2012 TOYOTA RAV4 brake

426 5-1. Essential information
Emergency towingIf a tow truck is not available, in an emergency your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using a cable or chain secured to the emergency
towing eyelet. This should only be attempted on hard surfaced roads
for short distances at low speeds.
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes. The
vehicle’s wheels, drive train, axles, steering and brakes must be in
good condition.
Towing eyelet

428 5-1. Essential information
Towing with a sling-type truckDo not tow with a sling-type truck
to prevent body damage.
Towing with a wheel-lift type truckFrom the front (2WD models) Release the parking brake.
From the front (4WD models) Use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.

5
When trouble arises
429
5-1. Essential information
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the
front wheels.
Using a flat bed truck
If you use chains or cables to tie
down your vehicle, the angles
shaded in black must be 45.
Do not overly tighten the tie
downs or the vehicle may be
damaged.
■ 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.
■ Location of the emer gency towing eyelet
The emergency towing eyelet is in the tool bag. ( P. 449)
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3

430 5-1. Essential information
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. Always
be cautious of the surroundings and other vehicles while towing.
● If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes and steering
will not function, making steering and braking more difficult.
■ 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.

432
5-1. Essential information
If you think something is wrong
If you notice any of the following symptoms, your vehicle probably
needs adjustment or repair. Contact your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible.
■ Visible symptoms
●Fluid leaks under the vehicle
(Water dripping from the air cond itioning after use is normal.)
● Flat-looking tires or uneven tire wear
● Engine coolant temperature g auge needle continually points
higher than normal
■ Audible symptoms
●Changes in exhaust sound
● Excessive tire squeal when cornering
● Strange noises related to the suspension system
● Pinging or other noises related to the engine
■ Operational symptoms
●Engine missing, stumbling or running rough
● Appreciable loss of power
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when braking
● Vehicle pulls heavily to one side when driving on a level road
● Loss of brake effectiveness, s pongy feeling, pedal almost
touches the floor

434
5-1. Essential information
Event data recorder
In a crash or a near car crash eventThe SRS airbag sensor assembly contains the EDR. In a crash or a
near car crash event, this device may record some or all of the follow-
ing information:
● Engine speed
● Whether the brake pedal was applied or not
● Vehicle speed
● To what extent the accelerator pedal was depressed
● Position of the transmission shift lever
● Whether the driver and front passenger wore seat belts or not
● Driver's seat position
● SRS airbag deployment data
● SRS airbag system diagnostic data
● Front passenger's occupant classification
The information above is intended to be used for the purpose of
improving vehicle safety performan ce. Unlike general data recorders,
the EDR does not record sound data such as conversation between
passengers.
Your vehicle has computers that monitor and control certain aspects
of your vehicle. These computers assi st in driving and maintaining
optimal vehicle performance.
Besides storing data useful for tr oubleshooting, there is an event
data recorder (EDR) that records data in a crash or a near car
crash event.

436
5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If a war ning light tur ns on or a war ning buzzer sounds...
Stop the vehicle immediately. Continuing to drive the vehicle may be dangerous.
The following warning indicates a possible problem in the brake sys-
tem. Immediately stop the vehicle in a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
*: Parking brake engaged warning buzzer: The buzzer sounds to indicate that the parking brake is still engaged (with
the vehicle having reached a speed of 3 mph [5 km/h]).
Warning lightWarning light/Details
(U.S.A.)
(Canada) Brake system warning light (warning buzzer)*
• Low brake fluid
• Malfunction in the brake system
This light also comes on when the parking brake is not
released. If the light turns off after the parking brake is fully
released the system is operating normally.
Calmly perform the following actions if any of the warning lights turn
on or flash. If a light turns on or flashes, but then turns off, this does
not necessarily indicate a malfunction in the system.

438 5-2. Steps to take in an emergency
Follow the correction procedures.After taking the specified steps to correct the suspected problem,
check that the warning light turns off.
(U.S.A.)
(Canada) “ABS” warning light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The ABS;
• The brake assist system.
Electric power steering warning light
Indicates a malfunction in the EPS system.
(Flashes) Cruise control indicator light
Indicates a malfunction in the cruise control system.
Slip indicator light
Indicates a malfunction in:
• The VSC;
• The TRAC;
• The AUTO LSD function;
• The hill-start assist control; and
• The downhill assist control system.
(Comes on) Active Torque Control 4WD system warning light (4WD
models)
Indicates a malfunction in the Active Torque Control 4WD
system.
(When the light flashes.
P. 438)
Warning lightWarning light/DetailsCorrection procedure
Open door warning light Indicates that a door is not
fully closed. Check that all doors are
closed.
Warning lightWarning light/Details