2003 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

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1472003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
NOTICE
Do not fold the seatback forward
while the luggage cover is set.
If the luggage cover is left to be removed,
place it somewhere other than the passen-
ger compartment. This will prevent pas-
sengers from injury in the event of a sud-
den stop or an accident.
(a) Behind the rear seats
(b) Behind the front seats(folding up rear seats)
(c) Behind the front seats (removing rear seats)
You can separate the luggage compart-
ment by installing the separation net.
You can choose one of the three posi-
tions.
Separation net
(on some models)

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1. Raise up the cover.2. Insert one side of the net stay intothe net fixing hole. Press the stay to
contract and insert the other side of
the stay into the other fixing hole.
Push the net forward.(a) Behind the rear seats
3. Hook the claw of the strap over the
front tie down hook.

’03 Rav4_U (L/O 0208)
1492003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
(b) Behind the front seats
(folding up rear seats)
3. Fold up the rear seat cushions andhook the claw of the strap over the
rear hinge of the rear seat. (See
“—Folding up rear seats” on page 34
in Section 13.)
(c) Behind the front seats
(removing rear seats)
3. Remove the rear seats and hook theclaw of the strap over the front
hinge of the rear seat as shown
above. (See “—Removing rear seats”
on page 37 in Section 13.)
4. Pull the end of the belt to stretchthe net securely.
Make sure the net does not interfere
with a reclined seatback or head re-
straint.
CAUTION
When not using the separation net,
make sure that the cover of the fixing
hook is closed. If the cover is open,
it might cause the unexpected injury
like hitting a head.

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Ty p e A
Ty p e B
The roof luggage carrier consists of
roof rails (1) attached to the roof and
sliding cross rails (2).
To adjust the positions of cross rails, do
this.1. Turn the knobs counterclockwise to loosen the cross rails.
2. Slide the cross rails to the desired position for loading the luggages of
various sizes.
3. After adjusting, be sure to tighten the cross rails by turning knobs clockwise.
Follow the manufacture’s instructions and
precautions when installing the attach-
ments or their equivalent.CAUTION
When you load cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier, observe the following:
Place the cargo so that its weight
is distributed evenly between the
front and rear axles.
If loading long or wide cargo, never
exceed the vehicle overall length or
width. (See “Dimensions and
weight” on page 254 in Section 8
for information on your vehicle
overall length and width.)
Before driving, make sure the cargo
is securely fastened on the roof
luggage carrier.
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss
of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.
Roof luggage carrier

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1512003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
If driving for a long distance, on
rough roads, or at high speeds,
stop the vehicle now and then dur-
ing the trip to make sure the cargo
remains in its place.
Do not exceed 34 kg (75 lb.) cargo
weight on the roof luggage carrier.
NOTICE
When loading the luggages, be careful
not to scratch the surface of the
moon roof.
Use a floor mat of the correct size.
If the floor carpet and floor mat have a
hole, then it is designed for use with a
locking clip. Fix the floor mat with locking
clip into the hole in the floor carpet.CAUTION
Make sure the floor mat is properly
placed on the floor carpet. If the floor
mat slips and interferes with the
movement of the pedals during driv-
ing, it may cause an accident.
Floor mat

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INFORMATION BEFORE DRIVING YOUR
TOYOTA
Information before driving your Toyota
Offroad vehicle precautions154
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Breakin period 155
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Fuel 155
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Fuel pump shut off system 157
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Operation in foreign countries 157
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Threeway catalytic converters 158
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Engine exhaust cautions 159
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Facts about engine oil consumption 159
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Iridiumtipped spark plugs 160
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Brake system 161
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Brake pad wear limit indicators 164
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Luggage stowage precautions 164
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Limitedslip differential 165
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Your Toyota’s identification 165
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Theft prevention labels 167
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Suspension and chassis 167
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Types of tires 167
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SECTION 2

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1542003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
This vehicle belongs to the utility ve-
hicle class, which has higher ground
clearance and narrower tread in relation
to the height of its center of gravity to
make it capable of performing in a wide
variety of offroad applications. Specific
design characteristics give it a higher
center of gravity than ordinary passen-
ger cars. This vehicle design feature
causes this type of vehicle to be more
likely to rollover. And, utility vehicles
have a significantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles. An advan-
tage of the higher ground clearance is
a better view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems. It is not de-
signed for cornering at the same
speeds as ordinary passenger cars any
more than lowslung sports cars de-
signed to perform satisfactorily under
offroad conditions. Therefore, sharp
turns at excessive speeds may cause
rollover.CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle:
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 mov-
ing.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible. Failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover causing death or serious
injury.
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss
of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.
Offroad vehicle precautions