2021 TOYOTA RAV4 engine overheat

6TABLE OF CONTENTS
8-1. Essential informationEmergency flashers ...... 628
If your vehicle has to be stopped in an emergency.................................... 628
If the vehicle is trapped in ris- ing 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 (vehicles
with smart key system) 664
If the vehicle battery is dis- charged ....................... 666
If your vehicle overheats 670
If the vehicle becomes stuck .................................... 6729-1. Specifications
Maintenance data (fuel, oil level, etc.) .................... 676
Fuel information............. 688
Tire information ............. 690
9-2. Customization Customizable features... 700
9-3. Initialization Items to initialize ............ 712
10-1.For owners Reporting safet y defects for
U.S. owners ................. 714
Seat belt instructions for Canadian owners (in
French) ........................ 715
SRS airbag instructions for Canadian owners (in
French) ........................ 716
What to do if... (Trouble- shooting) ..................... 726
Alphabetical Index ........ 729
8When trouble arises9Vehicle specifications
10For owners
Index

15Pictorial index
Precautions against winter season ......................................P.371
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer)
*...................P.528
Precautions against car wash (R ain-sensing windshield wipers)
*
............................................................... ..............................P.567
Replacing the wiper insert ..................................... ...............P.610
Fuel filler door ............................................... .....................P.223
Refueling method ............................................... ..................P.223
Fuel type/fuel tan k capacity .................................................P.678
Tires ....................................................................................P.589
Tire size/inflation pressure ................................... ................P.683
Winter tires/tire chain ........................................ ...................P.371
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system
*.................P.589
Coping with flat tires......................................... ....................P.653
Hood ....................................................................................P.579
Opening ........................................................ .......................P.579
Engine oil ..................................................... ........................P.678
Coping with overheat ........................................... ................P.670
Warning messages ..............................................................P.649
Headlights..................................................... ......................P.211
Turn signal lights ...............................................................P.204
Parking lights .....................................................................P.211
Daytime running lights .. ....................................................P.211
Side marker lights ............................................. .................P.211
Fog lights
*............................................................... ............P.441
Stop lights/tail lights/turn s ignal lights ....................P.204, 211
Tail lights .................................................... ........................P.211
Back-up lights
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P .619, Watts: P.687)
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O

832-1. Instrument cluster
2
Vehicle status information and indicators
reset. Trip meters “A” and “B” c an be used to record and display different
distances independently.
Shift position and shift range indicator
Displays the selected shift posit ion or selected shift range (P.201)
Engine coolant temperature gauge
Displays the engine c oolant temperature
■The meters and display illumi-
nate when
The engine switch is in ON.
■Outside temperature display
●In the following si tuations, the cor-
rect outside tempe rature may not
be displayed, or the display may
take longer than normal to
change.
• When stopped, or driving at low speeds (less than 12 mph [20
km/h])
• When the outside temperature has changed su ddenly (at the
entrance/exit of a garage, tunnel,
etc.)
●When “--” or “E” is displayed, the
system may be malfunctioning.
Take your vehicle to your Toyota
dealer.
●Displays the outside temperature
within the range of -40°F (-40°C)
to 122°F (50°C).
●When the outside temperature is
approximately 37°F (3°C) or
lower, the indicator will flash
for approximately 10 seconds,
then stay on.
■Liquid crystal display
 P.90
H
I
WARNING
■The information display at
low temperatures
Allow the interior of the vehicle to
warm up before using the liquid
crystal information display. At
extremely low temperatures, the
display monitor may respond
slowly, and display changes may
be delayed.
For example, there is a lag
between the driver’s shifting and
the new gear number appearing
on the display. This lag could
cause the driver to downshift
again, causing rapid and exces-
sive engine braking and possibly
an accident resulting in death or
injury.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
engine and its components
●Do not let the indicator needle
of the tachometer enter the red
zone, which indicates the maxi-
mum engine speed.
●The engine may be overheating
if the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge is in the red zone
(“H”). In this case, immediately
stop the vehicle in a safe place,
and check the engine after it
has cooled completely.
(  P.670)

882-1. Instrument cluster
Switches the items of the odom-
eter, trip meter A and trip meter
B by pressing the “ODO TRIP”
switch.
When the trip meter is dis-
played, pressing and holding the
switch will reset the trip meter.
The brightness of the instrument
panel lights can be adjusted by
turning the dial.1
Brighter
2 Darker
■Instrument panel brightness
adjustment
The instrument panel brightness
levels when the tail lights are on and
off can be adjusted individually.
However, when the surroundings
are bright (daytime, etc.), turning on
the tail lights will not change the
instrument panel brightness.
The clock can be adjusted on
the audio system screen.
Vehicles with Audio
 P.419
Vehicles with Audio Plus or
Premium Audio
Refer to “NAVIGATION AND
MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM
OWNER’S MANUAL”.
NOTICE
■To prevent damage to the
engine and its components
●Do not let the i ndicator needle
of the tachomete r enter the red
zone, which indicates the maxi-
mum engine speed.
●The engine may be overheating
if the engine coolant tempera-
ture gauge is in the red zone
(“H”). In this case, immediately
stop the vehicle in a safe place,
and check the engine after it
has cooled completely.
(  P.670)
Using the “ODO TRIP”
switch
Instrument panel light
control
Adjusting the clock

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.

1914-1. Before driving
4
Driving
vehicle control. This is espe-
cially true on wet or slippery
surfaces.
 Avoid jerky starts or sudden
acceleration.
 Avoid jerky steering and
sharp turns, and slow down
before making turn.
 Note that when making a turn,
the trailer wheels will be
closer than the vehicle wheels
to the inside of the turn. Com-
pensate by making a wider
than normal turning radius.
 Slow down before making a
turn, in cross winds, on wet or
slippery surfaces, etc.
Increasing vehicle speed can
destabilize the trailer.
Take care when passing other
vehicles. Passing requires
considerable distance. After
passing a vehicle, do not for-
get the length of your trailer,
and be sure you have plenty
of room before changing
lanes.
 To maintain engine braking
efficiency and charging sys-
tem performance when using
engine braking, do not put the
transmission in D. If in the S
mode, the transmission shift
range position must be in 6 or
lower.
 Instability happens more fre-
quently when descending
steep or long downhill grades. Before descending, slow
down and downshift. Do not
make sudden downshifts
while descending steep or
long downhill grades.
 Avoid holding the brake pedal
down too long or applying the
brakes too frequently. This
could cause the brakes to
overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.
 Due to the added load of the
trailer, your vehicle’s engine
may overheat on hot days (at
temperatures over 85°F
[30°C]) when driving up a long
or steep grade. If the engine
coolant temperature gauge
indicates overheating, imme-
diately turn off the air condi-
tioning (if in use), pull your
vehicle off the road and stop
in a safe spot. ( P.670)
 Always place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle’s and
the trailer’s wheels when
parking. Apply the parking
brake firmly, and put the
transmission in P. Avoid park-
ing on a slope, but if unavoid-
able, do so only after
performing the following:
1 Apply the brakes and keep
them applied.
2 Have someone place wheel
blocks under both the vehi-
cle’s and trailer’s wheels.

1974-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
engine switch mode.
■If the engine does not start
●The engine immobilizer system
may not have been deactivated.
( P.70)
Contact your Toyota dealer.
●If a message related to start-up is
shown on the multi-information
display, read the message and fol-
low the instructions.
■If the battery is discharged
The engine cannot be started using
the smart key system. Refer to
P.666to restart the engine.
■Electronic key battery depletion
 P.102
■Conditions affecting operation
 P.130
■Note for the entry function
 P.131
■Steering lock function
●After turning the engine switch to
OFF and opening and closing the
doors, the steer ing wheel will be
locked due to the steering lock
function. Operating the engine
switch again automatically can-
cels the steering lock.
●When the steering lock cannot be
released, “Push Engine Switch
while Turning Steer ing Wheel in
Either Direction” will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
Check that the shift lever is set in
P. Press the engine switch shortly
and firmly while turning the steer- ing wheel left and right.
●To prevent the steering lock motor
from overheating, the operation of
motor may be suspended if the
engine is turned on and off repeat-
edly in a short period of time. In
this case, refrain from running the
engine. After about 10 seconds,
the steering lo
ck motor will
resume functioning.
■If there is a malfunction in the
smart key system
If “Smart Key System Malfunction”
is displayed on the multi-information
display, the system may be mal-
functioning. Hav e the vehicle
inspected by your Toyota dealer
immediately.
■When “Check Fuel Cap” is dis-
played on the multi-information
display
 P.224
■Electronic key battery
 P.613
■Operation of the engine switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly
and firmly, the engine switch
mode may not change or the
engine may not start.
●If attempting to res tart the engine
immediately after turning the
engine switch to OFF, the engine
may not start in some cases. After
turning the engine switch to OFF,
please wait a few seconds before
restarting the engine.
■Customization
If the smart key system has been
deactivated in a customized setting,

2074-2. Driving procedures
4
Driving
ON, automatic mode (automatic
brake setting and releasing) is not
available.
■Parking brake automatic
release function
The parking brake will be released
automatically when the accelerator
pedal is slowly depressed under the
following conditions:
●The driver’s door is closed
●The driver is wearing the seat belt
●The shift lever is in a forward or
reverse position.
●The malfunction in dicator lamp or
brake system warning light is not
illuminated
If the automatic release function
does not operate, release the park-
ing brake manually.
■If “Parking Brake Temporarily
Unavailable” i s displayed on
the multi-information display
If the parking brake is operated
repeatedly over a short period of
time, the system may restrict opera-
tion to prevent overheating. If this
happens, refrain from operating the
parking brake. Nor mal operation will
return after about 1 minute.
■If “Parking Brake Unavailable”
is displayed on the multi-infor-
mation display
Operate the parking brake switch. If
the message does not disappear
after operating the switch several
times, the system may be malfunc-
tioning. Have the vehicle inspected
by your Toyota dealer.
■Parking brake operation sound
When the parking brake operates, a
motor sound (whirring sound) may
be heard. This does not indicate a
malfunction.
■Parking brake indicator light
●Depending on the engine switch
position/mode, the parking brake
indicator light will turn on and stay on as described below:
ON: Comes on until the parking
brake is released.
Not in ON: Stays
on for approxi-
mately 15 seconds.
●When the engine switch is turned
off with the parking brake set, the
parking brake i ndicator light will
stay on for about 15 seconds. This
does not indicate a malfunction.
■When the parking brake switch
malfunctions
Automatic mode (automatic brake
setting and releas ing) will be turned
on automatically.
■Parking the vehicle
 P.171
■Parking brake engaged warning
buzzer
A buzzer will sound if the vehicle is
driven with the parking brake
engaged. “Parking Brake ON” is dis-
played on the multi-information dis-
play (with the vehicle reaching a
speed of 5 km/h [3 mph]).
■If the brake system warning
light comes on
 P.638
■Usage in winter time
 P.371
WARNING
■When parking the vehicle
Do not leave a child in the vehicle
alone. The parking brake may be
released unintentionally by a child
and there is the danger of the
vehicle moving that may lead to
an accident resulting in death or
serious injury.
■Parking brake switch
Do not set any objects near the
parking brake switch. Objects
may interfere with the switch and
may lead the parking brake to
unexpectedly operate.