2021 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID Owners Manual

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
B

5047-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW”
line, add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
( →P.611)
■Power control unit coolant
reservoir
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW”
line, add coolant up to the “FULL” line.
( →P.613)
■Coolant selection
Only use “Toyota Super Long Life Coo - lant” or a similar hig h quality ethylene
glycol based non-si licate, non-amine,
non-nitrite, and non- borate coolant with long-life hybrid org anic acid technology.
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is a
mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deion - ized water. (Minimu m temperature: -
35°C [-31°F])
For more details about coolant, contact any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.
■If the coolant level drops within a short time of replenishing
Visually check the radiators, hoses,
engine/power control unit coolant reser - voir caps, drain cock and water pump.
If you cannot find a leak, have any
authorized Toyota r etailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer, test the cap and check for
leaks in the cooling system.
Check the radiator and condenser,
and clear away any foreign objects.
If either of the above parts is
extremely dirty or you are not sure
of their condition, have your vehicle
inspected by any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota authorized
repairer, or any reliable repairer.
C
A
B
C
WARNING
■When the hybrid system is hot
Do not remove the engine/power con -
trol unit coolant reservoir caps.
The cooling system may be under
pressure and may spray hot coolant if the cap is removed, causing serious
injuries, such as burns.
NOTICE
■When adding coolant
Coolant is neither plain water nor
straight antifreeze. The correct mix - ture of water and antifreeze must be
used to provide proper lubrication,
corrosion protection and cooling. Be sure to read the anti freeze or coolant
label.
■If you spill coolant
Be sure to wash it off with water to
prevent it from damaging parts or
paint.
Checking the radiator and
condenser

505
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
Without level gauge
Type A: If any washer does not
work, the washer tank may be
empty. Add washer fluid.
Type B: If any washer does not
work or the wa rning message
appears on the multi-information
display, the washer tank may be
empty. Add washer fluid.
With level gauge
If the washer fluid level is at “LOW”,
add washer fluid.
■Using the gauge (if equipped)
The washer fluid level can be checked
by observing the position of the level on
the liquid-covered holes in the gauge.
If the level falls below the second hole
from the bottom (the “LOW” position),
refill the washer fluid.
Current fluid level
WARNING
■When the hybrid system is hot
Do not touch the radiator or con -
denser as they may be hot and cause serious injuries, such as burns.
■When the electric cooling fan is operating
Do not touch the engine compart -
ment.
With the power swi tch in ON mode, the electric cooli ng fan may automati-
cally start to run if t he air conditioning
is on and/or the c oolant temperature is high. Be sure the power switch is
off when working near the electric
cooling fan or radiator grille.
Checking and adding the
washer fluid
WARNING
■When adding washer fluid
Do not add washer fluid when the
hybrid system is hot or operating as
washer fluid contains alcohol and may catch fire if sp illed on the hybrid
system, etc.
A

5067-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
The 12-volt battery is located in the
right-hand side of luggage compart -
ment.
■Before recharging
When recharging, the 12-volt battery produces hydrogen gas which is flam-
mable and explosive. Therefore,
observe the following precautions before recharging:
●If recharging with the 12-volt battery installed on the vehicle, be sure to dis -
connect the ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on the
charger is off when connecting and
disconnecting the charger cables to the 12-volt battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting the
12-volt battery
The hybrid system may not start. Follow the procedure below to initialize the sys-
tem.
1 Shift the shift lever to P.
2 Open and close any of the doors.
3 Restart the hybrid system.
●Unlocking the doors using the smart entry & start system may not be possi -
ble immediately after reconnecting the
12-volt battery. If this happens, use the wireless remote control or the
mechanical key to lock/unlock the
NOTICE
■Do not use any fluid other than
washer fluid
Do not use soapy water or engine antifreeze instead of washer fluid.
Doing so may cause streaking on the
vehicle’s painted sur faces, as well as damaging the pump leading to prob -
lems of the washer fluid not spraying.
■Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as nec-
essary.
Refer to the freezing temperatures listed on the label of the washer fluid
bottle.
12-volt battery
Location

507
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
doors.
●Start the hybrid system with the power
switch in ACC. The hybrid system
may not start with the power switch turned off. Howeve r, the hybrid sys-
tem will operate normally from the
second attempt.
●The power switch mode is recorded
by the vehicle. If the 12-volt battery is reconnected, the vehicle will return
the power switch mode to the status it
was in before the 12-volt battery was disconnected. Make sure to turn off
the power switch b efore disconnect
the 12-volt battery. Take extra care when connecting the 12-volt battery if
the power switch m ode prior to dis-
charge is unknown.
If the hybrid system will not start even
after multiple attem pts at all methods
above, contact any authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or
any reliable repairer.
WARNING
■Chemicals in the 12-volt battery
The 12-volt battery contains poison - ous and corrosive sulfuric acid and
may produce hydrogen gas which is
flammable and expl osive. To reduce the risk of death or serious injury, take
the following precautions while work -
ing on or near the 12-volt battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touching
the 12-volt batter y terminals with tools.
●Do not smoke or light a match near the 12-volt battery.
●Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothes.
●Never inhale or swallow electrolyte.
●Wear protective safety glasses
when working near the 12-volt bat- tery.
●Keep children away from the 12-volt battery.
■Where to safely charge the 12-volt battery
Always charge the 12-volt battery in
an open area. Do not charge the 12- volt battery in a garage or closed
room where there is not sufficient
ventilation.
■Emergency measures regarding
electrolyte
●If electrolyte gets in your eyes
Flush your eyes with clean water for
at least 15 minutes and get immediate
medical attention. If possible, con-
tinue to apply wate r with a sponge or
cloth while traveling to the nearest
medical facility.
●If electrolyte g ets on your skin
Wash the affec ted area thoroughly. If
you feel pain or burning, get medical
attention immediately.
●If electrolyte gets on your clothes
It can soak through clothing on to
your skin. Immediat ely take off the
clothing and follow the procedure
above if necessary.
●If you accidentally swallow electro -
lyte
Drink a large quantity of water or milk.
Get emergency medical attention
immediately.
■When there is insu fficient 12-volt
battery fluid
Do not use if there is insufficient fluid in the 12-volt battery. There is a pos -
sible danger that the 12-volt battery
may explode.

5087-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
1Open the deck board (→P.472)
2 Disengage the 13 claws and pull
the luggage side cover to
remove it.
When installing the luggage side cover,
make sure that the c laws are installed securely.
Make sure that the 12-volt battery
terminals are not corroded and that
there are no loose connections,
cracks, or loose clamps.
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
Check the battery condition by indi -
cator color.
Blue: Good condition
Red: Charging is necessary.
Have the vehicle inspected by any
authorized Toyota r etailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.
Clear: Not working properly.
Add distilled wate r or replace
the battery.
Have the vehicle inspected by any
authorized Toyota r etailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable
NOTICE
■When recharging the 12-volt bat -
tery
Never recharge the 12-volt battery while the hybrid system is operating.
Also, be sure all accessories are
turned off.
Removing the 12-volt bat -
tery cover
Exterior
Checking the battery condi -
tion
A
B
A
B
C

509
7
7-3. Do-it-yours elf maintenance
Maintenance and care
repairer.
Check if the treadwear indicators
are showing on the tires. Also
check the tires fo r uneven wear,
such as excessiv e wear on one
side of the tread.
Check the spare ti re condition and
pressure if not rotated.
New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicator
The location of treadwear indicators is
shown by a “TWI” or “ ” marks, etc.,
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in
accordance with maintenance
schedules and treadwear.
Checking tires
A
B
C

5107-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
molded into the sidewall of each tire.
Replace the tires if the treadwear indi -
cators are showing on a tire.
■When to replace your vehicle’s
tires
Tires should be replaced if:
●The treadwear indicators are showing on a tire.
●You have tire damage such as cuts, splits, cracks deep enough to expose
the fabric, and bulges indicating inter -
nal damage.
●A tire goes flat repeatedly or cannot
be properly repaired due to the size or location of a cut or other damage.
If you are not sure, consult with any
authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer.
■Tire life
Any tire over 6 y ears old must be checked by a qualified technician even if
it has seldom or never been used or
damage is not obvious.
■If the tread on snow tires wears down below 4 mm (0.16 in.)
The effectiveness of t he tires as snow
tires is lost.
Rotate the tires in the order shown.
To equalize tire wear and help extend
tire life, Toyota re commends that tire
rotation is carried out approximately
WARNING
■When inspecting or replacing tires
Observe the following precautions to
prevent accidents. Failure to do so may cause damage
to parts of the driv e train as well as
dangerous handling c haracteristics, which may lead to an accident result -
ing in death or serious injury.
●Do not mix tires of different makes, models or tread patterns.
Also, do not mix tires of remarkably
different treadwear.
●Do not use tire sizes other than those recommended by Toyota.
●Do not mix differently constructed tires (radial, bias-belted or bias-ply
tires).
●Do not mix summer, all season and
snow tires.
●Do not use tires that have been
used on another vehicle.
Do not use tires if you do not know how they were used previously.
●Vehicles with compact spare tire: Do not tow if your vehicle has a
compact spare tire installed.
●Vehicles with emergency tire punc -
ture repair kit: Do not tow anything
if a tire that has been repaired using the emergency tire puncture repair
kit is installed. The load on the tire
may cause unexpec ted damage to the tire.
NOTICE
■Driving on rough roads
Take particular care when driving on
roads with loose sur faces or potholes. These conditions may cause losses in
tire inflation pressure, reducing the
cushioning ability of the tires. In addi - tion, driving on rough roads may
cause damage to the tires them -
selves, as well as the vehicle’s wheels and body.
■If tire inflation pressure of each tire becomes low while driving
Do not continue drivi ng, or your tires
and/or wheels may be ruined.
Tire rotation