Page 79 of 265
'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
52001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Indicator symbols on the instrument panel
Brake system warning light*
1
Discharge warning light*
1
Low oil pressure warning light*
1
Malfunction indicator lamp*
1
Headlight high beam indicator light SRS warning light
*
1
Turn signal indicator lights Driver 's seat belt reminder light
*
1Open door warning light*
1
Low fuel level warning light*
1
Automatic transmission fluid temperature warning
light*
1
Anti±lock brake system warning light*
1or
Low windshield washer fluid level warning light*
1
or
Front passenger 's seat belt reminder light*
1
or
Automatic transmission indicator lights
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
282001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Seats
While the vehicle is being driven, all ve-
hicle occupants should have the seatback
upright, sit well back in the seat and prop-
erly wear the seat belts provided.
CAUTION
Do not drive the vehicle unless the
occupants are properly seated. Do
not allow sitting on top of a
folded±down seatback, or in the
luggage compartment. Persons not
properly seated and/or properly re-
strained by seat belts can be se-
verely injured in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
During driving, do not allow pas-
sengers to stand up or move
around between seats. Severe inju-
ries can occur in the event of emer-
gency braking or a collision.
Adjust the driver's seat so that the foot
pedals, steering wheel and instrument
panel controls are within easy reach of
the driver.
CAUTION
Adjustments should not be made
while the vehicle is moving, as the
seat may unexpectedly move and
cause the driver to lose control of
the vehicle.
When adjusting the seat, be careful
not to hit the seat against a pas-
senger or luggage.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.
After adjusting the seatback, exert
body pressure to make sure it is
locked in position.
Do not put objects under the seats.
The objects may interfere with the
seat±lock mechanism or unexpect-
edly push up the seat position ad-
justing lever; the seat may suddenly
move, causing the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
While adjusting the seat, do not put
your hands under the seat or near
the moving parts. You may catch
and injure your hands or fingers.
Front seatsÐ
ÐSeat adjustment
precautions
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
792001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Lights, Wipers and Defogger
Headlights and turn signals80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Emergency flashers81 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Instrument panel light control82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Front fog lights82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interior lights82 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Personal lights83 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Windshield wipers and washer84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear window wiper and washer84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rear window and outside rear view mirror defoggers85 . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1± 4
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
802001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Headlights and turn signals
HEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights: Twist
the headlight/turn signal lever knob.
Position 1ÐParking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights
Position 2ÐHeadlights and all of the
above
Light reminder buzzer
A buzzer will remind you to turn the lights
off when the driver 's door is opened if you
remove the key with the headlight switch
on.
NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on
for a long period when the engine is
not running.
Daytime running light system
(on some models)
The headlights turn on at reduced intensi-
ty when the parking brake is released with
the engine started, even with the light
switch in the ªOFFº position. They will not
go off until the ignition switch is turned
off.
To turn on the other exterior lights and
instrument panel lights, twist the knob to
the position 1.
Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
to full intensity for driving at night.
High±Low beamsÐFor high beams, turn
the headlights on and push the lever away
from you (position 1). Pull the lever to-
ward you (position 2) for low beams.
The headlight high beam indicator light
(blue light) on the instrument panel will
tell you that the high beams are on.
Flashing the high beam headlights
(position 3)ÐPull the lever all the way
back. The high beam headlights turn off
when you release the lever.
You can flash the high beam headlights
with the knob turned to ªOFFº.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
812001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
TURN SIGNALS
To signal a turn, push the headlight/
turn signal lever up or down to position
1.
The key must be in the ªONº 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 ªReplacing light
bulbsº on page 236 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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Page 156 of 265
'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
822001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Instrument panel light control
To adjust the brightness of the instru-
ment panel lights, turn the knob.
Front fog lights
To turn on the front fog lights, twist
the band of the headlight and turn sig-
nal switch lever. They will come on
only when the headlights are on low
beam.
Interior lights
To turn on the interior light, slide the
switch.
The interior light switch has the following
positions:
ªONºÐKeeps the light on all the time.
ªOFFºÐTurns the light off.
ªDOORºÐTurns the light on when any of
the side doors and back door are opened.
The light goes off when all the side doors
and back door are closed.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1032001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
When parking, firmly apply the parking
brake to avoid inadvertent creeping.
To set: Pull up the lever. For better hold-
ing power, first depress the brake pedal
and hold it while setting the parking
brake.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly (1),
press the lock release button (2), and low-
er (3).
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light in
the instrument panel remains on until you
release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off.
Cruise control
The cruise control allows you to cruise
the vehicle at a desired speed over 40
km/h (25 mph) even with your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained up
or down grades within the limits of engine
performance, although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or
down the grades. On steeper hills, a
greater speed change will occur so it is
better to drive without the cruise control.
CAUTION
To help maintain maximum control
of your vehicle, do not use the
cruise control when driving in
heavy or varying traffic, or on slip-
pery (rainy, icy or snow±covered) or
winding roads.
Avoid vehicle speed increases when
driving downhill. If the vehicle
speed is too fast in relation to the
cruise control set speed, cancel the
cruise control then downshift the
transmission to use engine braking
to slow down.
TURNING ON THE SYSTEM
To operate the cruise control, push the
ªCRUISE ON±OFFº switch. This turns the
system on. The indicator light in the
instrument panel shows that you can now
set the vehicle at a desired cruising
speed. Another push will turn the system
completely off.
CAUTION
To avoid accidental cruise control en-
gagement, keep the ªCRUISE ON±
OFFº switch off when not using the
cruise control.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1272001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Fan speed selector
Turn the knob to adjust the fan speedÐto
the right to increase, to the left to de-
crease.
Temperature selector
Turn the knob to adjust the temperatu-
reÐto the right to warm, to the left to
cool.
Air flow selector
Turn the knob to select the vents used for
air flow.
1. PanelÐAir flows mainly from the
instrument panel vents.
2. Bi±levelÐAir flows from both the floor
vents and the instrument panel vents.
3. FloorÐAir flows mainly from the floor
vents.
4. Floor/WindshieldÐAir flows mainly
from the floor vents and windshield
vents.
Turning the air flow selector to the
floor/windshield position turns on the
defogging function with the purpose of
clearing the front view.This position allows the air intake to
select FRESH automatically. This is to
clean up the front view more quickly.
If you want to return the setting to
RECIRCULATE mode, press the air in-
take selector button once again.
Vehicles with ªA/Cº buttonÐ
Press the ªA/Cº button for dehumidified
heating or cooling. This setting clears
the front view more quickly.
5. WindshieldÐAir flows mainly from the
windshield vents.
Turning the air flow selector to the
windshield position turns on the defog-
ging function with the purpose of clear-
ing the front view.
This position allows the air intake to
select FRESH automatically. This is to
clean up the front view more quickly.
If you want to return the setting to
RECIRCULATE mode, press the air in-
take selector button once again.
Vehicles with ªA/Cº buttonÐ
Press the ªA/Cº button for dehumidified
heating or cooling. This setting clears
the front view more quickly.
For details about air flow selector settings,
see the illustration after ªA/Cº button.
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