TABLE OF CONTENTS6
RAV4-HV_OM_OM42B03U_(U)7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service precautions ..................... 483
Hood.................................. 485
Positioning a floor jack ...... 487
Engine compartment ......... 488
12-volt battery ................... 496
Tires .................................. 501
Tire inflation pressure........ 510
Wheels .............................. 513
Air conditioning filter .......... 516
Electronic key battery ........ 518
Checking and replacing fuses ............................... 520
Light bulbs ......................... 523 8-1. Essential information
Emergency flashers ........... 538
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an
emergency....................... 539
8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs to be towed ...................... 540
If you think something is wrong ......... 546
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer
sounds ............................. 547
If a warning message is displayed ......................... 556
If you have a flat tire .......... 576
If the hybrid system will not start ..................... 588
If the electronic key does not operate properly ........ 590
If the 12-volt battery is discharged ................... 592
If your vehicle overheats.... 597
If the vehicle becomes stuck ................................ 602
8When trouble arises
17Pictorial index
RAV4-HV_OM_OM42B03U_(U)Windshield wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 223
Precautions against winter season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 317
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer)
*. . . . . . . . . . . . P. 429
Precautions against car wash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 472
Fuel filler door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 230
Refueling method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 230
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 608
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 501
Tire size/inflation pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 613
Winter tires/tire chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 317
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system
*. . . . . . . . P. 501
Coping with flat tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 576
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 485
Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 485
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 609
Coping with overheat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 597
Headlights/daytime running lights
*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 213
Parking lights/daytime running lights
* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 213
Fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 222
Turn signal lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 211
Tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 213
Stop/tail lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 213
Hill-start assist control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 308
License plate lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 213
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 205
Side marker lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 213
4
5
6
7
Light bulbs of the exter ior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P. 523, Watts: P. 614)
*: If equipped
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
RAV4-HV_OM_OM42B03U_(U)
1694-1. Before driving
4
Driving
Make sure that the parking brake is set and shift the shift lever to D.
Gently depress the accelerator pedal.
Release the parking brake.
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will activate. ( →P. 308)
■ For fuel-efficient driving
Keep in mind that hybrid vehicles are similar to conventional vehicles, and it
is necessary to refrain from activities such as sudden acceleration. ( →P. 314)
■ Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully when it is raining, because visibility will be reduced, the win-
dows may become fogged-up, and the road will be slippery.
● Drive carefully when it starts to rain, because the road surface will be espe-
cially 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 sur-
face, preventing the steering and brakes from operating properly.
■ Engine speed while driving
In the following conditions, the engine speed may become high while driving.
This is due to automatic up-shifting control or down-shifting implementation to
meet driving conditions. It does not indicate sudden acceleration.
●The vehicle is judged to be driving uphill or downhill
● When the accelerator pedal is released
● When the brake pedal is depressed while sport mode is selected
■ Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recom-
mended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
● For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
● For the first 600 miles (1000 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speed.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
Starting off on a steep uphill
1
2
3
RAV4-HV_OM_OM42B03U_(U)
1714-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
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 hybrid system. Turning the hybrid
system off while driving will not cause loss of steering or braking control,
however, power assist to the steering will be lost. This will make it more
difficult to steer smoothly, so you should pull over and stop the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so.
In the event of an emergency, such as if it becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way: →P. 539
● 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. 205)
● 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 hybrid system 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 your vehicle are high-speed capability
tires or not before driving at such speeds.
RAV4-HV_OM_OM42B03U_(U)
1754-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When taking a nap in the vehicle
Always turn the hybrid system off. Otherwise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or depress the accelerator pedal, this could cause an accident or
fire due to hybrid system 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 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.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
● The brake system consists of 2 or more 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 dis-
tance will increase.
Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■ If the vehicle becomes stuck
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.
182
RAV4-HV_OM_OM42B03U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
Vehicle load limits
◆Total load capacity (vehicle capacity weight): →P. 606
Total load capacity means the comb ined weight of occupants, cargo
and luggage.
◆Seating capacity: 5 occupants (Front 2, Rear 3)
Seating capacity means the maximum number of occupants whose
estimated average weight is 150 lb. (68 kg) per person.
◆TWR (Trailer Weight Rating) (except SE grade): →P. 187, 606
TWR means the maximum gross trailer weight (trailer weight plus
its cargo weight) that your vehicle is able to tow.
◆Cargo capacity
Cargo capacity may increase or decrease depending on the weight
and the number of occupants.
■Total load capacity and seating capacity
These details are also described on the tire and loading information label.
(→ P. 510)
Vehicle load limits include total load capacity, seating capacity,
TWR (Trailer Weight Rating) and cargo capacity.
WARNING
■
Overloading the vehicle
Do not overload the vehicle.
It may not only cause damage to the tires, but also degrade steering
and braking ability, resu lting in an accident.
190
RAV4-HV_OM_OM42B03U_(U)
4-1. Before driving
Your vehicle will handle differently when towing a trailer. Help to avoid
an accident, death or serious injury, keep the following in mind when
towing:
● Speed limits for towing a trailer vary by state or province. Do not
exceed the posted to wing speed limit.
● Toyota recommends that the vehi cle-trailer speed limit is 65 mph
(104 km/h) on a flat, straight, dry road. Do not exceed this limit, the
posted towing speed limit or the spe ed limit for your trailer as set
forth in your trailer owner’s manual, whichever is lowest. Instability
of the towing vehicle-trailer combination (trailer sway) increases as
speed increases. Exceeding speed limits may cause loss of control.
● Before starting out, check the tr ailer lights, tires and the vehicle-
trailer connections. Recheck after driving a short distance.
● Practice turning, stopping and reversing with the trailer attached in
an area away from traffic until you become accustomed to the feel
of the vehicle-trailer combination.
● Reversing with a trailer attached is difficult and requires practice.
Grip the bottom of the steering wheel and move your hand to the
left to move the trailer to the left . Move your hand to the right to
move the trailer to right. (This is generally opposite to reversing
without a trailer attached.) Avoid sharp or prolonged turning. Have
someone guide you when reversing to reduce the risk of an acci-
dent.
Trailer towing tips
RAV4-HV_OM_OM42B03U_(U)
1934-1. Before driving
4
Driving
■Matching trailer ball height to trailer coupler height
■ Before towing
Check that the following conditions are met:
●Ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated. ( →P. 613)
● Trailer tires are inflated according to the trailer manufacturer’s recommen-
dation.
● All trailer lights work as required by law.
● All lights work each time you connect them.
● The trailer ball is set at the proper height for the coupler on the trailer.
● The trailer is level when it is hitched.
Do not drive if the trailer is not level, and check for improper tongue weight,
overloading, worn suspension, or other possible causes.
● The trailer cargo is securely loaded.
● The rear view mirrors conform to all applicable federal, state/provincial or
local regulations. If they do not, install rear view mirrors appropriate for tow-
ing purposes.
No matter which class of tow hitch
applies, for a more safe trailer hookup,
the trailer ball setup must be the proper
height for the coupler on the trailer.
Coupler
Trailer ball
1
2