Page 89 of 250

Rav4(U)
812000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
TURN SIGNALS
To signal a turn, push the headlight/
turn signal lever up or down to position
1.
The key must be in the ”ON” position.
The lever automatically returns after you
make a turn, but you may have to return
it by hand after you change lanes.
To signal a lane change, move the lever
up or down to the pressure point (position
2) and hold it.
If the turn signal indicator lights (green
lights) on the instrument panel flash faster
than normal, a front or rear turn signal
bulb is burned out. See ”Replacing light
bulbs” in Section 7−3.
Emergency flashers
To turn on the emergency flashers,
push the switch.
All the turn signal lights will flash. To turn
them off, push the switch once again.
Turn on the emergency flashers to warn
other drivers if your vehicle must be
stopped where it might be a traffic hazard.
Always pull as far off the road as pos-
sible.
The turn signal light switch will not work
when the emergency flashers are operat-
ing.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the switch on
longer than necessary when the en-
gine is not running.
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Rav4(U)
822000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
Instrument panel light control
To adjust the brightness of the instru-
ment panel lights, turn the knob.
Interior light
To turn on the interior light, slide the
switch.
The interior light switch has the following
positions:
”ON”—Keeps the light on all the time.
”OFF”—Turns the light off.
”DOOR”—
2−door hardtop and soft−top: Turns the
light on when the back door (hardtop) or
tailgate (soft−top) is opened. The light
goes off when the back door is closed.
4−door hardtop: Turns the light on when
either rear door or back door is opened.
The light goes off when both rear doors
and back door are closed.To turn on the personal light, push the
switch. To turn the light off, slightly
push the switch on the opposite side.
The personal light switch has the following
positions:
”ON”—Keeps the light on all the time.
”DOOR”—Turns the light on when either
front door is opened. The light goes off
when both front doors are closed.
Personal lights
(with moon roof)
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Page 91 of 250

Rav4(U)
832000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
The personal lights operate separately
with each outer switch.
To turn on the light, push the switch on
your side. To turn the light off, push the
switch once again.
The center switch has the following posi-
tions:
”DOOR”—Turns both lights on when either
front door is opened. The light goes off
when both front doors are closed.
”OFF”—The lights are off unless you oper-
ate either outer switch.
Windshield wipers and washer
To turn on the windshield wipers, move
the lever to the desired setting.
The key must be in the ”ON” position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Slow
Position 3Fast
To squirt washer fluid, pull the lever
toward you and release it.
If the windshield wipers are off, they will
operate a couple of times after the washer
squirts.For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see ”Adding washer fluid” in Section 7−3.
In freezing weather, warm the windshield
with the defroster before using the washer.
This will help prevent the washer fluid
from freezing on your windshield, which
can block your vision.
NOTICE
Do not operate the wipers if the wind-
shield is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
Personal lights
(without moon roof)
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Rav4(U)
842000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
Rear window wiper and washer
To turn on the rear window wiper, twist
the lever knob upward.
The key must be in the ”ON” position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Normal
To squirt washer fluid on the rear window,
twist the knob upward or downward as far
as it will go (position 3 or 4). The knob
automatically returns from these positions
after you release it.
For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see ”Adding washer fluid” in Section 7−3.
NOTICE
Do not operate the rear wiper if the
rear window is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
Rear window defogger
To defog or defrost the rear window,
push the switch.
The key must be in the ”ON” position.
The thin heater wires on the inside of the
rear window will quickly clear the surface.
An indicator light will illuminate to indicate
the defogger is operating.
Push the switch once again to turn the
defogger off.
With timer: The system will automatically
shut off after the defogger has operated
about 15 minutes.
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Page 93 of 250
Rav4(U)
852000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
Make sure you turn the defogger off when
the window is clear. Leaving the defogger
on for a long time could cause the battery
to discharge, especially during stop−and−
go driving. The defogger is not designed
for drying rain water or for melting snow.
NOTICE
Without timer: To prevent the bat-
tery from being discharged, turn the
switch on when the engine is run-
ning.
When cleaning the inside of the
rear window, be careful not to
scratch or damage the heater wires.
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Rav4(U)
862000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
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Page 95 of 250
Rav4(U)
872000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Gauges, Meters and Service reminder indicators
Fuel gauge88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine coolant temperature gauge 88. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tachometer89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Odometer and two trip meters89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Service reminder indicators and warning buzzers 90. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1− 5
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Rav4(U)
882000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
Fuel gauge
The gauge works when the ignition
switch is on and indicates the approxi-
mate quantity of fuel remaining in the
tank.
Nearly full—Needle at ”F”
Nearly empty—Needle at ”E”
It is a good idea to keep the tank over
1/4 full.
This fuel gauge has a non−return type
needle which remains at the last indicated
position when the ignition switch is turned
off.
If the fuel level approaches ”E” or the low
fuel level warning light comes on, fill the
fuel tank as soon as possible.On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the fuel gauge
needle may fluctuate or the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
If the fuel tank is completely empty, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on. Fill
the fuel tank immediately.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.The gauge indicates the engine coolant
temperature when the ignition switch is
on. The engine operating temperature
will vary with changes in weather and
engine load.
If the needle moves into the red zone,
your engine is too hot. If your vehicle
overheats, stop your vehicle and allow the
engine to cool.
Engine coolant temperature
gauge
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