Page 148 of 265

'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.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 153 of 265

'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
ProCarManuals.com
Page 158 of 265

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
842001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Windshield wipers and washer
To turn on the windshield wipers, move
the lever to the desired setting.
The key must be in the ªONº position.
Lever position
Speed setting
Position 1Intermittent
Position 2Slow
Position 3Fast
For a single sweep of the windshield,
push the lever up and release it.
To squirt washer fluid, pull the lever
toward you.
If the windshield wipers are off, they will
operate a couple of times after the washer
squirts.For instructions on adding washer fluid,
see ªAdding washer fluidº on page 235 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.
Rear window wiper and washer
To turn on the rear window wiper, twist
the lever knob upward.
The key must be in the ªONº 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 ªAdding washer fluidº on page 235 in
Section 7±3.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 159 of 265

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
852001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
NOTICE
Do not operate the rear wiper if the
rear window is dry. It may scratch the
glass.
To defog or defrost the rear window,
push the switch.
The key must be in the ªONº position.
The thin heater wires on the inside of the
rear window will quickly clear the window
surface. An indicator light will illuminate to
indicate the defogger is operating.
On some models, the heater panels in the
outside rear view mirrors will also quickly
clear the surfaces.
Push the switch once again to turn the
defoggers off.
The system will automatically shut off af-
ter the defoggers have operated about 15
minutes.
CAUTION
Since the mirror surfaces can get hot,
keep your hands off them when the
defogger switch is on.
Make sure you turn the defoggers off
when the surfaces are clear. Leaving the
defoggers on for a long time could cause
the battery to discharge, especially during
stop±and±go driving. The defoggers are
not designed for drying rain water or for
melting snow.
If the outside rear view mirrors are heavi-
ly coated with ice, use a spray de±icer
before operating the switch.
NOTICE
When cleaning the inside of the rear
window, be careful not to scratch or
damage the heater wires or connec-
tors.
Rear window and outside
rear view mirror defoggers
ProCarManuals.com
Page 203 of 265

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1292001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Air flow selector settings Operating tips
To cool off your Toyota after it has
been parked in the hot sun, drive with
the windows open for a few minutes.
This vents the hot air, allowing the air
conditioning to cool the interior more
quickly.
Make sure the air intake grilles in front
of the windshield are not blocked (by
leaves or snow, for example).
On humid days, do not blow cold air
on the windshield. The windshield could
fog up because of the difference in air
temperature on the inside and outside
of the windshield.
Keep the area under the front seats
clear to allow air to circulate through-
out the vehicle.
On cold days, move the fan speed to
ªHIº for a minute to help clear the in-
take ducts of snow or moisture. This
can reduce the amount of fogging on
the windows.
When driving on dusty roads, close all
windows. If dust thrown up by the ve-
hicle is still drawn into the vehicle after
closing the windows, it is recommended
that the air intake selector be set to
FRESH and the fan speed selector to
any setting except ªOFFº.
On some models
ProCarManuals.com
Page 204 of 265

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1302001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
If following another vehicle on a dusty
road, or driving in windy and dusty
conditions, it is recommended that the
air intake selector be temporarily set to
RECIRCULATE, which will close off the
outside passage and prevent outside
air and dust from entering the vehicle
interior.Heating
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speedÐAny setting except ªOFFº
TemperatureÐTo w a r d s WARM
(red zone)
Air intakeÐFRESH (outside air)
Air flowÐFLOOR
Air conditioningÐOFF
For quick heating, select recirculated
air for a few minutes. To keep the
windows from fogging, select fresh af-
ter the vehicle interior has been
warmed.
Press the ªA/Cº button on for dehumidi-
fied heating.
Choose floor/windshield air flow to heat
the vehicle interior while defrosting or
defogging the windshield.Air conditioning
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speedÐAny setting except ªOFFº
TemperatureÐTo w a r d s COLD
(blue zone)
Air intakeÐFRESH (outside air)
Air flowÐPANEL
Air conditioningÐON
For quick cooling, select recirculated
air for a few minutes.
Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speedÐAny setting except ªOFFº
TemperatureÐTo w a r d s COLD
(blue zone)
Air intakeÐFRESH (outside air)
Air flowÐPANEL
Air conditioningÐOFF
ProCarManuals.com
Page 226 of 265
'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
2142001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Engine compartment overview
1. Battery
2. Power steering fluid reservoir
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Fuse block
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Electric cooling fans
8. Engine oil level dipstick
9. Windshield and rear window washer
fluid tank
ProCarManuals.com
Page 236 of 265
'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
2242001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
The air conditioning filter is behind the
glove box.
The air conditioning filter may clog af-
ter long use. The filter may need to be
replaced if the air flow of the air condi-
tioning and heater experiences extreme
reductions in operating efficiency, or if
the windows become to fog up easily.
To maintain the air conditioning efficiency,
inspect and replace the air conditioning
filter according to the maintenance sched-
ule. (For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, please refer to the ªScheduled Main-
tenance Guideº or ªOwner 's Manual
Supplementº.)1. Push each side of the glove box to
disconnect the claws.2. Remove the filter case from the filter
outlet as shown in the illustration.
Checking and replacing the
air conditioning filter
ProCarManuals.com
Page:
< prev 1-8 9-16 17-24