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In a rollover crash, an unbelted per-
son is significantly more likely to
die than a person wearing a seat
belt. Therefore, the driver and all
passengers should fasten their seat
belts whenever the vehicle is mo-
ving.
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.
NOTICE
If driving through water, such as
when crossing shallow streams,
first check the depth of the water
and the bottom of the river bed for
firmness. Drive slowly and avoid
deep water.
Take all necessary safety measures
to ensure that water damage to the
engine or other components does
not occur.
Water entering the engine air intake
will cause severe engine damage.
Water can wash the grease from
wheel bearings, causing rusting and
premature failure, and may also en-
ter the differentials, transmission
and transfer case, reducing the gear
oil’s lubricating qualities.
Sand and mud that has accumulated
in brake drums and around brake
discs may affect braking efficiency
and may damage brake system com-
ponents.
Always perform a maintenance in-
spection after each day of off road
driving that has taken you through
rough terrain, sand, mud, or water.
For scheduled maintenance informa-
tion, refer to the “Scheduled Main-
tenance Guide” or “Owner’s Manual
Supplement”.Make sure you have a proper freeze
protection of engine coolant.
Your coolant must contain ethylene glycol
type coolant for a proper corrosion
protection of aluminum components. Use
“TOYOTA Long Life Coolant” or equivalent.
See page 227 in Section 7 2 for details
about coolant type selection.
NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or
plain water alone.
When it is extremely cold, we recommend
to use 60% solution for your Toyota, to
provide protection down to about 50 C
( 58 F). Do not use more than 70% solu-
tion for better coolant performance.
Check the condition of the battery and
cables.
Cold temperatures reduce the capacity of
any battery, so it must be in top shape
to provide enough power for winter start-
ing. Section 7 3 tells you how to visually
inspect the battery. Your Toyota dealer
and most service stations will be pleased
to check the level of charge.
Winter driving tips
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CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot.
Coolant type selection
Use of improper coolants may damage
your engine cooling system. Your coolant
must contain ethylene glycol type coolant
for a proper corrosion protection of your
engine that contains aluminum compo-
nents. Use “TOYOTA Long Life Coolant”
or equivalent.
In addition to preventing freezing and sub-
sequent damage to the engine, this type
of coolant will also prevent corrosion. Fur-
ther supplemental inhibitors or additives
are neither needed nor recommended.
Read the coolant container for information
on freeze protection. Follow the manufac-
turer’s directions for how much to mix
with plain water (preferably demineralized
water or distilled water). The total capacity
of the cooling system is given on page
255 in Section 8. We recommend to use 50% solution for
your Toyota, to provide protection down to
about 35
C ( 31 F). When it is extreme-
ly cold, to provide protection down to
about 50 C ( 58 F), 60% solution is rec-
ommended. Do not use more than 70%
solution for better coolant performance.NOTICE
Do not use alcohol type antifreeze or
plain water alone.
If any of the above parts are extremely
dirty or you are not sure of their condi-
tion, take your vehicle to Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
To prevent yourself from burning, be
careful not to touch the radiator or
condenser when the engine is hot.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the radiator
and condenser, do not perform the
work by yourself.
Checking the radiator and
condenser
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’02 Rav4_U (L/O 0108)
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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) ENGINE
Valve clearance (engine cold), mm (in.):
Intake 0.19—0.29 (0.007—0.012)
Exhaust 0.30—0.40 (0.012—0.016)
Spark plug type: DENSO SK20R11
NGK IFR6A11
Spark plug gap, mm (in.): 1.1 (0.043)
ENGINE LUBRICATION
Oil capacity (drain and ref ill),
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 “Energy Conserving”, SL
“Energy Conserving” or ILSAC multi-
grade engine oil is recommended. 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:
“TOYOTA Long Life Coolant” 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.
Fuel Service specifications