2001 TOYOTA RAV4 tow

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1512001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Off±road vehicle precautions152 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Break±in period153 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel153 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fuel pump shut off system155 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Operation in foreign countries156 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Three±way catalytic converter156 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Engine exhaust cautions157 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Facts about engine oil consumption158 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Iridium±tipped spark plugs159 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake system159 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Brake pad wear limit indicators162 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Luggage stowage precautions162 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Limited±slip differential163 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Your Toyota's identification163 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theft prevention labels165 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Suspension and chassis165 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Types of tires165 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 2
ProCarManuals.com

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1532001 RAV4 (OM42483U)

Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its profile and
higher center of gravity, your ve-
hicle is more sensitive to side
winds than an ordinary passenger
car. Slowing down will allow you to
have better control.

When driving off±road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle's suspension and
chassis.

Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar off±road ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.
Break±in period
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break±in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:

Do not drive over 88 km/h (55 mph).

Run the engine at moderate speed be-
tween 2000 and 4000 rpm.

Avoid full±throttle starts.

Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).

Do not drive slowly with the manual
transmission in a high gear.

Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.

Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles).
Fuel
FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mix±ups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5±M93
in Canada.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three±
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
ProCarManuals.com

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1622001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
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 ªONº posi-
tion, or remains on.

The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the ªABSº warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, not only the anti±lock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to where
replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.
Luggage stowage precautions
When stowing luggage or cargo in the
vehicle, observe the following:

Put luggage or cargo in the luggage
compartment when at all possible. Be
sure all items are secured in place.

Be careful to keep the vehicle bal-
anced. Locating the weight as far for-
ward as possible helps maintain bal-
ance.

For better fuel economy, do not carry
unneeded weight.
CAUTION

To prevent luggage or packages
from sliding forward during braking,
do not stack anything in the lug-
gage compartment higher than the
seatbacks. Keep luggage or pack-
ages low, as close to the floor as
possible.

Never allow anyone to ride in the
luggage compartment. It is not de-
signed for passengers. They should
ride in their seats with their seat
belts properly fastened. Otherwise,
they are much more likely suffer
serious bodily injury, in the event
of sudden braking or a collision.
ProCarManuals.com

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1672001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the engine168 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to start the engine168 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tips for driving in various conditions169 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Off±road driving precautions170 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Winter driving tips171 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dinghy towing172 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Trailer towing174 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How to save fuel and make your vehicle last longer, too179 . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 3
ProCarManuals.com

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1722001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
Make sure the engine oil viscosity is
suitable for the cold weather.
See page 220 in Section 7±2 for recom-
mended viscosity. Leaving a heavy sum-
mer oil in your vehicle during winter
months may cause harder starting. If you
are not sure about which oil to use, call
your Toyota dealer±he will be pleased to
help.
Keep the door locks from freezing.
Squirt lock de±icer or glycerine into the
locks to keep them from freezing.
Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer 's directions for how
much to mix with water.
NOTICE
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may dam-
age your vehicle's paint.
Do not use your parking brake when
there is a possibility it could freeze.
When parking, put the transmission into
ªPº (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or
water accumulated in and around the
parking brake mechanism may freeze,
making it hard to release.
Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad
winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally.
Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer-
gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the
vehicle are tire chains, window scraper,
bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel,
jumper cables, etc.
NOTICE
Do not use window scraper or deicer
when the plastic resin moon roof is
heavily coated with frost or ice. The
plastic resin moon roof is easily dam-
aged.
Dinghy towing
Your vehicle can be dinghy towed (with
four wheels on the ground) from the
front behind a motorhome.
CAUTION
Dinghy towing requires special equip-
ment and accessories. Please refer to
your service outlet of the motorhome
manufacture for the recommended
equipment.
ProCarManuals.com

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1732001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
NOTICE
Dinghy towing does not eliminate the
possibility of damage to your vehicle.
DINGHY TOWING TIPS
Before dinghy towing, be sure to ob-
serve the following in order to reduce
the damage to your vehicle.
With automatic transmissionÐ
1. Turn the ignition switch to the ªONº
position.
2. Shift the selector lever into the ªNº
position.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the ªACCº
position. Make sure the audio is turned
off and any item is not plugged into
the power outlet.
NOTICE
To avoid the locking of the steering
wheel, turn the ignition switch to the
ªACCº position.
4. Release the parking brake.
NOTICE
To prevent the vehicle from being
damaged, observe following.
Do not tow the vehicle at the ve-
hicle speed more than 88 km/h (55
mph).
Do not tow the vehicle for more
than 320 km (200 miles).
After dinghy towing or at the recom-
mended distance limit, let the engine idle
for more than 3 minutes before driving the
vehicle or resuming towing.
With manual transmissionÐ
1. Put the shift lever in neutral.
2. Turn the ignition switch to the ªACCº
position. Make sure the audio is turned
off and any item is not plugged into
the power outlet.
NOTICE
To avoid the locking of the steering
wheel, turn the ignition switch to the
ªACCº position.
3. Release the parking brake.
NOTICE
Four±wheel drive models:
To prevent the vehicle from being
damaged, observe following.
Do not tow the vehicle at the ve-
hicle speed more than 88 km/h (55
mph).
Do not tow the vehicle for more
than 320 km (200 miles).
After dinghy towing or at the recom-
mended distance limit, let the engine idle
for more than 3 minutes before driving the
vehicle or resuming towing.
ProCarManuals.com

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1742001 RAV4 (OM42483U)
NOTICE
Do not tow your vehicle from the
rear. This may cause serious damage
to your vehicle.
Trailer towing
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a
passenger±carrying vehicle. Towing a
trailer will have an adverse effect on
handling, performance, braking, durability
and driving economy (fuel consumption,
etc.). Your safety and satisfaction depend
on the proper use of correct equipment
and cautious driving habits. For your
safety and the safety of others, you must
not overload your vehicle or trailer. Toyota
warranties do not apply to damage or
malfunction caused by towing a trailer for
commercial purposes. Ask your local
Toyota dealer for further details before
towing.
WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total trail-
er weight, gross combination weight,
gross vehicle weight, gross axle weight
and trailer tongue load are all within
the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station, build-
ing supply company, trucking company,
junk yard, etc.CAUTION

The total trailer weight (trailer
weight plus its cargo load) must
not exceed 680 kg (1500 lb.).

The gross combination weight (sum
of your vehicle weight plus its load
and the total trailer weight) must
not exceed the following.
Two±wheel drive models
2468 kg (5441 lb.)
Four±wheel drive models
2489 kg (5487 lb.)
ProCarManuals.com

'01 Rav4_U (L/O 0008)
1752001 RAV4 (OM42483U)

Trailer hitch assemblies have differ-
ent weight capacities established by
the hitch manufacturer. Even though
the vehicle may be physically capa-
ble of towing a higher weight, the
operator must determine the maxi-
mum weight rating of the particular
hitch assembly and never exceed
the maximum weight rating speci-
fied for the trailer±hitch. Exceeding
the maximum weight rating set by
the trailer hitch manufacturer can
cause an accident resulting in seri-
ous personal injuries.

The gross vehicle weight must not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) indicated on the
Certification Label. The gross ve-
hicle weight is the sum of weights
of the unloaded vehicle, driver, pas-
sengers, luggage, hitch and trailer
tongue load. It also includes the
weight of any special equipment
installed on your vehicle.

The load on either the front or rear
axle resulting from distribution of
the gross vehicle weight on both
axles must not exceed the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) listed
on the Certification Label.
Total trailer weight
Total trailer weightTongue load
Tongue load

100 = 9 to 11%

The trailer cargo load should be
distributed so that the tongue load
is 9 to 11% of the total trailer
weight, not exceeding 68 kg (150
lb.).
Never load the trailer with more
weight in the back than in the
front. About 60% of the trailer load
should be in the front half of the
trailer and the remaining 40% in the
rear.
ProCarManuals.com