engine coolant TOYOTA RAV4 2005 XA30 / 3.G User Guide

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3. Look for obvious coolant leaks from theradiator, hoses, and under the vehicle.
However, note that water draining from
the air conditioning is normal if it has
been used.
CAUTION
When the engine is running, keep
hands and clothing away from the
moving fan and engine drive belts.
4. If the coolant is leaking, stop the en-gine immediately. Call a Toyota dealer
for assistance.
5. If there are no obvious leaks, check the coolant reservoir. If it is dry, add
coolant to the reservoir while the en-
gine is running. Fill it about half full.
For the coolant type, see Coolant type
selectionº on page 289 in Section 7- 2.
CAUTION
Do not attempt to remove the radiator
cap when the engine and radiator are
hot. Serious injury could result from
scalding hot fluid and steam blown
out under pressure.
6. After the engine coolant temperaturehas cooled to normal, again check the
coolant level in the reservoir. If neces-
sary, bring it up to half full again. Seri-
ous coolant loss indicates a leak in the
system. You s hould have it checked as
soon as possible at your Toyota dealer.1. Reduce your speed gradually, keeping a straight line. Move cau-
tiously off the road to a safe place
well away from the traffic. Avoid
stopping on the center divider of
a highway. Park on a level spot
with firm ground.
2. Stop the engine and turn on your emergency flashers.
3. Firmly set the parking brake and put the transmission in Pº (auto-
matic) or reverse (manual).
4. Have everyone get out of the ve- hicle on the side away from traffic.
5. Read the following instructions thoroughly.
If you have a flat tireÐ

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If you are a skilled do- it- yourself mechan-
ic, the Toyota service manuals are recom-
mended. Please be aware that do- it- your-
self maintenance can affect your warranty
coverage. See Owner 's Warranty Informa-
tion Bookletº or Owner 's Manual Supple-
mentº for the details.Listed below are the general maintenance
items that should be performed as fre-
quently as specified. In addition to check-
ing the items listed, if you notice any
unusual noise, smell or vibration, you
should investigate the cause or take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer or a quali-
fied service shop immediately. It is recom-
mended that any problem you notice be
brought to the attention of your dealer or
the qualified service shop for their advice.
CAUTION
Make these checks only with ade-
quate ventilation if you run the en-
gine.
IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT
Items listed below should be checked
from time to time, e.g. each time when
refueling.
Washer fluid
Make sure there is sufficient fluid in the
tank. See page 303 in Section 7- 3 for
additional information.Engine coolant level
Make sure the coolant level is between
the FULLº and LOWº lines on the see-
through reservoir when the engine is cold.
See page 288 in Section 7- 2 for addition-
al information.
Radiator, condenser and hoses
Check that the front of the radiator and
condenser are clean and not blocked with
leaves, dirt, or insects. See page 289 in
Section 7- 2 for additional information.
Battery electrolyte level
Your Toyota has a maintenance free bat-
tery. You do not have to add distilled wa-
ter. For longer life of the battery, however,
see page 300 for additional information.
Brake fluid level
Make sure the brake fluid level is correct.
See page 290 in Section 7- 2 for addition-
al information.
Engine oil level
Check the level on the dipstick with the
engine turned off and the vehicle parked
on a level spot. See page 286 in Section
7- 2 for additional information.
General maintenance

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Tire inflation pressure
Check the pressure with a gauge ev-
ery two weeks, or at least once a
month. See page 291 in Section 7- 2
for additional information.
Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts,
damage or excessive wear. See page
293 in Section 7- 2 for additional in-
formation. When checking the tires,
make sure no nuts are missing, and
check the nuts for looseness. Tighten
them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires according to the
maintenance schedule. (For sched-
uled maintenance information, please
refer to the Scheduled Maintenance
Guideº or Owner 's Manual Supple-
mentº.) See page 295 in Section 7- 2
for additional information.Be on the alert for changes in perfor-
mance, sounds, and visual tip- offs that
indicate service is needed. Some impor-
tant clues are as follows:

Engine missing, stumbling, or pinging

Appreciable loss of power

Strange engine noises

A leak under the vehicle (However, wa-
ter dripping from the air conditioning
after use is normal.)

Change in exhaust sound (This may
indicate a dangerous carbon monoxide
leak. Drive with the windows open and
have the exhaust system checked im-
mediately.)

Flat- looking tire; excessive tire squeal
when cornering; uneven tire wear

Vehicle pulls to one side when driving
straight on a level road

Strange noises related to suspension
movement

Loss of brake effectiveness; spongy
feeling brake or clutch pedal; pedal al-
most touches floor; vehicle pulls to one
side when braking

Engine coolant temperature continually
higher than normalIf you notice any of these clues, take your
vehicle to your Toyota dealer as soon as
possible. It probably needs adjustment or
repair.
CAUTION
Do not continue driving with the ve-
hicle unchecked. It could result in se-
rious vehicle damage and possibly
personal injury.
Does your vehicle need
repairing?

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1. Battery
2. Power steering fluid reservoir
3. Engine oil filler cap
4. Brake fluid reservoir
5. Fuse block
6. Engine coolant reservoir
7. Radiator
8. Condenser
9. Electric cooling fans
10. Engine oil level dipstick
11. Windshield and rear window washer fluid tank
Engine compartment overview

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CAUTION

When the engine is running, keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from the moving fan and engine
drive belts. (Removing rings,
watches, and ties is advisable.)

Right after driving, the engine
compartmentÐthe engine, radiator,
exhaust manifold, power steering
fluid reservoir and spark plug
boots, etc.Ðwill be hot. So be care-
ful not to touch them. Oil, fluids
and spark plugs may also be hot.

If the engine is hot, do not remove
the radiator cap or loosen the drain
plugs to prevent burning yourself.

Do not leave anything that may
burn easily, such as paper or rags,
in the engine compartment.

Do not smoke, cause sparks or al-
low open flames around fuel or the
battery. Their fumes are flammable.

Do not get under your vehicle with
just the body jack supporting it. Al-
ways use automotive jack stands or
other solid supports.

Be sure that the ignition is off if
you work near the electric cooling
fans or radiator grille. With the
ignition on, the electric cooling fans
will automatically start to run if the
engine coolant temperature is high
and/or the air conditioning is on.

Use eye protection whenever you
work on or under your vehicle
where you may be exposed to flying
or falling material, fluid spray, etc.

Used engine oil contains potentially
harmful contaminants which may
cause skin disorders such as in-
flammation or skin cancer, so care
should be taken to avoid prolonged
and repeated contact with it. To re-
move used engine oil from your
skin, wash thoroughly with soap
and water.

Do not leave used oil within the
reach of children.

Dispose of used oil and filter only
in a safe and acceptable manner.
Do not dispose of used oil and fil-
ter in household trash, in sewers or
onto the ground. Call your dealer or
a service station for information
concerning recycling or disposal.

Be extremely cautious when work-
ing on the battery. It contains poi-
sonous and corrosive sulfuric acid.
NOTICE

Remember that battery and ignitioncable carry high currents or volt-ages. Be careful of accidentallycausing a short circuit.

Add only Toyota Super Long LifeCoolantº or similar high quality eth-ylene glycol based non- silicate,
non- amine, non- nitrite, and non- bo-rate coolant with long- life hybridorganic acid technology to fill the
radiator. Toyota Super Long LifeCoolantº is a mixture of 50% cool-ant and 50% deionized water (for
the U.S.A.) or 55% coolant and 45%deionized water (for Canada).

If you spill some of the coolant, besure to wash it off with water toprevent it from damaging the parts
or paint.

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Do not allow dirt or anything elseto fall through the spark plug holes.

Use only spark plugs of the speci-fied type. Using other types will
cause engine damage, loss of per-formance or radio noise.

Do not reuse iridium- tipped sparkplugs by cleaning or regapping.

Do not overfill automatic transmis-
sion fluid, or the transmissioncould be damaged.

Do not drive with the air cleanerfilter removed, or excessive enginewear could result. Also backfiring
could cause a fire in the enginecompartment.

Be careful not to scratch the glasssurface with the wiper frame.

When closing the engine hood,
check to see that you have not for-gotten any tools, rags, etc.
Here is a list of parts and tools you will
need to perform do- it- yourself mainte-
nance. Remember all Toyota parts are de-
signed in metric sizes, so your tools must
be metric.
CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):

Toyota Genuine Motor Oilº or equiva-
lent
See page 286 in Section 7- 2 for de-
tails about engine oil selection.
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding oil)
CHECKING THE ENGINE COOLANT
LEVEL
Parts (if level is low):

Toyota Super Long Life Coolantº or
similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non- silicate, non- amine, non- ni-
trite, and non- borate coolant with long-
life hybrid organic acid technology.
Toyota Super Long Life Coolantº is a
mixture of 50% coolant and 50% deion-
ized water (for the U.S.A.) or 55%
coolant and 45% deionized water (for
Canada). Tools:

Funnel (only for adding coolant)
CHECKING BRAKE FLUID
Parts (if level is low):

SAE J1703 or FMVSS No.116 DOT 3
brake fluid
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING POWER STEERING FLUID
Parts (if level is low):

Automatic transmission fluid DEXRON II
or III
Tools:

Rag or paper towel

Funnel (only for adding fluid)
CHECKING BATTERY CONDITION
Tools:

Warm water

Baking soda

Grease

Conventional wrench (for terminal
clamp bolts)
Parts and tools

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DO- IT- YOURSELF MAINTENANCE
Engine and Chassis
Checking the engine oil level286
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the engine coolant level 288
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking the radiator and condenser 289
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking brake fluid 290
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . .
Checking power steering fluid 290
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking tire inflation pressure 291
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking and replacing tires 293
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rotating tires 295
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . . . . . .
Installing snow tires and chains 296
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing wheels 298
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . \
. . . . . . .
Aluminum wheel precautions 298
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SECTION 7- 2

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Oil identification marks
Either or both API registered marks are
added to some oil containers to help
you select the oil you should use.
The API Service Symbol is located any-
where on the outside of the container.
The top portion of the label shows the oil
quality by API (American Petroleum Insti-
tute) designations such as SL. The center
portion of the label shows the SAE viscos-
ity grade such as SAE 5W- 30. Energy-
Conservingº shown in the lower portion,
indicates that the oil has fuel- saving ca-
pabilities.
The ILSAC (International Lubricant Stan-
dardization and Approval Committee) Certi-
fication Mark is displayed on the front of
the container.
To ensure excellent lubrication perfor-
mance for your engine, Toyota Genuine
Motor Oilº is available, which has been
specifically tested and approved for all
Toyota engines.
Please contact your Toyota dealer for fur-
ther details about Toyota Genuine Motor
Oilº.Look at the see- through coolant reser-
voir when the engine is cold. The cool-
ant level is satisfactory if it is between
the FULLº and LOWº lines on the
reservoir. If the level is low, add the
coolant. (For the coolant type, see
Coolant type selectionº described be-
low.)
The coolant level in the reservoir will vary
with engine temperature. However, if the
level is on or below the LOWº line, add
coolant. Bring the level up to the FULLº
line.
If the coolant level drops within a short
time after replenishing, there may be a
leak in the system. Visually check the
radiator, hoses, radiator cap and drain
cock and water pump.
If you can find no leak, have your Toyota
dealer test the cap pressure and check
for leaks in the cooling system.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, do not
remove the radiator cap when the en-
gine is hot.
Checking the engine coolant
level

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Coolant type selection
Use of improper coolants may damage
your engine cooling system.
Only use Toyota Super Long Life Coolantº
or similar high quality ethylene glycol
based non- silicate, non- amine, non- nitrite,
and non- borate coolant with long- life
hybrid organic acid technology. (Coolant
with long- life hybrid organic acid
technology is a combination of low
phosphates and organic acids.)
For the U.S.A.ÐToyota Super Long Life
Coolantº is a mixture of 50% coolant and
50% deionized water. This coolant pro-
vides protection down to about -35C
(- 31 F).
For CanadaÐToyota Super Long Life
Coolantº is a mixture of 55% coolant and
45% deionized water. This coolant pro-
vides protection down to about -42 C
(- 44 F).
NOTICE
Do not use plain water alone.
Toyota recommends Toyota Super Long
Life Coolantº, which has been tested to
ensure that it will not cause corrosion nor
result in malfunction of your engine
coolant system with proper usage. Toyota
Super Long Life Coolantº is formulated
with long- life hybrid organic acid
technology and has been specifically
designed to avoid engine cooling system
malfunction on Toyota vehicles.
Please contact your Toyota dealer for
further details. If any of the above parts are extremely
dirty or you are not sure of their condi-
tion, take your vehicle to a Toyota dealer.
CAUTION
To prevent burning yourself, be care-
ful not to touch the radiator or con-
denser when the engine is hot.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the radiator
and condenser, do not perform thework by yourself.
Checking the radiator and
condenser