2021 TOYOTA RAV4 key

5877-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
Check the battery as follows.
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery termi-
nals are not corroded and that
there are no loose connections,
cracks, or loose clamps.
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■Before recharging
When recharging, t he battery pro-
duces hydrogen ga s which is flam-
mable and explosive. Therefore,
observe the following precautions
before recharging:
●If recharging wi th the battery
installed on the vehicle, be sure to
disconnect the ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on
the charger is off when connecting
and disconnecting the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting
the battery (vehicles with smart
key system)
The engine may not start. Follow the
procedure below to initialize the sys-
tem.
1 Shift the shift lever to P.
2 Open and close any of the doors.
3 Restart the engine.
●Unlocking the doors using the
smart key system may not be pos-
sible immediately after reconnect-
ing the battery. If this happens,
use the wireless remote control or
the mechanical key to lock/unlock
the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine
switch in ACC. T he engine may
not start with th e engine switch
turned off. However, the engine
will operate normally from the sec-
ond attempt.
●The engine switch mode is
recorded by the vehicle. If the bat-
tery is disconnected and recon-
nected, the vehi cle will return the
engine switch mode to the status
it was in before t he battery was
disconnected. Make sure to turn
off the engine switch before dis-
connecting the battery. Take extra
care when connecting the battery
if the engine switch mode prior to
the battery being disconnected is
unknown.
If the engine will no t start even after
multiple attempts, contact your
Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level
to go down slightly as the brake
pads wear out or when the fluid
level in the accumulator is high.
If the reservoir needs frequent
refilling, there ma y be a serious
problem.
Checking the battery
A
B

6137-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
■If the key battery is depleted
The following symptoms may occur:
●The smart key system (if
equipped) and wireless remote
control will no t function properly.
●The operationa l range will be
reduced.
Prepare the following before
replacing the battery:
 Flathead screwdriver
 Small flathead screwdriver
 Lithium battery CR2032
■Use a CR2032 lithium battery
●Batteries can be purchased at
your Toyota dealer, local electrical
appliance shops or camera stores.
●Replace only with the same or
equivalent type recommended by
the manufacturer.
●Dispose of used batteries accord-
ing to the local laws.
Vehicles without smart key
system
1 Remove the cover.
Use a screwdriver of an appropriate
size. Forcedly prying may cause
the cover damaged.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage
●Be careful not to damage the
claws when replacing the wiper
insert.
●After the wiper blade is removed
from the wiper arm, place a
cloth, etc., between the rear
window and wiper arm to pre-
vent damage to the rear win-
dow.
●Be sure not to pull excessively
on the wiper insert or deform its
metal plates.
Wireless remote con-
trol/electron ic key bat-
tery
Replace the battery with a
new one if it is depleted.
Items to prepare
Replacing the battery

6147-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
To prevent damag e to the key,
cover the tip of the screwdriver with
a rag.
2 Remove the battery cover.
If the battery cover is difficult to
remove, lift the ed ge to remove it.
3Remove the depleted bat-
tery.
When removing the battery, use a
screwdriver of an appropriate size.
Insert a new battery with the “+” ter-
minal facing up.
4Install the battery cover with
the tab facing up.
Push the entire edge of the battery cover into the key.
5
Install the key cover.
Align the key co ver with the key
and then press it straight into the
key.
Make sure that the key cover is
securely installed without any gaps
between it and the key.
Vehicles with smart key sys-
tem
1 Release the lock and remove
the mechanical key.
2 Remove the key cover.
Use a screwdriver of an appropriate
size. Forcedly prying may cause

6157-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7
Maintenance and care
the cover damaged.
To prevent damage to the key,
cover the tip of the flathead screw-
driver with a rag.
3 Remove the depleted battery
using a small flathead screw-
driver.
When removing the cover, the elec-
tronic key module may stick to the
cover and the battery may not be
visible. In this case, remove the
electronic key module in order to
remove the battery.
When removing the battery, use a
screwdriver of an appropriate size.
Insert a new battery with the “+” ter-
minal facing up.
4When installing, reverse the
steps listed.
WARNING
■Battery precautions
Observe the following precau-
tions. Failure to do so may result
in death or se rious injury.
●Do not swallow the battery.
Doing so may cause chemical
burns.
●A coin battery or button battery
is used in the electronic key. If a
battery is swa llowed, it may
cause severe chemical burns in
as little as 2 hours and may
result in death or serious injury.
●Keep away new and removed
batteries from children.
●If the cover cannot be firmly
closed, stop using the electronic
key and stow the key in the
place where children cannot
reach, and then contact your
Toyota dealer.
●If you accidentally swallow a
battery or put a battery into a
part of your b ody, get emer-
gency medical attention imme-
diately.
■To prevent battery explosion
or leakage of flammable liq-
uid or gas
●Replace the batt ery with a new
battery of the same type. If a
wrong type of ba ttery is used, it
may explode.
●Do not expose batteries to
extremely low pr essure due to
high altitude or extremely high
temperatures.
●Do not burn, bre ak or cut a bat-
tery.

627
8
8
When trouble arises
When trouble arises
8-1. Essential informationEmergency flashers .... 628
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency
.................................. 628
If the vehicle is trapped in rising water ................ 629
8-2. Steps to take in an emer- gency
If your vehicle needs to be towed......................... 631
If you think something is wrong ........................ 636
Fuel pump shut off system .................................. 637
If a warning light turns on or a warning buzzer sounds.................................. 638
If a warning message is dis- played........................ 649
If you have a flat tire.... 653
If the engine will not start .................................. 662
If you lose your keys ... 664
If the electronic key does not operate properly (vehi-
cles with smart key sys-
tem) ........................... 664
If the vehicle battery is dis- charged ..................... 666
If your vehicle overheats .................................. 670If the vehicle becomes stuck
.................................. 672

6288-1. Essential information
8-1.Essential information
Press the switch.
All the turn signal lights will flash.
To turn them off, press the switch
once again.
■Emergency flashers
●If the emergency flashers are
used for a long time while the
engine is not running, the battery
may discharge.
●If any of the SRS airbags deploy
(inflate) or in the event of a strong
rear impact, the emergency flash-
ers will turn on automatically.
The emergency flashers will turn
off automatically after operating
for approximatel y 20 minutes. To
manually turn t he emergency
flashers off, press the switch
twice. (The emergency flashers
may not turn on automatically
depending on the force of the
impact and conditions of the colli-
sion.)
1 Steadily step on the brake
pedal with both feet and
firmly depress it.
Do not pump the brake pedal
repeatedly as this will increase the
effort required to slow the vehicle.
2Shift the shift lever to N.
If the shift lever is shifted to N
3 After slowing down, stop the
vehicle in a safe place by the
road.
4 Stop the engine.
If the shift lever cannot be
shifted to N
3 Keep depressing the brake
pedal with both feet to reduce
vehicle speed as much as
possible.
4 Perform the following proce-
dure to stop the engine:
Vehicles without smart key
system
Turn the engine switch to ACC.
Emergency flashers
The emergency flashers are
used to warn other drivers
when the vehicle has to be
stopped in the road due to a
breakdown, etc.
Operating instructions
If your vehicle has to
be stopped in an emer-
gency
Only in an emergency, such
as if it becomes impossible
to stop the vehicle in the
normal way, stop the vehi-
cle using the following pro-
cedure:
Stopping the vehicle

6298-1. Essential information
8
When trouble arises
Vehicles with smart key sys-
tem
Press and hold the engine switch
for 2 consecutive seconds or more,
or press it briefly 3 times or more in
succession.
5Stop the vehicle in a safe
place by the road. 
Remove the seat belt first.
 If the door can be opened,
open the door and exit the
vehicle.
 If the door can not be opened,
open the window using the
power window switch and exit
the vehicle through the win-
dow.
 If the window can not be
opened using the power win-
dow switch, remain calm, wait
until the water level inside the
vehicle rises to the point that
the water pressure inside of
the vehicle equals the water
pressure outside of the vehi-
cle, and then open the door
and exit the vehicle.
WARNING
■If the engine has to be turned
off while driving
●Power assist for the brakes and
steering wheel will be lost, mak-
ing 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 sys-
tem: Never attempt to remove
the key, as doing so will lock the
steering wheel.
If the vehicle is
trapped in rising water
In the event the vehicle is
submerged in water, remain
calm and perform the fol-
lowing.

6328-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a
problem with your transmission.
Contact your Toyota dealer or
commercial towing service
WARNING
■While towing (vehicles with
towing eyelet)
●When towing using cables or
chains, avoid sudden starts, etc.
which place excessive stress on
the towing eyelets, cables or
chains. The towing eyelets,
cables or chains may become
damaged, broken debris may hit
people, and cause serious dam-
age.
●Do not turn the engine switch to
OFF.
There is a possibility that the
steering wheel is locked and
cannot be operated.
■Installing towing eyelets to
the vehicle (vehicles with
towing eyelets)
Make sure that towing eyelets are
installed securely. If not securely
installed, towing eyelets may
come loose during towing.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when towing using a
wheel-lift type truck
●Do not tow the vehicle from the
rear when the engine switch is
off or the key is removed (vehi-
cles without smart key system).
The steering lock mechanism is
not strong enough to hold the
front wheels straight.
●When raising the vehicle,
ensure adequate ground clear-
ance for towing at the opposite
end of the raised vehicle. With-
out adequate clearance, the
vehicle could be damaged while
being towed.
■To prevent damage to the
vehicle when 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
vehicle during emergency
towing (vehicles with towing
eyelet)
Do not secure cables or chains to
the suspension components.
■When towing the vehicle
(vehicles with Stop & Start
system)
If it is necessary to tow the vehicle
with all four wheels on the ground,
perform the following procedure
before towing the vehicle, in order
to protect the system.
Turn the engine switch to OFF
and then start the engine or turn
the engine switch to ON.
■Recreational towing (behind
motor home, etc.)
Never dinghy tow your vehicle to
prevent causing serious damage
to the AWD system (AWD mod-
els) and transmission. ( P.193)
Situations when it is nec-
essary to contact dealers
before towing