2023 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID Owners Manual

311
5 5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
■When the ambient temperature is
low, such as during winter driving
conditions
●When starting the hybrid system, the
flashing time of the “READY” indicator
may be long. Leave the vehicle as it is
until the “READY” indicator is steady
on, as steady means the vehicle is
able to move.
●When the hybrid battery (traction bat-
tery) is extremely cold (below approxi-
mately -30°C [-22°F]) under the
influence of the outside temperature, it
may not be possible to start the hybrid
system. In this case, try to start the
hybrid system again after the tem-
perature of the hybrid battery
increases due to the outside tempera-
ture increase etc.
■Sounds and vibrations specific to a
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle
P.91
■If the 12-volt battery is discharged
The hybrid system cannot be started
using the smart entry & start system.
Refer to P.573 to restart the hybrid sys-
tem.
■Electronic key battery depletion
P.232
■Conditions affecting operation
P.254
■Note for the entry function
P.255
■Steering lock function (if equipped)
●After turning the power switch to OFF
and opening and closing the doors,
the steering wheel will be locked due
to the steering lock function. Operat-
ing the power switch again automati-
cally cancels the steering lock.
●When the steering lock cannot be
released, “Push POWER Switch while
Turning The Steering Wheel in Either
Direction” will be displayed on the
multi-information display.
Check that the shift lever is set in P.
Press the power switch shortly and firmly while turning the steering wheel
left and right.
●To prevent the steering lock motor
from overheating, the motor may be
suspended if the hybrid system is
turned on and off repeatedly in a short
period of time. In this case, refrain
from operating the power switch. After
about 10 seconds, the steering lock
motor will resume functioning.
■If there is a malfunction in the
smart entry & start system
If “Smart Entry & Start System Malfunc-
tion” or “Smart Key System Malfunction”
is displayed on the multi-information dis-
play, the system may be malfunctioning.
Have the vehicle inspected by any
authorized Toyota retailer or Toyota
authorized repairer, or any reliable
repairer immediately.
■If the “READY” indicator does not
come on
In the event that the “READY” indicator
does not come on even after performing
the proper procedures for starting the
vehicle, contact any authorized Toyota
retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or
any reliable repairer immediately.
■If the hybrid system is malfunction-
ing
P.100
■Electronic key battery
P.511
■Operation of the power switch
●If the switch is not pressed shortly and
firmly, the power switch mode may not
change or the hybrid system may not
start.
●If attempting to restart the hybrid sys-

3125-2. Driving procedures
tem immediately after turning the
power switch to OFF, 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.572.
1 Stop the vehicle completely.
2 If the parking brake is in manual
mode, set the parking brake.
( P.320)
Check the parking brake indicator is illuminated.
3 Shift the shift lever to P.
Do not press the shift lever button after shifting the shift lever to P.
4 Press the power switch shortly
and firmly.
The hybrid system will 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-information display.
WARNING
■When starting the hybrid system
Always start the hybrid system while sitting in the driver’s seat. Do not depress the accelerator pedal while
starting the hybrid system under any circumstances. Doing so may cause an accident
resulting in death or serious injury.
■Caution while driving (vehicles
with steering lock function)
If hybrid system failure 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 Toyota 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 Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer immediately.
Stopping the hybrid system

313
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
Modes can be changed by pressing
the power switch with the brake
pedal released. (The mode
changes each time the switch is
pressed.)
“ACCESSORY”
“IGNITION ON”
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 or the shift lever button is
pressed when turning off the hybrid
system, the power switch will remain
ON, will not turn to OFF.
■Auto power off function
●If the vehicle is left in ACC or ON (the hybrid system is not operating) for more than 20 minutes with the shift
lever is in P or the shift lever button is not pressed, the power switch will automatically turn to OFF.
●If the 12-volt battery is low with the
WARNING
■Stopping the hybrid system in an emergency
●If you want to stop 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 briefly 3 times or more in succession. ( P.526)
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 steer smoothly before stopping the vehicle depending on
the remaining charge in the 12-volt battery or usage conditions. In this situation, you should pull over and
stop the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so.
●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
A
B

3145-2. Driving procedures
shift lever is in P or the shift lever but-
ton is not pressed, and the power switch is in ACC or ON (the hybrid system is not operating), a buzzer
sounds and a message will be dis- played on the multi-information dis-play. If this continues, the power
switch will automatically turn to OFF.
However, this function 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.
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. Perform the follow-
ing procedure 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.
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 hybrid 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.
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 with the shift lever in a position other P or
the shift lever button pressed. If the hybrid system is stopped with the shift lever in a position other than P or the
shift lever button pressed, 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.

315
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving*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.317)
*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 dynamic radar cruise control with full-speed range, or cruise
control will not be canceled.
●While driving in D or S mode, down-
shifting to 5 or 4. ( P.317, 318)
●When switching the driving mode to sport mode while driving in D position.
( P.411)
■Restraining sudden start (Drive- Start Control)
 P.294
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
WARNING
■When driving on slippery road surfaces
Be careful of downshifting 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 lever in N for a long
period of time, the hybrid battery (traction battery) will discharge, and this may result in the vehicle not
being able to start.

3165-2. Driving procedures
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 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 release button is pushed,
there may be a problem with the shift
lock system. Have the vehicle inspected
by any authorized Toyota 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 can be shifted.
Releasing the shift lock:
1Pull the parking brake switch to
check that the parking brake is set.
(P.320)
2Turn the power switch off.
3Depress the brake pedal.
4Pry 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.
Shifting the shift lever

317
5
5-2. Driving procedures
Driving
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.411
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
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 safety 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 deactivation of shift
range selection in 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 certain period of time
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)

3185-2. Driving procedures
●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 lever 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.411)
■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 engine from over-rev-ving, upshifting may automatically
occur when the shift range is 1 or 2.
●When the shift range is 4 or lower,
holding the shift lever toward “+” sets the shift range to 6.
■Downshifting restriction warning buzzer
To help ensure safety 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 buzzer will sound twice.)
■If the “S” indicator does not come on or the “D” indicator is displayed even after shifting the 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.)
Changing shift ranges in S
mode