2023 TOYOTA RAV4 PLUG-IN HYBRID engine oil

13Pictorial index
Precautions against winter season ................................................. P.422
To prevent freezing (windshield wiper de-icer)
*1............................. P.435
Precautions against car wash ......................................................... P.467
Replacing the wiper insert............................................................... P.508
Fuel filler door ............................................................................... P.336
Refueling method ............................................................................ P.336
Fuel type/fuel tank capacity ............................................................ P.586
Charging port ................................................................................ P.106
Charging method ............................................................................ P.127
Tires ............................................................................................... P.487
Tire size/inflation pressure .............................................................. P.590
Winter tires/tire chain ...................................................................... P.422
Checking/rotation/tire pressure warning system ............................. P.487
Coping with flat tires................................................................ P.548, 559
Hood ............................................................................................... P.476
Opening .......................................................................................... P.476
Engine oil ........................................................................................ P.587
Coping with overheat ...................................................................... P.578
Warning messages ......................................................................... P.544
Headlights/front position lights/daytime running lights ........... P.326
Turn signal lights .......................................................................... P.319
Front fog lights.............................................................................. P.331
Stop lights/tail lights..................................................................... P.326
Tail lights ....................................................................................... P.326
Back-up lights
Shifting the shift lever to R .............................................................. P.315
Light bulbs of the exterior lights for driving
(Replacing method: P.516, Watts: P.591)
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M

183
3 3-1. Instrument cluster
Vehicle status information and indicators
Warning lights inform the driver of
malfunctions in the indicated vehi-
cle’s systems.
*1: These lights turn on when the power
switch is turned to ON to indicate
that a system check is being per-
formed. They will turn off after the
hybrid system is on, or after a few
seconds. There may be a malfunc-
tion in a system if the light does not
come on, or turn off. Have the vehi-
Warning lights
(Red)
Brake system warning light*1
(P.534)
(Yellow)
Brake system warning light*1
(P.534)
Charging system warning
light
*1 (P.535)
High coolant temperature
warning light
*2 (P.535)
Hybrid system overheat
warning light
*2 (P.535)
Low engine oil pressure
warning light
*2 (P.535)
Malfunction indicator lamp
*1
(P.536)
SRS warning light
*1
(P.536)
ABS warning light
*1
(P.536)
(Red)
Electric power steering sys-
tem warning light
*1 (P.536)
(Yellow)
Electric power steering sys-
tem warning light
*1 (P.536)
(Flashes or
illuminates)
PCS warning light*1 (if
equipped) (P.537)
(Orange)
LTA indicator (if equipped)
(P.537)
Toyota parking assist-sensor
OFF indicator
*3 (P.538)
PKSB OFF indicator
*1 (if
equipped) (P.538)
BSM OFF indicator
*1 (if
equipped) (P.539)
RCTA OFF indicator
*1 (if
equipped)
(P.539)
Slip indicator light
*1 (P.539)
Inappropriate pedal operation
warning light
*2 (P.540)
(Flashes)
Brake hold operated indica-
tor
*1 (P.540)
(Flashes)
Parking brake indicator
(P.540)
Tire pressure warning light
*1
(P.541)
Low fuel level warning light
(P.541)
Driver’s and front passen-
ger’s seat belt reminder light
(P.541)
Rear passengers’ seat belt
reminder lights
*4 (P.542)
Rear passengers’ seat
belt reminder lights
(P.542)

293
5
5-1. Before driving
Driving
WARNING
●The brake system consists of 2 or more individual hydraulic systems;
if one of the systems fails, the other will still operate. In this case, the brake pedal should be depressed
more firmly than usual and the braking distance will increase. Have your brakes fixed immediately.
■If the vehicle becomes stuck
Do not spin the wheels excessively
when any of the tires is up in the air, or the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, etc. This may damage the driveline
components or propel the vehicle for- ward or backward, causing an acci-dent.
NOTICE
■When driving the vehicle
●Do not depress the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time
during driving, as this may restrain the hybrid system output.
●Do not use the accelerator pedal or depress the accelerator and brake
pedals at the same time to hold the vehicle on a hill.
■Avoiding damage to vehicle parts
●Do not turn the steering wheel fully
in either direction and hold it there for an extended period of time.Doing so may damage the power
steering motor.
●When driving over bumps in the
road, drive as slowly as possible to avoid damaging the wheels, under-side of the vehicle, etc.
■If you get a flat tire while driving
A flat or damaged tire may cause the
following situations.
●It may be difficult to control your vehicle.
●The vehicle will make abnormal sounds or vibrations.
●The vehicle will lean abnormally.
Hold the steering wheel firmly and gradually depress the brake pedal to
slow down the vehicle.
Information on what to do in case of a flat tire ( P.548, 559)
■When encountering flooded roads
Do not drive on a road that has flooded after heavy rain, etc. Doing so may cause the following serious dam-
age to the vehicle:
●Engine stalling
●Short in electrical components
●Engine damage caused by water
immersion
In the event that you drive on a
flooded road and the vehicle is flooded, be sure to have any autho-rized Toyota retailer or Toyota autho-
rized repairer, or any reliable repairer check the following:
●Brake function
●Changes in quantity and quality of oil and fluid used for the engine,
hybrid transaxle (front and rear), etc.
●Lubricant condition for the bearings and suspension joints (where possi-ble), and the function of all joints,
bearings, etc.
●Components connected to the trac-
tion battery.
■When parking the vehicle
Always set the parking brake, and shift the shift lever to P. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move or
the vehicle may accelerate suddenly if the accelerator pedal is accidentally depressed.

4225-6. Driving tips
5-6.Driving tips
Use fluids that are appropriate to
the prevailing outside tempera-
tures.
• Engine oil
• Engine coolant
• Power control unit coolant
• Washer fluid
 Have a service technician
inspect the condition of the 12-
volt battery.
 Have the vehicle fitted with four
snow tires or purchase a set of
tire chains for the front tires.
Ensure that all tires are the same size
and brand, and that chains match the
size of the tires.*
*: Tire chains cannot be mounted on
vehicles with 235/55R19 tires.
Winter driving tips
Carry out the necessary prepa-
rations and inspections before
driving the vehicle in winter.
Always drive the vehicle in a
manner appropriate to the pre-
vailing weather conditions.
Pre-winter preparations
WARNING
■Driving with snow tires
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in a loss of vehicle control and cause death or serious injury.
●Use tires of the specified size.
●Maintain the recommended level of air pressure.
●Do not drive at speeds in excess of the speed limit or the speed limit specified for the snow tires being
used.
●Use snow tires on all, not just some
wheels.
■Driving with tire chains (except
235/55R19 tires)
Observe the following precautions to reduce the risk of accidents.
Failure to do so may result in the vehi- cle being unable to be driven safely, and may cause death or serious
injury.
●Do not drive in excess of the speed
limit specified for the tire chains being used, or 50 km/h (30 mph), whichever is lower.
●Avoid driving on bumpy road sur-faces or over potholes.
●Avoid sudden acceleration, abrupt steering, sudden braking and shift-
ing operations that cause sudden engine braking.
●Slow down sufficiently before enter-ing a curve to ensure that vehicle control is maintained.
●Do not use LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) system (if equipped).
NOTICE
■Repairing or replacing snow tires
Request repairs or replacement of snow tires from any authorized
Toyota retailer or Toyota authorized repairer, or any reliable repairer or legitimate tire retailers.
This is because the removal and attachment of snow tires affects the operation of the tire pressure warning
valves and transmitters.

4265-6. Driving tips
cautions to ensure your driving
enjoyment and to help prevent the
closure of areas to off-road vehi-
cles:
 Drive your vehicle only in areas
where off-road vehicles are per-
mitted to travel.
 Respect private property. Get
owner’s permission before enter-
ing private property.
 Do not enter areas that are
closed. Honor gates, barriers
and signs that restrict travel.
 Stay on established roads. When
conditions are wet, driving tech-
niques should be changed or
travel delayed to prevent dam-
age to roads.
WARNING
■Off-road driving precautions
Always observe the following precau- tions to minimize the risk of death, serious injury or damage to your vehi-
cle:
●Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by
driving in dangerous places.
●Do not grip the steering wheel
spokes when driving off-road. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands
and especially your thumbs on the outside of the rim.
●Always check your brakes for effec-tiveness immediately after driving in sand, mud, water or snow.
●After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check that there is no grass, bush, paper,
rags, stone, sand, etc. adhering or trapped on the underbody. Clear off any such matter from the
underbody. If the vehicle is used with these materials trapped or adhering to the underbody, a break-
down or fire could occur.
●When driving off-road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive speeds, jump, make sharp turns, strike objects, etc. This may cause
loss of control or vehicle rollover causing death or serious injury. You are also risking expensive damage
to your vehicle’s suspension and chassis.
NOTICE
■To prevent the water damage
Take all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the hybrid battery (traction battery),
hybrid system or other components does not occur.
●Water entering the engine compart-
ment may cause severe damage to the hybrid system.
●Water entering the hybrid transmis-sion will cause deterioration in transmission quality. The malfunc-
tion indicator may come on, and the vehicle may not be drivable.
●Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and premature failure, and may
also enter the hybrid transaxle case, reducing the gear oil’s lubri-cating qualities.

467
7
7-1. Maintenance and care
Maintenance and care
■Front side windows water-repel-
lent coating (except quarter win- dow)
●The following precautions can extend the effectiveness of the water-repel-lent coating.
• Remove any dirt, etc., from the front side windows regularly.• Do not allow dirt and dust to accumu-
late on the windows for a long period. Clean the windows with a soft, damp cloth as soon as possible.
• Do not use wax or glass cleaners that contain abrasives when cleaning the windows.
• Do not use any metallic objects to remove condensation build up.
■Brake pads and calipers
Rust may form if the vehicle is parked
with wet brake pads or disc rotors, caus- ing them to stick. Before parking the vehicle after it is washed, drive slowly
and apply the brakes several times to dry the parts.
■Bumpers
Do not scrub with abrasive cleaners.
■Plated portions
If dirt cannot be removed, clean the parts as follows:
●Use a soft cloth dampened with an approximately 5% solution of neutral detergent and water to clean the dirt
off.
●Wipe the surface with a dry, soft cloth
to remove any remaining moisture.
●To remove oily deposits, use alcohol
wet wipes or a similar product.
WARNING
■When washing the vehicle
Do not apply water to the inside of the
engine compartment. Doing so may cause the electrical components, etc. to catch fire.
■When cleaning the windshield
Set the wiper switch to off. If the wiper switch is in “AUTO”, the
wipers may operate unexpectedly in the following situations, and may result in hands being caught or other
serious injuries and cause damage to the wiper blades.
Off
“AUTO”
●When the upper part of the wind-
shield where the raindrop sensor is located is touched by hand
●When a wet rag or similar is held close to the raindrop sensor
●If something bumps against the windshield
●If you directly touch the raindrop sensor body or if something bumps
into the raindrop sensor
■Precautions regarding the
exhaust pipes
Exhaust gasses cause the exhaust pipes to become quite hot.
When washing the vehicle, be careful not to touch the pipes until they have cooled sufficiently, as touching hot
exhaust pipes can cause burns.
A
B

4747-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
7-3.Do-it-y ours elf main ten ance
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.484)
•Grease
• Conventional
wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Engine/power
control unit
coolant level
( P.481)
• “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.479)
• “Toyota Genuine
Motor Oil” or equiva-
lent
• Rag or paper towel
• Funnel (used only
for adding engine
oil)
Fuses
( P.513)
• Fuse with same
amperage rating as
original
DC/DC Con-
verter air
intake vent
( P.504)
• Vacuum cleaner,
etc,
• Phillips screwdriver
Light bulbs
( P.516)
• Bulb with same
number and watt-
age rating as origi-
nal
• Phillips-head screw-
driver
• Flathead screw-
driver
•Wrench
Radiator and
condenser
( P.482)

Tire inflation
pressure
( P.498)
• Tire pressure gauge
• Compressed air
source
Washer fluid
( P.483)
• 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

475
7
7-3. Do-it-yourself maintenance
Maintenance and care
WARNING
■When working on the engine compartment
●Make sure that “IGNITION ON” on the multi-information display and the “READY” indicator 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 anything that may burn easily, such as paper and
rags, in the engine compartment.
●Do not smoke, cause sparks or
expose an open flame to fuel. Fuel fumes are flammable.
●Take care because brake fluid can harm your hands or eyes and dam-age painted surfaces. 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 switch 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.482)
■Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to prevent flying or falling material, fluid spray, etc., from getting in your eyes.
NOTICE
■If you remove the 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 brake 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.