2015 TOYOTA RAV4 engine

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4-2. Driving procedures
■When the steering lock cannot be released
■ Steering lock motor overheating prevention
To prevent the steering lock motor from overheating, the motor may be sus-
pended if the engine is turned on and off repeatedly in a short period of time.
In this case, refrain from running the engine. After about 10 seconds, the
steering lock motor will resume functioning.
■ When the smart key system indi cator light flashes in yellow
The system may be malfunctioning. Have the vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer immediately.
■ If the electronic key battery is depleted
P. 570
■ Operation of the engine switch
When operating the engine switch, one short, firm press is enough. If the
switch is pressed improperly, the engine may not start or the engine switch
mode may not change. It is not necessary to press and hold the switch.
■ If the smart key system has been deactivated in a customized setting
P. 646 The smart key system indicator light
(green) will flash quickly.
Check that the shift lever is set in P. Press
the engine switch while turning the steer-
ing wheel left and right.

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2054-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
CAUTION
■When starting the engine
Always start the engine while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the
accelerator pedal while starting the engine under any circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■ Caution while driving
If engine failure occurs while the vehicle is moving, do not lock or open the
doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop. Activation of the
steering lock in this circumstance may lead to an accident, resulting in
death or serious injury.
■ Stopping the engine in an emergency
If you want to stop the engine in an emergency while driving the vehicle,
press and hold the engine switch for more than 2 seconds, or press it briefly
3 times or more in succession. ( P. 601)
However, do not touch the engine switch while driving except in an emer-
gency. 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.

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4-2. Driving procedures
NOTICE
■To prevent battery discharge
● Do not leave the engine switch in ACCESSORY or IGNITION ON mode
for long periods of time without the engine running.
● If the smart key system indicator light (green) is illuminated, the engine
switch is not off. When exiting the vehicle, always check that the engine
switch is off.
● Do not stop the engine when the shift lever is in a position other than P. If
the engine is stopped in another shift lever position, the engine switch will
not be turned off but instead be turned to ACCESSORY mode. If the vehi-
cle is left in ACCESSORY mode, battery discharge may occur.
■ When starting the engine
● Do not race a cold engine.
● If the engine becomes difficult to star t or stalls frequently, have your vehi-
cle checked by your Toyota dealer immediately.
■ Symptoms indicating a malfunction with the engine switch
If the engine switch seems to be operating somewhat differently than usual,
such as the switch sticking slightly, there may be a malfunction. Contact
your Toyota dealer immediately.

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4-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
Automatic transmission
Vehicles without a smart key systemWhile the engine switch is in the “ON” position, move the shift
lever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the
vehicle is completely stopped.
Vehicles with a smart key systemWhile the engine switch is in IGNITION ON mode, move the
shift lever with the brake pedal depressed.
When shifting the shift lever between P and D, make sure that the
vehicle is completely stopped.
Shifting the shift lever

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4-2. Driving procedures
*1: Shifting the shift lever to D allows the system to select a gear suitable forthe driving conditions.
Setting the shift lever to D is recommended for normal driving.
*2: Selecting shift ranges using S mode restricts the upper limit of the possiblegear ranges, controls engine braking force, and prevents unnecessary
upshifting.
Shift position purpose
Shift positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/starting the engine
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1
SS mode driving*2 ( P. 210)

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4-2. Driving procedures
To enter S mode, shift the shift lever to S. Shift ranges can be selected
by operating the shift lever, allowing you to drive in the shift range of
your choosing. The shift range can be selected by the shift lever.
Upshifting
Downshifting
The selected shift range, from 1 to
6, will be displayed in the meter.
The initial shift range in S mode is
set automatically to 5 or 4 accord-
ing to vehicle speed. However, the
initial shift range may be set to 3 if
AI-SHIFT has operated while the
shift lever was in D. (P. 213)
■
Shift ranges and their functions
● Automatically selecting shift ranges between 1 and 6 according
to vehicle speed and driving cond itions. But the gear is limited
according to selected range.
● You can choose from 6 levels of engine braking force.
● A lower shift range will provide gr eater engine braking force than
a higher shift range, and the engine speed will also increase.
Selecting shift ranges in the S position
1
2

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2114-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
■S mode
●When the shift range is 4 or lower, holding the shift lever toward “+” sets the
shift range to 6.
● To prevent the engine from over-revving, upshifting may automatically
occur.
● To protect the automatic transmission, a higher shift range may automati-
cally selected when the fluid temperature is high.
■ Downshifting restrictions warning buzzer
To help ensure safety and driving performance, downshifting operation may
sometimes be restricted. In some circumstances, downshifting may not be
possible even when the shift lever is operated. (A buzzer will sound twice.)
■ Operation of the air conditio ning system in Eco drive mode
Eco drive mode controls the heating/cooling operations and fan speed
* of the
air conditioning system to enhance fuel efficiency ( P. 304, 313). To improve
air conditioning performance, adjust the fan speed
* or turn off Eco drive
mode.
*: Vehicles with an automatic air conditioning system only
■ Deactivation of the driving mode
●Eco drive mode will not be canceled until the “ECO MODE” button is
pressed, even if the engine is turned off after driving in Eco drive mode.
● Sport mode will be canceled if the engine is turned off after driving in sport
mode.
■ When driving with cruise control activated
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of enabling engine
braking, engine braking will not activate because cruise control will not be
canceled.
●While driving in S mode, downshifting to 5 or 4. ( P. 210)
● When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D.
(P. 209)
■ If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
P. 645

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4-2. Driving procedures
■If the “S” indicator does not come on or the “D” indicator is displayed
even after shifting the shift lever to S
This may indicate a malfunction in the automatic transmission system. Have
the vehicle inspected by your Toyota dealer immediately.
(In this situation, the transmission will operate in the same manner as when
the shift lever is in D.)
■ If the automatic transmission flui d temperature warning light comes on
(AWD models only)
If the automatic transmission fluid temper-
ature warning light comes on while driv-
ing, make sure to return to D position
driving and reduce speed by easing off
the accelerator pedal. Stop the vehicle in
a safe place, shift the shift lever to P and
let the engine idle until the warning light
goes out.
When the warning light goes out, the vehi-
cle can be driven again.
If the warning light does not go out after
waiting a while, have your vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer.