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4-6. Driving tips
■Tire chain installation
Observe the following precautions when installing and removing chains:
●Install and remove tire chains in a safe location.
● Install tire chains on the front tires only. Do not install tire chains on the rear
tires.
● Install tire chains on front tires as tightly as possible. Retighten chains after
driving 1/4 - 1/2 mile (0.5 - 1.0 km).
● Install tire chains following the instructions provided with the tire chains.
WARNING
■ Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or
serious injury.
● Use tires of the specified size.
● Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
● Do not drive in excess of 75 mph (120 km/h), regardless of the type of
snow tires being used.
● Use snow tires on all, not just some wheels.
■ Driving with tire chains
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehicle being unable to be driven safely,
and may cause death or serious injury.
● Do not drive in excess of the speed limit specified for the tire chains being
used, or 30 mph (50 km/h), whichever is lower.
● Avoid driving on bumpy road surfaces or over potholes.
● Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shifting
operations that cause sudden engine braking.
● Slow down sufficiently before entering a curve to ensure that vehicle con-
trol is maintained.
● Do not use LDA (Lane Departure Alert with steering control) system (if
equipped).
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RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
3174-6. Driving tips
4
Driving
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow tires (vehicles with the tire pressure warn-
ing system)
Request repairs or replacement of snow tires from Toyota dealers or legiti-
mate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the opera-
tion of the tire pressure warning valves and transmitters.
■ Fitting tire chains (vehicles with the tire pressure warning system)
The tire pressure warning valves and transmitters may not function correctly
when tire chains are fitted.
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7Maintenance and care
7-1. Maintenance and careCleaning and protecting the vehicle exterior .......... 536
Cleaning and protecting the vehicle interior ........... 539
7-2. Maintenance Maintenance requirements ................... 542
General maintenance........ 545
Emission inspection and maintenance (I/M)
programs......................... 548
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance Do-it-yourself service precautions ..................... 549
Hood ................................. 551
Positioning a floor jack ...... 553
Engine compartment ......... 554
Tires .................................. 565
Tire inflation pressure ....... 577
Wheels .............................. 580
Air conditioning filter.......... 583
Wireless remote control/electronic
key battery ...................... 585
Checking and replacing fuses ............................... 588
Light bulbs......................... 591
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RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
5477-2. Maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors• Do the doors operate smoothly?
Engine hood• Does the engine hood lock system work prop-erly?
Fluid leaks• There should not be any signs of fluid leakageafter the vehicle has been parked.
Tires
• Is the tire inflation pressure correct?
• The tires should not be damaged or exces-
sively worn.
• Have the tires been rotated according to the maintenance schedule?
• The wheel nuts should not be loose.
Windshield wipers/rear
window wiper
• The wiper blades should not show any signs
of cracking, splitting, wear, contamination or
deformation.
• The wiper blades should clear the windshield/ rear window without streaking or skipping.
WARNING
■ If the engine is running
Turn the engine off and ensure that there is adequate ventilation before per-
forming maintenance checks.
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7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
Tires
Check if the treadwear indicators are showing on the tires. Also check
the tires for uneven wear, such as excessive wear on one side of the
tread. Check the spare tire condition and pressure if not rotated.
New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicator
The location of treadwear indica tors is shown by a “TWI” or “Δ” marks,
etc., molded into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
Replace or rotate tires in accordance with maintenance sched-
ules and treadwear.
Checking tires
1
2
3
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7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Rotate the tires in the order shown.
Do not fail to initialize the tire pressure warning system after tire rota-
tion.
To equalize tire wear and extend tire life, Toyota recommends that tire
rotation is carried out at the same interval as tire inspection.
Tire rotation
Vehicles with compact spare
tireVehicles with full-size spare
tire
FrontFront
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RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
5677-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure warning system that uses
tire pressure warning valves and tr ansmitters to detect low tire infla-
tion pressure before serious problems arise.
If the tire pressure drops below a predetermined level, the driver is
warned by a warning light. ( →P. 618)
◆Installing tire pressure warning valves and transmitters
When replacing tires or wheels, tire pressure warning valves and
transmitters must also be installed.
When new tire pressure warning valves and transmitters are
installed, new ID codes must be registered in the tire pressure
warning computer and the tire pr essure warning system must be
initialized. Have tire pressure warning valve and transmitter ID
codes registered by your Toyota dealer. ( →P. 569)
◆Initializing the tire pressure warning system
When the tire size is changed, the tire pressure warning system
must be initialized.
When the tire pressure warning system is initialized, the current tire
inflation pressure is set as the benchmark pressure.
Tire pressure warning system (if equipped)
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RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
5697-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
◆Registering ID codes
The tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is equipped with a
unique ID code. When replacing a tire pressure warning valve and
transmitter, it is necessary to register the ID code. Have the ID code
registered by your Toyota dealer.
■When to replace your vehicle’s tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to
expose the fabric, and bulges indicating internal damage
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot be properly repaired due to the size
or location of a cut or other damage
If you are not sure, consult with your Toyota dealer.
■Replacing tires and wheels (vehicles with the tire pressure warning
system)
If the ID code of the tire pressure warning valve and transmitter is not reg-
istered, the tire pressure warning system will not work properly. After driv-
ing for about 20 minutes, the tire pressure warning light blinks for 1
minute and stays on to indicate a system malfunction.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 years old must be checked by a qualified technician even
if it has seldom or never been used or damage is not obvious.
■Routine tire inflation pressure checks (vehicles with the tire pressure
warning system)
The tire pressure warning system does not replace routine tire inflation
pressure checks. Make su re to check tire inflation pressure as part of
your routine of daily vehicle checks.