1998 TOYOTA RAV4 wheel

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(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) ºABSº 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 driv-
ing, have your vehicle checked by your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to the ºONº position. After
a few seconds, the light will go off.
When the ºABSº 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,
back door (hardtop) and tail gate (soft-
top) 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.
If this light comes on while you are driv-
ing, slow down and pull off the road. Stop
the vehicle at a safe place and put the
selector lever in ºPº. With the engine id-
ling, wait until the light goes off. If the
light goes off, you can start the vehicle
again. If the light does not go off, call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
NOTICE
Continued driving with the warning light on may damage the automatictransmission.
(j) SRS Airbag Warning Light
This light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ºACCº or
ºONº position. After about 6 seconds,
the light will go off. This means the
system of the airbag and front seat belt
pretensioners are operating properly.
The warning light system monitors the air-
bag sensor assembly, seat belt pretension-
er assembly, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting wiring, power sources.
If either of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
ignition key is turned to the ºACCº or
ºONº position or remains on.
The light comes on or flashes while
driving.
(k) Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level Warning Light (Canada)
The light warns that the windshield washer
fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at
your earliest opportunity. (For instructions,
see ºAdding washer fluidº in Chapter 7- 3.)

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92
Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS±
Chapter 1- 6
Ignition switch,
Transmission
and Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering lock
Automatic transmission
Manual transmission
Center differential lock system
P ar k ing br ak e
Cruise control
ºSTARTºÐStarter motor on. The key
will return to the ºONº position when
released.
For starting tips, see Part 3.
ºONºÐEngine on and all accessories on.
This is the normal driving position.
ºACCºÐAccessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ºACCº or
ºLOCKº position and open the driver's
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
ºLOCKºÐEngine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.
You must push in the key to turn the key
from ºACCº to the ºLOCKº position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in the ºPº posi-
tion before pushing the key.
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the ºLOCKº position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rock the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key gently.
CAUTIONFor manual transmission:
Never remove the key when the ve-
hicle is moving, as this will lock the
steering wheel and result in loss of
steering control.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the ºONºposition if the engine is not running.The battery will discharge and the ignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch with steering
lock

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94
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ºPº position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ºONº position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ºHow to start the engineº in Part 3. The
transmission must be in ºPº or ºNº.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to ºDº.
In ºDº position, the automatic transmission
system will select the most suitable gear
for running conditions such as normal
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, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive switch on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
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 ºO/D
OFFº indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the º2º 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 brak-
ing will be obtained.
Two- wheel drive models 110 km/h (68 mph)
Four- wheel drive models 215/70R16 tires 100 km/h (62 mph)
235/60R16 tires 97 km/h (60 mph)
Shift into the ºLº 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 50 km/h (31 mph)
Four- wheel drive models 215/70R16 tires 44 km/h (27 mph)
235/60R16 tires 42 km/h (26 mph)
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(c) Using the º2º and ºLº positions
The º2º and ºLº positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in º2º or ºLº, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in ºDº.

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With the selector lever in º2º, the vehicle
will start in the first gear and automatical-
ly shift to the second gear.
With the selector lever in ºLº, the trans-
mission is engaged in the first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keepengine rpm from going into the red zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position isgiven below for your reference:
Two- wheel drive models
º2º................130 km/h (80 mph)ºLº................72 km/h (44 mph)
Four- wheel drive models 215/70R16 tires º2º................121 km/h (75 mph)ºLº................67 km/h (41 mph)
235/60R16 tires
º2º................118 km/h (73 mph)ºLº................65 km/h (40 mph)
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in theº2º or ºLº position. This may causesevere automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To preventsuch damage, ºDº position shouldbe used in hill climbing 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
ºRº position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle 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 ºPº posi-
tion.
CAUTION
While the vehicle is moving, never at-
tempt to move the selector lever into
ºPº position under any circum-
stances. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(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 not
use overdrive.
CAUTION
Always keep your foot on the brake
pedal while stopped with the engine
running. This prevents the vehicle
from creeping.

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NOTICE
Do not hold the vehicle on an up- grade with the accelerator pedal. Itcan cause the transmission to over-heat. Always use the brake pedal or
parking brake.
(g) Rocking your vehicle if stuck
CAUTION
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock the vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the ve-
hicle. During the rocking operation
the vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes un-
stuck, causing injury or damage to
nearby people or objects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe thefollowing precautions to prevent dam-age to the transmission and other parts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-al while shifting the selector leveror before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reversegear.
Do not race the engine and avoidspinning the wheels.
If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
(h) Driving in ºPOWERº mode
In the ºPOWERº mode, the transmission
is shifted up and down at a higher vehicle
speed than in the ºNORMALº mode and a
more powerful acceleration is achieved. To
set the ºPOWERº mode, push in the driv-
ing pattern selector button. The ºPOWERº
mode indicator light comes on.
For ordinary driving, Toyota recommends
using the ºNORMALº mode to improve fuel
economy.
(i) If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of ºPº position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the ºPº position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see ºIf
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector leverº in Part 4.

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Manual transmission
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 following
speeds:
gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64 (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 ex-
cessive engine wear and high fuel
consumption.
Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower
traffic, maximum acceleration may be nec-
essary. Make sure you observe the follow-
ing 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 goingfaster than the maximum allowablespeed 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.

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98
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use the fifth gear.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into reverse.The center differential lock system is pro-
vided for use only when the vehicle does
not have enough traction to move itself
out of the following situations.
All front wheels or rear wheels are off
the ground or on a slippery surface.
One of the four wheels is off the
ground or on a slippery surface.
Operating precautions
If the front wheels and rear wheels are
worn unevenly, the center differential
may not lock or unlock smoothly.
Before locking the center differential,
make sure the wheels have stopped
spinning.
Unlock the center differential immedi-
ately after you finish using the center
differential lock system. An indicator
buzzer will sound while the center dif-
ferential is being unlocked.
After you have pushed the center dif-
ferential lock switch to lock and moved
the vehicle a short distance, the indica-
tor light in the instrument panel stays
on. If the light either fails to come on
or goes out, ask your Toyota dealer to
check the electrical system and the
locking mechanism.CAUTION
The center differential must be un-
locked in normal driving. Locking the
center differential will result in diffi-
cult cornering control.
NOTICE
Do not drive on a dry paved surface
with the center differential locked.This may damage the locking mecha- nism and the drive system.
Center differential lock system
(four- wheel drive models with
manual transmission)

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To lock the center differential:1. Press the brake pedal and stop the wheel spinning.
2. Put the front wheels in as straight- ahead a position as possible.
3. Push the center differential lock switch and check that the indicator light in the
instrument panel comes on.To unlock the center differential:
1. Put the front wheels in as straight- ahead a position as possible.
2. Push the center differential lock switch once again and check that the indicator
light in the instrument panel goes out
and that the indicator buzzer stops
sounding.
The indicator buzzer will sound while the
center differential is being unlocked. It
stops sounding when unlocking is com-
pleted.
Sometimes complete unlocking of the cen-
ter differential may take longer. If unlocking of the center differential is not
completed, check the area around you for
safety, then accelerate or decelerate, or
move the vehicle backward.
NOTICE
While the indicator buzzer is sound-
ing, do not make turns, and do notput the vehicle into a garage. This may damage the locking mechanism
and the drive system.