2013 TOYOTA RAV4 EV brakes

41
1
1-1. EV system
Before driving
EV (Electric Vehicle) driving tips
Observe the following to reduce traction battery consumption and
increase driving range.
■ Driving in normal mode:
Normal mode (when compared with sport mode) allows the most effi-
cient driving. ( P. 208)
■Route selection
In addition to a driving style of repeated acceleration and deceleration,
driving on routes that have steep inclines and long waits at traffic lights
will lead to poor power consumption. Check traffic reports before leav-
ing, avoid delays and drive on flat roads as much as possible. When
encountering a delay, gently release the brake pedal to allow the vehi-
cle to move forward slightly while avoiding overuse of the accelerator
pedal. Doing so can help control excessive energy consumption.
■Use of EV System Indicator
Keeping the EV System Indicator needle within ECO area can help
improve Eco-friendly driving. ( P. 221)
■When braking the vehicle
Make sure to operate the brakes gently and in good time. A greater
amount of electrical energy can be retained when slowing down.
■Highway driving
Control your speed, keep at a constant speed and obey speed limits.
Also, before stopping at a toll booth or similar, allow plenty of time to
release the accelerator and slowly stop the vehicle using regenerative
braking and the brake pedal. A greater amount of electrical energy can
be retained while slowing down.

191
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
Starting on a steep uphill
Firmly set the parking brake with the brake pedal depressed,
and then shift the shift position to D.
Slowly release the brake pedal and gently depress the accel-
erator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■ Driving in the rain
●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
especially 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.
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is rec-
ommended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■ Drum-in-disc type parking brake system
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type parking brake system.
This type of brake system needs bedding-down of the brake shoes periodi-
cally or whenever the parking brake shoes and/or drum are replaced.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bedding down operation.
■ Operating your vehicle in a foreign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle registration laws.
STEP 1
STEP 2
STEP 3

194 2-1. Driving procedures
CAUTION
●Do not shift the shift position to D while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle\
control.
● Shifting the shift position to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage
the EV system’s drive-train. Regenerative braking is not available with the
EV system disengaged and the transmission may be damaged.
● During normal driving, do not turn off the EV system. Turning the EV sys-
tem off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but
the power assist to these systems will be lost. This will make it more diffi-
cult to steer and brake, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so.
However, in the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the normal way: P. 479
● Use regenerative braking (shift position B instead of shift position D) to
maintain a safe speed when driving down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously may cause the brakes to overheat and lose
effectiveness. ( P. 207)
● Do not adjust the position of the steering wheel, the seat, or the inside or
outside rear view mirrors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of vehicle control that can cause accidents,
resulting in death or serious injury.
● Always check that all passengers' arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle, as this may result in death or serious injury.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit. Even if the legal speed limit per-
mits it, do not drive over 85 mph (140 km/h) unless your vehicle has high-
speed capability tires. Driving over 85 mph (140 km/h) may result in tire
failure, loss of control and possible injury. Be sure to consult a tire dealer
to determine whether the tires on your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.

195
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
■
When driving on slippery road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle, resulting in an accident.
● Sudden shifting between D and B position may accelerate or slow the
vehicle and cause the vehicle to skid, resulting in an accident.
● After driving through a puddle, lightly depress the brake pedal to make
sure that the brakes are functioning properly. Wet brake pads may prevent
the brakes from functioning properly. If the brakes on only one side are wet
and not functioning properly, steering control may be affected, resulting in
an accident.
■ When changing the shift position
Be careful not to change the shift position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Changing the shift position to any positions other than P or N may cause the
vehicle to accelerate abruptly, causing an accident and resulting in death or
serious injury.
After changing the shift position, make sure to confirm the current shift posi-
tion displayed on the shift position indicator inside the meter.
■ If you hear a squealing or scraping noise (brake pad wear limit indica-
tors)
Have the brake pads checked and replaced by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the pads are not replaced when needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle when the wear limits of the brake pads
and/or those of the brake discs are exceeded.

197
2-1. Driving procedures
2
When driving
CAUTION
●
Do not attach adhesive discs to the windshield or windows. Do not place
containers such as air fresheners on the instrument panel or dashboard.
Adhesive discs or containers may act as lenses, causing a fire in the vehi-
cle.
● Do not leave a door or window open if the curved glass is coated with a
metallized film such as a silver-colored one. Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act as a lens, causing a fire.
■ When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the EV system off. Otherwise, you may accidentally move the
shift position or depress the accelerator pedal.
■ When braking the vehicle
●When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and may cause one
side of the vehicle to brake differently than the other side. Also the parking
brake may not securely hold the vehicle.
● If the electronically controlled brake system does not operate, do not fol-
low other vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require brak-
ing.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems fails, the others will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking distance will
increase. If this happens, do not continue to drive the vehicle. If the brake
system warning light comes on while driving, immediately stop the vehicle
in a safe place and contact your Toyota dealer.

244 2-4. Using other driving systems
■Adjusting the set speed
To change the set speed, operate the lever until the desired set
speed is obtained.
Increase the speed
Decrease the speed
Hold the lever until the desired
speed setting is obtained.
Fine adjustment: Momentarily
move the lever in the desired
direction.
Large adjustment: Hold the
lever in the desired direction.
The set speed will be increased or decreased as follows:
Fine adjustment: By approximately 1 mph (1.6 km/h) each time the
lever is operated.
Large adjustment: The set speed can be increased or decreased con-
tinually until the lever is released.
■ Canceling and resuming the constant speed control
Pulling the lever toward you
cancels the constant speed
control.
The speed setting is also can-
celed when the brakes are
applied.
Pushing the lever up
resumes the constant
speed control.
Resuming is available when
the vehicle speed is more
than approximately 25 mph
(40 km/h).

251
2-4. Using other driving systems
2
When driving
Driving assist systems
When the TRAC/VSC/ABS systems are operatingThe slip indicator light will flash
while the TRAC/VSC/ABS sys-
tems are operating.
To help enhance driving safety and performance, the following sys-
tems operate automatically in res ponse to various driving situations.
Be aware, however, that these systems are supplementary and
should not be relied upon too heavi ly when operating the vehicle.
■ABS (Anti-lock Brake System)
Helps to prevent wheel lock when the brakes are applied suddenly, or if
the brakes are applied while driving on a slippery road surface
■Brake assist
Generates an increased level of braking force after the brake pedal is
depressed, when the system detects a panic stop situation
■VSC (Vehicle Stability Control)
Helps the driver to control skidding when swerving suddenly or turning
on slippery road surfaces
■TRAC (Traction Control)
Helps to maintain drive power and prevent the drive wheels from spin-
ning when starting the vehicle or accelerating on slippery roads
■Hill-start assist control
P. 256
■EPS (Electric Power Steering)
Employs an electric motor to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn
the steering wheel

256
2-4. Using other driving systems
Hill-start assist control
■Hill-start assist control operating conditions
●The system operates in the following situations:
• The shift position is in a position other than P.
• The parking brake is not applied.
• The accelerator pedal is not depressed.
● Hill-start assist control cannot be operated while the slip indicator light is
illuminated.
■ Hill-start assist control
●While hill-start assist control is operating, the brakes remain automati-
cally applied after the driver releases the brake pedal. The stop lights and
the high mounted stoplight turn on.
● Hill-start assist control operates for about 2 seconds after the brake pedal
is released.
● If the slip indicator does not flash and the buzzer does not sound when
the brake pedal is further depressed, slightly reduce the pressure on the
brake pedal (do not allow the vehicl e to roll backward) and then firmly
depress it again. If the system still does not operate, check that the oper-
ating conditions explained above have been met.
Assists with starting off and tem porarily maintains braking power
even if the foot is re moved from the brake peda l when starting off on
an incline or a slippery slope.
To engage hill-start assist con-
trol, further depress the brake
pedal when the vehicle is
stopped completely.
A buzzer will sound once to
indicate the system is acti-
vated. The slip indicator will
also start flashing.