2013 TOYOTA RAV4 battery

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6-2. Maintenance
CAUTION
■If your vehicle is not properly maintained
Improper maintenance could result in serious damage to the vehicle and
possible death or serious injury.
■ Handling of the battery
●Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and a wide variety of automobile
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects and other reproductive harm. Work in a
well ventilated area.
● Oils, fuels and fluids contained in vehicles as well as waste produced by
component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Califor-
nia to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Avoid
exposure and wash any affected area immediately.
● Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead and lead
compounds which are known to cause brain damage. Wash your hands
after handling. ( P. 438)

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6-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
General maintenance
Listed below are the general maintenance items that should be
performed at the intervals specified in the “Owner’s Warranty
Information Booklet” or “Owner’s Manual Supplement/Sched-
uled Maintenance Guide”. It is recommended that any problem
you notice should be brought to the attention of your Toyota
dealer or qualified service shop for advice.
Engine compartment
ItemsCheck points
BatteryCheck the connections. ( P. 438)
Brake fluidIs the brake fluid at the correct
level? (P. 436)
Engine coolantIs the engine coolant at the correct
level? (P. 434)
Engine oilIs the engine oil at the correct level?
(P. 430)
Exhaust systemThere should not be any fumes or
strange sounds.
Radiator/condenser
The radiator and condenser should
be free from foreign objects.
(P. 436)
Washer fluidIs there sufficient washer fluid?
(P. 442)

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6-2. Maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs
The OBD system determines that a problem exists somewhere in the
emission control system. Your vehicl e may not pass the I/M test and
may need to be repaired. Contact your Toyota dealer to service the
vehicle.
● When the battery is disconnected or discharged
Readiness codes that are set duri ng ordinary driving are erased.
Also, depending on your driving habits, the readiness codes may
not be completely set.
● When the fuel tank cap is loose
The malfunction indicator lamp comes on indicating a temporary
malfunction and your vehicle may not pass the I/M test.
The error code in the OBD system will not be cleared unless the vehi-
cle is driven 40 or more times.
Contact your Toyota dealer to prepare the vehicle for re-testing.
Some states have vehicle emission inspection programs which
include OBD (On Board Diagnos tics) checks. The OBD system
monitors the operation of the emission control system.
If the malfunction indicator lamp comes on
Your vehicle may not pass the I/M test in the following situations:
When the malfunction indicator lamp still remains on after sev-
eral driving trips
If your vehicle does not pass the I/M test

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6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself ser vice precautions
If you perform maintenance by yourself, be sure to follow the
correct procedure as given in these sections.
ItemsParts and tools
Battery condition (P. 438)
•Warm water
• Baking soda
• Grease
• Conventional wrench
(for terminal clamp bolts)
Brake fluid level ( P. 436)
• FMVSS No.116 DOT 3 or SAE
J1703 brake fluid
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only for adding brake fluid)

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4236-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
CAUTION
The engine compartment contains many mechanisms and fluids that may
move suddenly, become hot, or become electrically energized. To avoid death
or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
■When working on the engine compartment
●Keep hands, clothing and tools away from the moving fan and engine
drive belt.
● Be careful not to touch the engine, radiator, exhaust manifold, etc. right
after driving as they may be hot. Oil and other fluids may also be hot.
● Do not leave anything that may burn easily, such as paper and rags, in the
engine compartment.
● Do not smoke, cause sparks or expose an open flame to fuel or the bat-
tery. Fuel and battery fumes are flammable.
● Be extremely cautious when working on the battery. It contains poisonous
and corrosive sulfuric acid.

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6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Engine compar tment
Engine coolant reservoir ( P. 434)
Engine oil filler cap ( P. 432)
Battery ( P. 438)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P. 436)
Fuse box ( P. 465) Radiator (
P. 436)
Condenser ( P. 436)
Electric cooling fans
Engine oil level dipstick ( P. 430)
Washer fluid tank ( P. 442)1
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6-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Check the battery as follows:
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery terminals are not corroded and that
there are no loose connections, cracks, or loose clamps.
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■ Before recharging
When recharging, the battery produces hydrogen gas which is flammable and
explosive. Therefore, before recharging:
●If recharging with the battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to disconnect
the ground cable.
● Make sure the power switch on the charger is off when connecting and dis-
connecting the charger cables to the battery.
Battery
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4396-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■After recharging/reconnecting the ba ttery (vehicles with a smart key sys-
tem)
The engine may not start. Follow the procedure below to initialize the system.
Shift the shift lever to P.
Open and close any of the doors.
Restart the engine.
● Unlocking the doors using the smart key system may not be possible imme-
diately after reconnecting the battery. If this happens, use the wireless
remote control or the mechanical key to lock/unlock the doors.
● Start the engine with the engine switch in ACCESSORY mode. The engine
may not start with the engine switch turned off. However, the engine will
operate normally from the second attempt.
● The engine switch mode is recorded by the vehicle. If the battery is recon-
nected, the vehicle will return the engine switch mode to the status it was in
before the battery was disconnected. Make sure to turn off the engine
before disconnect the battery. Take extra care when connecting the battery
if the engine switch mode prior to discharge is unknown.
If the engine will not start even after multiple attempts, contact your Toyota
dealer.
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