
Rav4(U)
922000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
(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 the
warning light on—even 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
”Fuel gauge” in Section 1−5 for instruc-
tions.)b. The fuel tank cap is not tightened se-
curely. (See ”Fuel tank cap” in Section
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.
(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) ”ABS” Warning Light
The light comes on with the ignition key
turned to “ON”. If the anti−lock brake sys-
tem works properly, the light goes out
after a few seconds. Thereafter, if the
system malfunctions, the light comes on.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti−lock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti−lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If the following conditions occur, this
indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning
light system. Contact your Toyota deal-
er as soon as possible to service the
vehicle.
The light does not come on with the
ignition key turned to “ON”, or remains
on.
The light comes on while driving.
If the light lit during driving goes out and
does not come on again, it is a normal
operation.
(h) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the doors,
back door (hardtop) and tailgate (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.
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Rav4(U)
932000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
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 ”P”. 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 automatic
transmission.
(j) SRS Warning Light
This light will come on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the ”ACC” or
”ON” 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, front airbag sen-
sors, seat belt pretensioner assemblies,
inflators, warning light, interconnecting wir-
ing and 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 ”ACC” or
”ON” 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 ”Adding washer fluid” in Section 7−3.)
(l) Light Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer will sound if the headlight
switch is left on and the driver’s door is
opened with the key removed from the
ignition switch.
(m) Key Reminder Buzzer
This buzzer reminds you to remove the
key when you open the driver’s door with
the ignition key in the ”ACC” or ”LOCK”
position.CHECKING SERVICE REMINDER INDICA-
TORS (except the low fuel level warning
light and low windshield washer fluid
level warning light)
1. Apply the parking brake.
2. Open one of the doors or tailgate
(soft−top).
The open door warning light should
come on.
3. Close the door or tailgate (soft−top).
The open door warning light should go
off.
4. Turn the ignition key to ”ACC”.
The SRS warning light should come on.
It goes off after about 6 seconds.
5. Turn the ignition key to ”ON”, but do
not start the engine.
All the service reminder indicators ex-
cept the open door warning light, SRS
warning light and automatic transmis-
sion fluid temperature warning light
should come on. The ”ABS” warning
light goes off after a few seconds.
6. Turn the ignition key to ”START”. The
automatic transmission fluid tempera-
ture warning light should come on.
ProCarManuals.com

Rav4(U)
952000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Ignition switch, Transmission and Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering lock96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic transmission97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual transmission101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Center differential lock system102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control104 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1− 6
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Rav4(U)
962000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
”START”—Starter motor on. The key
will return to the ”ON” position when
released.
For starting tips, see Section 3.
”ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
”ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the ”ACC” or
”LOCK” position and open the driver’s
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.
”LOCK”—Engine 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 ”ACC” to the ”LOCK” position. On
vehicles with an automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in the ”P” posi-
tion before pushing the key.
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the ”LOCK” 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.
CAUTION
For 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 ”ON”
position 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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Rav4(U)
972000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
Automatic transmission
Lock release button
To prevent misshifting
Parking, engine
starting and key
removal
Reverse
Neutral
Maximum engine braking
With the brake pedal depressed,
shift while holding the lock release
button in. (The ignition switch must
be in ”ON” position.)
Shift while holding the lock
release button in
Shift normallyDriving pattern selector button
For selecting a driving pattern
suited to existing driving conditions
”NORMAL” (Normal)
mode for general
driving conditions”POWER” (Power)
mode for powerful
acceleration”POWER” mode indicator
light on the instrument
panel shows the driving
pattern selector button is
in the ”POWER” mode
Overdrive switchFor selecting either a three−speed or
four−speed transmission
ON position
(Shifting into
overdrive possible)OFF position
(Shifting into
overdrive not
possible)”O/D OFF” indicator light
(Shows the overdrive
switch is in OFF
position)
Always turn the overdrive switch on for better fuel economy.
Stronger engine braking Normal driving
(with overdrive on)
Vehicles with cruise control⎯When the cruise control is being used, even if you downshift the transmission by turning off the overdrive
switch, engine braking will not be applied because the cruise control is not cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed, see
”Cruise control” in this section.
ProCarManuals.com

Rav4(U)
982000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
Your automatic transmission has a shift
lock system to minimize the possibility of
incorrect operation. This means you can
only shift out of ”P” position when the
brake pedal is depressed (with the ignition
switch in ”ON” position and the lock re-
lease button depressed).
(a) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in ”How
to start the engine” in Section 3. The
transmission must be in ”P” or ”N”.
2. After starting the engine, always push
in the overdrive switch.
3. With your foot holding down the brake
pedal, shift the selector lever to ”D”.
With the selector lever in the “D” position
and the overdrive switch in the “ON” posi-
tion, the automatic transmission will shift
automatically from the first gear through
the fourth gear and select the most suit-
able gear meeting the driving condition.
Even during ordinary driving, keep the
overdrive switch turned on. (At this time,
the “O/D OFF” indicator light on the in-
strument cluster will be off.)Always keep the overdrive switch turned
on for better fuel economy and quieter
driving. If you have turned off the over-
drive switch, be sure to turn the overdrive
switch on again. If the engine coolant
temperature is low, the transmission will
not shift into the overdrive gear even with
the overdrive switch on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
4. 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 ”O/D
OFF” indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to the
third gear.
Shift into the ”2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to the second
gear when the vehicle speed drops
down to or lower than the following
speed, and stronger engine braking will
be enabled.Tw o−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 ”L” 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 en-
abled.
Tw o−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.
ProCarManuals.com

Rav4(U)
1082000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
Reference
Type 1: AMF M ETR radio/cassette player/
compact disc auto changer controller
Type 2: AMF M ETR radio/compact disc
player/compact disc auto changer controller
This section describes some of the basic
features on Toyota audio systems. Some
information may not pertain to your sys-
tem.
Your audio system works when the ignition
key is in the ”ACC” or ”ON” position.
TURNING THE SYSTEM ON AND OFF
Push ”VOL/PWR” or ”PWR/VOL” to turn
the audio system on and off.
Push ”AM”, ”FM”, ”AM·FM”, ”TAPE” or
”CD” to turn on that function without push-
ing ”VOL/PWR” or ”PWR/VOL”.
You can turn on each player by inserting
a cassette tape or compact disc.
You can turn off each player by ejecting
the cassette tape or compact disc. If the
audio system was previously off, then the
entire audio system will be turned off
when you eject the cassette tape or com-
pact disc. If another function was pre-
viously playing, it will come on again.
SWITCHING BETWEEN FUNCTIONS
Push ”AM”, ”FM”, ”AM·FM”, ”TAPE” or
”CD” if the system is already on but you
want to switch from one function to anoth-
er.TONE AND BALANCE
For details about your system’s tone and
balance controls, see the description of
your own system.
Tone
How good an audio program sounds to
you is largely determined by the mix of
the treble and bass levels. In fact, differ-
ent kinds of music and vocal programs
usually sound better with different mixes
of treble and bass.
Balance
A good balance of the left and right stereo
channels and of the front and rear sound
levels is also important.
Keep in mind that if you are listening to
a stereo recording or broadcast, changing
the right/left balance will increase the vol-
ume of one group of sounds while de-
creasing the volume of another.
Using your audio system—
—Some basics
ProCarManuals.com

Rav4(U)
1112000 RAV4 (OM42479U)
1 2 3 4 5 6 (Preset buttons)
These buttons are used to preset and
tune in radio stations.
To preset a station to a button: Tune in
the desired station (see ”TUNE” button).
Push and hold down the button until you
hear a beep—this will set the station to
the button. The button number will appear
on the display.
To tune in to a preset station: Push the
button for the station you want. The but-
ton number and station frequency will ap-
pear on the display.
These systems can store one AM and two
FM stations for each button (The display
will show ”AM”, ”FM1” or ”FM2” when you
push ”AM” or ”FM”).
(Eject button)
Push this button to eject a cassette.
After you turn the ignition to ”LOCK”, you
will be able to eject a cassette but you
will not be able to reinsert it.
(Reverse/Fast forward buttons)
Cassette Player
Push the fast forward button to fast for-
ward a cassette tape. ”FF” will appear on
the display. Push the reverse button to
rewind a tape. ”REW” will appear on the
display.
To stop the tape while it is fast forward-
ing, push the fast forward button or
”TAPE”; to stop the tape while it is re-
winding, push the reverse button or
”TAPE”.
If a tape side rewinds completely, the cas-
sette player will stop and then play that
same side. If a tape fast forwards com-
pletely, the cassette player will play the
other side of the tape, using the auto−re-
verse feature.
Compact Disc Player
If you want to fast forward or reverse
through a compact disc track, push and
hold in the fast forward or reverse button.
When you release the button, the compact
disc player will resume playing.AM
Push ”AM” to switch the AM band. ”AM”
will appear on the display.
If the audio system is off, you can turn
on the radio by pushing ”AM”. Also, push
”AM” to switch from cassette or compact
disc operation to radio operation.
AUDIO CONTROL / MODE
Manual tone adjustment function—
This knob is used to adjust the tone
manually.
For low−pitch tone adjustment, push
”AUDIO CONTROL / MODE” repeatedly
until ”BAS” appears on the display. Then
turn the knob to suit your preference.
The display will show the range from
”BAS −5” to ”BAS 5”.
For high−pitch tone adjustment, push
”AUDIO CONTROL / MODE” repeatedly
until ”TRE” appears on the display. Then
turn the knob to suit your preference.
The display will show the range from
”TRE −5” to ”TRE 5”.
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