2009 TOYOTA RAV4 towing

412 5-1. Essential information
■Emergency towin g procedure
Release the parking brake.
Shift the shift lever to N.
Vehicles without smart key system: Turn the engine switch to “ACC”
(engine off) or “ON” (engine running) position.
Vehicles with smart key system: Turn the “ENGINE START STOP”
switch to ACCESSORY (engine off) or IGNITION ON (engine run-
ning) mode.
CAUTION
■ Caution while towing
●Use extreme caution when towing the vehicle.
Avoid sudden starts or erratic driving maneuvers which place excessive
stress on the emergency towing eyelet and the cables or chains.
● If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes and steering
will not function, making steering and braking more difficult.
NOTICE
■To prevent causing serious dama ge to the transmission
Never tow this vehicle from the rear with the front wheels on the ground.
This may cause serious damage to the transmission.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3

5
When trouble arises
413
5-1. Essential information
Installing towing eyelet
Remove the eyelet cover using a
flathead screwdriver.
To protect the bodywork, place a
rag between the screwdriver and
the vehicle body, as shown in the
illustration.
Insert the towing eyelet into the
hole and tighten partially by
hand.
Tighten down the towing eyelet
securely using a wheel nut
wrench.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
■Location of the emer gency towing eyelet
P. 434

414 5-1. Essential information
CAUTION
■Installing towing eyelet to the vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelet is installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelet may come loose during towing. This
may lead to accidents that cause serious injury or even death.

5
When trouble arises
415
5-1. Essential information
Towing with a sling-type truck
Towing with a wheel-lift type truck from the front
2WD models Release the parking brake.
NOTICE
■To prevent body damage
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or rear.

416 5-1. Essential information
4WD modelsUse a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
Towing with a wheel-lift type truck from the rear
Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels.
NOTICE
■To prevent damaging the vehicle
When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.
■ To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission (4WD models)
Never tow this vehicle from the front with the rear wheels on the ground.
NOTICE
■To prevent causing serious damage to the transmission
Never tow this vehicle from the rear with the front wheels on the ground.

444 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Reinstall the wheel ornament.
16-inch wheel
17-inch and 18-inch wheels
Stowing the flat tire
Remove any dirt or foreign matter from the disc wheel seat
and the wheel contact surface. Vehicles with aluminum wheels
and a steel wheel for the spare:
Remove the plastic rings from
the wheel nuts of the spare tire
carrier.
STEP 5
STEP 1
STEP 2

5
When trouble arises
447
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
■After repairing the flat tire (veh
icles with aluminum wheels and a
steel wheel for the spare)
Be sure to reinstall the plastic rings to the wheel nuts before stowing the
spare tire. If the steel wheel is st owed without reinstalling the plastic
rings to the wheel nuts, the spare tire carrier may produce abnormal
noise when the vehicle is moving.
CAUTION
■Using the tire jack
Improper use of the tire jack may lead to death or serious injuries due to
the vehicle suddenly falling off the jack.
●Do not use the tire jack for any pu rpose other than replacing tires or
installing and removing tire chains.
●Only use the tire jack that comes wi th this vehicle for replacing a flat
tire.
Do not use it on other vehicles, and do not use other tire jacks for
replacing tires on this vehicle.
●Always check that the tire jack is securely set to the jack point.
●Do not put any part of your body under the vehicle while it is supported
by the jack.
●Do not start or run the engine while your vehicle is supported by the
jack.
●Do not raise the vehicle while someone is in it.
●When raising the vehicle, do not put an object on or under the jack.
●Do not raise the vehicle to a hei ght greater than that required to
replace the tire.
●Use a jack stand if it is necessary to get under the vehicle.
●Stop the vehicle on a level firm ground, firmly set the parking brake
and put the transmission in “P”. Block the wheel diagonally opposite to
the one being changed if necessary.
Take particular care when lowering the vehicle to ensure that no one
working on or near the vehicle will be injured.

5
When trouble arises
463
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If the vehicle becomes stuck
CAUTION
■When attempting to free a stuck vehicle
If you choose to rock the vehicle back and forth to free it, make sure the sur-
rounding area is clear, to avoid striking other vehicles, objects or persons.
The vehicle may also lunge forward or lunge back suddenly as it becomes
free. Use extreme caution.
■ When shifting the shift lever
Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
This may lead to unexpected rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may
cause an accident and result in death or serious injury.
NOTICE
■To avoid damaging the transmission and other components
●Avoid spinning the wheels and do not rev the engine.
● If the vehicle remains stuck after trying these procedures, the vehicle may
require towing to be freed.
Carry out the following procedures if the tires spin or the vehicle
becomes stuck in mud, dirt, or snow.
Stop the engine. Set the parking brake and put the shift
lever in P.
Remove the mud, snow, or sand from around the stuck tire.
Place wood, stones or some other material to help provide
traction under the tires.
Restart the engine.
4WD models: Activate 4WD lock mode. ( P. 192)
Shift the shift lever to the D or R position and carefully
depress the accelerator pedal to free the vehicle.
Turn off TRAC and/or Enhanced VSC if these functions are ham-
pering your attempts to free the vehicle. ( P. 182)
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3
STEP 4
STEP 5
STEP 6