2004 TOYOTA RAV4 ECU

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
iii
2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
Important information about your Toyota
Occupant restraint systems
Toyota encourages you and your family to take the time to
read Section 1−3 of this Owner’s Manual carefully. In
terms of helping you understand how you can receive the
maximum benefit of the occupant restraint systems this
vehicle provides, Section 1 −3 of this Owner ’s Manual is
the most important Section for you and your family to
read.
Section 1 −3 describes the function and operation concern-
ing seats, seat belts, SRS airbags and child restraint sys-
tems of this vehicle and some potential hazards you
should be aware of. These systems work together along
with the overall structure of this vehicle in order to provide
occupant restraint in the event of a crash. The effect of
each system is enhanced when it is used properly and
together with other systems. No single occupant restraint
system can, by itself, provide you or your family with the
equal level of restraint which these systems can provide
when used together. That is why it is important for you and
your family to understand the purpose and proper use of
each of these systems and how they relate to each other.
The purpose of all occupant restraint systems is to help
reduce the possibility of death or serious injury in the
event of a collision. None of these systems, either individ-
ually or together, can ensure that there is no injury in the
event of collision. However, the more you know about
these systems and how to use them properly, the greater
your chances become of surviving an accident without
death or serious injury.
Seat belts provide the primary restraint to all occupants of
the vehicle, and every occupant of the vehicle should wear
seat belts properly at all times. Children should always be
secured in child restraint systems that are appropriate for
their age and size. SRS (Supplemental Restraint System)
airbags are, as their names imply, designed to work with,
and be supplemental to, seat belts and are not substitutes
for them. SRS airbags can be very effective in reducing
the risk of head and chest injuries by preventing contact of
the head and chest with interior portions of the vehicle.

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
17
2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
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 one beep will
be heard, and the turn signal lights flash
once.
Check to see that all the side doors and
back door are securely locked.
If any of the side doors or the back door
is not securely closed, locking cannot be
performed by the “LOCK” switch and a
beep will sound continuously for 10 sec-
onds. However, if the key is in the ignition
switch, a beep will not sound.
To stop the beep, close all the side doors
and back door securely or push the “UN-
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. Each time the “UNLOCK”
switch is pushed, two beeps will be heard,
and the turn signal lights flash twice.
When all the side doors and back door
are unlocked simultaneously using a wire-
less remote control transmitter, the interior
lights and ignition switch light will come
on and remain on for about 15 seconds
before fading out. (For further information,
see “Interior lights” on page 100 and “Igni-
tion switch light” on page 102 in Section
1
−5.)
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 switch
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.

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
20
2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
2. Remove the discharged transmitter bat-tery.
NOTICE
Do not bend the terminals.
3. Put in a new transmitter battery withpositive (+) side up.
Close the transmitter case securely.
NOTICE
 Make sure the positive side and
negative side of the transmitter bat-
tery are faced correctly.
 Do not replace the battery with wet
hands. Water may cause unexpected
rust.
 Do not touch or move any compo-
nents inside the transmitter, or it
may interfere with proper operation.
Be careful not to bend the electrode
when inserting the transmitter bat-
tery and that dust or oils do not
adhere to the transmitter case.
 Close the transmitter case securely.
After replacing the battery, check that the
transmitter operates properly. If the trans-
mitter still does not operate properly, con-
tact your Toyota dealer.

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
24
2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
CAUTION
Keep the back door closed while
driving. This not only keeps the
luggage from being thrown out but
also prevents exhaust gases from
entering the vehicle.
If the open back door hides the
stop, tail or rear turn signal lights
while you are parked, other road
users must be warned of the pres-
ence of your vehicle by a warning
triangle or other device.
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood lock release lever. The hood will spring up slightly.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure that the hood
is closed and securely locked. Other-
wise, the hood may open unexpected-
ly while driving and an accident may
occur.
2. In front of the vehicle, pull up theauxiliary catch l ever and lift the
hood.
Hood

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
25
2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
3. Hold the hood open by inserting thesupport rod into the slot.
To insert the support rod into the slot,
move it straight up. If it is moved to the
side or toward the inside of the vehicle,
it may become detached.
Before closing the hood, check to see that
you have not forgotten any tools, rags,
etc. and return the support rod to its
clip—this prevents rattles. Then lower the
hood and make sure it locks into place.
If necessary, press down gently on the
front edge to lock it.
CAUTION
After inserting the support rod into
the slot, make sure the rod supports
the hood securely from falling down
on to your head or body.
NOTICE
Be sure to return the support rod to
its clip before closing the hood. Clos-
ing the hood with the support rod up
could cause the hood to bend.
This indicates that the fuel filler door
is on the left side of your vehicle.
Fuel tank cap

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
26
2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
1. To open the fuel filler door, pull thelever up.
When refueling, turn off the engine.
CAUTION
Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames when refueling.
The fumes are flammable.
When opening the cap, do not re-
move the cap quickly. In hot weath-
er, fuel under pressure could cause
injury by spraying out of the filler
neck if the cap is suddenly re-
moved.
2. To remove the fuel tank cap, turnthe cap slowly counterclockwise,
then pause slightly before removing
it. After removing the cap, hang it
on the cap hanger.
It is not unusual to hear a slight swoosh
when the cap is opened. When installing,
turn the cap clockwise till you hear a
click.
If the cap is not tightened securely, the
malfunction indicator lamp comes on.
Make sure the cap is tightened securely.
The indicator lamp goes off after driving
several times. If the indicator lamp does
not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
CAUTION
Make sure the cap is tightened se-
curely to prevent fuel sp illage in
the event of an accident.
Use only a genuine Toyota fuel tank
cap for replacement. It is designed
to regulate fuel tank pressure.

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
33
2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
CAUTION
Do not adjust the seat while the
vehicle is moving.
Be careful that the seat does not
hit a passenger or luggage.
Adjust both seat cushions to the
same position and align both seat-
backs at the same angle when a
person sits in the rear center posi-
tion. Otherwise, the person cannot
wear the seat belt properly and this
may cause serious injuries in a col-
lision.
After adjusting the seat position,
try sliding it forward and backward
to make sure it is locked in posi-
tion.
After adjusting the seatback, push
back your body to make sure it is
locked in position.
When returning seats to their origi-
nal position, observe the following
precautions in order to prevent per-
sonal injury in a collision or sud-
den stop:
Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback or
by trying to pull up the edge of the
bottom cushion. Failure to do so
will prevent the seat belt from oper-
ating properly.
Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position and are ready to use.
Folding the seats up will enlarge the lug-
gage compartment. See “—Stowage pre-
cautions” on page 219 in Section 2 for
precautions when loading luggage.
Rear seats—
—Rear seat precautions—Adjusting rear seats

’04 Rav4_U (L/O 0403)
35
2004 RAV4 from Mar. ’04 Prod. (OM42568U)
BEFORE TUMBLING REAR SEAT1. Stow the rear seat belt buckles as shown in the illustration.
This prevents the buckles from falling out
when you tumble the rear seat.
CAUTION
Before using the seat belt, pull out
the buckle and make sure the belt is
not twisted.
NOTICE
The seat belt buckles must be stowed
before you fold the seatback.
2. To stow the rear center seat belt, pull the belt out of its cover a little
and insert the concave end tab into
the higher slot of the cover.3. Insert the round end tab into thecover. You will hear a click when the
tabs are locked in the seat belt cov-
er. Make sure the tabs are securely
locked in the cover.
NOTICE
The seat belt must be stowed before
you fold the seatback.
—Tumbling rear seats