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538
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7-1. Maintenance and care
NOTICE
■To prevent paint deterioration and corrosion on the body and compo-
nents (aluminum wheels etc.)
● Wash the vehicle immediately in the following cases:
• After driving near the sea coast
• After driving on salted roads
• If coal tar or tree sap is present on the paint surface
• If dead insects, insect droppings or bird droppings are present on the
paint surface
• After driving in an area contaminated with soot, oily smoke, mine dust, iron powder or chemical substances
• If the vehicle becomes heavily soiled with dust or mud
• If liquids such as benzene and gasoline are spilled on the paint surface
● If the paint is chipped or scratched, have it repaired immediately.
● To prevent the wheels from corroding, remove any dirt and store in a place
with low humidity when storing the wheels.
■ Cleaning the exterior lights
● Wash carefully. Do not use organic substances or scrub with a hard brush.
This may damage the surfaces of the lights.
● Do not apply wax to the surfaces of the lights.
Wax may cause damage to the lenses.
■ When using a high-pressure car wash
● When washing the vehicle, do not let water from the high-pressure washer
directly hit the camera (if equipped) or the area around the camera. Due to
the shock from high-pressure water, it is possible that the device may not
operate normally.
● Do not bring the nozzle tip close to boots (rubber or resin manufactured
cover), connectors or the following parts.
The parts may be damaged if they come into contact with high-pressure
water.
• Traction related parts
• Steering parts
• Suspension parts
• Brake parts
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7-2. Maintenance
Vehicle interior
ItemsCheck points
Accelerator pedal• The accelerator pedal should move smoothly(without uneven pedal effort or catching).
Automatic transmission
“Park” mechanism• When parked on a slope and the shift lever isin P, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Brake pedal
• Does the brake pedal move smoothly?
• Does the brake pedal have appropriate clear-
ance from the floor? ( →P. 674)
• Does the brake pedal have the correct amount of free play? ( →P. 674)
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to one side when
the brakes are applied.
• The brakes should work effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get too close to the floor when the brakes are applied.
Head restraints• Do the head restraints move smoothly andlock securely?
Indicators/buzzers• Do the indicators and buzzers function prop-erly?
Lights• Do all the lights come on?
Parking brake
• Does the parking brake lever move smoothly?
• When parked on a slope and the parkingbrake is on, is the vehicle securely stopped?
Seat belts• Do the seat belts operate smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be damaged.
Seats• Do the seat controls operate properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steering wheel rotate smoothly?
• Does the steering wheel have the correctamount of free play?
• There should not be any strange sounds com-
ing from the steering wheel.
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7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Remove the light bulb.
When installing, reverse the steps listed.
■Front side maker lights
Turn the bulb base counter-
clockwise.
Remove the light bulb.
When installing, reve rse the steps listed.
■Fog lights (if equipped)
To allow enough working
space, turn the steering
wheel to the opposite side of
the bulb to be replaced.
2
3
1
2
3
1
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6068-1. Essential information
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
WARNING
■If the engine has to be turned off while driving
● Power assist for the brakes and steering wheel will be lost, making the
brake pedal harder to depress and the steering wheel heavier to turn.
Decelerate as much as possible before turning off the engine.
● Vehicles without smart key system: Never attempt to remove the key, as
doing so will lock the steering wheel.
Page 610 of 741
6098-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
8
When trouble arises
If a tow truck is not available in an emergency, your vehicle may be
temporarily towed using cables or chains secured to the emergency
towing eyelets. This should only be attempted on hard surfaced roads
for at most 50 miles (80 km) at under 18 mph (30 km/h).
A driver must be in the vehicle to steer and operate the brakes. The
vehicle’s wheels, drive train, axles, steering and brakes must be in
good condition.Take out the towing eyelet. ( →P. 642)
Remove the eyelet cover using
a flathead screwdriver.
To protect the bodywork, place a
rag between the screwdriver and
the vehicle body as shown in the
illustration.
Insert the towing eyelet into the
hole and tighten partially by
hand.
Emergency towing
Emergency towing procedure
1
2
3
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6108-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
Tighten down the towing eyelet
securely using a wheel nut
wrench or hard metal bar.
Securely attach cables or chains to the towing eyelet.
Take care not to damage the vehicle body.
Enter the vehicle being towed and start the engine.
If the engine does not start, turn the engine switch to the “ON” position
(vehicles without smart key system) or IGNITION ON mode (vehicles with
smart key system).
Shift the shift lever to N and release the parking brake.
When the shift lever cannot be shifted: →P. 209
■While towing
If the engine is not running, the power assist for the brakes and steering will
not function, making steering and braking more difficult.
■ Wheel nut wrench
Wheel nut wrench is installed in the tool bag. ( →P. 642)
4
5
6
7
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6118-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
8
When trouble arises
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
■ While towing
● When towing using cables or chains, avoid sudden starts, etc. which place
excessive stress on the towing eyelets, cables or chains. The towing eye-
lets, cables or chains may become damaged, broken debris may hit peo-
ple, and cause serious damage.
● Do not turn the engine switch to the “LOCK” position (vehicles without
smart key system) or off (vehicles with smart key system).
There is a possibility that the steering wheel is locked and cannot be oper-
ated.
■ Installing towing eyelets to the vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelets are installed securely.
If not securely installed, towing eyelets may come loose during towing.
2WD models:
Be sure to transport the vehicle with the
front wheels raised or with all four wheels
raised off the ground. If the vehicle is
towed with the front wheels contacting
the ground, the drivetrain and related
parts may be damaged.
AWD models:
Be sure to transport the vehicle with all
four wheels raised off the ground. If the
vehicle is towed with the tires contacting
the ground, the drivetrain or related parts
may be damaged, the vehicle may fly off
the truck.
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6128-2. Steps to take in an emergency
RAV4_OM_OM0R005U_(U)
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the vehicle wh en towing using a wheel-lift type
truck
● Vehicles without smart key system: Do not tow the vehicle from the rear
when the engine switch is in the “LOCK” position or the key is removed.
The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough to hold the front wheels
straight.
● Vehicles with smart key system: Do not tow the vehicle from the rear when
the engine switch is off. The steering lock mechanism is not strong enough
to hold the front wheels straight.
● When raising the vehicle, ensure adequate ground clearance for towing at
the opposite end of the raised vehicle. Without adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while being towed.
■ To prevent damage to the vehicle wh en towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a sling-type truck, either from the front or rear.
■ To prevent damage to the vehic le during emergency towing
Do not secure cables or chains to the suspension components.
■ Recreational towing (beh ind motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to prevent
causing serious damage to the Dynamic
Torque Control AWD system (AWD mod-
els) and transmission. (→P. 195)