2021 TOYOTA RAV4 Owners Manual (in English)

169
4
4
Driving
Driving
4-1. Before drivingDriving the vehicle....... 171
Cargo and luggage ..... 177
Vehicle load limits ....... 180
Trailer towing .............. 181
Dinghy towing ............. 193
4-2. Driving procedures Engine (ignition) switch (vehicles without smart key
system)...................... 195
Engine (ignition) switch (vehicles with smart key
system)...................... 196
Automatic transmission 201
Turn signal lever ......... 204
Parking brake .............. 205
Brake Hold .................. 208
4-3. Operating the lights and wipers
Headlight switch .......... 211
AHB (Automatic High Beam)........................ 214
Fog light switch ........... 217
Windshield wipers and washer....................... 218
Rear window wiper and washer....................... 221
4-4. Refueling Opening the fuel tank cap.................................. 2234-5. Using the dr
iving support
systems
Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 .................................. 226
PCS (Pre-Collision System) .................................. 232
LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) .................................. 240
RSA (Road Sign Assist) .................................. 250
Dynamic radar cruise con- trol with full-speed range.................................. 253
BSM (Blind Spot Monitor) .................................. 264
Intuitive parking assist . 273
PKSB (Parking Support Brake) ........................ 281
Parking Support Brake func- tion (static objects) .... 286
Parking Support Brake func- tion (rear-crossing vehi-
cles) ........................... 292
Rear view monitor system .................................. 296
Toyota parking assist moni- tor .............................. 304
Panoramic view monitor .................................. 317
Stop & Start system .... 349
Driving mode select switch .................................. 355

170
Multi-terrain Select (AWD
vehicles) .................... 357
Snow mode switch (AWD vehicles) .................... 361
Downhill assist control sys- tem ............................ 362
Driving assist systems 364
4-6. Driving tips Winter driving tips ....... 371
Utility vehicle precautions .................................. 374

1714-1. Before driving
4
Driving
4-1.Before driving
■Starting the engine
 P.195, 196
■Driving
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
lever to D. ( P.201)
2 Release the parking brake.
( P.205)
If the parking brake is in automatic
mode, the parking brake is
released automatically when shift-
ing the shift lever to any position
other than P. ( P.206)
3 Gradually release the brake
pedal and gently depress the
accelerator pedal to acceler-
ate the vehicle.
■Stopping
1 With the shift lever in D,
depress the brake pedal.
2 If necessary, set the parking
brake. ( P.205)
If the vehicle is to be stopped for an
extended period of time, shift the
shift lever to P. ( P.201)
■Parking the vehicle
1 With the shift lever in D,
depress the brake pedal. 2
Set the parking brake
( P.205), and shift the shift
lever to P ( P.201).
3 Turn the engine switch to
OFF to stop the engine.
4 Lock the door, making sure
that you have the key on your
person.
If parking on a hill, block the wheels
as needed.
■Starting off on a steep
uphill
1 With the brake pedal
depressed, shift the shift
lever to D. ( P.201)
2 Pull the parking brake switch
and parking brake is set
manually. ( P.205)
3 Release the brake pedal and
gently depress the accelera-
tor pedal to accelerate the
vehicle.
Parking brake automatic release
function ( P.207)
■When starting off on a uphill
The hill-start assist control will acti-
vate. ( P.364)
■Driving in the rain
●Drive carefully whe n it is raining,
because visibility will be reduced,
the windows may become fogged-
up, and the road could be slip-
pery.
●Drive carefully whe n it starts to
rain, as the road surface could be
especially slippery.
●Refrain from hig h speeds when
driving on an expressway in the
rain, because there may be a
layer of water between the tires
Driving the vehicle
The following procedures
should be observed to
ensure safe driving:
Driving procedure

1724-1. Before driving
and the road surface, 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 auto-
matic up-shifting control or down-
shifting implementation to meet driv-
ing 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
■Restraining the engine output
(Brake Override System)
●When the accelerator and brake
pedals are depressed at the same
time, the engine output may be
restrained.
●A warning message is displayed
on the multi-information display
while the system is operating.
(  P.643)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive-
Start Control)
●When the following unusual oper-
ation is performed, the engine out-
put may be restrained.
• When the shift lever is shifted from
R to D, D to R, N to R, P to D, or P
to R (D includes S) with the accel-
erator pedal depressed, a warning
message appears on the multi-
information display. If a warning
message is shown on the multi-
information display, read the mes-
sage and follow the instructions.
• When the accelerator pedal is
depressed too much while the
vehicle is in reverse.
●While Drive-Start C ontrol is being
activated, your vehicle may have
trouble escaping from the mud or
fresh snow. In such case, deacti- vate TRAC (
P.365) to cancel
Drive-Start Cont rol so that the
vehicle may be able to escape
from the mud or fresh snow (AWD
models).
●Drive-Start Contro l does not work
when Mud & Sand or Rock & Dirt
mode is selected fo r Multi-terrain
Select.
■Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle,
observing the following precautions
is recommended:
●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
speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.
■Operating your v ehicle in a for-
eign country
Comply with the relevant vehicle
registration laws and confirm the
availability of the correct fuel.
(  P.678)
WARNING
Observe the following precau-
tions.
Failure to do so may result in
death or serious injury.
■When starting the vehicle
Always keep your foot on the
brake pedal while stopped with
the engine running. This prevents
the vehicle from creeping.

1734-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not drive if y ou are unfamil-
iar with the location of the brake
and accelerator pedals to avoid
depressing the wrong pedal.
• Accidentally depressing the accelerator pedal instead of the
brake pedal will result in sudden
acceleration that may lead to an
accident.
• When backing up, you may twist your body around, leading to a
difficulty in operating the pedals.
Make sure to operate the pedals
properly.
• Make sure to keep a correct driving posture even when mov-
ing the vehicle only slightly. This
allows you to depress the brake
and accelerator pedals properly.
• Depress the brake pedal using your right foot. Depressing the
brake pedal using your left foot
may delay respon se in an emer-
gency, resulting in an accident.
●Do not drive the vehicle over or
stop the vehicle near flammable
materials such as leaves, paper
or rags.
The exhaust system and
exhaust gases can be
extremely hot. These hot parts
may cause a fire if there is any
flammable material nearby.
●During normal driving, do not
turn off the engi ne. Turning the
engine off while driving will not
cause loss of steering or brak-
ing 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.
However, in the event of an
emergency, such as if it
becomes impossible to stop the
vehicle in the normal way:
 P.628
●Use engine braking (downshift)
to maintain a safe speed when
driving down a steep hill.
Using the brakes continuously
may cause the brakes to over-
heat and lose effectiveness.
( P.201)
●Do not adjust the position of the
steering wheel, the seat, or the
inside or outside rear view mir-
rors while driving.
Doing so may result in a loss of
vehicle control.
●Always check that all passen-
gers’ arms, head or other parts
of their body are not outside the
vehicle.
●Do not drive in excess of the
speed limit. Even if the legal
speed limit permits 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 fa ilure, loss of con-
trol and possible injury. Be sure
to consult a tire dealer to deter-
mine whether the tires on your
vehicle are high-speed capabil-
ity tires or not before driving at
such speeds.

1744-1. Before driving
WARNING
■When driving on slippery
road surfaces
●Sudden braking, acceleration
and steering may cause tire
slippage and reduce your ability
to control the vehicle.
●Sudden acceleration, engine
braking due to shifting, or
changes in engine speed could
cause the vehicle to skid.
●After driving through a puddle,
lightly depress the brake pedal
to make sure that the brakes
are functioning properly. Wet
brake pads may prevent the
brakes from functioning prop-
erly. If the brakes on only one
side are wet and not functioning
properly, steering control may
be affected.
■When shifting the shift lever
●Do not let the vehicle roll back-
ward while the shift lever is in a
driving position, or roll forward
while the shift lever is in R.
Doing so may cause the engine
t o st all or lea d to po o r br ak e a nd
steering performance, resulting
in an accident or damage to the
vehicle.
●Do not shift the shift lever to P
while the vehicle is moving.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to R
while the vehicle is moving for-
ward.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Do not shift the shift lever to a
driving position while the vehicle
is moving backward.
Doing so can damage the trans-
mission and may result in a loss
of vehicle control.
●Moving the shift lever to N while
the vehicle is moving will disen-
gage the engine from the trans-
mission. Engine braking is not
available when N is selected.
●Be careful not to shift the shift
lever with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Shifting the shift lever to a gear
other than P or N may lead to
unexpected rapid acceleration
of the vehicle that may cause an
accident and result in death or
serious injury. Doing so can
damage the transmission and
may result in a loss of vehicle
control.
■If you hear a squealing or
scraping noise (brake pad
wear limit indicators)
Have the brake pads checked and
replaced by your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible.
Rotor damage may result if the
pads are not replaced when
needed.
It is dangerous to drive the vehicle
when the wear limits of the brake
pads and/or those of the brake
discs are exceeded.
■When the vehicle is stopped
●Do not race the engine.
If the vehicle is in any gear other
than P or N, the vehicle may
accelerate suddenly and unex-
pectedly, causin g an accident.
●In order to prevent accidents
due to the vehicle rolling away,
always keep depressing the
brake pedal while the engine is
running, and apply the parking
brake as necessary.

1754-1. Before driving
4
Driving
WARNING
●If the vehicle is stopped on an
incline, in order to prevent acci-
dents caused by the vehicle roll-
ing forward or backward, always
depress the brake pedal and
securely apply the parking
brake as needed.
●Avoid revving or racing the
engine.
Running the engine at high
speed while the vehicle is
stopped may cause the exhaust
system to overheat, which could
result in a fire if combustible
material is nearby.
■When the vehicle is parked
●Do not leave glasses, cigarette
lighters, spray cans, or soft
drink cans in the vehicle when it
is in the sun.
Doing so may result in the fol-
lowing:
• Gas may leak from a cigarette lighter or spray can, and may
lead to a fire.
• The temperature inside the vehicle may cause the plastic
lenses and plastic material of
glasses to deform or crack.
• Soft drink cans may fracture, causing the contents to spray
over the interior of the vehicle,
and may also caus e a short cir-
cuit in the vehicle’s electrical
components.
●Do not leave cigarette lighters in
the vehicle. If a cigarette lighter
is in a place such as the glove
box or on the floor, it may be lit
accidentally when luggage is
loaded or the seat is adjusted,
causing a fire.
●Do not attach adhesive discs to
the windshield or windows. Do
not place containers such as air
fresheners on the instrument
panel or dashboard. Adhesive
discs or containers may act as
lenses, causing a fire in the
vehicle.
●Do not leave a door or window
open if the curved glass is
coated with a metallized film
such as a silver-colored one.
Reflected sunlight may cause
the glass to act a s a lens, caus-
ing a fire.
●Always apply the parking brake,
shift the shift lever to P, stop the
engine and loc k the vehicle.
Do not leave the vehicle unat-
tended while the engine is run-
ning.
If the vehicle is parked with the
shift lever in P but the parking
brake is not set, the vehicle may
start to move, possibly leading
to an accident.
●Do not touch the exhaust pipes
while the engine is running or
immediately after turning the
engine off.
Doing so may cause burns.
■When taking a nap in the
vehicle
Always turn the engine off. Other-
wise, if you accidentally move the
shift lever or depress the acceler-
ator pedal, this could cause an
accident or fire due to engine
overheating. Additionally, if the
vehicle is parked in a poorly venti-
lated area, exhaust gases may
collect and enter the vehicle, lead-
ing to death or a serious health
hazard.

1764-1. Before driving
WARNING
■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 brake booster device does
not operate, do not follow other
vehicles closely and avoid hills
or sharp turns that require brak-
ing.
In this case, braking is still pos-
sible, but the brake pedal
should be depressed more
firmly than usual. Also, the brak-
ing distance will increase. Have
your brakes fixed immediately.
●Do not pump the brake pedal if
the engine stalls.
Each push on the brake pedal
uses up the reserve for the
power-assisted brakes.
●The brake system consists of 2
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 distance
will increase. Have your brakes
fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
(AWD models)
Do not spin the wheels exces-
sively when any of the tires is up
in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in
sand, mud, etc. This may damage
the driveline components or pro-
pel the vehicle forward or back-
ward, causing an accident.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator
and brake pedals at the same
time during driving, as this may
restrain the engine output.
●Do not use the accelerator
pedal or depress the accelera-
tor and brake pedals at the
same time to hold the vehicle on
a hill.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle
parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel
fully in either direction and hold
it there for an extended period
of time.
Doing so may damage the
power steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the
road, drive as slowly as possible
to avoid damaging the wheels,
underside of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driv-
ing
A flat or damaged tire may cause
the following situations.
●It may be difficult to control your
vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal
sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnor-
mally.
Hold the steering wheel firmly and
gradually depress the brake pedal
to slow down the vehicle.
Information on what to do in case
of a flat tire ( P.653)