2003 TOYOTA RAV4 air conditioning

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)
32003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
1. Power rear view mirror control switches
2. Instrument panel light control knob
3. Engine immobiliser system indicatorlight
4. Headlight, turn signal and front fog light switches
5. Wiper and washer switches
6. Front passenger ’s seat belt reminder light
7. Car audio
8. Clock display
9. Emergency flasher switch
10. Rear window and outside rear view mirror defogger switch
11. Air conditioning controls
12. Cigarette lighter
13. Ashtray
14. Ignition switch
15. Cruise control switch
16. Tilt steering lock release lever
17. Power door lock switch (without power windows)

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)
912003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
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 stopandgo 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 “If your ve-
hicle overheats” on page 188 in
Section 4.
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 overrevving.
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.
This meter displays the odometer and
two trip meters.
1. Odometer—Shows the total distance the vehicle has been driven.
2. Two trip meters—Show 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.
Tachometer Odometer and two trip meters

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)
962003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
(d) Discharge Warning Light
This light warns that the battery is being
discharged.
If it comes on while you are driving, there
is a problem somewhere in the charging
system.
The engine ignition will continue to oper-
ate, however, until the battery is dis-
charged. Turn off the air conditioning,
blower, radio,etc., and drive directly to the
nearest Toyota dealer or repair shop.
NOTICE
Do not continue driving if the engine
drive belt is broken or loose.
(e) Low Engine Oil Pressure WarningLight
This light warns that the engine oil pres-
sure is too low.
If it flickers or stays on while you are
driving, pull off the road to a safe place
and stop the engine immediately. Call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance. The light may occasionally flicker when
the engine is idling or it may come on
briefly after a hard stop. There is no
cause for concern if it then goes out when
the engine is accelerated slightly.
The light may come on when the oil level
is extremely low. It is not designed to
indicate low oil level, and the oil level
must be checked using the level dipstick.
NOTICE
Do not drive the vehicle with the
warning light on—even for one block.
It may ruin the engine.
(f) Malfunction Indicator Lamp
This lamp comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position and
goes off after the engine starts. This
means that the warning light system is
operating properly.
If the lamp remains on, or the lamp
comes on while driving, first check the
followings.
Empty fuel tank
If the fuel tank is empty, refuel immedi-
ately.
Loose fuel tank cap
If the fuel tank cap is loose, securely
tighten it.
These cases are temporary malfunctions.
The malfunction indicator lamp will go off
after taking several driving trips.
If the lamp will not go off even after the
several trips, contact your Toyota dealer
as soon as possible.
If the fuel tank is not empty or the fuel
tank cap is not loose...
There is a problem somewhere in the
engine, emission control system, auto-
matic transmission electrical system or
warning light system itself.
Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible to service the vehicle.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
(I/M) programs
Your vehicle may not pass a state
emission inspection if the malfunction
indicator lamp remains on. Contact your
Toyota dealer to check your vehicle’s
emission control system and OBD
(OnBoard Diagnostics) system before
taking your vehicle for the inspection.
For details, see “Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance (I/M) programs” on page 216
in Section 6.

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)
1232003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
AM
Fading—AM broadcasts are reflected by
the upper atmosphere–especially at night.
These reflected signals can interfere with
those received directly from the radio sta-
tion, causing the radio station to sound
alternately strong and weak.
Station interference—When a reflected sig-
nal and a signal received directly from a
radio station are very nearly the same
frequency, they can interfere with each
other, making it difficult to hear the broad-
cast.
Static—AM is easily affected by external
sources of electrical noise, such as high
tension power lines, lightening, or electri-
cal motors. This results in static.
CARING FOR YOUR CASSETTE PLAYER
AND TAPES
For the best performance for your cas-
sette player and tapes:
Clean the tape head and other parts regu-
larly.
A dirty tape head or tape path can
decrease sound quality and tangle your
cassette tapes. The easiest way to
clean them is by using a cleaning tape.
(A wet type is recommended.)Use highquality cassettes.
Lowquality cassette tapes can cause
many problems, including poor sound,
inconsistent playing speed, and
constant autoreversing. They can also
get stuck or tangled in the cassette
player.
Do not use a cassette if it has been
damaged or tangled or if its label is
peeling off.
Do not leave a cassette in the player
if you are not listening to it, especially
if it is hot outside.
Store cassettes in their cases and out
of direct sunlight.
Avoid using cassettes with a total play-
ing time longer than 100 minutes (50
minutes per side). The tape used in
these cassettes is thin and could get
stuck or tangled in the cassette player.
CARING FOR YOUR COMPACT DISC
PLAYER AND DISCS
Your compact disc player is intended
for use with 12 cm (4.7 in.) discs only.
Extremely high temperatures can keep
your compact disc player from working.
On hot days, use the air conditioning
to cool the vehicle interior before you
listen to a disc.
Bumpy roads or other vibrations may
make your compact disc player skip.
If moisture gets into your compact disc
player, you may not hear any sound
even though your compact disc player
appears to be working. Remove the
disc from the player and wait until it
dries.
CAUTION
Compact disc players use an invisible
laser beam which could cause hazard-
ous radiation exposure if directed
outside the unit. Be sure to operate
the player correctly.

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1272003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Air conditioning system
Controls128
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Air flow selector settings 131
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Operating tips 131
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Side vents 134
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SECTION 1 8

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)
1302003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
For details about air flow selector settings,
see “Air flow selector settings” described
below.
Air intake selector
Press the button to select the air source.1. Recirculate— Recirculates the air inside
the vehicle.
2. Fresh— Draws outside air into the sys-
tem.
To prevent fogging up of the windshield,
the air intake mode may change automati-
cally to FRESH depending on the condi-
tion of the air conditioning system. “A/C” button (on some models)
To turn on the air conditioning, press the
“A/C” button. The “A/C” button indicator
will come on. To turn the air conditioning
off, press the button again.
If the “A/C” button indicator flashes, there
is a problem in the air conditioning system
and the air conditioning automatically
shuts off. If this happens, take your ve-
hicle to a Toyota dealer for service.

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)
1312003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
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, set the fan speed to
high for a minute to help clear the
intake 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 “OFF”.
Air flow selector settings
On some models
Operating tips

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)
1322003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
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 speed— Any setting except “OFF”
Temperature— To w a r d s WARM
(red zone)
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—FLOOR
Air conditioning—OFF
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 “A/C” 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 speed— Any setting except “OFF”
Temperature— To w a r d s COLD
(blue zone)
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—PANEL
Air conditioning—ON
For quick cooling, select recirculated
air for a few minutes.
Ventilation
For best results, set controls to:
Fan speed— Any setting except “OFF”
Temperature— To w a r d s COLD
(blue zone)
Air intake—FRESH (outside air)
Air flow—PANEL
Air conditioning—OFF