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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
1. Audio remote control switches
2. Telephone switch
3. Speech command switch
4. Cruise control switchWithout electric moon roof
With electric moon roof
1. Front personal lights
2. Microphone
3. Auxiliary box
4. Electric moon roof switch
Steering switches overview Overhead console overview
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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
∗1: For details, see “Service reminder indicators and warning
buzzers” on page 129 in Section 1 −6.
∗
2: If this light flashes, see “Cruise control” on page 168 in
Section 1 −7.Cruise control indicator light
∗
2
Four −wheel drive lock indicator light
Headlight high beam indicator light
Turn signal indicator lights
Automatic transmission indicator lights
(4 −speed)
Engine oil replacement reminder light
∗ 1
Slip indicator light
Front fog light indicator light Headlight indicator light
Tail light indicator light
“AIR BAG ON” and “AIR BAG OFF” indicator
lights
Downhill assist control system indicator light “AUTO LSD” indicator light
Low windshield washer fluid level warning
light∗1
Electric power steering system warning light∗1
Automatic transmission indicator lights
(5 −speed)
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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
OPERATION OF INSTRUMENTS AND
CONTROLS
Engine (ignition) switch, Transmission and Parking
brake
Engine (ignition) switch142
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
.
Automatic transmission 143
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
.
Active torque control 4WD system 150
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Traction control system 152
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. .
“AUTO LSD” system 153
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Enhanced vehicle stability control system 155
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Downhill assist control system 158
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hill −start assist control system 161
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tire pressure warning system 163
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parking brake 167
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
Cruise control 168
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 1 7
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(b) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 342 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
the “P” or “N” position.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to the
“D” position.
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 and
engine braking will be enabled.
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 the “D” to “3”
position, engine braking will not be en-
abled because the cruise control is not
cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 168 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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(b) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 342 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
the “P” or “N” position.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to the
“D” position.
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 “4” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to fourth gear
and engine braking will be enabled.
Shift into the “3” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to third gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 161 km/h (100 mph),
and stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 99 km/h (62 mph), and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than 42 km/h (26 mph), and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift from the “D” to “4”
position, engine braking will not be en-
abled because the cruise control is not
cancelled. For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 168 in this
Section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.
(d) Using the “3”, “2” and “L” posi-
tions
The “3”, “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in the “3”, “2” or
“L” position, you can start the vehicle in
motion as with the lever in the “D” posi-
tion.
With the selector lever in the “3” or “2”
position, the vehicle will start in first gear
and automatically shift to third gear or
second gear.
With the selector lever in the “L” position,
the transmission is engaged in first gear.
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When parking, firmly apply the parking
brake to avoid inadvertent creeping.
To set: Pull up the lever. For better hold-
ing power, first depress the brake pedal
and hold it while setting the parking
brake.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly (1),
press the lock release button (2), and low-
er (3).
To remind you that the parking brake is
set, the parking brake reminder light in
the instrument panel remains on until you
release the parking brake.
CAUTION
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off.
The cruise control is designed to main-
tain a set cruising speed without requir-
ing the driver to operate the accelera-
tor. Cruising speed can be set to any
speed above 40 km/h (25 mph).
Within the limits of the engine’s capabili-
ties, cruising speed can be maintained up
or down grades. However, changes in ve-
hicle speed may occur on steeper grades.
CAUTION
To help maintain maximum control
of your vehicle, do not use the
cruise control when driving in
heavy or varying traffic, or on slip-
pery (rainy, icy or snow covered) or
winding roads.
Be careful about vehicle speed as
it may increase when driving down-
hill with the cruise control on.
TURNING THE SYSTEM ON AND OFF
To turn the cruise control on, press the
“ON−OFF” button. The “CRUISE” indicator
light on the instrument panel will come on
to indicate that the cruise control is opera-
tional. Pressing the “ON −OFF” button
again turns the system off.
When the system is turned off, cruising
speed must be reset when the cruise con-
trol is turned on again.
Cruise control
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CAUTION
To avoid accidentally engaging the
cruise control, turn the system off
when it is not in use. Make sure the
“CRUISE” indicator light is off.
SETTING THE CRUISING SPEED
The transmission must be in “D”, “3”
(4−speed) or “4” (5 −speed) before you set
the cruising speed.
Bring your vehicle to the desired speed,
push the lever down in the “ − SET” direc-
tion and release it. This sets the vehicle
at that speed. If the speed is not satisfac-
tory, tap the lever up for a faster speed,
or tap it down for a slower speed. Each
tap changes the set speed by 1.6 km/h
(1.0 mph). You can now take your foot off
the accelerator pedal. If you need acceleration—for example,
when passing—depress the accelerator
pedal enough for the vehicle to exceed
the set speed. When you release it, the
vehicle will return to the speed set prior
to the acceleration.
CANCELLING THE CRUISE CONTROL
The cruise control may be temporarily
cancelled by the driver or by the system
itself under certain circumstances. Tempo-
rary cancellation allows the set cruising
speed to remain in memory.
The cruise control can be temporarily can-
celled by doing the following:
Pulling the lever in the “CANCEL” di-
rection and releasing it
Depressing the brake pedal
Under certain circumstances, the cruise
control is temporarily cancelled:
When vehicle speed falls below 40
km/h (25 mph)
When vehicle stability control is acti-
vated
When vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10
mph) below the set speed, the cruise con-
trol is cancelled and the set speed is
erased from memory.
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The “CRUISE” indicator light remains on
to indicate that the system is still in op-
eration.
To turn the cruise control off, press the
“ON−OFF” button. Make sure the
“CRUISE” indicator light is off.
If the cruise control automatically cancels
out other than for the above cases, have
your vehicle checked by your Toyota deal-
er at the earliest opportunity.
RESUMING THE CRUISE CONTROL
If the cruise control is temporarily can-
celled, the cruising speed can be resumed
by pushing the lever up in the “+ RES”
direction.
Vehicle speed must be above 40 km/h (25
mph).
RESETTING TO A FASTER SPEED
Push the lever up in the “+ RES” direction
and hold it. Release the lever when the
desired speed is attained. While the lever
is held up, the vehicle will gradually gain
speed.
However, a faster way to reset is to ac-
celerate the vehicle and then push the
lever down in the “− SET” direction. RESETTING TO A SLOWER SPEED
Push the lever down in the “
− SET” direc-
tion and hold it. Release the lever when
the desired speed is attained. While the
lever is held down, the vehicle speed will
gradually decrease.
A sound may occur due to brake opera-
tion while the vehicle speed is decreasing.
This does not indicate a malfunction.
However, a faster way to reset is to de-
press the brake pedal and then push the
lever down in the “− SET” direction.
Even if you downshift the transmission
from the “D” position to “3” (4 −speed) or
“4” (5 −speed) with the cruise control on,
engine braking will not be enabled be-
cause the cruise control is not cancelled.
To decrease the vehicle speed, reset to a
slower speed with the cruise control lever
or depress the brake pedal. If you use the
brake pedal, cruise control is cancelled. CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE WARNING
If the “CRUISE” indicator light flashes
when using the cruise control, press the
“ON
−OFF” button to turn the system off
and then press it again to turn it on.
If any of the following conditions then oc-
curs, there is some trouble in the cruise
control system.
The indicator light does not come on.
The indicator light flashes again.
The indicator light goes out after it
comes on.
If this is the case, contact your Toyota
dealer and have your vehicle inspected.