2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PHEV service

4947-2. Maintenance
7-2.Maintenance
■Where to go for maintenance ser-
vice?
In order to maintain y our vehicle in the best possible condition, Toyota recom -
mends that maintenance service opera -
tions as well as other inspections and repairs be carried out by authorized
Toyota retailers or Toyota authorized
repairers, or any relia ble repairers. For repairs and services covered by your
warranty, please vi sit an authorized
Toyota retailer or repairer, who will use genuine Toyota parts in repairing any
difficulties you may encounter. There
can also be advantages in utilizing authorized Toyota reta ilers or repairers
for non-warranty repairs and services,
as members of the Toyota network will be able to expertly assist you with any
difficulties you may encounter.
Your Toyota retailer or Toyota autho -
rized repairer, or any reliable repairer will perform all of the scheduled mainte -
nance on your vehicle reliably and eco -
nomically due to the ir experience with Toyota vehicles.
Scheduled maintenance should be
performed at speci fied intervals
according to the maintenance
schedule.
For full details of your maintenance
schedule, refer to the “Toyota Service
Booklet” or “Toyota Warranty Booklet”.
What about do-it-yourself mainte -
nance?
Many maintenance it ems are easy to
do yourself if you have a little mechani -
cal ability and a few basic automotive
tools.
Note, however, that some maintenance
tasks require specia l tools and skills.
These are best per formed by qualified
technicians. Even if you’re an experi -
enced do-it-yourself mechanic, we rec -
ommend that repairs and maintenance
be conducted by any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota authorized repairer,
or any reliable repairer. Any authorized
Toyota retailer or repairer will keep a
record of maintenance, which could be
useful should you ever require War -
ranty Service. Should you choose to
select a qualified and equipped profes -
sional other than an authorized Toyota
repairer to service or maintain your
vehicle, we recommend that you
Maintenance require-
ments
To ensure safe and economical
driving, day-to-day care and
regular maintenance are
essential. Toyota recom -
mends the maintenance below.
WARNING
■If your vehicle is not properly
maintained
Improper maintenanc e could result in
serious damage to the vehicle and
possible death or serious injury.
■Handling of the 12-volt battery
12-volt battery posts, terminals and
related accessories contain lead and
lead compounds which are known to cause brain damage. Wash your
hands after handling. ( →P.506)
Scheduled maintenance
Do-it-yourself maintenance

495
7
7-2. Maintenance
Maintenance and care
request that a record of maintenance
be kept.
■Does your vehicle need repairs?
Be on the alert for changes in perfor - mance and sounds, a nd visual tip-offs
that indicate service is needed. Some
important clues are:
●Engine missing, stumbling or pinging
●Appreciable loss of power
●Strange engine noises
●A fluid leak under the vehicle (How-
ever, water dripping from the air con - ditioning system after use is normal.)
●Change in exhaust sound (This may indicate a dangerous carbon monox -
ide leak. Drive with the windows open
and have the exhau st system checked immediately.)
●Flat-looking tires, excessive tire squeal when cornering, uneven tire
wear
●Vehicle pulls to one side when driven
straight on a level road
●Strange noises related to suspension
movement
●Loss of brake effectiveness, spongy
feeling brake pedal, pedal almost
touches the floor, vehicle pulls to one
side when braking
●Engine coolant temperature continu -
ally higher than normal ( →P.174)
If you notice any of these clues, take
your vehicle to any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repair er as soon as possi-
ble.
Your vehicle may need adjustment or repair.

4967-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7-3.Do-it-yourself maintenance
Do-it-yourself service
precautions
If you perform maintenance by
yourself, be sure to follow the
correct procedure as given in
these sections.
Maintenance
ItemsParts and tools
12-volt battery
condition
( →P.506)
•Grease
• Conventional
wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Engine/power
control unit
coolant level
( →P.503)
• “Toyota Super Long
Life Coolant” or a
similar high quality
ethylene glycol-
based non-silicate,
non-amine, non-
nitrite and non-
borate coolant with
long-life hybrid
organic acid technol -
ogy
“Toyota Super Long
Life Coolant” is pre -
mixed with 50%
coolant and 50%
deionized water.
• Funnel (used only
for adding coolant)
Engine oil level
( →P.501)
• “Toyota Genuine
Motor Oil” or equiva -
lent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only
for adding engine
oil)
Fuses
( →P.545)
• Fuse with same
amperage rating as
original
DC/DC Con -
verter air
intake vent
( →P.536)
• Vacuum cleaner,
etc,
• Phillips screwdriver
Light bulbs
( →P.548)
• Bulb with same
number and watt -
age rating as origi -
nal
• Phillips-head screw -
driver
• Flathead screw -
driver
• Wrench
Radiator and
condenser
( →P.504)
⎯
Tire inflation
pressure
( →P.529)
• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air
source
Washer fluid
( →P.505)
• Water or washer
fluid containing anti -
freeze (for winter
use)
• Funnel (used only
for adding water or
washer fluid)
WARNING
The engine compartment contains
many mechanisms and fluids that may move suddenly, become hot, or
become electrically energized. To
avoid death or serious injury, observe the following precautions.
ItemsParts and tools

503
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount o f engine oil will be
consumed while driving. In the following
situations, oil consumption may increase, and engine oil may need to be
refilled in between oil maintenance inter -
vals.
●When the engine is new, for example
directly after purchasing the vehicle or after replacing the engine
●If low quality oil or oil of an inappropri - ate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine speeds or with a heavy load , when towing, or
when driving while accelerating or
decelerating frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for a
long time, or when driving frequently through heavy traffic
The coolant level is satisfactory if it
is between the “ FULL” and “LOW”
lines on the reservoir when the
hybrid system is cold.
■Engine coolant reservoir
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
WARNING
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains poten -
tially harmful contaminants which may cause skin di sorders such as
inflammation and skin cancer, so
care should be taken to avoid pro - longed and repeated contact. To
remove used engine oil from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap and water.
●Dispose of used oi l and filters only in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil -
ters in household trash, in sewers or onto the ground. Call any autho -
rized Toyota ret ailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer, service station or auto
parts store for in formation concern-
ing recycling or disposal.
●Do not leave used e ngine oil within
the reach of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine dam -
age
Check the oil level on a regular basis.
■When replacing the engine oil
●Be careful not to spill engine oil on the vehicle components.
●Avoid overfilling, or the engine
could be damaged.
●Check the oil leve l on the dipstick
every time you refill the vehicle.
●Be sure the engine oil filler cap is
properly tightened.
■If oil is spilled on the engine
cover
To prevent the engine cover from
being damaged, remove any engine
oil from the engine cover as soon as possible using a neutral detergent. Do
not use an organic solvent such as
brake cleaner.
Checking the coolant
A
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531
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
Use only Toyota wheel nuts and
wrenches designed for use with
your aluminum wheels.
 When rotating, repairing or
changing your tires, check that
the wheel nuts are still tight after
driving 1600 km (1000 miles).
 Be careful not to damage the
aluminum wheels when using
tire chains.
 Use only Toyota genuine bal-
ance weights or equivalent and a
plastic or rubber hammer when
balancing your wheels.
WARNING
■When replacing wheels
●Do not use wheels that are a differ -
ent size from those recommended in the Owner’s Manual, as this may
result in a loss of handling control.
●Never use an inner tube in a leak -
ing wheel which is designed for a
tubeless tire. Doing so may result in
an accident, causing death or seri - ous injury.
■When installing the wheel nuts
●Be sure to install the wheel nuts
with the tapered ends facing
inward. ( →P.597) Installing the nuts with the tapered ends facing out -
ward can cause the wheel to break
and eventually cause the wheel to come off while driving, which could
lead to an accident resulting in
death or serious injury.
●Never use oil or grease on the
wheel bolts or wheel nuts. Oil and grease may cause the wheel nuts
to be excessively tightened, leading
to bolt or disc wheel damage. In addition, the oil or grease can
cause the wheel nuts to loosen and
the wheel may fall off, causing an accident and resulting in death or
serious injury. Remove any oil or
grease from the wheel bolts or wheel nuts.
■Use of defecti ve wheels prohib- ited
Do not use cracked or deformed
wheels.
Doing so could cause the tire to leak
air during driving, possibly causing an
accident.
NOTICE
■Replacing tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters
●Because tire repair or replacement may affect the tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters, make sure
to have tires serviced by any autho - rized Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer or other qualified service
shop. In addition, make sure to pur - chase your tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters at any
authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.
●Ensure that only genuine Toyota
wheels are used on your vehicle.
Tire pressure war ning valves and transmitters may not work properly
with non-genuine wheels.
Aluminum wheel precau -
tions

5347-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
pull toward the seat to detach
the bottom of t he glove box.
Do not use excessive force if the glove
box does not detach when lightly pulled. Instead, pu ll toward the seat
while slightly adjusting the height of the
glove box.
6 Unlock the filter cover ( ), pull
the filter cover o ut of the claws
( ), and remove the filter
cover.
7 Remove the filter case.
8 Remove the air conditioning fil-
ter and replace it with a new
one.
The “ UP” marks shown on the filter
should be pointing up.
9 When installing, reverse the
steps listed.
■Checking interval
Inspect and replace the air conditioning
filter according to the maintenance schedule. In dusty areas or areas with
heavy traffic flow, early replacement
may be required. (For scheduled main - tenance information, please refer to the
“Toyota Service Bo oklet” or “Toyota
Warranty Booklet”.)
■If air flow from the vents decreases dramatically
The filter may be clogged. Check the fil -
ter and replace if necessary.
A
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563
8
8-2. Steps to take in an emergency
When trouble arises
8-2.Steps to take in an emergency
If your vehicle needs to
be towed
If towing is necessary, we rec -
ommend having your vehicle
towed by any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reli -
able repairer or commercial
towing service, using a wheel-
lift type truck or flatbed truck.
Use a safety chain system for
all towing, and abide by all
state/provincia l and local laws.
If towing your vehicle with a
wheel-lift type truck, use a tow -
ing dolly. ( →P.563, 564)
WARNING
Observe the following precautions.
Failure to do so may result in death or
serious injury.
■When towing the vehicle
Be sure to transport the vehicle with
all four wheels raise d off the ground.
If the vehicle is t owed with the tires contacting the groun d, the drivetrain
or related parts may be damaged, the
vehicle may fly off the truck, or elec- tricity generated by the operation of
the motor may caus e a fire to occur
depending on the nature of the dam- age or malfunction.
■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 eyelets, cables or chains may become damaged, bro -
ken debris may hit people, and
cause serious damage.
●Do not turn the power switch off.
There is a possibility that the steer - ing wheel is locked and cannot be
operated.
■Installing towing eyelets to the
vehicle
Make sure that towing eyelets are installed securely . If not securely
installed, towing ey elets may come
loose during towing.

5648-2. Steps to take in an emergency
The following may indicate a prob-
lem with your transmission. Contact
any authorized Toyota retailer or
Toyota authorized repairer, or any
reliable repairer or commercial tow -
ing service before towing.
 The hybrid system warning mes-
sage is shown on the multi-infor -
mation display and the vehicle
does not move.
 The vehicle makes an abnormal
sound.
From the front
Use a towing dolly under the rear
wheels.
From the rear
Use a towing dolly under the front
wheels.
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 power 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 tow -
ing at the opposite end of the raised
vehicle. Without adequate clear - ance, the vehicle could be dam -
aged 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
Do not secure cables or chains to the suspension components.
Situations when it is neces -
sary to contact dealers
before towing
Towing with a wheel-lift type
truck
NOTICE
■Towing with a sling-type truck
Do not tow with a s ling-type truck to prevent body damage.