'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1572001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Keep your engine in good running
order. Malfunctions in the engine
electrical system, electronic ignition
system/distributor ignition system
or fuel systems could cause an ex-
tremely high three±way catalytic
converter temperature.
If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, take your
vehicle in for a check±up as soon
as possible. Remember, your Toyota
dealer knows your vehicle and its
three±way catalytic converter sys-
tem best.
To ensure that the three±way cata-
lytic converter and the entire emis-
sion control system operate proper-
ly, your vehicle must receive the
periodic inspections required by the
Toyota Maintenance Schedule. For
scheduled maintenance information,
refer to the ªScheduled Maintenance
Guideº or ªOwner 's Manual Supple-
mentº.
Engine exhaust cautions
CAUTION
Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide, which
is a colorless and odorless gas. It
can cause unconsciousness or even
death.
Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.
Do not run the engine in a garage
or enclosed area except for the
time needed to drive the vehicle in
or out. The exhaust gases cannot
escape, making this a particularly
dangerous situation.
Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the engine run-
ning. If it is unavoidable, however,
do so only in an unconfined area
and adjust the heating or cooling
system to force outside air into the
vehicle.
To allow proper operation of your
vehicle's ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions.
Keep the back door closed while
driving. An open or unsealed back
door may cause exhaust gases to
be drawn into the vehicle.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, drive with the windows
open and the back door closed.
Have the cause immediately located
and corrected.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1582001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.
Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a pis-
ton moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated when
the vehicle is decelerating sucks some
of this oil into the combustion chamber.
This oil as well as some part of the oil
film left on the cylinder wall is burned
by the high temperature combustion
gases during the combustion process.
Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.
The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high±speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed.The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds.
IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL
CHECK
One of the most important points in prop-
er vehicle maintenance is to keep the en-
gine oil at the optimum level so that oil
function will not be impaired. Therefore, it
is essential that the oil level be checked
regularly. Toyota recommends that the oil
level be checked every time you refuel
the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine trouble
due to insufficient oil.
For detailed information on oil level check,
see ªChecking the engine oil levelº on
page 220 in Section 7±2.
Facts about engine oil
consumption
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1862001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
If your engine stalls while driving...
1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping
a straight line. Move cautiously off the
road to a safe place.
2. Turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Turn the ignition key to ªACCº or
ªLOCKº, and try starting the engine
again.
If the engine will not start, see ªIf your
vehicle will not startº on page 182.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.
If your vehicle overheats
If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...
1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve-
hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in ªPº
(automatic) or neutral (manual) and ap-
ply the parking brake. Turn off the air
conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the
radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from the
radiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-
gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer
for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check
the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
If your engine stalls while
driving
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
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Fuel
Fuel type:
Unleaded gasoline, Octane Rating 87
(Research Octane Number 91) or higher
Fuel tank capacity, L (gal., lmp. gal.):
56 (14.8, 12.3)
Service specifications
ENGINE
Valve clearance (engine cold), mm (in.):
Intake 0.19Ð0.29 (0.007Ð0.012)
Exhaust 0.30Ð0.40 (0.012Ð0.016)
Spark plug type:
DENSO SK20R11
NGK IFR6A11
Spark plug gap, mm (in.):
1.1 (0.043)
ENGINE LUBRICATION
Oil capacity (drain and refill),
L (qt., Imp. qt.):
With filter 4.2 (4.4, 3.7)
Without filter 4.0 (4.2, 3.5)
Oil grade:
API grade SJ, ªEnergy±Conservingº or
ILSAC multigrade engine oil is recom-
mended.Recommended oil viscosity (SAE):
5W-30 Preferred
Temperature range anticipated before
next oil change
COOLING SYSTEM
Total capacity, L (qt., Imp. qt.):
Manual transaxle 6.3 (6.7, 5.6)
Automatic transaxle 6.2 (6.6, 5.5)
Coolant type:
ªTOYOTA Long Life Coolantº or equiva-
lent
With ethylene±glycol type coolant for a
proper corrosion protection of aluminum
components
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or
plain water alone.
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
2512001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
21. PANEL 7.5 A: Instrument panel light,
gauges and meters, front fog lights,
instrument panel light control, outside
rear view mirror defoggers, air condi-
tioning system
22. FR FOG 15 A: Front fog lights
23. HORN 10 A: Horn
24. TAIL 7.5 A: Tail lights, license plate
lights, instrument cluster lights
25. TAIL&PANEL 15 A: ªPANELº and
ªTAILº fuses
26. ACC 7.5 A: Car audio system, shift
lock control system, clock, power rear
view mirrors
27. DEF 20 A: Rear window defogger
28. GAUGE 10 A: Back±up lights, electric
cooling fans, air conditioning system,
automatic transmission indicator lights,
charging system
29. OBD 7.5 A: On±board diagnosis sys-
tem
30. IG2 10 A: Discharge warning light,
multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
tial multiport fuel injection system,
starting system, SRS airbag system
31. DOOR 20 A: Power door lock system32. MIR HTR 10 A: Outside rear view mir-
ror defoggers
33. RR WIP 15 A: Rear window wiper and
washer
34. WIP 25 A: Windshield wipers and
washer
35. ECU IG 10 A: Emergency flashers,
gauges and meters, anti±lock brake
system, SRS airbag system, shift lock
control system, cruise control system
Fuses (type B)
36. RDI 30 A: Electric cooling fan
37. CDS 30 A: Electric cooling fan
38. AM2 30 A: Discharge warning light,
multiport fuel injection system/sequen-
tial multiport fuel injection system,
starting system, SRS airbag system
and ªIG2º fuse
39. ABS 1 40 A: Anti±lock brake system
40. HTR 40 A: Air conditioning system
41. PWR 30 A: Electric moon roof, power
windows
42. AM1 40 A: Power outlets, rear window
defogger, ªACCº, ªCIGº, ªECU IGº,
ªGAUGEº, ªRR WIPº, ªS±HTRº and
ªWIPº fuses
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'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
892001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Your vehicle may overheat during severe
operating conditions, such as:
Driving up a long hill on a hot day.
Reducing speed or stopping after high
speed driving.
Idling for a long period with the air
conditioning on in stop±and±go traffic.
Towing a trailer.
NOTICE
Do not remove the thermostat in
the engine cooling system as this
may cause the engine to overheat.
The thermostat is designed to con-
trol the flow of coolant to keep the
temperature of the engine within
the specified operating range.
Do not continue driving with an
overheated engine. See ªIf your ve-
hicle overheatsº on page 186 in
Section 4.
Tachometer
The tachometer indicates engine speed
in thousands of rpm
( revolutions per
minute). Use it while driving to select
correct shift points and to prevent en-
gine lugging and over±revving.
Driving with the engine running too fast
causes excessive engine wear and poor
fuel economy. Remember, in most cases
the slower the engine speed, the greater
the fuel economy.
NOTICE
Do not let the indicator needle get
into the red zone. This may cause
severe engine damage.
Odometer and two trip meters
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. OdometerÐShows the total distance
the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip metersÐShow two different
distances independently driven since
the last time each trip meter was set
to zero.
You can use one trip meter to calculate
the fuel economy and the other to
measure the distance on each trip. All
trip meter data is cancelled if the elec-
trical power source is disconnected.
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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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'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
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