2003 TOYOTA RAV4 ECO mode

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152003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure that the doors
are closed and locked, especially
when small children are in the ve-
hicle. Along with the proper use of
seat belts, locking the doors helps
prevent the driver and passengers
from being thrown out from the ve-
hicle during an accident. It also helps
prevent the doors from being opened
unintentionally.
Locking operation
Unlocking operation
The wireless remote control system is
designed to lock or unlock all the side
doors and back door, or activate the
“PANIC” mode from a distance within
approximately 1 m (3 ft.) of the vehicle.
LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE SIDE
DOORS AND BACK DOOR
To lock and unlock all the side doors
and back door, push the switches of
the transmitter slowly and securely.
To lock: Push the “LOCK” switch. All the
side doors and back door are locked si-
multaneously. At this time, parking lights
and tail lights flash.
Check to see that all the side doors and
back door are securely locked.
If any of side doors or back door is not
securely closed, or if the key is in the
ignition switch, locking cannot be per-
formed by the “LOCK” switch.
To unlock: Push the “UNLOCK” switch
once to unlock the driver ’s door alone.
Pushing the switch twice within 3 seconds
unlocks all the side doors and back door
simultaneously. At this time, parking lights
and tail lights flash twice.
—Wireless remote control

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When all the side doors and back door
are unlocked simultaneously using a wire-
less remote control transmitter, the interior
lights will come on and remain on for
about 15 seconds before fading out. (For
further information, see “Interior light” on
page 84 in Section 14.)
You have 30 seconds to open a door after
using the wireless remote unlock feature.
If a door is not opened by then, all the
side doors and back door will be automati-
cally locked again.
If the “LOCK” or “UNLOCK” switch is kept
pressed in, the locking or unlocking opera-
tion is not repeated. Release the button
and then push again.
“PANIC” SWITCH
Pushing the “PANIC” switch blows the
horn intermittently and flashes the
headlights and tail lights.
The “PANIC” switch is used to deter ve-
hicle theft when you witness anyone at-
tempting to break into or damage your
vehicle.
The alarm will last for one minute. To stop
alarm midway, do the following:
Push the “PANIC” switch once again.
Unlock any of side door or back door
with the key or wireless remote control
transmitter.
Turn the ignition key from the “LOCK”
to “ON” position.The “PANIC” mode does not work when
the ignition key is in the “ON” position.
WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL
TRANSMITTER
The wireless remote control transmitter is
an electronic component. Observe the fol-
lowing instructions in order not to cause
damage to the transmitter.
Do not leave the transmitter on places
where the temperature becomes high
such as on the dashboard.
Do not disassemble it.
Avoid knocking it hard against other
objects or dropping it.
Avoid putting it in water.
You can use up to 4 wireless remote con-
trol transmitters for the same vehicle.
Contact your Toyota dealer for detailed
information.
If the wireless remote control transmitter
does not actuate the side doors and back
door or alarm, or operate from a normal
distance:
Check for closeness to a radio trans-
mitter such as a radio station or an
airport which can interfere with normal
operation of the transmitter.

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(g) Low Fuel Level Warning Light
This light comes on when the fuel level
in the tank becomes nearly empty. Fill up
the tank as soon as possible.
On inclines or curves, due to the move-
ment of fuel in the tank, the low fuel level
warning light may come on earlier than
usual.
(h) “ABS” Warning Light
The light comes on with the ignition key
turned to the “ON” position. If the anti
lock brake system works properly, the
light turns off after a few seconds. There-
after, if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
antilock brake system does not operate,
but the brake system still operates con-
ventionally.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
antilock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.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 “ON” 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 “ABS” 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 antilock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
(i) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the side
doors and back door are completely
closed.
(j) Automatic Transmission Fluid Tem- perature Warning Light (fourwheel
drive models)
This light warns that the automatic trans-
mission fluid temperature is too high.
If this light comes on while you are driv-
ing, slow down and pull off the road. Stop
the vehicle at a safe place and put the
selector lever in “P”. With the engine id-
ling, wait until the light goes off. If the
light goes off, you can start the vehicle
again. If the light does not go off, call a
Toyota dealer or qualified repair shop for
assistance.
NOTICE
Continued driving with the warning
light on may damage the automatic
transmission.

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(b) Overdrive switch
You can select either third gear (with
overdrive off) or fourth gear (with over-
drive on) by pushing this switch.
To turn the overdrive off, push the switch.
The “O/D OFF” indicator light should come
on. To turn the overdrive on again, push
the switch again. The “O/D OFF” indicator
light should go off.
Always drive your vehicle with the over-
drive on for better fuel economy and
quieter driving.
If the engine is turned off when the over-
drive is off and restarted, the overdrive
will automatically be on.Vehicles with cruise control—When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 106 in this
section.
(c) Normal driving
1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 170 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
“P” or “N”.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to “D”.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always turn the overdrive on for better
fuel economy and quieter driving. If the
engine coolant temperature is low, the
transmission will not shift into the over-
drive gear even with the overdrive on.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting.
(d) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Push the overdrive switch. The “O/D
OFF” indicator light will come on and
the transmission will downshift to third
gear.
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled. Twowheel drive models108 km/h (67 mph)
Fourwheel drive models 103 km/h (64 mph)

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Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.Twowheel drive models52 km/h (32 mph)
Fourwheel drive models
51 km/h (31 mph)
Vehicles with cruise control—When the
cruise control is being used, even if you
downshift the transmission by pushing and
releasing the overdrive switch, engine
braking will not be enabled because the
cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 106 in this
section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
(e) Using “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in “2” or “L”, you
can start the vehicle in motion as with the
lever in “D”.
With the selector lever in “2”, the vehicle
will start in first gear and automatically
shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in “L”, the trans-
mission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
 Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
Twowheel drive models“2” 119 km/h (74 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 66 km/h (41 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models “2” 110 km/h (68 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 61 km/h (38 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, “D” position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(f) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.

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Recommended shifting speeds
The transmission is fully synchronized and
upshifting or downshifting is easy.
For the best compromise between fuel
economy and vehicle performance, you
should upshift or downshift at the following
speeds:gear km/h (mph)
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24 (15)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40 (25)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64 (40)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72 (45)
Downshift to the appropriate gear if accel-
eration is needed when you are cruising
below the above downshifting speeds.
Upshifting too soon or downshifting too
late will cause lugging and, possibly, ping-
ing. Regularly revving the engine to maxi-
mum speed in each gear will cause ex-
cessive engine wear and high fuel
consumption. Maximum allowable speeds
To get on a highway or to pass slower
traffic, maximum acceleration may be nec-
essary. Make sure you observe the follow-
ing maximum allowable speeds in each
gear:
Twowheel drive models gear km/h (mph)1 50 (31)
2 94 (58)
3 144 (89)
4 187 (116)
Fourwheel drive models
gear km/h (mph)1 46 (29)
2 85 (53)
3 131 (81)
4 170 (106)
NOTICE
Do not downshift if you are going
faster than the maximum allowable
speed for the next lower gear.
Good driving practice
If it is difficult to shift into reverse, put
the transmission in neutral, release the
clutch pedal momentarily, and then try
again.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use fifth gear.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin or
skid.
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before shifting into reverse.

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11 52003 RAV4 from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM42517U)
SCAN
Radio
You can either scan all the frequencies on
a band or scan only the preset stations
for that band.
To scan the preset stations:
Push and hold the “SCAN” button until
you hear a beep. The radio will tune in
the next preset station up the band, stay
there for 5 seconds, and then move to the
next preset station. To stop scanning,
push this button again.
To scan all the frequencies:
Quickly push and release the “SCAN” but-
ton. The radio will find the next station up
the station band, stay there for 5 seconds,
and then scan again to the next station.
To stop scanning, push this button again.Compact disc player
There are two scan features—you can ei-
ther scan the tracks on a specific disc or
scan the first tracks of all the discs in the
magazine.
Scanning the tracks on a disc:
Quickly push and release the “SCAN” but-
ton. “SCAN” will appear on the display
and the player will scan all the tracks on
the disc you are listening to. To stop
scanning, push this button again. If the
player scanned all the tracks on the disc,
it will stop scanning.
With compact disc changer only—
Scanning the first tracks of all the discs
in the magazine:
Push the “SCAN” button until you hear a
beep. “
·SCAN” will appear on the dis-
play and the player will scan the first
track of the next disc. To stop scanning,
push this button again. If the player has
scanned all the di scs, it will stop scan-
ning. SEEK/TRACK (Seeking/Track up/down)
Radio
In the seek mode, the radio finds and
plays the next station up or down the
station band.
To seek the next station, quickly push and
release “
” or “ ” side of the “SEEK/
TRACK” button. Do this again to find the
station after that.
Compact disc player
Use this button to skip up or down to a
different track.
Push “ ” or “ ” side of the “SEEK/
TRACK” button until the number of the
track you want to listen to appears on the
display. If you want to return to the begin-
ning of the current track, quickly push the
down side of the button one time.
ST (Stereo reception) display
Your radio automatically changes to stereo
reception when a stereo broadcast is re-
ceived. “ST” appears on the display. If the
signal becomes weak, the radio reduces
the amount of channel separation to prev-
ent the weak signal from creating noise.
If the signal becomes extremely weak, the
radio switches from stereo to mono recep-
tion.

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DISC (Compact disc)
Push the “DISC” button to play a compact
disc.
When the audio system is set into com-
pact disc operation, the display shows the
track, or track and disc number currently
being played.
Error messages
If the player malfunctions, your audio sys-
tem will display one of the six following
error messages.
“WAIT”: The compact disc player unit
may be too hot. Allow the player to cool
down.
“ERROR 1”: The disc may be dirty, dam-
aged or inserted incorrectly (upside
down). Clean the disc and reinsert it.
“NO DISC”: The compact disc changer of
separate unit is empty. Insert a disc.
“ERROR 3”: There is a problem inside
the system. Eject the disc or magazine.
Set the disc or magazine again.
“ERROR 4”: Overcurrent. Ask your
Toyota dealer to inspect.
“CD OPEN”: The compact disc changer
lid of separate unit is open. Close the
compact disc changer lid. If the malfunction still exists,
take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer.
 DISC 
With compact disc changer only—
Use these buttons to select the disc you
want to listen to.
Push “ ” (preset button 3) or “ ” (preset
button 4) until the number of the disc you
want to listen appears on the display.
Dolby 
B NR∗
If you are listening to a tape that was
recorded with Dolby  B Noise Reduction,
push “
” (preset button 3). “” will
appear on the display. Push the button
again to turn off Dolby B NR.
The Dolby NR mode reduces tape noise
by about 10 dB. For best sound reproduc-
tion, play your tapes with this button on
or off according to the mode used to re-
cord the tape.
∗: Dolby noise reduction manufactured under license from
Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. “DOLBY” and the
double D symbol
are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories
Licensing Corporation.
FM
Push the “FM” button to turn on the radio
and select the FM band. “FM1” or “FM2”
will appear on the display. This system
allows you to set twelve FM stations, two
for each of the preset button.
PWR·VOL (Power and Volume)
Push “PWR·VOL” to turn the audio system
on and off. Turn “PWR·VOL” to adjust the
volume.
RAND (Random)
There are two random features—you can
either listen to the tracks on one compact
disc in random order, or listen to the
tracks on all the compact discs in the
magazine in random order.
To play the tracks on one disc in random
order:
Quickly push and release “RAND” (preset
button 1). “
” will appear on the
display and the player will perform the
tracks on the disc you are listening to in
random order. To turn off the random fea-
ture, push this button again.