2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID Owners Manual

319
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
power switch to OF F, the hybrid sys-
tem may not start in some cases. After turning the power switch to OFF,
please wait a few seconds before
restarting the hybrid system.
■Customization
If the smart entry & start system has
been deactivated in a customized set -
ting, refer to P.605.
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
( →P.326)
Check the parking brake indicator is
illuminated.
3 Shift the shift lever to P.
4 Press the power switch shortly
and firmly.
The hybrid system w ill stop, and the meter display will be extinguished.
Release the shift lever when pressing
the power switch.
5 Release the brake pedal and
check that “ACCESSORY” or
“IGNITION ON” is not shown on
the multi-inform ation display.
WARNING
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hyb rid system while
sitting in the drive r’s seat. Do not
depress the accelerator pedal while starting the hybri d system under any
circumstances.
Doing so may cause an accident resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving
If hybrid system fai lure occurs while
the vehicle is moving, do not lock or
open the doors until the vehicle reaches a safe and complete stop.
Activation of the steering lock in this
circumstance may lead to an acci - dent, resulting in death or serious
injury.
NOTICE
■When starting the hybrid system
If the hybrid system becomes difficult
to start, have your vehicle checked by
any authorized Toyo ta retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any
reliable repairer immediately.
■Symptoms indicating a malfunc -
tion with the power switch
If the power switch seems to be oper - ating somewhat differently than usual,
such as the switch sticking slightly,
there may be a malfunction. Contact any authorized Toyo ta retailer or
Toyota authorized repairer, or any
reliable repairer immediately.
Stopping the hybrid system
WARNING
■Stopping the hybrid system in an
emergency
●If you want to sto p the hybrid sys- tem in an emergency while driving
the vehicle, press and hold the
power switch for more than 2 sec- onds, or press it b riefly 3 times or
more in succession. ( →P.560)
However, do not touch the power switch while driving except in an
emergency. Turning the hybrid sys -
tem off while driving will not cause a loss of steering or braking control.
However, power assist for the
steering wheel may be lost making it difficult to st eer smoothly before
stopping the vehi cle depending on
the remaining charge in the 12-volt battery or usage co nditions. In this
situation, you should pull over and
stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.

3205-2. Driving procedures
Modes can be changed by pressing
the power switch with the brake
pedal released. (The mode
changes each time the switch is
pressed.)
1 OFF*
The emergency flashers can be used.
2ACC
Some electrical components such as
the audio system can be used.
“ACCESSORY” will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
3 ON
All electrical components can be used.
“IGNITION ON” will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
*: If the shift lever is in a position other
than P when turning off the hybrid
system, the power s witch will remain
ON, will not turn to OFF.
■Auto power off function
●If the vehicle is le ft in ACC or ON (the hybrid system is no t operating) for
more than 20 minutes with the shift
lever in P, the power switch will auto - matically turn to OFF.
●If the 12-volt batte ry is low with the shift lever is in P and the power switch
is in ACC or ON (t he hybrid system is
not operating), a buzzer sounds and a message will be displayed on the
multi-information dis play. If this con-
tinues, the power switch is automati - cally turn to OFF.
However, this functi on cannot entirely
prevent the 12-volt battery discharge. Do not leave the vehicle with the power
switch in ACC or ON for long periods of
time when the hybrid system is not oper - ating.
WARNING
●If the power switch is operated
while the vehicle is running, a warn -
ing message will be shown on the multi-information display and a
buzzer sounds.
●When restarting the hybrid system
after an emergency shutdown, shift
the shift lever to N and press the
power switch shortly and firmly.
Changing power switch
modes
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery dis -
charge
●Do not leave the power switch in ACC or ON for long periods of time
without the hybr id system on.
●If “ACCESSORY” or “IGNITION
ON” is displayed on the multi-infor -
mation display, the power switch is not in OFF. Exit the vehicle after
turning the power switch to OFF.

321
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
If the hybrid system is stopped with
the shift lever in a position other
than P, the power switch will not be
turned to OFF but instead be turned
to ACC. Perform the following pro -
cedure to turn the switch to OFF:
1 Check that the parking brake is
set.
2 Shift the shift lever to P.
3 Check that “IGNITION ON” is
displayed on the multi-informa -
tion display and press the power
switch shortly and firmly.
4 Check that “ACCESSORY” or
“IGNITION ON” on the multi-
information display is off.
*1: To improve fuel efficiency and
reduce noise, shift the shift lever to
D for normal driving.
*2: Vehicles with paddle shift switches
only: Selecting shift ranges in the D
position allows suitable use of
engine braking. ( →P.323)
*3: By selecting shift ranges using S
mode, you can control accelerating
force and engine braking force.
■When driving with dynamic radar
cruise control with full-speed range or cruise control activated (if
equipped)
Even when performing the following actions with the intent of enabling
engine braking, engine braking will not
activate because dyn amic radar cruise control with full-speed range, or cruise
control will not be canceled.
●While driving in D or S mode, down-
When stopping the hybrid
system with the shift lever in
a position other than P
NOTICE
■To prevent 12-volt battery dis -
charge
Do not stop the hybrid system when the shift lever is i n a position other
than P. If the hy brid system is
stopped in another shift lever position, the power switch will not be turned to
OFF but instead remain ON. If the
vehicle is left in ON , 12-volt battery discharge may occur.
Hybrid transmission
Select the shift position
depending on your purpose
and situation.
Shift position purpose and
functions
Shift
positionObjective or function
PParking the vehicle/start -
ing the hybrid system
RReversing
NNeutral
DNormal driving*1, 2
SS mode driving*3

3225-2. Driving procedures
shifting to 5 or 4. ( →P.323, 324)
●When switching the driving mode to
sport mode while driving in D position.
( →P.434)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive- Start Control)
→ P.301
While the power switch is
in ON and the brake pedal
depressed*, shift the shift lever
while pushing the shift release but -
ton on the shift knob.
Shift the shift lever while
pushing the shift release button on
the shift knob.
Shift the shift lever nor -
mally.
When shifting the shift lever between P
and D, make sure that the vehicle is
completely stopped and the brake
pedal is depressed.
*: For the vehicle to be able to be
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road
surfaces
Be careful of down shifting and sud-
den acceleration, as this could result
in the vehicle skidding to the side or spinning.
NOTICE
■Hybrid battery ( traction battery) charge
If the shift lever is in N, the hybrid bat -
tery (traction battery) will not be charging, even when the engine is
running. Therefore, if the vehicle is
left with the shift le ver in N for a long
period of tim e, the hybrid battery (traction battery) will discharge, and
this may result in the vehicle not
being able to start.
Shifting the shift lever

323
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
shifted from P, the brake pedal must
be depressed before the shift release
button is pushed. If the shift release
button is pushed first, the shift lock
will not be released.
■Shift lock system
The shift lock system is a system to pre- vent accidental operation of the shift
lever in starting.
The shift lever can be shifted from P only when the power switch is in ON, the
brake pedal is depressed and the shift
release button is pushed.
■If the shift lever cannot be shifted from P
First, check whether the brake pedal is
being depressed. If the shift lever cannot be shifted even
though the brake pedal is depressed
and the shift releas e button is pushed, there may be a problem with the shift
lock system. Have the vehicle inspected
by any authorized T oyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reli -
able repairer immediately.
The following steps may be used as an emergency measure to ensure that the
shift lever ca n be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1 Pull the parking brake switch to
check that the park ing brake is set. ( →P.326)
2 Turn the power switch off.
3 Depress the brake pedal.
4 Pry the cover up with a flathead
screwdriver or equivalent tool.
To prevent damage to the cover, cover the tip of the screwdriver with
a rag.
5 Press and hold the shift lock override
button and then push the button on the shift knob.
The shift lever can be shifted while
both buttons are pressed.
→ P.434
To drive using temporary shift
range selection, operate the “-”
paddle shift switch. The shift range
can then be selected by operating
the “-” and “+” paddle shift
switches. Changing the shift range
allows restriction of the highest
gear, preventing upshifting and
WARNING
■To prevent an accident when releasing the shift lock
Before pressing the shift lock override
button, make sure to set the parking brake and depress the brake pedal.
If the accelerator pedal is accidentally
depressed instead of the brake pedal when the shift lock override button is
pressed and the shift lever is shifted
out of P, the vehicle may suddenly start, possibly leading to an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
Selecting the driving mode
Selecting shift ranges in the
D position (vehicles with
paddle shift switches)

3245-2. Driving procedures
enabling the level of engine braking
force to be selected.
1 Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from D1 to
D6, will be displayed on the multi-infor -
mation display.
■Shift ranges and their functions
●You can choose from 6 levels of
accelerating force and engine braking force.
●A lower shift range will provide greater accelerating force and engine braking
force than a higher shift range, and
the engine revolutions will also increase.
■Downshifting restriction warning
buzzer
To help ensure safe ty and driving per- formance, downshifting operation may
sometimes be restricted. In some cir -
cumstances, downshifting may not be possible even when the paddle shift
switch is operated. (A buzzer will sound
twice.)
■Automatic deacti vation of shift
range selection i n the D position
Shift range selection in the D position
will be deactivated in the following situa -
tions:
●When the vehicle comes to a stop
●If the accelerator pedal is depressed
for more than a cert ain period of time
●When the shift lever is shifted to a
position other than D
●When the “+” paddle shift switch is
held down for a period of time
When the shift lever is in the S posi -
tion, the shift lev er or paddle shift
switches (if equipped) can be oper -
ated as follows:
1 Upshifting
2 Downshifting
The selected shift range, from S1 to S6,
will be displayed on the multi-informa -
tion display.
The initial shift range in S mode is
set automatically to S4.*
*: It is set to S3 when the driving mode
is set to sport mode. ( →P.434)
Changing shift ranges in S
mode

325
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
■S mode
●You can choose from 6 levels of
accelerating force and engine braking force.
●A lower shift range will provide greater accelerating force and engine braking
force than a higher shift range, and
the engine revolutions will also increase.
●To prevent the eng ine from over-rev- ving, upshifting may automatically
occur when the shif t range is 3 or
lower.
●When the shift range is 4 or lower,
holding the shift le ver toward “+” sets the shift range to 6.
■Downshifting restriction warning
buzzer
To help ensure safe ty and driving per- formance, downshifting operation may
sometimes be restricted. In some cir -
cumstances, downshifting may not be possible even when the shift lever or
paddle shift switches (if equipped) is
operated. (A buzze r will sound twice.)
■If the “S” indicator does not come on or the “D” indicator is displayed
even after shifting t he shift lever to
S
This may indicate a malfunction in the transmission system. Have the vehicle
inspected by any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer immediately. (In
this situation, the transmission will oper -
ate in the same manner as when the shift lever is in D.)
1 Right turn
2 Lane change to the right (move
the lever partway and release it)
The right hand signals will flash 3 times.
3 Lane change to the left (move
the lever partway and release it)
The left hand signals will flash 3 times.
4 Left turn
■Turn signals can be operated when
The power switch is in ON.
■If the indicator flashes faster than
usual
Check that a light b ulb in the front or rear turn signal lights has not burned
out.
Turn signal lever
Operating instructions

3265-2. Driving procedures
■If the turn signals stop flashing
before a lane change has been per - formed
Operate the lever again.
■To discontinue flashing of the turn
signals during a lane change
Operate the lever in the opposite direc -
tion.
■Using the manual mode
The parking brake can be set and
released manually.
Parking brake indicator light
Parking brake switch indicator
1 Pull the switch to set the parking
brake.
The parking brake indicator light and
parking brake switch indicator will turn
on.
Pull and hold the parking brake switch if
Parking brake
The parking brake can be set
or released automatically or
manually. In automatic mode,
the parking brake can be set or
released autom atically accord-
ing to shift lever operation.
Also, even in automatic mode,
the parking brake can be set or
released manually.
Operating instructions
A
B