2008 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual

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10.Install the flat tire and spare tirecover on the back door.
CAUTION
Make sure flat tire and spare tire
cover are securely in place in
their storage location to reduce
the possibility of personal injury
during a collision or sudden
braking.
On vehicles with aluminum wheels
and a steel wheel for the spare, re-
move the rubber rings from the wheel
nuts of the spare tire carrier before
stowing a flat tire. Be careful not to
lose the rubber rings after removing
them.
CAUTION
Make sure that the rubber rings
are not installed to the wheel
nuts for aluminum wheel. Other-
wise, the nuts may become loose
and the wheel may fall off, which
may cause a serious accident.
After repairing the flat tire, be sure
to reinstall the rubber rings to the
wheel nuts before stowing the spare
tire. If the steel wheel is stowed with-
out reinstalling the rubber rings to the
wheel nuts, the spare tire carrier may
produce abnormal noise when the ve-
hicle is driven.
—Stowing flat tire

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On some models—Before stowing the
flat tire, remove the center wheel or-
nament by pushing from the reverse
side.
Be careful not to lose the wheel orna-
ment.
Guides
To install the spare tire cover: 1. Insert the hooks under the guides to the upper slots and lower the
cover.
2. Attach the cover by hooking the2 inner protrusions.
Check that the cover is securely at-
tached.

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3. Open the back door. Lock thelatch handle which is on the bot-
tom of the cover.
4. Close the back door.
Check that the cover is securely in
place.Ty p e A
Ty p e B
Ty p e C
11. Reinstall the wheel ornament.
Ty pe A and B— 1. Put the wheel ornament into posi- tion.
Ty pe A only : Align the cut out of
the wheel ornament with the valve
stem as shown.
2. Then firmly tap the outer edge of the wheel cap with the side or heel
of your hand to snap into place.
—Reinstalling wheel ornament

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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 433 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 433 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 153
or “Active torque control 4WD system”
on page 150 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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(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck——From front
—From rear
(b) Using flat bed truck
Fourwheel drive modelsIf towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice. In consultation with them, have
your vehicle towed using either (a) or
(b).
Only when you cannot receive a towing
service from a Toyota dealer or com-
mercial tow truck service, tow your ve-
hicle carefully in accordance with the
instructions given in “—Emergency tow-
ing” on page 375 in this Section.
Proper equipment will help ensure that
your vehicle is not damaged while being
towed. Commercial operators are generally
aware of the state/provincial and local
laws pertaining to towing.
Your vehicle can be damaged if it is
towed incorrectly. Although most operators
know the correct procedure, it is possible
to make a mistake. To avoid damage to
your vehicle, make sure the following pre-
cautions are observed. If necessary, show
this page to the tow truck driver. TOWING PRECAUTIONS:
Use a safety chain system for all towing,
and abide by the state/provincial and local
laws. The wheels and axle on the ground
must be in good condition. If they are
damaged, use a towing dolly.
Twowheel drive models—
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
From front—
Release the parking brake.
NOTICE
When lifting wheels, take care to en-
sure adequate ground clearance for
towing at the opposite end of the
raised vehicle. Otherwise, the bumper
and/or underbody of the towed vehicle
will be damaged during towing.
From rear—
Use a towing dolly under the front wheels.
NOTICE
Never tow a vehicle with an automatic
transmission from the rear with the
front wheels on the ground, as this
may cause serious damage to the
transmission.

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(b) Using flat bed truck
Fourwheel drive models—
(a) Towing with wheel lift type truck
Use a towing dolly under the wheels not
lifted by the truck.
(b) Using flat bed truck(c) Towing with slingtype truck
All models—
(c) Towing with sling type truck
NOTICE
Do not tow with sling type truck, ei-
ther from the front or rear. This may
cause body damage.
If towing is necessary, we recommend
you to have it done by your Toyota
dealer or a commercial tow truck ser-
vice.
If towing service is not available in an
emergency, your vehicle may be tempo-
rarily towed by a cable or chain se-
cured to the emergency towing eyelets
on the front of the vehicle. Use extreme
caution when towing vehicle.
To install the front towing eyelet, see
“—Installing front towing eyelet” described
below.
—Emergency towing

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NOTICE
Only use specified towing eyelet;
otherwise your vehicle may be dam-
aged.
 Never tow a vehicle from the rear
with four wheels on the ground.
This may cause serious damage to
the transmission.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer
it and operate the brakes.
Towing in this manner may be done only
on hard− surfaced roads for a short dis-
tance and at low speeds. Also, the
wheels, axles, drive train, steering and
brakes must all be in good condition.
CAUTION
Use extreme caution when towing ve-
hicles. Avoid sudden starts or erratic
driving maneuvers which would place
excessive stress on the emergency
towing eyelet and towing cable or
chain. The eyelet and towing cable or
chain may break and cause serious
injury or damage.
NOTICE
Use only a cable or chain specifically
intended for use in towing vehicles.
Securely fasten the cable or chain to
the towing eyelet provided.
Before towing, release the parking brake
and put the transmission in “N”. The en-
gine switch must be in the “ACC” (engine
off) or the “ON” (engine running) position.
CAUTION
If the engine is not running, the pow-
er assist for the brakes and steering
will not work so steering and braking
will be much harder than usual.1. Remove the front towing eyelet cover on the front bumper, using a flathead
screwdriver which is wrapped with a
cloth.
—Installing front towing eyelet