2023 TOYOTA RAV4 check engine

3906-2. Maintenance
Brakes
• The vehicle should not pull to
one side when
the brakes are
applied.
• The brakes should work
effectively.
• The brake pedal should not feel
spongy.
• The brake pedal should not get
too close to the
floor when the
brakes are
applied.
Head
restraints
• Do the head restraints move
smoothly and
lock securely?
Indica-
tors/buzzers
• Do the indica-tors and buzzers
function prop-
erly?
Lights
• Do all the lights come on?
• Are the head- lights aimed cor-
rectly?
Parking brake
• Does the park-ing brake oper-
ate normally?
• When parked on a slope and the
parking brake is
on, is the vehicle
securely
stopped?
ItemsCheck points
Seat belts
• Do the seat belts operate
smoothly?
• The seat belts should not be
damaged.
Seats
• Do the seat con-trols operate
properly?
Steering wheel
• Does the steer-ing wheel rotate
smoothly?
• Does the steer- ing wheel have
the correct
amount of free
play?
• There should not be any strange
sounds coming
from the steer-
ing wheel.
Vehicle exterior
ItemsCheck points
Doors
• Do the doors operate
smoothly?
Engine hood
• Does the engine hood lock system
work properly?
Fluid leaks
• There should not be any signs of
fluid leakage
after the vehicle
has been parked.
ItemsCheck points

3986-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Fuse boxes (P.428)
Engine oil filler cap ( P.399)
Engine oil level dipstick ( P.398)
Battery ( P.403)
Brake fluid reservoir ( P.401)
Radiator ( P.401)
Electric cooling fan
Condenser ( P.401)
Washer fluid tank ( P.404)
Engine coolant reservoir ( P.400)
With the engine at operating
temperature and turned off, check the oil level on the dip-
stick.
Engine compartment
Components
A
B
C
D
E
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3996-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Checking the engine oil
1 Park the vehicle on level
ground. After warming up the
engine and turning off the
engine, wait more than 5
minutes for the oil to drain
back into the bottom of 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 dipstick may differ
depending on the type of vehicle or
engine.
6Wipe the dipstick and reinsert
it fully.
■Checking the oil type and
preparing the items needed
Make sure to check the oil type
and prepare the items needed
before adding oil.
 Engine oil selection
P.488
 Oil quantity (Low  Full)
1.6 qt. (1.5 L, 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
turning it counterclockwise.
2 Add engine oil slowly, check-
ing the dipstick.
3 Install the oil filler cap by
turning it clockwise.
■Engine oil consumption
A certain amount of engine oil will
be consumed while driving. In the
following situatio ns, oil consump-
A
B
C

4006-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
tion may increase, and engine oil
may need to be ref illed in between
oil maintenance intervals.
●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 inap-
propriate viscosity is used
●When driving at high engine
speeds or with a heavy load,
when towing, or when driving
while accelerating o r decelerating
frequently
●When leaving the engine idling for
a long time, or wh en driving fre-
quently through heavy traffic
The coolant level is satisfactory
if it is between the “FULL” and
“LOW” lines on the reservoir
when the engine is cold.
Reservoir cap
“FULL” line
“LOW” line
If the level is on or below the “LOW”
line, add coolant up to the “FULL”
line. ( P.480)
WARNING
■Used engine oil
●Used engine oil contains poten-
tially harmful contaminants
which may cause skin disorders
such as inflammation and skin
cancer, so care should be taken
to avoid prolonged and
repeated contact. To remove
used engine oil from your skin,
wash thoroughly with soap and
water.
●Dispose of used oil and filters
only in a safe an d acceptable
manner. Do not dispose of used
oil and filters in household trash,
in sewers or onto the ground.
Call your Toyota dealer, service
station or auto parts store for
information concerning recy-
cling or disposal.
●Do not leave used engine oil
within the rea ch of children.
NOTICE
■To prevent serious engine
damage
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 level on the dip-
stick 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 neu-
tral detergent. Do not use an
organic solvent such as brake
cleaner.
Checking the coolant
A
B
C

4016-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
■Coolant selection
Only use “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 technology.
U.S.A.:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is
a mixture of 50% coolant and 50%
deionized water. (Minimum tem-
perature: -31°F [-35°C])
Canada:
“Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” is
a mixture of 55% coolant and 45%
deionized water. (Minimum tem-
perature: -44°F [-42°C])
For more details about coolant, con-
tact your To yota dealer.
■If the coolant level drops within
a short time of replenishing
Visually check the radiators, hoses,
engine/power control unit coolant
reservoir caps, drain cock and water
pump.
If you cannot find a leak, have your
Toyota dealer, t est the cap and
check for leaks in the cooling sys-
tem.
Check the radiator and con-
denser, and clear away any for-
eign objects.
If either of the above parts is
extremely dirty or you are not
sure of their condition, have
your vehicle inspected by your
Toyota dealer.
■Checking fluid level
The brake fluid level should be
between the “MAX” and “MIN”
lines on the tank.
WARNING
■When the engine is hot
Do not remove the engine coolant
reservoir cap.
The cooling system may be under
pressure and may spray hot cool-
ant 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
mixture of water and antifreeze
must be used to provide proper
lubrication, corrosion protection
and cooling. Be sure to read the
antifreeze 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
WARNING
■When the engine 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 engine switch in ON, the
electric cooling fa n may automati-
cally start to run if the air condi-
tioning is on and/or the coolant
temperature is high. Be sure the
engine switch is off when working
near the electric cooling fan or
radiator grille.
Checking and adding the
brake fluid

4036-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Check the battery as follows.
■Battery exterior
Make sure that the battery termi-
nals are not corroded and that
there are no loose connections,
cracks, or loose clamps.
Terminals
Hold-down clamp
■Before recharging
When recharging, t he battery pro-
duces hydrogen ga s which is flam-
mable and explosive. Therefore,
observe the following precautions
before recharging:
●If recharging wi th the battery
installed on the vehicle, be sure to
disconnect the ground cable.
●Make sure the power switch on
the charger is off when connecting
and disconnecting the charger cables to the battery.
■After recharging/reconnecting
the battery (vehicles with smart
key system)
●Unlocking the doors using the
smart key system may not be pos-
sible immediately
after reconnect-
ing the battery. If this happens,
use the wireless remote control or
the mechanical key to lock/unlock
the doors.
●Start the engine with the engine
switch in ACC. T he engine may
not start with th e engine switch
turned off. However, the engine
will operate normally from the sec-
ond attempt.
●The engine switch mode is
recorded by the vehicle. If the bat-
tery is disconnected and recon-
nected, the vehicle will return the
engine switch mode to the status
it was in before t he battery was
disconnected. Make sure to turn
off the engine switch before dis-
connecting the battery. Take extra
care when connecting the battery
if the engine switch mode prior to
the battery being disconnected is
unknown.
If the engine will no t start even after
multiple attempts, contact your
Toyota dealer.
NOTICE
■If the fluid level is low or high
It is normal for the brake fluid level
to go down slightly as the brake
pads wear out or when the fluid
level in the accumulator is high.
If the reservoir needs frequent
refilling, there may be a serious
problem.
Checking the battery
A
B:$51,1*
■Chemicals in the battery
A battery contains poisonous and
corrosive sulfur ic acid and may
produce hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. To
reduce the risk of death or serious
injury, take the following precau-
tions while working on or near the
battery:
●Do not cause sparks by touch-
ing the battery terminals with
tools.

4056-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
6
Maintenance and care
Check if the treadwear indica-
tors are showing on the tires.
Also check the tires for uneven
wear, such as excessive wear
on one side of the tread.
Check the spare tire condition
and pressure if not rotated.New tread
Worn tread
Treadwear indicator
The location of treadwear indicators
is shown by a “TWI” or “ ” mark,
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 surfaces, as
well as damaging the pump lead-
ing to problems of the washer
fluid not spraying.
■Diluting washer fluid
Dilute washer fluid with water as
necessary.
Refer to the freezing tempera-
tures listed on the label of the
washer fluid bottle.
Tires
Replace or rotate tires in
accordance with mainte-
nance schedules and tread-
wear.
Checking tires
A
B
C

4086-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
■When rotating the tires (vehi-
cles with tire pressure warning
system)
Make sure that the engine switch is
OFF. If the tires are rotated while
the engine switch i s in ON, the tire
position informa tion will not be
updated. If this accidentally occurs,
either turn the engine switch to OFF
and then to ON, or initialize the sys-
tem after checking that the tire pres-
sure is properly adjusted.
Your vehicle is equipped with a
tire pressure warning system
that uses tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters to detect
low tire inflation pressure before
serious problems arise.
 If the tire pressure drops
below a predetermined level,
the driver is warned by a
screen display and a warning
light. ( P.455)
 The tire pressure detected by
the tire pressure warning sys-
tem can be displayed on the
multi-information display.
( P.93)
The illustration used is intended
as an example, and may differ
from the image that is actually
displayed on the multi-informa-
tion display.
With 7-inch display: With 12.3-inch display:
■Routine tire inflation pressure
checks
The tire pressure warning system
does not replace routine tire inflation
pressure checks . Make sure to
check tire inflation pressure as part
of your routine o f daily vehicle
checks.
■Tire inflation pressure
●It may take a few minutes to dis-
play the tire inflation pressure
after the engine switch is turned to
ON. It may also take a few min-
utes to display the tire inflation
pressure after infl ation pressure
has been adjusted.
●Tire inflation pressure changes
with temperature. The displayed
values may also be different from
the values measured using a tire
pressure gauge.
■Situations in which the tire
pressure warning system may
not operate properly
●In the following cases, the tire
pressure warning system may not
Tire pressure warning
system (if equipped)