2007 TOYOTA RAV4 Press

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If your engine coolant temperature
gauge indicates overheating, if you ex-
perience a loss of power, or if you hear
a loud knocking or pinging noise, the
engine has probably overheated. You
should follow this procedure...1. Pull safely off the road, stop the ve- hicle and turn on your emergency
flashers. Put the transmission in “P”
and apply the parking brake. Turn off
the air conditioning if it is being used.
2. If coolant or steam is boiling out of the radiator or reservoir, stop the engine.
Wait until the steam subsides before
opening the hood. If there is no coolant
boiling over or steam, leave the engine
running and make sure the electric
cooling fan is operating. If it is not,
turn the ignition off.
CAUTION
To help avoid personal injury, keep
the hood closed until there is no
steam. Escaping steam or coolant is
a sign of very high pressure.
3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer
for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
For the coolant type, see “Coolant type
selection” on page 400 in Section 7 −2.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the coolant
reservoir cap when the engine and
radiator are hot. Serious injury could
result from scalding hot fluid and
steam blown out under pressure.
6. After the engine coolant temperature
has cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.
If your vehicle overheats

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7. Remove the wheel nuts andchange tires.
Lift the flat tire straight off and put it
aside.
Roll the spare wheel into position and
align the holes in the wheel with the
bolts. Then lift up the wheel and get
at least the top bolt started through
its hole. Wiggle the tire and press it
back over the other bolts.Before putting on wheels, remove any
corrosion on the mounting surfaces
with a wire brush or such. Installation
of wheels without good metal− to−met-
al contact at the mounting surface can
cause wheel nuts to loosen and
eventually cause a wheel to come off
while driving.8. Reinstall all the wheel nuts fin- ger tight.
Reinstall the wheel nuts (tapered end
inward) and tighten them as much as
you can by hand. Press back on the
tire back and see if you can tighten
them more.
—Changing wheels —Reinstalling wheel nuts

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Ty pe C—
Push the wheel ornament into the
center hole.
With a spare tire of different wheel
type from the installed tires, the wheel
ornament can not be installed into the
spare tire. After repairing the flat tire,
reinstall the wheel ornament.
CAUTION
Take due care in handling the
ornament to avoid unexpected
personal injury.
 Do not attach a heavily dam-
aged plastic wheel ornament.
It may fly off the wheel and
cause accidents while the ve-
hicle is moving.
12.Check the air pressure of the re-
placed tire.
Adjust the air pressu re to the specifi-
cation designated on page 427 in
Section 8. If the pressure is lower,
drive slowly to the nearest service
station and fill to the correct pressure.
Do not forget to reinstall the tire infla-
tion valve cap as dirt and moisture
could get into th e valve core and
possibly cause air leakage. If the cap
is missing, have a new one put on as
soon as possible.
13.Restow all the tools and jack se- curely.
As soon after changing wheels as
possible, tighten the wheel nuts to the
torque specified on page 427 in Sec-
tion 8 with a torque wrench. Have a
technician repair the flat tire.CAUTION
Before driving, make sure all the
tools and jack are securely in
place in their storage location to
reduce the possibility of person-
al injury during a collision or
sudden braking.
—After changing wheels

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If your vehicle becomes stuck in snow,
mud, sand, etc., then you may attempt
to rock the vehicle free by moving it
forward and backward.
You can use the “AUTO LSD” switch
(twowheel drive models) or fourwheel
drive lock switch (fourwheel drive
models) in this situation. (For details,
see “AUTO LSD system” on page 151
or “Active torque control 4WD system”
on page 148 in Section 17.)
CAUTION
Do not attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and back-
ward if people or objects are any-
where near the vehicle. During the
rocking operation the vehicle may
suddenly move forward or backward
as it becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or ob-
jects.
NOTICE
If you rock your vehicle, observe the
following precautions to prevent dam-
age to the transmission and other
parts.
Do not depress the accelerator ped-
al while shifting the selector lever
or before the transmission is com-
pletely shifted to forward or reverse
gear.
 Do not race the engine and avoid
spinning the wheels.
 If your vehicle remains stuck after
rocking the vehicle several times,
consider other ways such as tow-
ing.
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck—
—From front
—From rear
(b) Using flat bed truck
Twowheel drive models
If your vehicle becomes stuck If your vehicle needs to be
towed—

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CAUTION
If the emergency towing eyelet is
used to get out when your vehicle
becomes struck in mud, sand or oth-
er condition from which the vehicle
cannot be driven out under its own
power, make sure to observe the pre-
cautions mentioned below. Otherwise,
excessive stress will be put on the
eyelet and the towing cable or chain
may break, causing serious injury or
damage.
If the towing vehicle can hardly
move, do not forcibly continue the
towing. Contact your Toyota dealer
or a commercial tow truck service
for assistance.
Tow the vehicle as straight ahead
as possible.
Keep away from the vehicle during
towing.
The following methods are effective to get
out when your vehicle is struck in mud,
sand or other condition from which the
vehicle cannot be driven out under its own
power. Use extreme caution when towing
vehicles. In addition, keep away from the
vehicles and towing cable or chain when
towing.
Remove the soil and sand in the front
and the back of the tires.
Place a stone or wood under the tires.
If you cannot shift the selector lever
out of “P” position to other positions
even though the brake pedal is de-
pressed, use the shift lock override but-
ton as follows:1. Turn the ignition key to “LOCK” position. Make sure the parking
brake is applied.
2. Pry up the cover with a flathead screwdriver or equivalent.
—Tips for towing a stuck
vehicle If you cannot shift automatic
transmission selector lever

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3. Insert your finger into the hole topush down the shift lock override
button. You can shift out of “P”
position only while pushing the but-
ton.
4. Shift into “N” position.
5. Insert the cover.
6. Start the engine. For your safety, keep the brake pedal depressed.
Be sure to have the system checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible. You can purchase a new key at your
Toyota dealer if you can give them the
key number. If your vehicle is equipped
with the engine immobilizer system, the
dealer will also need your master key.
Vehicles with engine immobilizer system—
Even if you lose only one key, contact
your Toyota dealer to make a new key. If
you lose all your master keys, you cannot
make new keys; the whole engine immobi-
lizer system must be replaced.
See the suggestion given in “Keys (with
engine immobilizer system)” on page 13 in
Section 1
−2.
You can use the wireless remote control
system with the new key. Contact your
Toyota dealer for detailed information.
If your keys are locked in the vehicle and
you cannot get a duplicate, many Toyota
dealers can still open the door for you,
using their special tools. If you must
break a window to get in, we suggest
breaking the smallest side window be-
cause it is the least expensive to replace.
Be extremely cautious to avoid cuts from
the glass.
If you lose your keys

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Toyota, through the diligent research, de-
sign and use of the most advanced
technology available, helps prevent corro-
sion and provides you with the finest qual-
ity vehicle construction. Now, it is up to
you. Proper care of your Toyota can help
ensure long −term corrosion prevention.
The most common causes of corrosion
to your vehicle are:
The accumulation of road salt, dirt and
moisture in hard −to −reach areas under
the vehicle.
Chipping of paint, or undercoating
caused by minor accidents or by
stones and gravel.
Care is especially important if you live
in particular areas or operate your ve-
hicle under certain environmental condi-
tions:
Road salt or dust control chemicals will
accelerate corrosion, as will the pres-
ence of salt in the air near the sea −
coast or in areas of industrial pollution.
High humidity accelerates corrosion es-
pecially when temperatures range just
above the freezing point.
Wetness or dampness to certain parts
of your vehicle for an extended period
of time, may cause corrosion even
though other parts of the vehicle may
be dry.
High ambient temperatures can cause
corrosion to those components of the
vehicle which do not dry quickly due to
lack of proper ventilation.
The above signifies the necessity to keep
your vehicle, particularly the underside, as
clean as possible and to repair any dam-
age to paint or protective coatings as
soon as possible.
To help prevent corrosion on your
Toyota, follow these guidelines:
Wash your vehicle frequently. It is, of
course, necessary to keep your vehicle
clean by regular washing, but to prevent
corrosion, the following points should be
observed:
If you drive on salted roads in the
winter or if you live near the ocean,
you should hose off the undercarriage
at least once a month to minimize cor-
rosion.
High pressure water or steam is effec-
tive for cleaning the vehicle’s underside
and wheel housings. Pay particular
attention to these areas as it is difficult
to see all the mud and dirt. It will do
more harm than good to simply wet the
mud and debris without removing. The
lower edge of doors, rocker panels and
frame members have drain holes which
should not be allowed to clog with dirt
as trapped water in these areas can
cause corrosion.
Wash the underside of the vehicle thor-
oughly when winter is over.
See “Washing and waxing your Toyota” on
page 377 for more tips.
Check the condition of your vehicle’s
paint and trim. If you find any chips or
scratches in the paint, touch them up im-
mediately to prevent corrosion from start-
ing. If the chips or scratches have gone
through the bare metal, have a qualified
body shop make the repair.
Protecting your Toyota from
corrosion

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1. Rinse off loose dirt with a hose. Re-move any mud or road salt from the
underside of the vehicle or the wheel
wells.
2. Wash with a mild car −wash soap,
mixed according to the manufacturer ’s
instructions. Use a soft cotton mitt and
keep it wet by dipping it frequently into
the wash water. Do not rub hard—let
the soap and water remove the dirt.
Fuel filler door: Do not apply water (high −
pressure car wash, for example) at or
near the fuel tank inlet with the fuel filler
door opened. If the water enters the air
vent, you may experience trouble with re-
fueling or rough engine idling.
Plastic wheel ornaments: The plastic
wheel ornaments are damaged easily by
organic substances. If any organic sub-
stances splashes an ornament, be sure to
wash them off with water and check if the
ornament is damaged.
Aluminum wheels: Use only a mild soap
or neutral detergent.
Plastic bumpers: Wash carefully. Do not
scrub with abrasive cleaners. The bumper
faces are soft. Exterior lights: Wash carefully. Do not use
organic substances or scrub them with a
hard brush. This may damage the sur-
faces of the lights.
Road tar: Remove with turpentine or
cleaners that are marked safe for painted
surfaces.
3. Rinse thoroughly—dried soap can cause streaking. In hot weather you
may need to rinse each section right
after you wash it.
4. To prevent water spots, dry the vehicle using a clean soft cotton towel. Do not
rub or press hard—you might scratch
the paint.
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances
(gasoline, kerosene, benzine or
strong solvents), which may be tox-
ic or cause damage.
 Do not scrub any part of the ve-
hicle with a hard brush, which may
cause damage.
Automatic car wash
Your vehicle may be washed in an auto-
matic car wash, but remember that the
paint can be scratched by some types of
brushes, unfiltered washing water, or the
washing process itself. Scratching reduces
paint durability and gloss, especially on
darker colors. The manager of the car
wash should be able to advise you wheth-
er the process is safe for the paint on
your vehicle.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the antenna,
make sure it is removed before driv-
ing your Toyota through an automatic
car wash.