1998 TOYOTA RAV4 electric

'98 Rav4U
2
Instrument panel overview
1. Side vents
2. Instrument cluster
3. Center vents
4. Electric moon roof switch and personallights
5. Glovebox
6. Power door lock switches
7. Power window switches
8. Parking brake lever
9. Automatic transmission selector lever or manual transmission gear shift lever
10. Ashtray 11. Hood lock release lever

'98 Rav4.U7
Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1- 2
Keys and Doors
Keys
Side doors
Power windows
Quarter window

Back door and tail gate

Hood
Fuel tank cap
Electric moon roof
Detachable sun roof
Soft- top
Keys
Your vehicle is supplied with two kinds
of key. 1. Master keyÐThis key works in every lock.
2. SubkeyÐThis key will not work in the glovebox.
To protect things locked in the glovebox
when you have your vehicle parked, leave
the subkey with the attendant.
Since the side doors, back door (hardtop)
and tail gate (soft- top) can be locked
without a key, you should always carry a
spare master key in case you accidentally
lock your keys inside the vehicle. KEY NUMBER PLATE
Your key number is shown on the plate.
Keep the plate in a safe place such as
your wallet, not in the vehicle.
If you should lose your keys or if you
need additional keys, duplicates can be
made by a Toyota dealer using the key
number.
You should also put a copy of the key
number with your important papers.

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CAUTION
Make sure the cap is tightened se-
curely to prevent fuel sp illage in
case of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel tank
cap for replacement. It has a built-
in check valve to reduce fuel tank
vacuum.
Electric moon roof
Sliding operation
Tilting operation To operate the moon roof, use the
switches beside the personal light.
The key must be in the ºONº position.
Sun shade operationÐ
The sun shade can be opened or closed
by hand.
Sliding operationÐ
To open: Push the switch on the ºSLIDEº
side.
The sun shade will be opened together
with the roof.
To close: Push the switch on the opposite
side of the ºSLIDEº side.
As a precaution when closing, the roof
stops at the three- quarters closed position
before fully closing. Therefore, release the
switch and then push it again to close it
completely.
Tilting operationÐ
To tilt up: Push the switch on the ºUPº
side.
To lower: Push the switch on the opposite
side of the ºUPº side.
You may stop the moon roof at any de-
sired position. The roof will move while
the switch is being pushed and stop when
released.

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CAUTION
It is dangerous to continue driving
normally when the brake fluid level is
low.
If the brake fluid level is correct...
Have the warning system checked by your
Toyota dealer.
(b) Seat Belt Reminder Light and Buzz- er
The light and buzzer remind you to buckle
up the driver 's seat belt.
Once the ignition key is turned to ºONº or
ºSTARTº, the reminder light flashes and
buzzer sounds if the driver 's seat belt is
not pulled out. Unless the driver starts to
pull the shoulder belt out of the retractor,
the light keeps flashing and the buzzer
stops after about 4 to 8 seconds.
(c) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being
discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging
system. The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, radio,etc., and drive directly to the
nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.
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
driving, pull off the road to a safe place
and stop the engine immediately. Call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on
briefly after a hard stop. There is no
cause for concern if it then goes out when
the engine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to
indicate low oil level, and the oil level
must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with thewarning light onÐeven for one block.It may ruin the engine.
(e) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on in the following
cases.
a. The fuel tank is completely empty. (See
ºFuel gaugeº in Chapter 1- 5 for instruc-
tions.)
b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See ºFuel tank capº in Chapter
1- 2 for instructions.)
c. There is a problem somewhere in your
engine or automatic transmission electrical
system.
If it comes on while you are driving in
case c, have your vehicle checked/re-
paired by your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.

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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)

'98 Rav4.U11 7
Here are some common reception prob-
lems that probably do not indicate a prob-
lem with your radio: FM
Fading and drifting stationsÐGenerally, the
effective range of FM is about 40 km (25
miles). Once outside this range, you may
notice fading and drifting, which increase
with the distance from the radio transmit-
ter. They are often accompanied by distor-
tion.
Multi- pathÐFM signals are reflective,
making it possible for two signals to reach
your antenna at the same time. If this
happens, the signals will cancel each oth-
er out, causing a momentary flutter or
loss of reception.
Static and flutteringÐThese occur when
signals are blocked by buildings, trees, or
other large objects. Increasing the bass
level may reduce static and fluttering.
Station swappingÐIf the FM signal you
are listening to is interrupted or weak-
ened, and there is another strong station
nearby on the FM band, your radio may
tune in the second station until the origi-
nal signal can be picked up again.
AM
FadingÐAM broadcasts are reflected by
the upper atmosphere±especially at night.
These reflected signals can interfere with
those received directly from the radio sta-
tion, causing the radio station to sound
alternately strong and weak.
Station interferenceÐWhen a reflected sig-
nal and a signal received directly from a
radio station are very nearly the same
frequency, they can interfere with each
other, making it difficult to hear the broad-
cast.
StaticÐAM is easily affected by external
sources of electrical noise, such as high
tension power lines, lightening, or electri-
cal motors. This results in static.
CARING FOR YOUR CASSETTE PLAYER
AND TAPES
For high performance from your cassette
player and tapes:
Clean the tape head and other parts regu-
larly.
A dirty tape head or tape path can
decrease sound quality and tangle your
cassette tapes. The easiest way to
clean them is by using a cleaning tape.
(A wet type is recommended.) Use high- quality cassettes.
Low- quality cassette tapes can cause
many problems, including poor sound,
inconsistent playing speed, and
constant auto- reversing. They can also
get stuck or tangled in the cassette
player.
Do not use a cassette if it has been
damaged or tangled or if its label is
peeling off.
Do not leave a cassette in the player
if you are not listening to it, especially
if it is hot outside.
Store cassettes in their cases and out
of direct sunlight.
Avoid using cassettes with a total play-
ing time longer than 100 minutes (50
minutes per side). The tape used in
these cassettes is thin and could get
stuck or tangled in the cassette player.

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Part 1
OPERATION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLSÐ
Chapter 1- 8
Other equipment
Clock
Cigarette lighter and ashtray
Power outlet
Glovebox
Auxiliary box
Floor mat
Clock
The digital clock indicates the time.
The key must be in the ºACCº or ºONº
position.
To reset the hour: Push the ºHº button.
To reset the minutes: Push the ºMº button.
If quick adjustment to a full hour is de-
sired, push the º:00º button.
For example, if the º:00º button is de-
pressed when the time is between
1:01Ð1:29, the time will change to 1:00.
If the time is between 1:30Ð1:59, the
time will change to 2:00.
If the electrical power source has been
disconnected from the clock, the time dis-
play will automatically be set to 1:00 (one
o'clock).
When the instrument panel lights are
turned on, the brightness of the time in-
dication will be reduced.

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NOTICE
To prevent the fuse from being blown, do not use the electricityover the total vehicle capacity of 12V/120W.
To prevent the battery from beingdischarged, do not use the power outlet longer than necessary when
the engine is not running.
Close the power outlet lid when thepower outlet is not in use. Insertinga foreign object other than the ap- propriate plug that fits the outlet,
or allowing any liquid into the out-let may cause electrical failure or
short circuits.
Glovebox
To use the glovebox, do this.
To open: Pull the lever.
To lock: Insert the master key and turn it
clockwise.
CAUTION
To reduce the chance of injury in
case of an accident or a sudden stop,
always keep the glovebox door closed
while driving.
Auxiliary box
2- door hardtop and soft- top (left side)
2- door hardtop and soft- top (right side),
and 4- door hardtop