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CAUTION
Do not wash the vehicle floor with
water, or allow water to get onto the
floor when cleaning the vehicle interi-
or or exterior. Water may get into
audio components or other electrical
components above or under the floor
carpet (or mat) and cause a malfunc-
tion; and it may cause body corro-
sion.
Vinyl interior
The vinyl upholstery may be easily
cleaned with a mild soap or detergent
and water.
First vacuum over the upholstery to re-
move loose dirt. Then, using a sponge or
soft cloth, apply the soap solution to the
vinyl. After allowing it to soak in for a few
minutes to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt
and wipe off the soap with a clean damp
cloth. If all the dirt do not come off, re-
peat the procedure. Commercial foaming
type vinyl cleaners are also available
which work well. Follow the manufacturer ’s
instructions.
NOTICE
Do not use solvent, thinner, gasoline
or window cleaner on the interior.
Carpets
Use a good foam type shampoo to
clean the carpets.
Begin by vacuuming thoroughly to remove
as much dirt as possible. Several types of
foam cleaners are available; some are in
aerosol cans and others are powders or
liquids which you mix with water to pro-
duce a foam. To shampoo the carpets,
use a sponge or brush to apply the foam.
Rub in overlapping circles.
Do not apply water—the best results are
obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as
possible. Read the shampoo instructions
and follow them closely.
Seat belts
The seat belts may be cleaned with
mild soap and water or with lukewarm
water.
Use a cloth or sponge. As you are clean-
ing, check the belts for excessive wear,
fraying, or cuts.
NOTICE
Do not use dye or bleach on the
belts —it may weaken them.
Do not use the belts until they be-
come dry.
Windows
The windows may be cleaned with any
household window cleaner.
NOTICE
When cleaning the inside of the rear
window, be careful not to scratch or
damage the heater wires or connec-
tors.
Air conditioning control panel, car au-
dio, instrument panel, console panel,
and switches
Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.
Soak a clean soft cloth in water or luke-
warm water then lightly wipe off dirt.
Cleaning the interior

’02 Rav4_U (L/O 0108)
2112002 MY RAV4_U (OM42503U)
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Maintenance requirements212
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General maintenance 213
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. . .
Does your vehicle need repairing? 215
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Emissions Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) programs 216
. . . . . . . . .
For scheduled maintenance information, please refer to the “Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement”.
SECTION 6

’02 Rav4_U (L/O 0108)
2122002 MY RAV4_U (OM42503U)
Your Toyota vehicle has been designed for
fewer maintenance requirements with long-
er service intervals to save both your time
and money. However, each regular mainte-
nance, as well as day to day care, is
more important than ever before to ensure
smooth, and trouble free, safe, and eco-
nomical drivings.
It is the owner ’s responsibility to make
sure the specified maintenance, including
general maintenance service, is performed.
Note that both the new vehicle and emis-
sion control system warranties specify that
proper maintenance and care must be per-
formed. See “Owner ’s Warranty Informa-
tion Booklet” or “Owner ’s Manual Supple-
ment” for complete warranty information.
General maintenance
General maintenance items are those day
to day care practices that are important to
your vehicle for proper operation. It is the
owner ’s responsibility to ensure that the
general maintenance items are performed
regularly.
These checks or inspections can be done
either by yourself or a qualified technician,
or if you prefer, your Toyota dealer will be
pleased to do them at a nominal cost.Scheduled maintenance
The scheduled maintenance items listed in
the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide” or
“Owner ’s Manual Supplement” are those
required to be serviced at regular inter-
vals.
For details of your maintenance schedule,
read the “Scheduled Maintenance Guide”
or “Owner ’s Manual Supplement”.
It is recommended that any replacement
parts used for maintenance or for the
repair of the emission control system
be Toyota supplied.
The owner may elect to use non Toyota
supplied parts for replacement pur-
poses without invalidating the emission
control system warranty. However, use
of replacement parts which are not of
equivalent quality may impair the effec-
tiveness of the emission control sys-
tems.
You may also elect to have mainte-
nance, replacement, or repair of the
emission control devices and system
performed by any automotive repair es-
tablishment or individual without invali-
dating this warranty. See “Owner’s War-
ranty Information Booklet” or “Owner’s
Manual Supplement” for complete war-
ranty information.Where to go for service?
Toyota technicians are well trained spe-
cialists and are kept up to date with the
latest service information through technical
bulletins, service tips, and in dealership
training programs. They learn to work on
Toyotas before they work on your vehicle,
rather than while they are working on it.
You can be confident that your Toyota
dealer ’s service department performs the
best job to meet the maintenance require-
ments on your vehicle—reliably and eco-
nomically.
Your copy of the repair order is proof that
all required maintenance has been per-
formed for warranty coverage. And if any
problems should arise with your vehicle
while under warranty, your Toyota dealer
will promptly take care of it. Again, be
sure to keep a copy of the repair order
for any service performed on your Toyota.
What about do it yourself maintenance?
Many of the maintenance items are easy
to do yourself if you have a little mechani-
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools. Simple instructions for how to per-
form them are presented on page 217 in
Section 7.
Maintenance requirements

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Battery electrolyte level
Your Toyota has a maintenance free bat-
tery. You do not have to add distilled wa-
ter. For longer life of the battery, however,
see page 240 for additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See page 229 in Section 7 2 for addition-
al information.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with the
engine turned off and the vehicle parked
on a level spot. See page 226 in Section
7 2 for additional information.
Power steering fluid level
Check the level through the reservoir. The
level should be in the “HOT” or “COLD”
range depending on the fluid temperature.
See page 229 in Section 7 2 for addition-
al information.
Exhaust system
If you notice any change in the sound of
the exhaust or smell exhaust fumes, have
the cause located and corrected immedi-
ately. (See “Engine exhaust cautions” on
page 159 in Section 2.)Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip offs that
indicate service is needed. Some impor-
tant clues are as follows:
Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging
Appreciable loss of power
Strange engine noises
A leak under the vehicle (however, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)
Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and
have the exhaust system checked im-
mediately.)
Flat looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear
Vehicle pulls to one side when driving
straight on a level road
Strange noises related to suspension
movement
Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
Engine coolant temperature continually
higher than normalIf you notice any of these clues, take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. It probably needs adjustment or
repair.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving with the ve-
hicle unchecked. It could result in se-
rious vehicle damage and possibly
personal injury.
Does your vehicle need
repairing?