2008 TOYOTA RAV4 ECO mode

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
11 4
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
For the U.S.A.
For Canada
HEADLIGHTS
To turn on the following lights: Twist
the headlight/turn signal lever knob.
Position 1—Parking, tail, license plate,
side marker and instrument panel lights
For Canada—The tail light indicator lights
up in the instrument cluster.
Position 2—Headlights and all of the
above
For the U.S.A.—The headlight indicator
lights up in the instrument cluster.
Automatic light cut off system
If the driver ’s door is opened and closed
with the engine turned off, the lights will
automatically turn off after 30 seconds. If
all the doors are locked with the wireless
remote control, the lights will turn off im-
mediately.
To turn on the lights again, turn the en-
gine switch to the “ON” position or turn
the headlight switch on. If you are going
to park for over one week, make sure the
headlight switch is off.NOTICE
To prevent the battery from being dis-
charged, do not leave the lights on
for a long period when the engine is
not running.
Daytime running light system
(on some models)
The headlights turn on at reduced intensi-
ty when the parking brake is released with
the engine started, even with the light
switch in the “OFF” position. They will not
go off until the engine switch is turned off.
To turn on the other exterior lights and
instrument panel lights, twist the knob to
the position 1.
Twist the knob to the position 2 to turn
the headlights to full intensity for driving
at night.
Headlights and turn signals

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
(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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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
(d) Using the “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in the “2” or “L”
position, you can start the vehicle in mo-
tion as with the lever in the “D” position.
With the selector lever in the “2” position,
the vehicle will start in first gear and au-
tomatically shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in the “L” position,
the transmission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
Twowheel drive models“2” 126 km/h (78 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 70 km/h (43 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models “2” 120 km/h (74 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 67 km/h (41 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, the “3” position
should be used in hill climbing or
hard towing.
(e) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(f) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into the “P” position under any
circumstances while the vehicle is
moving. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “3” posi-
tion. Be sure to shift the selector lever
to the “D” position immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use the “D” position.

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of the
front wheels (twowheel drive models)
or 4 wheels (fourwheel drive models)
when the vehicle is started or acceler-
ated on slippery road surfaces.
When the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the system automatically
turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power to the front wheels (twowheel
drive models) or 4 wheels (fourwheel
drive models) cannot be maintained,
even though the traction control sys-
tem is in operation. Do not drive the
vehicle under any speed or maneuver-
ing conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. If the
road surface is covered with ice or
snow, your vehicle should be fitted
with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at a speed that is appropriate
for the present road conditions.
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 sys-
tem is in the self−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction. When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
front wheels (two
−wheel drive models)
or 4 wheels (four −wheels drive mod-
els). At this time, the slip indicator light
blinks.
The vehicle may vibrate or make a
noise due to brake operation. This indi-
cates the system is functioning proper-
ly.
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.
Traction control system

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
“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
The light will come on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position.
When 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.
The “AUTO LSD” system aids traction
by using the traction control system to
control engine performance and braking
when one of the front wheels begins to
spin.
This system is used only when wheel
spinning occurs in a ditch or on a
rough surface.
This system is effective in case one of
the front wheels is spinning.
NOTICE
Do not use the “AUTO LSD” system
in conditions other than the above. A
much greater steering effort and more
careful cornering control will be re-
quired.
“AUTO LSD” system
(twowheel drive models)

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
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.The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
such systems as the antilock brake,
brake assist, traction control, engine
control, electric power steering. This
system automatically controls the
brakes, engine and power steering to
help prevent the vehicle from skidding
when cornering on a slippery road sur-
face or operating steering wheel abrupt-
ly.
This system activates when the vehicle
speed exceeds about 15 km/h (9 mph).
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 sys-
tem is in the self
−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction.
CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the vehicle stability control sys-
tem is operating, you must always
drive carefully and attentively to
avoid death or serious injury. Reck-
less driving will result in an unex-
pected accident. If the slip indicator
light flashes, and an alarm sounds,
special care should be taken while
driving.
Use only tires of the specified size.
The size, manufacturer, brand and
tread pattern for all 4 tires should
be the same. If you use the tires
other than specified, or different
type or size, the vehicle stability
control system may not function
correctly. When replacing the tires
or wheels, contact your Toyota deal-
er. (See “Checking and replacing
tires” on page 410 in Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
Enhanced vehicle stability
control system
(twowheel drive vehicles)

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
The vehicle stability control system
helps provide integrated control of the
such systems as the antilock brake,
brake assist, traction control, engine
control, electric power steering, active
torque control 4WD. This system auto-
matically controls the brakes, engine
and power steering as well as driving
force to all the 4 wheels to help pre-
vent the vehicle from skidding when
cornering on a slippery road surface or
operating steering wheel abruptly.
This system activates when the vehicle
speed exceeds about 15 km/h (9 mph).
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 sys-
tem is in the self−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction.CAUTION
Do not rely excessively on the ve-
hicle stability control system. Even
if the vehicle stability control sys-
tem is operating, you must always
drive carefully and attentively to
avoid death or serious injury. Reck-
less driving will result in an unex-
pected accident. If the slip indicator
light flashes, and an alarm sounds,
special care should be taken while
driving.
Use only tires of the specified size.
The size, manufacturer, brand and
tread pattern for all 4 tires should
be the same. If you use the tires
other than specified, or different
type or size, the vehicle stability
control system may not function
correctly. When replacing the tires
or wheels, contact your Toyota deal-
er. (See “Checking and replacing
tires” on page 410 in Section 72.)
In situations where the road surface
is covered with ice or snow, your
vehicle should be fitted with snow
tires or tire chains.
If the vehicle is going to skid during driv-
ing, the slip indicator light blinks and an
alarm sounds intermittently. Special care
should be taken while driving.
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.
Enhanced vehicle stability
control system
(fourwheel drive models)

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2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
All fees and programming are the respon-
sibility of the XM Satellite Radio and are
subject to change.
Satellite t uner technology notice:
Toyota’s satellite radio t uners are awarded
Type Approval Certificates from XM  Sat-
ellite Radio Inc. as proof of compatibility
with the services offered by the XM 
Satellite Radio.
Displaying the radio ID
Each XM  tuner is identified with a unique
radio ID. You will need the radio ID when
activating XM  service or when reporting
a problem.
If you select the “CH 000” using the
“TUNE·FILE” knob, the ID code of 8 al-
phanumeric characters appears. If you se-
lect another channel, display of the ID
code is canceled. The channel (000) alter-
nates the display between the radio ID
and the specific radio ID code.
∗: Use of satellite radio requires XM 
tuner and service. Contact your Toyota
dealer for details. TONE AND BALANCE
For details about your system’s tone and
balance controls, see the description of
your own system.
SRS
Type 1 and 2
−1 audio systems utilize SRS
FOCUS  and SRS TruBass  audio
enhancement technologies, under license
from SRS Labs, Inc., in all modes except
AM radio mode.
FOCUS , TruB as s , SRS andsymbols are trade-
marks of SRS Labs, Inc.
FOCUS and TruBass technologies are incorporated under
license from SRS Labs, Inc.
Tone
How good an audio program sounds to
you is largely determined by the mix of
the treble, midrange (type 2 −2) and bass
levels. In fact, different kinds of music
and vocal programs usually sound better
with different mixes of treble, midrange
and bass.
Balance
A good balance of the left and right stereo
channels and of the front and rear sound
levels is also important.
Keep in mind that if you are listening to
a stereo recording or broadcast, changing
the right/left balance will increase the vol-
ume of one group of sounds while de-
creasing the volume of other.
YOUR RADIO ANTENNA
Your vehicle has a mast type antenna.
To remove the antenna, carefully turn it
counterclockwise.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the antenna,
make sure it is removed before driv-
ing your Toyota through an automatic
car wash.