2008 TOYOTA RAV4 stop start

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The hillstart assist control system as-
sists in starting to drive a steep or a
slippery hill. When you start to move
up a hill slope, the system helps to
prevent the vehicle from rolling back-
ward in the interval while moving the
foot from the brake pedal to the accel-
erator pedal.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the h ill
start assist control system. The ve-
hicle may not be able to start
smoothly on road surfaces or off
road surfaces such as extremely
steep slopes or icy roads, on which
sliding can occur very easily.
Do not use the hillstart assist con-
trol system to park the vehicle. This
system is not designed as a func-
tion for parking the vehicle on a
uphill slope.
TO ACTIVATE THE HILLSTART ASSIST
CONTROL SYSTEM
The hillstart assist control system will
operate for maximum of 2 seconds. The
brake pedal must be depressed further
to activate the system when all of the
following conditions apply with the
brake pedal is depressed:
At this time, one beep will be heard.
When the selector lever is not in “P”
When the accelerator pedal is not de-
pressed
When the parking brake is not applied
When the vehicle is stopped
The system is designed to operate when
the vehicle is starting on uphill slope;
therefore, if the transmission selector le-
ver is in “P”, it will not operate.When the hill −start assist control system
is operating, the slip indicator light flashes
and the stoplights and high mounted stop-
light are lit.
When any of the following is performed,
the system will stop operation. At this
time, two beeps will be heard and the slip
indicator light will go off.
Shifting the selector lever to “P”
Applying the parking brake
Depressing the brake pedal
If the accelerator pedal is depressed, the
system will also stop operation without
beep sounds.
Hillstart assist control
system

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The hill−start assist control system oper-
ates for a maximum of 2 seconds. If the
vehicle is not started within 2 seconds,
two beeps will be heard and the system
will gradually stop operating.
The hill −start control system is not de-
signed to park the vehicle on uphill slope.
When parking the vehicle, be sure to ap-
ply the parking brake.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to the “ON” position. If the indicator light
does not come on when the engine switch
is turned to the “ON” position, contact
your Toyota dealer.
“VSC” warning light
This light warns that there is a problem
somewhere in the following systems:
Traction control system
“AUTO LSD” system
Enhanced vehicle stability control sys-
tem
Downhill assist control system
Hill− start assist control system
When the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the light will come on. If
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 engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position.
The warning light remains on after the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position.
The warning light comes on while driv-
ing.

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CAUTION
When you load cargo on the roof lug-
gage carrier, observe the following:
Place the cargo so that its weight
is distributed evenly between the
front and rear axles.
If loading long or wide cargo, never
exceed the vehicle overall length or
width. (See “Dimensions and
weights” on page 428 in Section 8
for information on your vehicle
overall length and width.)
Before driving, make sure the cargo
is securely fastened on the roof
luggage carrier.
Loading cargo on the roof luggage
carrier will make the center of the
vehicle gravity higher. Avoid high
speeds, sudden starts, sharp turns,
sudden braking or abrupt maneu-
vers, otherwise it may result in loss
of control or vehicle rollover due to
failure to operate this vehicle cor-
rectly.
If driving for a long distance, on
rough roads, or at high speeds,
stop the vehicle now and then dur-
ing the trip to make sure the cargo
remains in its place.
Do not exceed 46.2 kg (102.6 lb.)
cargo weight on the roof luggage
carrier.
NOTICE
When loading the luggages, be careful
not to scratch the surface of the
moon roof.
Use a floor mat of the correct size.
If the vehicle carpet and floor mat have
2 holes, then they are designed for use
with locking clips. Attach the floor mat to
the vehicle carpet using the clips. Lock
the clips into the holes in the vehicle
carpet.
Floor mat

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Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its profile and
higher center of gravity, your ve-
hicle is more sensitive to side
winds than an ordinary passenger
car. Slowing down will allow you to
have better control.
When driving offroad or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump, make sharp turns,
strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover
causing death or serious injury. You
are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and
chassis.
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar offroad ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back-
ward.
Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break−in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of
your vehicle:
Avoid full throttle acceleration when
starting and driving.
Avoid racing the engine.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles). FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mix
−ups, your
Toyota has a smaller fuel tank opening.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5 −M93
in Canada.NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three
way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,
this can increase maintenance costs.
Breakin period Fuel

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GASOLINE QUALITY
In a very few cases, you may experience
driveability problems caused by the partic-
ular gasoline that you are using. If you
continue to have unacceptable driveability,
try changing gasoline brands. If this does
not rectify your problem, then consult your
Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
Do not use gasohol other than
stated above. It will cause fuel sys-
tem damage or vehicle performance
problems.
 If driveab ility problems occur (poor
hot starting, vaporizing, engine
knock, etc.), discontinue the use.
 Take care not to spill gasohol dur-
ing refueling. Gasohol may cause
paint damage.
FUEL TANK CAPACITY
60 L (15.9 gal., 13.2 Imp. gal.) The fuel pump shut off system stops sup-
plying fuel to the engine to minimize the
risk of fuel leakage when the engine stalls
or an airbag inflates upon collision. To
restart the engine after the fuel pump shut
off system activates, turn the engine
switch to the “ACC” or “LOCK” position
once and start it.
CAUTION
Inspect the ground under the vehicle
before restarting the engine. If you
find that fuel has leaked onto the
ground, the fuel system has been
damaged and is in need of repair. In
this case, do not restart the engine.
If you plan to drive your Toyota in
another country...
First,
comply with the vehicle registration
laws.
Second, confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel (unleaded and minimum octane
number).
Fuel pump shut off system Operation in foreign countries

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CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your reserved vacu-
um.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hard, much harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
increase.
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
The antilock brake system is designed
to help prevent lockup of the wheels
during a sudden braking or braking on
slippery road surfaces. This assists in
providing directional stability and steer-
ing performance of the vehicle under
these circumstances.
Effective way to press the ABS brake
pedal: When the anti −lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti −lock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake in a panic stop. This
will result in reduced braking performan-
ce.
The anti −lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
Depressing the brake pedal on slippery
road surfaces such as on a manhole cov-
er, a steel plate at a construction site,
joints in a bridge, etc. on a rainy day
tends to activate the anti −lock brake sys-
tem.
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 anti −
lock brake system is in the self −check
mode. This sound does not indicate a
malfunction. When the antilock brake system is ac-
tivated, the following conditions may
occur. They do not indicate a malfunc-
tion of the system:
You may hear the anti
−lock brake sys-
tem operating and feel the brake pedal
pulsating and the vibrations of the ve-
hicle body and steering wheel. You
may also hear the motor sound in the
engine compartment even after the ve-
hicle is stopped.
At the end of the anti −lock brake sys-
tem activation, the brake pedal may
move a little forward.

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“ABS” warning light
The light comes on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position. If
the anti−lock brake system and the brake
assist system work properly, the light
turns off after a few seconds. Thereafter,
if the system malfunctions, the light
comes on again.
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
following systems do not operate, but the
brake system still operates conventionally.
Anti −lock brake system
Brake assist system
Traction control system
“AUTO LSD” system
Enhanced vehicle stab ility control sys-
tem
Downhill assist control system
Hill −start assist control system
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti −lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces. If either of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the components moni-
tored by the warning light. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the “ABS” warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, not only the antilock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
DRUMINDISC TYPE PARKING BRAKE
SYSTEM
Your vehicle has a drum −in −disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system n eeds bedding −down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the parking
brake shoes and/or drums are replaced.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding− down.
BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM
When you slam the brakes on, the
brake assist system judges as an emer-
gency stop and provides more powerful
braking for a driver who cannot hold
down the brake pedal firmly.
When you slam the brakes on, more pow-
erful braking will be applied. At this time,
you may hear a sound in the engine
compartment and feel the vibrations of the
brake pedal. This does not indicate a mal-
function.
The brake assist system becomes opera-
tive after the vehicle has accelerated to
a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).

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Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit. Even if the legal speed limit
permits it, do not drive over 140
km/h (85 mph) unless your vehicle
has highspeed capability tires.
Driving over 140 km/h (85 mph) may
result in tire failure, loss of control
and possible injury. Be sure to con-
sult a tire dealer to determine
whether the tires on your vehicle
are highspeed capability tires or
not before driving at such speeds.
Do not continue normal driving
when the brakes are wet. If they are
wet, your vehicle will require a
longer stopping distance, and it
may pull to one side when the
brakes are applied. Also, the park-
ing brake will not hold the vehicle
securely.
Driving on a slippery road surface
Drive carefully when it is raining, because
visibility will be reduced, the windows may
become fogged−up, and the road will be
slippery.
Drive carefully when it starts to rain,
because the road surface will be espe-
cially slippery.
Refrain from high speeds when driving
on an expressway in the rain, because
there may be a layer of water between
the tires and the road surface,
preventing the steering and brakes
from operating properly.
CAUTION
Sudden braking, acceleration and
steering when driving on a slippery
road surface may cause tire slip-
page and reduce your ability to
control the vehicle, resulting in an
accident.
Sudden changes in engine speed,
such as sudden engine braking,
may cause the vehicle to skid, re-
sulting in an accident.
After driving through a puddle,
lightly depress the brake pedal to
make sure that the brakes are func-
tioning properly. Wet brake pads
may prevent the brakes from func-
tioning properly. If the brakes on
only one side are wet and not func-
tioning properly, steering control
may be affected, resulting in an ac-
cident.
Driving in the rain