2005 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

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Do not allow dirt or anything elseto fall through the spark plug holes.

Use only spark plugs of the speci-fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-formance or radio noise.

Do not reuse iridium- tipped sparkplugs by cleaning or regapping.

Do not overfill automatic transmis-
sion fluid, or the transmissioncould be damaged.

Do not drive with the air cleanerfilter removed, or excessive enginewear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the enginecompartment.

Be careful not to scratch the glasssurface with the wiper frame.

When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-gotten any tools, rags, etc.
Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need to perform do- it- yourself mainte-
nance. Remember all Toyota parts are de-
signed in metric sizes, so your tools must
be metric.
CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):

Toyota Genuine Motor Oilº or equiva-
lent
See page 286 in Section 7- 2 for de-
tails about engine oil selection.
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding oil)
CHECKING THE ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):

Toyota Super Long Life Coolantº or
similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non- silicate, non- amine, non- ni-
trite, and non- borate coolant with long-
life hybrid organic acid technology.
Toyota Super Long Life Coolantº is a
mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deion-
ized water (for the U.S.A.) or 55%
coolant and 45% deionized water (for
Canada). Tools:

Funnel (only for adding coolant)
CHECKING BRAKE FLUID
Parts (if level is low):

SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
brake fluid
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING POWER STEERING FLUID
Parts (if level is low):

Automatic transmission fluid DEXRON II
or III
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING BATTERY CONDITION
Tools:

Warm water

Baking soda

Grease

Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Parts and tools

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CHECKING AND REPLACING FUSES
Parts (if replacement is necessary):

Fuse with same amperage rating as
original
ADDING WASHER FLUID
Parts:

Water

Washer fluid containing antifreeze
(for winter use)
Tools:

Funnel
REPLACING LIGHT BULBS
Parts:

Bulb with same number and wattage
rating as original (See charts in
Replacing light bulbsº on page 304 in
Section 7- 3.)
Tools:

Screwdriver
Front
Rear (two- wheel drive models)
Rear (four- wheel drive models)
Positioning the jack

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When jacking up your vehicle with the
jack, position the jack correctly as
shown in the illustrations.
CAUTION
When jacking, be sure to observe the
following to reduce the possibility of
personal injury:

Follow jacking instructions.

Do not put any part of your body
under the vehicle supported by the
jack. Personal injury may occur.

Do not start or run the engine while
your vehicle is supported by the
jack.

Stop the vehicle on a level firm
ground, firmly set the parking brake
and put the transmission in Pº
(automatic) or reverse (manual).
Block the wheels on the opposite
side of the jack up point if neces-
sary.

Make sure to set the jack properly
in the jack point. Raising the ve-
hicle with jack improperly posi-
tioned will damage the vehicle or
may allow the vehicle to fall off the
jack and cause personal injury.

Never get under the vehicle when
the vehicle is supported by the jack
alone; use vehicle support stands.

Do not raise the vehicle with some-
one in the vehicle.

When raising the vehicle, do not
place any objects on top of or un-
derneath the jack.
NOTICE
Make sure to place the jack correctly,or your vehicle may be damaged.

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DO- IT- YOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level286
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the engine coolant level 288
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the radiator and condenser 289
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking brake fluid 290
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. . . .
Checking power steering fluid 290
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking tire inflation pressure 291
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking and replacing tires 293
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating tires 295
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. . . . . . . . . . .
Installing snow tires and chains 296
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing wheels 298
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . .
Aluminum wheel precautions 298
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 7- 2

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Low level Full level
Add oil O.K. Too full
With the engine at operating tempera-
ture and turned off, check the oil level
on the dipstick. 1. To get a correct reading, the vehicle should be on level ground. After turning
off the engine, wait a few minutes for
the oil to drain back into the bottom of
the engine.
2. Pull the dipstick out, hold a rag under the end and wipe it clean.
3. Reinsert the dipstickÐpush it in as far as it will go, or the reading will not be
correct.
4. Pull the dipstick out and look at the oil level while holding a rag under the
end.
CAUTION
Be careful not to touch the hot ex-
haust manifold.
NOTICE
Be careful not to drop engine oil on
the vehicle components.
If the oil level is below or only slightly
above the low level, add engine oil of
the same type as already in the engine.
Remove the oil filler cap and add engine
oil in small quantities at a time, checking
the dipstick. We recommend that you use
a funnel when adding oil.
The approximate quantity of oil needed to
raise the level between low and full on the
dipstick is indicated below for reference.
When the level reaches within the correct
range, install the f iller cap hand- tight.
Oil quantity, L (qt., Imp. qt.): 1.0 (1.1, 0.9)
NOTICE

Be careful not to spill engine oil onthe vehicle components.

Avoid overfilling, or the enginecould be damaged.

Check the oil level on the dipstickonce again after adding the oil.
Checking the engine oil level

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ENGINE OIL SELECTION
Toyota Genuine Motor Oilº is used in
your Toyota vehicle. Use Toyota approved
Toyota Genuine Motor Oilº or equivalent
to satisfy the following grade and
viscosity.
Oil grade:API grade SL Energy- Conservingº or
ILSAC multigrade engine oil
Recommended viscosity: SAE 5W- 30
Outside temperature
SAE 5W- 30 is the best choice for good
fuel economy and good starting in cold
weather.
If SAE 5W- 30 is not available, SAE
10W- 30 may be used. However, it
should be replaced with SAE 5W- 30 at
the next oil change.
API service symbol
ILSAC certification mark

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Oil identification marks
Either or both API registered marks are
added to some oil containers to help
you select the oil you should use.
The API Service Symbol is located any-
where on the outside of the container.
The top portion of the label shows the oil
quality by API (American Petroleum Insti-
tute) designations such as SL. The center
portion of the label shows the SAE viscos-
ity grade such as SAE 5W- 30. Energy-
Conservingº shown in the lower portion,
indicates that the oil has fuel- saving ca-
pabilities.
The ILSAC (International Lubricant Stan-
dardization and Approval Committee) Certi-
fication Mark is displayed on the front of
the container.
To ensure excellent lubrication perfor-
mance for your engine, Toyota Genuine
Motor Oilº is available, which has been
specifically tested and approved for all
Toyota engines.
Please contact your Toyota dealer for fur-
ther details about Toyota Genuine Motor
Oilº.Look at the see- through coolant reser-
voir when the engine is cold. The cool-
ant level is satisfactory if it is between
the FULLº and LOWº lines on the
reservoir. If the level is low, add the
coolant. (For the coolant type, see
Coolant type selectionº described be-
low.)
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the LOWº line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the FULLº
line.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the
radiator, hoses, radiator cap and drain
cock and water pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check
for leaks in the cooling system.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot.
Checking the engine coolant
level