2015 TOYOTA RAV4 engine

RAV4_OM_OM42A78U_(U)
1694-1. Before driving
4
Driving
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving the vehicle
● During normal driving, do not turn off the engine. Turning the engine 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 difficult 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. 601
● Use engine braking (downshift) 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. 208)
● Do not adjust the positions 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.
● Always check that all passengers’ arms, heads or other parts of their body
are not outside the vehicle.
● Do not drive the vehicle off-road.
This is not an AWD vehicle designed for off-road driving. Proceed with all
due caution if it becomes unavoidable to drive off-road.
● Do not drive across river crossings or through other bodies of water.
This may cause electric/electronic components to short circuit, damage
the engine or cause other serious damage to the vehicle.
● 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 y our vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.

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RAV4_OM_OM42A78U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
CAUTION
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
● Sudden braking, acceleration and steering may cause tire slippage and
reduce your ability to control the vehicle.
● Sudden acceleration, engine braking due to shifting, or changes in engine
speed could cause the vehicle to skid.
● 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.
■ When shifting the shift lever
● Do not let the vehicle roll backward while the shift lever is in a driving posi-
tion, or roll forward while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine to stall or lead to poor brake and steering
performance, resulting in an accident or damage to the vehicle.
● Do not shift the shift lever to P while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to R while the vehicle is moving forward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Do not shift the shift lever to D while the vehicle is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the transmission and may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
● Moving the shift lever to N while the vehicle is moving will disengage the
engine from the transmission. Engine braking is not available when N is
selected.
● Be careful not to shift the shift lever with the accelerator pedal depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear other than P or N may lead to unexpected
rapid acceleration of the vehicle that may cause an accident and result in
death or serious injury.

RAV4_OM_OM42A78U_(U)
1714-1. Before driving
4
Driving
CAUTION
■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.
The 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.
■ When the vehicle is stopped
● Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other than P or N, the vehicle may accelerate
suddenly and unexpectedly, causing an accident.
● In order to prevent accidents due to the vehicle rolling away, always keep
depressing the brake pedal while the engine is running, and apply the
parking brake as necessary.
● If the vehicle is stopped on an incline, in order to prevent accidents caused
by the vehicle rolling forward or backward, always depress the brake pedal
and securely apply the parking brake as needed.
● Avoid revving or racing the engine.
Running the engine at high speed while the vehicle is stopped may cause
the exhaust system to overheat, which could result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.

172
RAV4_OM_OM42A78U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
CAUTION
■When the vehicle is parked
● Do not leave glasses, cigarette lighters, spray cans, or soft drink cans in
the vehicle when it is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the following:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may lead to a
fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic lenses and plastic material of glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray over the interior of the vehicle, and may also cause a short circuit in the vehicle’s
electrical components.
● Do not leave cigarette lighters in the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter is in a
place such as the glove box or on the floor, it may be lit accidentally when
luggage is loaded or the seat is adjusted, causing a fire.
● 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.
● Always apply the parking brake, shift the shift lever to P, stop the engine
and lock the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unattended while the engine is running.
● Do not touch the exhaust pipes while the engine is running or immediately
after turning the engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.

RAV4_OM_OM42A78U_(U)
1734-1. Before driving
4
Driving
CAUTION
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the shift
lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or fire
due to engine overheating. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked in a poorly
ventilated area, exhaust gases may collect and enter the vehicle, leading to
death or a serious health hazard.
■ When braking
● When the brakes are wet, drive more cautiously.
Braking distance increases when the brakes are wet, and this 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 power brake assist function does not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid hills or sharp turns that require braking.
In this case, braking is still possible, but the brake pedal should be
depressed more firmly than usual. Also, the braking distance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
● Do not pump the brake pedal if the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal uses up the reserve for the power-assisted
brakes.
● The brake system consists of 2 individual hydraulic systems; if one of the
systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal
should be depressed more firmly than usual and the braking distance will
increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■ If the vehicle becomes stuck (AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels excessively when any of the tires is up in the air, or
the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline com-
ponents or propel the vehicle forward or backward, causing an accident.

RAV4_OM_OM42A78U_(U)
1754-1. Before driving
4
Driving
NOTICE
■When encounterin g flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain etc. Doing so may
cause the following serious damage to the vehicle:
● Engine stalling
● Short in electrical components
● Engine damage caused by water immersion
In the event that you drive on a flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be
sure to have your Toyota dealer check the following:
● Brake function
● Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine, tran-
saxle, transfer (AWD models), rear differential (AWD models), etc.
● Lubricant condition for the propeller shaft (AWD models), bearings and
suspension joints (where possible), and the function of all joints, bearings,
etc.

RAV4_OM_OM42A78U_(U)
1894-1. Before driving
4
Driving
●As stopping distance is increased when towing a trailer, vehicle-to
vehicle distance should be increa sed. For each 10 mph (16 km/h)
of speed, allow at least one vehicle and trailer length.
● Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in the trailer jack-
knifing and a loss of vehicle contro l. This is especially true on wet or
slippery surfaces.
● Avoid jerky starts or sudden acceleration.
● Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns, and slow down before making
turn.
● Note that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than
the vehicle wheels to the inside of the turn. Compensate by making
a wider than normal turning radius.
● Slow down before making a turn, in cross winds, on wet or slippery
surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can destabilize the trailer.
● Take care when passing other vehicles. Passing requires consider-
able distance. After passing a vehicle, do not forget the length of
your trailer, and be sure you hav e plenty of room before changing
lanes.
● To maintain engine braking effici ency and charging system perfor-
mance when using engine braking, do not put the transmission in
D. If in the S mode, the transmission shift range position must be in
4 or lower.
● Instability happens more frequently when descending steep or long
downhill grades. Before descending, slow down and downshift. Do
not make sudden downshifts while descending steep or long down-
hill grades.
● Avoid holding the brake pedal down too long or applying the brakes
too frequently. This could cause th e brakes to overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.

190
RAV4_OM_OM42A78U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
●Due to the added load of the trailer, your vehicle’s engine may over-
heat on hot days (at temperatures over 85 F [30C]) when driving
up a long or steep grade. If t he engine coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating, immediately turn off the air conditioning (if in
use), pull your vehicle off the road and stop in a safe spot.
(  P. 653)
● Always place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and the trailer’s
wheels when parking. Apply the pa rking brake firmly, and put the
transmission in P. Avoid parking on a slope, but if unavoidable, do
so only after performing the following:
Apply the brakes and keep them applied.
Have someone place wheel blocks under both the vehicle’s and
trailer’s wheels.
When the wheel blocks are in pl ace, release the brakes slowly
until the blocks absorb the load.
Apply the parking brake firmly.
Shift into P and turn off the engine.
● When restarting after parking on a slope:
With the transmission in P, start the engine. Be sure to keep the
brake pedal pressed.
Shift into a forward gear. If reversing, shift into R.
Release the parking brake and brake pedal, and slowly pull or
back away from the wheel blocks. Stop and apply the brakes.
Have someone retrieve the blocks.
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