2023 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID Owners Manual

303
5 5-1. Before driving
Driving
538 mm (21.2 in.)
536 mm (21.1 in.)
461 mm (18.1 in.)
457 mm (18.0 in.)E
F
G
H

3045-1. Before driving
Except for GR SPORT models
2 mm (0.07 in.)
13 mm (0.5 in.)
A
B

305
5 5-1. Before driving
Driving
28 mm (1.1 in.)
34 mm (1.3 in.)
412 mm (16.2 in.)
332 mm (13.1 in.)
370 mm (14.6 in.)
570 mm (22.4 in.)
601 mm (23.7 in.)
1073 mm (42.2 in.)C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J

3065-1. Before driving
For GR SPORT models
2 mm (0.07 in.)
13 mm (0.5 in.)
A
B

307
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
29 mm (1.1 in.)
34 mm (1.3 in.)
412 mm (16.2 in.)
348 mm (13.7 in.)
386 mm (15.2 in.)
586 mm (23.1 in.)
617 mm (24.3 in.)
1089 mm (42.9 in.)
Your vehicle will handle differently
when towing a trailer. In order to
avoid accident, death or serious
injury, keep the following in mind
when towing:
■Checking connections
between trailer and lights
Stop the vehicle and check the
operation of the connection
between the trailer and lights after
driving for a brief period as well as
before starting off.
■Practicing driving with a cou-
pled trailer
 Get the feel for turning, stopping
and reversing with the trailer
coupled by practicing in an area
with no or light traffic.
 When reversing with a coupled
trailer, hold the section of the
steering wheel nearest to you
and rotate clockwise to turn the
trailer left or counterclockwise to
turn it right. Always rotate a little
at a time to prevent steering
error. Have someone guide you
when reversing to lessen the risk
of an accident.
■Increasing vehicle-to-vehicle
distance
At a speed of 10 km/h (6 mph), the
distance to the vehicle running
ahead of you should be equivalent
to or greater than the combined
length of your vehicle and trailer.
Avoid sudden braking that may
cause skidding. Otherwise, the
vehicle may spin out of control. This
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
NOTICE
■When the rear bumper strength-
ening material is aluminum
Ensure the steel bracket part does not come directly in contact with that
area.
When steel and aluminum come into contact, there is a reaction similar to
corrosion, which will weaken the sec- tion concerned and may result in damage. Apply a rust inhibitor to parts
that will come in contact when attach- ing a steel bracket.
Guidance

3085-1. Before driving
is especially true when driving on
wet or slippery road surfaces.
■Sudden acceleration/steering
input/cornering
Executing sharp turns when towing
may result in the trailer colliding
with your vehicle. Decelerate well in
advance when approaching turns
and take them slowly and carefully
to avoid sudden braking.
■Important points regarding
turning
The wheels of the trailer will travel
closer to the inside of the curve
than the wheels of the vehicle. To
make allowance for this, take the
turns wider than you would nor-
mally do.
■Important points regarding
stability
Vehicle movement resulting from
uneven road surfaces and strong
crosswinds will affect handling. The
vehicle may also be rocked by
passing buses or large trucks. Fre-
quently check behind when moving
alongside such vehicles. As soon
as such vehicle movement occurs,
immediately start to decelerate
smoothly by slowly applying the
brakes. Always steer the vehicle
straight ahead while braking.
■Passing other vehicles
Consider the total combined length
of your vehicle and trailer and
ensure that the vehicle-to-vehicle
distance is sufficient before execut-ing lane changes.
■Transmission information
To maintain engine braking effi-
ciency, when using engine braking,
do not use the transmission in D.
(P.315)
■If the hybrid system overheats
Towing a loaded trailer up a long,
steep incline in temperatures
exceeding 30°C (85°F) may result
in the hybrid system overheating. If
the high coolant temperature warn-
ing light indicates that the hybrid
system is overheating, turn the air
conditioning off immediately, leave
the road and stop the vehicle in a
safe place. (P.578)
■When parking the vehicle
Always place wheel chocks under
the wheels of both the vehicle and
trailer. Firmly set the parking brake
and shift the shift lever to P.
■Break-in schedule
Toyota recommends that vehicles fitted
with new power train components
should not be used for towing trailers for
the first 800 km (500 miles).
■Maintenance
●Maintenance must be performed more
frequently when using the vehicle for
towing due to the greater weight bur-
den placed on the vehicle compared
to normal driving.
●Retighten all bolts securing the hitch-
ing ball and bracket after towing for
approximately 1000 km (600 miles).
■If trailer sway occurs
One or more factors (crosswinds, pass-
ing vehicles, rough roads, etc.) can

309
5 5-1. Before driving
Driving
adversely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing instability.
●If trailer swaying occurs:
• Firmly grip the steering wheel. Steer
straight ahead.
Do not try to control trailer swaying by
turning the steering wheel.
• Begin releasing the accelerator pedal
immediately but very gradually to
reduce speed.
Do not increase speed. Do not apply
vehicle brakes.
If you make no extreme correction with
the steering or brakes, your vehicle and
trailer should stabilize (if enabled, Trailer
Sway Control can also help to stabilize
the vehicle and trailer.).
●After the trailer swaying has stopped:
• Stop in a safe place. Get all occupants
out of the vehicle.
• Check the tires of the vehicle and the
trailer.
• Check the load in the trailer.
Make sure the load has not shifted.
Make sure the tongue weight is appro-
priate, if possible.
• Check the load in the vehicle.
Make sure the vehicle is not overloaded
after occupants get in.
If you cannot find any problems, the
speed at which trailer swaying occurred
is beyond the limit of your particular
vehicle-trailer combination. Drive at a
lower speed to prevent instability.
Remember that swaying of the towing
vehicle-trailer increases as speed
increases.

3105-2. Driving procedures
5-2.Driving pro cedu res
1Check that the AC charging
cable is disconnected. (P.135)
2Pull the parking brake switch to
check that the parking brake is
set. (P.320)
The parking brake indicator will come
on.
3Check that the shift lever is set
in P.
4Firmly depress the brake pedal.
and a message will be displayed
on the multi-information display.
If it is not displayed, the hybrid system
cannot be started.
5Press the power switch shortly
and firmly.
When operating the power switch, one
short, firm press is enough. It is not
necessary to press and hold the switch.
If the “READY” indicator turns on, the
hybrid system will operate normally.
Continue depressing the brake pedal
until the “READY” indicator is illumi-
nated.
The hybrid system can be started from any power switch mode.
6Check that the “READY” indica-
tor is illuminated.
The vehicle will not move when the
“READY” indicator is off.
■Power switch illumination
According to the situation, the power
switch illumination operates as follows.
●When driver’s door or front passen-
ger’s door is opened, the power
switch illumination illuminates.
●When depressing the brake pedal with
carrying the electronic key on your
person, the power switch illumination
blinks.
●When the power switch is in ACC or
ON, the power switch illumination illu-
minates.
●When the power switch mode is
changed from ACC or ON to OFF, the
power switch illumination illuminates
for a certain amount of time. After-
wards, the power switch illumination
turns off.
■If the hybrid system does not start
●The immobilizer system may not have
been deactivated. (P.77)
Contact any authorized Toyota retailer
or Toyota authorized repairer, or any
reliable repairer.
●If a message related to start-up is
shown on the multi-information dis-
play, read the message and follow the
instructions.
Power (ignition) switch
Performing the following oper-
ations when carrying the elec-
tronic key on your person
starts the hybrid system or
changes power switch modes.
Starting the hybrid system