered or icy roads, we recom-
mend using snow tires. If installing snow tires, be sure to replace all four tires.
2. All season tires
All season tires are designed to provide
better traction in snow and to be adequate
for driving in most winter conditions, as
well as for use all year round.
All season tires, however, do not have ad-
equate traction performance compared
with snow tires in heavy or loose snow.
Also, all season tires fall short in accelera-
tion and handling performance compared with summer tires in highway driving.CAUTION!
Do not mix summer and all sea-
son tires on your vehicle as this
can cause dangerous handling
characteristics, resulting in loss
of control.
Do not use tire other than the
manufacturer 's designated tires,
and never mix tires or wheels of
the sizes different from the origi- nals.
Suspension and chassis Types of tires

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

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?