2006 TOYOTA RAV4 wheel

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“START”—Starter motor on. The key
will return to the “ON” position when
released.
For starting tips, see page 305 in Section
3.
“ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
“ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the key in the “ACC” or
“LOCK” position and open the driver’s
door, a buzzer will remind you to remove
the key.“LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.
You must push in the key to turn it from
“ACC” to the “LOCK” position. The selec-
tor lever must be in the “P” position be-
fore pushing the key.
Vehicles with engine immobilizer sys-
tem—Once you remove the key, the en-
gine immobilizer system is automatically
set. (See “Engine immobilizer system” on
page 15 in Section 1
−2.)
When starting the engine, the key may
seem stuck at the “LOCK” position. To
free it, first be sure the key is pushed all
the way in, and then rotate the steering
wheel slightly while turning the key gently.
Approximately five hours after the engine
is turned off, you may hear sound coming
from under the floor around the driver ’s
seat for several minutes. This is normal
operation and does not indicate a malfunc-
tion. (See “Leak detection pump” on page
ix.)
It is not a malfunction if the needle on all
meters and gauges move slightly when the
key is turned to the “ON” or “START”
position.
NOTICE
Do not leave the key in the “ON”
position if the engine is not running.
The battery will discharge and the
ignition could be damaged.
Ignition switch

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(b) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 306 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 use the “D” position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. If the engine
coolant temperature is low, the transmis-
sion will not shift into the overdrive gear
even in the “D” position.
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. (c) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Shift into the “3” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to third gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Tw o −wheel drive models
173 km/h (108 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
164 km/h (102 mph)
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.
Tw o −wheel drive models
113 km/h (70 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
107 km/h (66 mph)
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.
Tw o −wheel drive models
56 km/h (35 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
53 km/h (33 mph)
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift from “D” to “3”,
engine braking will not be enabled be-
cause the cruise control is not cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 166 in this
Section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.

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(d) 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” 126 km/h (78 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 70 km/h (43 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models “2” 120 km/h (74 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 67 km/h (41 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, “3” position should
be used in hill climbing or hard
towing.
(e) 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.
(f) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into “P” position under any cir-
cumstances while the vehicle is mov-
ing. Serious mechanical damage and
loss of vehicle control may result.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “3” posi-
tion. Be sure to shift the selector lever
to the “D” position immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use “D” position.

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(h) If you cannot shift the selector le-ver out of “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” on page 342 in Section 4. The active torque control 4WD system
controls the engine torque that is ap-
plied to the rear wheels according to
the driving conditions and road condi-
tions. When the vehicle’s driving condi-
tions are stable such as driving straight
ahead, the engine torque is applied to
only the front wheels.
FOURWHEEL DRIVE LOCK SWITCH
When the vehicle is driven on loose
surfaces, such as sand, gravel, or deep
snow, or if the vehicle gets stuck,
pushing the fourwheel drive lock
switch to ensure that the engine torque
is applied to the 4 wheels.
When the four
−wheel drive lock switch is
pushed, the four −wheel drive lock indicator
light blinks twice and remains on until the
four −wheel drive lock is canceled.
To cancel the four −wheel drive lock, push
the switch once again and the four −wheel
drive lock indicator light will go off.
Active torque control 4WD
system

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When the vehicle speed exceeds 40 km/h
(25 mph), the four−wheel drive lock will
be cancelled automatically.
The four −wheel drive lock indicator will
come on for a few seconds when the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
If the indicator light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned to “ON” or
the four −wheel drive lock switch is
pushed, contact your Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
Use the fourwheel drive lock only
when driving on the loose surfaces,
such as sand, gravel, or deep snow,
or if the vehicle gets stuck. After the
fourwheel drive lock is used to pro-
vide traction, cancel the fourwheel
drive lock. Using the fourwheel drive
lock at other times may cause dam-
age to the fourwheel drive system.SYSTEM FAILURE WARING
The “4WD” warning light warns that there
is a problem somewhere in the active
torque control 4WD system.
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON”. When the system
works properly, the light turns off after a
few seconds.
If the warning light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned to “ON”,
contact your Toyota dealer to service the
vehicle. If the “4WD” warning light flashes...
This indicates that the driveline tempera-
ture has become too high. Without turning
off the engine, do either of the following
to cool the driveline:
Reduce vehicle speed until the light
goes off.
Stop the vehicle at a safe place and
allow the engine to idle until the light
goes off.
If operation of the vehicle is continued
while the light is flashing, the system au-
tomatically shuts off the engine torque that
is applied to the rear wheels to protect
the driveline. If this happens, the light will
flash faster.
When the driveline temperature falls
enough, the light will go off.
If the “4WD” warning light remains on...
This indicates that the system may not
work properly. Contact your Toyota dealer
to service your vehicle.

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The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of the
front wheels (twowheel drive models)
or 4 wheels (fourwheel drive models)
when the vehicle is started or acceler-
ated on slippery road surfaces.
When the ignition key is turned to “ON”,
the system automatically turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power to the front wheels (twowheel
drive models) or 4 wheels (fourwheel
drive models) cannot be maintained,
even though the traction control sys-
tem is in operation. Do not drive the
vehicle under any speed or maneuver-
ing conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. If the
road surface is covered with ice or
snow, your vehicle should be fitted
with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at a speed that is appropriate
for the present road conditions.
A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction. When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
front wheels (two
−wheel drive models)
or 4 wheels (four −wheels drive mod-
els). At this time, the slip indicator light
blinks.
The vehicle may vibrate or make a
noise due to brake operation. This indi-
cates the system is functioning proper-
ly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”. If the indicator light does not
come on when the ignition key is turned
to “ON”, contact your Toyota dealer.
Traction control system

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“VSC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the following systems:
Traction control system
“AUTO LSD” system
Vehicle stability control system
Downhill assist control system
Hill−start assist control system
The light will come on when the ignition
key is turned to “ON”. When the systems
are work properly, the light turns off after
a few seconds. If the light comes on while driving, all the
above systems will not work. In such a
case, the brakes will operate when applied
(no electronic assistance will be avail-
able), and it will be possible to continue
driving the vehicle.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned to
“ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.
The “AUTO LSD” system aids traction
by using the traction control system to
control engine performance and braking
when one of the front wheels begins to
spin.
This system is used only when wheel
spinning occurs in a ditch or on a
rough surface.
This system is effective in case one of
the front wheels is spinning.
NOTICE
Do not use the “AUTO LSD” system
in conditions other than the above. A
much greater steering effort and more
careful cornering control will be re-
quired.
“AUTO LSD” system
(twowheel drive models)

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If the light comes on while driving, all the
above systems will not work. In such a
case, the brakes will operate when applied
(no electronic assistance will be avail-
able), and it will be possible to continue
driving the vehicle.
In the following cases, contact your Toyota
dealer:
The warning light does not come on
when the ignition key is turned to
“ON”.
The warning light remains on after the
ignition key is turned to “ON”.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
such systems as the antilock brake,
brake assist, traction control, engine
control, electric power steering. This
system automatically controls the
brakes, engine and power steering to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding
when cornering on a slippery road sur-
face or operating steering wheel abrupt-
ly.
This system activates when the vehicle
speed exceeds about 15 km/h (9 mph).
A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self
−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the vehicle stability control sys-
tem is operating, you must always
drive carefully and attentively to
avoid death or serious injury. Reck-
less driving will result in an unex-
pected accident. If the slip indicator
light flashes, and an alarm sounds,
special care should be taken while
driving.
Use only tires of the specified size.
The size, manufacturer, brand and
tread pattern for all 4 tires should
be the same. If you use the tires
other than specified, or different
type or size, the vehicle stability
control system may not function
correctly. When replacing the tires
or wheels, contact your Toyota deal-
er. (See “Checking and replacing
tires” on page 374 in Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
Enhanced vehicle stability
control system
(twowheel drive vehicles)