2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID Owners Manual

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

497
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
WARNING
■When working on the engine
compartment
●Make sure that “IGNITION ON” on the multi-information display and
the “READY” indicat or are both off.
●Keep hands, clothing and tools
away from the moving fan.
●Be careful not to touch the engine, power control unit, radiator, exhaust
manifold, etc. right after driving as
they may be hot. Oil and other flu - ids may also be hot.
●Do not leave anyt hing that may burn easily, such as paper and
rags, in the engi ne compartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or
expose an open flame to fuel or the
12-volt battery. Fu el and 12-volt battery fumes are flammable.
●Take care because brake fluid can harm your hands or eyes and dam -
age painted surfac es. If fluid gets
on your hands or in your eyes, flush the affected area with clean water
immediately. If you still experience
discomfort, consult a doctor.
■When working near the electric
cooling fan or radiator grille
Be sure the power switch is off.
With the power swi tch in ON, the
electric cooling fan may automatically start to run if the air conditioning is on
and/or the coolant temperature is
high. ( →P.504)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc.,
from getting in your eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove th e air cleaner fil-
ter
Driving with the air cleaner filter removed may cause excessive
engine wear due to dirt in the air.
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the br ake fluid level to
go down slightly as the brake pads
wear or when the fluid level in the accumulator is high.
If the reservoir needs frequent refill -
ing, it may indicate a serious problem.

4987-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
1Pull the hood lock release lever.
The hood will pop up slightly.
2Push the auxiliary catch lever to
the left and lift the hood.
3 Hold the hood open by inserting
the supporting rod into the slot.Hood
Release the lock from the
inside of the vehicle to open
the hood.
Opening the hood
WARNING
■Pre-driving check
Check that the hood is fully closed
and locked.
If the hood is not lo cked properly, it
may open while the vehicle is in motion and cause an accident, which
may result in death or serious injury.
■To prevent burns
Do not touch the pipes when the com -
pressor is operati ng or after it is stopped, because the pipes are hot.
Touching by hands before the pipes
cool down may cause burns.
■After installing the support rod
into the slot
Make sure the rod supports the hood
securely from falli ng down on to your
head or body.

499
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
■Front
WARNING
■When closing the hood
When closing the hood, take extra
care to prevent your fingers etc. from being caught.
NOTICE
■When closing the hood
Be sure to return the support rod to its
clip before closing the hood. Closing the hood without returning the support
rod properly could cause the hood to
bend.
Positioning a floor jack
When using a floor jack, follow
the instructions in the manual
provided with the jack and per -
form the operation safely.
When raising your vehicle with
a floor jack, position the jack
correctly.
Improper place ment may dam-
age your vehicle or cause
injury.
Location of the jack point

5007-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■Rear

501
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
Fuse boxes (→P.545)
Engine oil filler cap ( →P.502)
Engine oil level dipstick ( →P.501)
Radiator ( →P.504)
Electric cooling fan
Condenser ( →P.504)
Power control unit coolant reservoir ( →P.504)
Washer fluid tank ( →P.505)
Engine coolant reservoir ( →P.503)
■12-volt battery
→ P.506
With the engine at operating tem-
perature and turned off, check the
Engine compartment
Components
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
Checking and adding the
engine oil

5027-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
oil level on the dipstick.
■Checking the engine oil
1 Park the vehicle on level
ground. After warming up the
engine and turning off the hybrid
system, wait more than 5 min -
utes for the oil to drain back into
the bottom o f the engine.
2 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out.
3 Wipe the dipstick clean.
4 Reinsert the dipstick fully.
5 Holding a rag under the end,
pull the dipstick out and check
the oil level.
Low
Normal
Excessive
The shape of the dip stick may differ
depending on the type of vehicle or
engine.
6 Wipe the dipstick and reinsert it
fully.
■Checking the oil type and pre -
paring the items needed
Make sure to check the oil type and
prepare the items needed before
adding oil.
 Engine oil selection
→P.621
Oil quantity (Low → Full)
1.5 L (1.6 qt., 1.3 Imp. qt.)
Item
Clean funnel
■Adding engine oil
If the oil level is below or near the
low level mark, add engine oil of the
same type as that already in the
engine.
1 Remove the oil filler cap by turn-
ing it counterclockwise.
2 Add engine oil slowly, checking
the dipstick.
3 Install the oil filler cap by turning
it clockwise.
A
B
C