2001 TOYOTA RAV4 steering

'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)
502001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:

The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident that was not severe enough to
cause the front seat belt pretensioners
to operate.

Either front seat belt pretensioner as-
sembly or surrounding area is
scratched, cracked, or otherwise dam-
aged.
The SRS (Supplemental Restraint Sys-
tem) airbags are designed to provide
further protection for the driver and
front passenger in addition to the pri-
mary safety protection provided by the
seat belts.
In response to a severe frontal impact,
the SRS airbags work together with the
seat belts to help reduce injury by inflat-
ing. The SRS airbags help to reduce inju-
ries mainly to the driver's or front passen-
ger 's head or chest caused by directly
hitting the steering wheel or dashboard.
The front passenger airbag is activated
even with no passenger in the front seat.
Be sure to wear your seat belt properly.Your vehicle is equipped with a crash
sensing and diagnostic module, which will
record the use of the seat belt restraint
system by the driver and front passenger
when the SRS airbags are inflated.
CAUTION
A driver or front passenger too close
to the steering wheel or dashboard
during airbag deployment can be
killed or seriously injured. Toyota
strongly recommends that:

The driver sit as far back as pos-
sible from the steering wheel while
still maintaining control of the ve-
hicle.

The front passenger sit as far back
as possible from the dashboard.

All vehicle occupants be properly
restrained using the available seat
belts.
SRS driver and front
passenger airbags
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
532001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
In a severe frontal impact, the sensors
detect deceleration and the system trig-
gers the airbag inflators. Then a chemical
reaction in the inflators quickly fills the
airbags with non±toxic gas to help restrain
the forward motion of the occupants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
and residue along with non±toxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This gas is nor-
mally harmless; however, for those who
have delicate skin, it may cause a minor
skin irritation. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent
any potential skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is designed to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swelling.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, dashboard) may be hot for several
minutes, but the airbags themselves will
not be hot. The airbags are designed to
inflate only once.A crash severe enough to inflate the air-
bags may break the windshield as the
vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a pas-
senger airbag the windshield may also be
damaged by absorbing some of the force
of the inflating airbag.CAUTION

The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver side and
front passenger side seat belt sys-
tems. The front seat occupants can
be killed or seriously injured by the
inflating airbags if they do not wear
the available seat belts properly.
During sudden braking just before
a collision, an unrestrained driver
or front passenger can move for-
ward into direct contact with or
close proximity to the airbag which
may then deploy during the colli-
sion. To ensure maximum protection
in an accident, the driver and all
passengers in the vehicle must
wear their seat belts properly. Wear-
ing a seat belt properly during an
accident reduces the chances of
death or serious injury or being
thrown out of the vehicle. For
instructions and precautions con-
cerning the seat belt system, see
ªSeat beltsº on page 40 in this sec-
tion.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
552001 RAV4 (OM42483U)

Do not sit on the edge of the seat
or lean over the dashboard when
the vehicle is in use. The airbags
inflate with considerable speed and
force; you may be killed or serious-
ly injured. Sit up straight and well
back in the seat, and always use
your seat belt properly.
Do not allow a child to stand up,
or to kneel on the front passenger
seat. The airbag inflates with con-
siderable speed and force; the child
may be killed or seriously injured.

Do not hold a child on your lap or
in your arms. Use a child restraint
system in the rear seat. For instruc-
tions concerning the installation of
a child restraint system, see ªChild
restraintº on page 57 in this sec-
tion.

Do not put objects or your pets on
or in front of the dashboard or
steering wheel pad that houses the
airbag system. They might restrict
inflation or cause death or serious
injury as they are projected rear-
ward by the force of the deploying
airbags. Likewise, the driver and
front passenger should not hold
things in their arms or on their
knees.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
562001 RAV4 (OM42483U)

Do not modify or remove any wir-
ing. Do not modify, remove, strike
or open any components, such as
the steering wheel pad, steering
wheel, column cover, front passen-
ger airbag cover, front passenger
airbag or airbag sensor assembly.
Doing any of these may cause sud-
den SRS airbag inflation or disable
the system, which could result in
death or serious injury.
Failure to follow these instructions
can result in death or serious injury.NOTICE
Do not perform any of the following
changes without consulting your
Toyota dealer. Such changes can
interfere with proper operation of the
SRS airbag system in some cases.
Installation of electronic devices
such as a mobile two±way radio,
cassette tape player or compact
disc player
Modification of the suspension sys-
tem
Modification of the front end struc-
ture
Attachment of a grille guard (bull
bar, kangaroo bar, etc.), snowplow,
winches or any other equipment to
the front end
Repairs made on or near the front
fenders, front end structure, con-
sole, steering column, steering
wheel or dashboard near the front
passenger airbag
This SRS airbag system has a service
reminder indicator to inform the driver of
operating problems. If either of the follow-
ing conditions occurs, this indicates a
malfunction of the airbags. 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 ªONº posi-
tion, or the light remains on.

The light comes on while driving.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
572001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible:

The SRS airbags have been inflated.

The front part of the vehicle (shaded
in the illustration) was involved in an
accident that was not severe enough to
cause the SRS airbags to inflate.

The pad section of the steering wheel
or front passenger airbag cover
(shaded in the illustration) is scratched,
cracked, or otherwise damaged.
NOTICE
Do not disconnect the battery cables
before contacting your Toyota dealer.
Toyota strongly urges the use of child
restraint systems for children small
enough to use them.
The laws of all fifty states in the U.S.A.
and Canada now require the use of a
child restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAEJ1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child should sit in the rear
seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle's seat belt. See ªSeat beltsº on
page 40 for details.
CAUTION

For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
child must be properly restrained
using a seat belt or child restraint
system depending on the age and
size of the child. Holding a child in
your arms is not a substitute for a
child restraint system. In an acci-
dent, the child can be crushed
against the windshield, or between
you and the vehicle's interior.

Toyota strongly urges use of a
proper child restraint system which
conforms to the size of the child,
and is put on the rear seat. Accord-
ing to accident statistics, the child
is safer when properly restrained in
the rear seat than in the front seat.

Never put a rear±facing child re-
straint system on the front seat. In
the event of an accident, the force
of the rapid inflation of the airbag
can cause death or serious injury if
a rear±facing child restraint system
is put on the front seat.

Unless it is unavoidable, do not put
a forward±facing child restraint sys-
tem on the front seat.

A forward±facing child restraint sys-
tem should be allowed to put on
the front seat only when it is un-
avoidable. Always move the seat as
far back as possible, because the
force of the deploying airbag could
cause death or serious injury to the
child.
Child restraintÐ
ÐChild restraint precautions
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
742001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Tilt steering wheel
To change the steering wheel angle,
hold the steering wheel, push down the
lock release lever, tilt the steering
wheel to the desired angle and return
the lever to its original position.
CAUTION

Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. It may
cause the driver to mishandle the
vehicle and an accident may occur
resulting in death or serious inju-
ries.

After adjusting the steering wheel,
try moving it up and down to make
sure it is locked in position.
Outside rear view mirrorsÐ
Adjust the mirror so that you can just
see the side of your vehicle in the mir-
ror.
Be careful when judging the size or dis-
tance of any object seen in the outside
rear view mirror on the passenger 's side.
It is a convex mirror with a curved sur-
face. Any object seen in a convex mirror
will look smaller and farther away than
when seen in a flat mirror.
On some models, when you push the rear
window defogger switch, the heater panels
in the outside rear view mirrors will quick-
ly clear the mirror surface.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
952001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Ignition switch, Transmission and Parking brake
Ignition switch with steering lock96 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Automatic transmission97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Manual transmission101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1± 6
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