2007 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

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CORROSION PREVENTION AND
APPEARANCE CARE
Corrosion prevention and appearance care
Protecting your Toyota from corrosion376
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Washing and waxing your Toyota 377
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Cleaning the interior 379
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SECTION 5

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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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Check the interior of your vehicle. Wa-
ter and dirt can accumulate under the
floor mats and could cause corrosion. Oc-
casionally check under the mats to make
sure the area is dry. Be particularly care-
ful when transporting chemicals, cleans-
ers, fertilizers, salt, etc; these should be
transported in proper containers. If a spill
or leak should occur, immediately clean
and dry the area.
Use mud shields on your wheels. If you
drive on salted or gravel roads, mud
shields help protect your vehicle. Full −size
shields, which come as near to the ground
as possible, are the best. We recommend
that the fittings and the area where the
shields are installed be treated to resist
corrosion. Your Toyota dealer will be
happy to assist in supplying and installing
the shields if they are recommended for
your area.
Keep your vehicle in a well ventilated
garage or a roofed place. Do not park
your vehicle in a damp, poorly venti-
lated garage. If you wash your vehicle in
the garage, or if you drive it covered with
water or snow, your garage may be so
damp as to cause corrosion. Even if your
garage is heated, a wet vehicle can cor-
rode if the ventilation is poor. Washing your Toyota
Keep your vehicle clean by regular
washing.
The following cases may cause weakness
to the paint or corrosion to the body and
parts. Wash your vehicle as soon as pos-
sible.
When driving in a coastal area
When driving on a road sprinkled with
antifreeze
When exposed to coal tar, tree sap,
bird droppings and carcass of an insect
When driving in areas where there is
a lot of smoke, soot, dust, iron dust or
chemical substances
When the vehicle becomes remarkably
dirty with dust and mud
Handwashing your Toyota
Work in the shade and wait until the
vehicle body is not warm to the touch.
CAUTION
When cleaning under floor or chas-
sis, be careful not to injure your
hands.
Exhaust gases cause the exhaust
pipe to become quite hot. When
washing the vehicle, be careful not
to touch the pipe until it has cooled
sufficiently, as touching a hot ex-
haust pipe can cause burns.
NOTICE
When the front wiper arms need to be
lifted away from the windshield to
wash the vehicle, raise the arm on
the driver side first. Conversely, when
returning the wipers to their original
positions, fold down the arm on the
front passenger side first. Failure to
perform the operations in the correct
order results in damage.
Washing and waxing your
To y o t a

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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.

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Waxing your Toyota
Polishing and waxing is recommended
to maintain the original beauty of your
Toyota’s finish.
Apply wax once a month or if the vehicle
surface does not repel water well.1. Always wash and dry the vehicle be- fore you begin waxing, even if you are
using a combined cleaner and wax.
2. Use a good quality polish and wax. If the finish has become extremely weath-
ered, use a car −cleaning polish, fol-
lowed by a separate wax. Carefully fol-
low the manufacturer ’s instructions and
precautions. Be sure to polish and wax
the chrome trim as well as the paint.
Windshield washer nozzles: Make sure
that the nozzles do not become blocked
when waxing. If a nozzle becomes
blocked, contact your Toyota dealer to
have the vehicle serviced.
NOTICE
If a nozzle becomes blocked, do not
try to clear it with a pin or other
object. The nozzle will be damaged.
Exterior lights: Do not apply wax on the
surfaces of the lights. Wax may cause
damage to the lenses. If you accidentally
put wax on the light surfaces, wipe or
wash it off. 3. Wax the vehicle again when water does not bead but remains on the sur-
face in large patches.CAUTION
Vehicles with side airbags and cur-
tain shield airbags:
Be careful not to splash water or
spill liquid on the floor. This may
prevent the side airbag and curtain
shield airbag from activating cor-
rectly, resulting in serious injury.
Do not wash the vehicle floor with
water, or allow water to get onto
the floor when cleaning the vehicle
interior or exterior. Water may get
into audio components or other
electrical components above or un-
der the floor carpet (or mat) and
cause a malfunction; and it may
cause body corrosion.
Vinyl interior
The vinyl upholstery may be easily
cleaned with a mild soap or detergent
and water.
Cleaning the interior

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First vacuum over the upholstery to re-
move loose dirt. Then, using a sponge or
soft cloth, apply the soap solution to the
vinyl. After allowing it to soak in for a few
minutes to loosen the dirt, remove the dirt
and wipe off the soap with a clean damp
cloth. If all the dirt do not come off, re-
peat the procedure. Commercial foaming−
type vinyl cleaners are also available
which work well. Follow the manufacturer ’s
instructions.
NOTICE
Do not use solvent, thinner, gasoline
or window cleaner on the interior.
Carpets
Use a good foamtype shampoo to
clean the carpets.
Begin by vacuuming thoroughly to remove
as much dirt as possible. Several types of
foam cleaners are available; some are in
aerosol cans and others are powders or
liquids which you mix with water to pro-
duce a foam. To shampoo the carpets,
use a sponge or brush to apply the foam.
Rub in overlapping circles. Do not apply water—the best results are
obtained by keeping the carpet as dry as
possible. Read the shampoo instructions
and follow them closely.
Seat belts
The seat belts may be cleaned with
mild soap and water or with lukewarm
water.
Use a cloth or sponge. As you are clean-
ing, check the belts for excessive wear,
fraying, or cuts.
NOTICE

Do not use dye or bleach on the
belts —it may weaken them.
 Do not use the belts until they be-
come dry.
Windows
The windows may be cleaned with any
household window cleaner.
NOTICE
When cleaning the inside of the rear
window, be careful not to scratch or
damage the heater wires or connec-
tors.
Air conditioning control panel, audio
panel, instrument panel, console panel,
and switches
Use a soft damp cloth for cleaning.
Soak a clean soft cloth in water or luke-
warm water then lightly wipe off dirt.
NOTICE
Do not use organic substances (sol-
vents, kerosene, alcohol, gasoline,
etc.) or alkaline or acidic solutions.
These chemicals can cause discol-
oring, staining or peeling of the
surface.
 If you use cleaners or polishing
agents, make sure their ingredients
do not include the substances men-
tioned above.
 If you use a liquid car freshener, do
not apply the liquid onto the ve-
hicle’s interior surfaces. It may con-
tain the ingredients mentioned
above. Immediately clean any spill
using the method mentioned above.

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Leather interior
The leather upholstery may be cleaned
with neutral detergent for wool.
Remove dirt using a soft cloth dampened
with 5% solution of neutral detergent for
wool. Then thoroughly wipe off all traces
of detergent with a clean damp cloth.
After cleaning or whenever any part of the
leather gets wet, dry with a soft clean
cloth. Allow the leather to dry in a venti-
lated shaded area.
NOTICE
If a stain should fail to come out
with a neutral detergent, apply a
cleaner that does not contain an
organic solvent.
 Never use organic substances such
as benzine, alcohol or gasoline, or
alkaline or acid solutions for clean-
ing the leather as these could
cause discoloring.
 Use of a nylon brush or synthetic
fiber cloth, etc. may scratch the
fine grained surface of the leather.
Mildew may develop on soiled leath-
er upholstery. Be especially careful
to avoid oil spots. Try to keep your
upholstery always clean.
 Long exposure to direct sunlight
may cause the leather surface to
harden and shrink. Keep your ve-
hicle in a shaded area, especially in
the summer.
 The interior of your vehicle is apt
to heat up on hot summer days, so
avoid placing on the upholstery
items made of vinyl or plastic or
containing wax as these tend to
stick to leather when warm .
 Improper cleaning of the leather up-
holstery could result in discolor-
ation or staining.
If you have any questions about the
cleaning of your Toyota, your local
Toyota dealer will be pleased to answer
them.

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