wheel TOYOTA RAV4 2008 XA30 / 3.G User Guide

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
108
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
To adjust the steering wheel position,
push down the lock release lever. Then
tilt the steering wheel to the desired
angle, push or pull it to the desired
steering column length and return the
lever to its original position.
CAUTION
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is moving. Doing
so may cause the driver to mishan-
dle the vehicle and an accident may
occur resulting in death or serious
injuries.
After adjusting the steering wheel,
try moving it up and down or for-
ward and rearward to make sure it
is locked in position.
Adjust the mirror so that you can just
see the side of your vehicle in the mir-
ror.
Be careful when judging the size or dis-
tance of any object seen in the outside
rear view mirror on the passenger ’s side
because it is a convex mirror. Any object
seen in a convex mirror will look smaller
and farther away than when seen in a flat
mirror.
On some models, when you push the rear
window defogger switch, the heater panels
in the outside rear view mirrors will quick-
ly clear the mirror surface. (See “Rear
window and outside rear view mirror de-
foggers” on page 122 in Section 1−5.)
Tilt and telescopic steering
wheel Outside rear view mirrors—

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
135
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
When the “ABS” warning light is on (and
the brake system warning light is off), the
anti−lock brake system does not operate
so that the wheels could lock up during
a sudden braking or braking on slippery
road surfaces.
If either of the following conditions
occurs, this indicates a malfunction
somewhere in the components moni-
tored by the warning light. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible to
service the vehicle.
The light does not come on when the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position, or remains on.
The light comes on while you are driv-
ing.
A warning light turning on briefly during
operation does not indicate a problem.
CAUTION
If the “ABS” warning light remains on
together with the brake system warn-
ing light, immediately stop your ve-
hicle at a safe place and contact your
Toyota dealer.
In this case, not only the antilock
brake system will fail but also the
vehicle will become extremely unsta-
ble during braking.
(i) Open Door Warning Light
This light remains on until all the side
doors and back door are completely
closed. (j) SRS Warning Light
This indicator comes on when the en-
gine switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion. It goes off after about 6 seconds.
This means the SRS airbags and seat
belt pretensioners are operating proper-
ly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side and curtain shield airbag sen-
sors, curtain shield airbag sensors, driv-
er ’s seat position sensor, driver ’s seat belt
buckle switch, “AIR BAG ON” indicator
light, “AIR BAG OFF” indicator light, front
passenger ’s seat belt buckle switch, seat
belt pretensioner assemblies, inflators, in-
terconnecting wiring and power sources.
If any of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction of the airbags
or seat belt pretensioners. Contact your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
The light does not come on when the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position or remains on for more than
6 seconds.
The light comes on while driving.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
137
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
(n) “4WD” Warning Light
The light warns that when there is a prob-
lem somewhere in active torque control
4WD system.
The light will come on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position, and
will go off after about a few seconds.
If the warning light does not come on
when the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position, contact your Toyota dealer
to service the vehicle.
If the “4WD” warning light flashes...
This indicates that the driveline tempera-
ture has become too high. Without turning
off the engine, do either of the following
to cool the driveline:
Reduce vehicle speed until the light
goes off.
Stop the vehicle at a safe place and
allow the engine to idle until the light
goes off.
If operation of the vehicle is continued
while the light is flashing, the system au-
tomatically shuts off the engine torque that
is applied to the rear wheels to protect
the driveline. If this happens, the light will
flash faster.
When the driveline temperature falls
enough, the light will go off. If the “4WD” warning light remains on...
This indicates that the system may not
work properly. Contact your Toyota dealer
to service your vehicle.
(o) Electric Power Steering System
Warning Light
The light comes on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position. If
the electric power steering system warning
light works properly, the light turns off
after a few seconds. If the system has
malfunctions, the light comes on again.
If the following conditions occur, this
indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the components monitored by the warn-
ing light system. Have your vehicle
checked by your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible.The light does not come on when the
engine switch is turned to the “ON”
position or remains on.
The light stays on while you are driv-
ing.
CAUTION
If the electric power steering system
warning light comes on, take your ve-
hicle to your Toyota dealer as soon
as possible. In this case, more effort
is required for the steering wheel to
turn than usual. Drive your vehicle
while firmly gripping the steering
wheel.
(p) Low Windshield Washer Fluid Level Warning Light
The light warns that the windshield washer
fluid level is too low. Add washer fluid at
your earliest opportunity. (For instructions,
see “Adding washer fluid” on page 422 in
Section 7 −3.)

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
139
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
“AUTO LSD” indicator light
Slip indicator light
Downhill assist control system indicator
light
Four−wheel drive lock indicator light
The SRS warning light goes off after
about 6 seconds.
If any service reminder indicator or warn-
ing buzzer does not function as described
above, have it checked by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
142
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
“START”—Starter motor on. The key
will return to the “ON” position when
released.
For starting tips, see page 341 in Section
3.
“ON”—Engine on and all accessories
on.
This is the normal driving position.
“ACC”—Accessories such as the radio
operate, but the engine is off.
If you leave the engine switch in the
“ACC” or “LOCK” position and open the
driver ’s door, a buzzer will remind you to
remove the key.“LOCK”—Engine is off and the steering
wheel is locked. The key can be re-
moved only at this position.
You must push in the key to turn the
engine switch from the “ACC” to “LOCK”
position. The selector lever must be in the
“P” position before pushing the key.
Vehicles with engine immobilizer sys-
tem—Once you remove the key, the en-
gine immobilizer system is automatically
set. (See “Engine immobilizer system” on
page 15 in Section 1
−2.)
When starting the engine, the engine
switch may seem stuck at the “LOCK”
position. To free it, first be sure the key
is pushed all the way in, and then rotate
the steering wheel slightly while turning
the key gently.
Approximately five hours after the engine
is turned off, you may hear sound coming
from under the floor around the driver ’s
seat for several minutes. This is normal
operation and does not indicate a malfunc-
tion. (See “Leak detection pump” on page
ix.)
It is not a malfunction if the needle on all
meters and gauges move slightly when the
engine switch is turned to the “ON” or
“START” position.
NOTICE
Do not leave the engine switch in the
“ON” position if the engine is not
running. The battery will discharge
and the ignition could be damaged.
Engine (ignition) switch

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
144
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
(b) Normal driving1. Start the engine as instructed in “How to start the engine” on page 342 in
Section 3. The transmission must be in
the “P” or “N” position.
2. With your foot holding down the brake pedal, shift the selector lever to the
“D” position.
When the lever is in the “D” position, the
automatic transmission system will select
the most suitable gear for running condi-
tions such as normal cruising, hill climb-
ing, hard towing, etc.
Always use the “D” position for better fuel
economy and quieter driving. If the engine
coolant temperature is low, the transmis-
sion will not shift into the overdrive gear
even in the “D” position.
CAUTION
Never put your foot on the accelera-
tor pedal while shifting.
3. Release the parking brake and brake pedal. Depress the accelerator pedal
slowly for smooth starting. (c) Using engine braking
To use engine braking, you can downshift
the transmission as follows:
Shift into the “3” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to third gear and
engine braking will be enabled.
Tw o −wheel drive models
173 km/h (108 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
164 km/h (102 mph)
Shift into the “2” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to second gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
stronger engine braking will be en-
abled.
Tw o −wheel drive models
113 km/h (70 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
107 km/h (66 mph)
Shift into the “L” position. The trans-
mission will downshift to first gear
when the vehicle speed drops down to
or lower than the following speed, and
maximum engine braking will be en-
abled.
Tw o −wheel drive models
56 km/h (35 mph)
Four −wheel drive models
53 km/h (33 mph)
When the cruise control is being used,
even if you downshift from the “D” to “3”
position, engine braking will not be en-
abled because the cruise control is not
cancelled.
For ways to decrease the vehicle speed,
see “Cruise control” on page 168 in this
Section.
CAUTION
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to skid or
spin.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
145
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
(d) Using the “2” and “L” positions
The “2” and “L” positions are used for
strong engine braking as described pre-
viously.
With the selector lever in the “2” or “L”
position, you can start the vehicle in mo-
tion as with the lever in the “D” position.
With the selector lever in the “2” position,
the vehicle will start in first gear and au-
tomatically shift to second gear.
With the selector lever in the “L” position,
the transmission is engaged in first gear.
NOTICE
Be careful not to overrev the en-
gine. Watch the tachometer to keep
engine rpm from going into the red
zone. The approximate maximum al-
lowable speed for each position is
given below for your reference:
Twowheel drive models“2” 126 km/h (78 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 70 km/h (43 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Fourwheel drive models “2” 120 km/h (74 mph) . . . . . . . . .
“L” 67 km/h (41 mph) . . . . . . . . . .
Do not continue hill climbing or
hard towing for a long time in the
“2” or “L” position. This may cause
severe automatic transmission dam-
age from overheating. To prevent
such damage, the “3” position
should be used in hill climbing or
hard towing.
(e) Backing up
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. With the brake pedal held down with your foot, shift the selector lever to the
“R” position.
NOTICE
Never shift into reverse while the ve-
hicle is moving.
(f) Parking
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Pull the parking brake lever up fully to securely apply the parking brake.
3. With the brake pedal pressed down, shift the selector lever to the “P” posi-
tion.
CAUTION
Never attempt to move the selector
lever into the “P” position under any
circumstances while the vehicle is
moving. Serious mechanical damage
and loss of vehicle control may re-
sult.
(g) Good driving practice
If the transmission repeatedly shifts up
and down between third gear and over-
drive when climbing a gentle slope,
shift the selector lever to the “3” posi-
tion. Be sure to shift the selector lever
to the “D” position immediately after-
ward.
When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use the “D” position.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
150
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
(h) If you cannot shift the selector le-ver out of the “P” position
If you cannot shift the selector lever from
the “P” position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, use the shift lock
override button. For instructions, see “If
you cannot shift automatic transmission
selector lever” on page 378 in Section 4. The active torque control 4WD system
controls the engine torque that is ap-
plied to the rear wheels according to
the driving conditions and road condi-
tions. When the vehicle’s driving condi-
tions are stable such as driving straight
ahead, the engine torque is applied to
only the front wheels.
FOURWHEEL DRIVE LOCK SWITCH
When the vehicle is driven on loose
surfaces, such as sand, gravel, or deep
snow, or if the vehicle gets stuck,
pushing the fourwheel drive lock
switch to ensure that the engine torque
is applied to the 4 wheels.
When the four
−wheel drive lock switch is
pushed, the four −wheel drive lock indicator
light blinks twice and remains on until the
four −wheel drive lock is canceled.
To cancel the four −wheel drive lock, push
the switch once again and the four −wheel
drive lock indicator light will go off.
Active torque control 4WD
system

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
151
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
When the vehicle speed exceeds 40 km/h
(25 mph), the four−wheel drive lock will
be cancelled automatically.
The four −wheel drive lock indicator will
come on for a few seconds when the
engine switch is turned to the “ON” posi-
tion.
If the indicator light does not come on
when the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position or the four −wheel drive lock
switch is pushed, contact your Toyota
dealer.
NOTICE
Use the fourwheel drive lock only
when driving on the loose surfaces,
such as sand, gravel, or deep snow,
or if the vehicle gets stuck. After the
fourwheel drive lock is used to pro-
vide traction, cancel the fourwheel
drive lock. Using the fourwheel drive
lock at other times may cause dam-
age to the fourwheel drive system.
SYSTEM FAILURE WARING
The “4WD” warning light warns that there
is a problem somewhere in the active
torque control 4WD system.
The light will come on when the engine
switch is turned to the “ON” position.
When the system works properly, the light
turns off after a few seconds.
If the warning light does not come on
when the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position, contact your Toyota dealer
to service the vehicle. If the “4WD” warning light flashes...
This indicates that the driveline tempera-
ture has become too high. Without turning
off the engine, do either of the following
to cool the driveline:
Reduce vehicle speed until the light
goes off.
Stop the vehicle at a safe place and
allow the engine to idle until the light
goes off.
If operation of the vehicle is continued
while the light is flashing, the system au-
tomatically shuts off the engine torque that
is applied to the rear wheels to protect
the driveline. If this happens, the light will
flash faster.
When the driveline temperature falls
enough, the light will go off.
If the “4WD” warning light remains on...
This indicates that the system may not
work properly. Contact your Toyota dealer
to service your vehicle.

’08 Rav4_U (L/O 0802)
152
2008 RAV4 from Feb. ’08 Prod. (OM42726U)
The traction control system automatical-
ly helps prevent the spinning of the
front wheels (twowheel drive models)
or 4 wheels (fourwheel drive models)
when the vehicle is started or acceler-
ated on slippery road surfaces.
When the engine switch is turned to the
“ON” position, the system automatically
turns on.
CAUTION
Under certain slippery road condi-
tions, full traction of the vehicle and
power to the front wheels (twowheel
drive models) or 4 wheels (fourwheel
drive models) cannot be maintained,
even though the traction control sys-
tem is in operation. Do not drive the
vehicle under any speed or maneuver-
ing conditions which may cause the
vehicle to lose traction control. If the
road surface is covered with ice or
snow, your vehicle should be fitted
with snow tires or tire chains. Always
drive at a speed that is appropriate
for the present road conditions.
A sound may be heard from the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
begins to move. This means that the sys-
tem is in the self−check mode. This sound
does not indicate a malfunction. When the traction control system is oper-
ating, the following conditions occur:
The system controls the spinning of the
front wheels (two
−wheel drive models)
or 4 wheels (four −wheels drive mod-
els). At this time, the slip indicator light
blinks.
The vehicle may vibrate or make a
noise due to brake operation. This indi-
cates the system is functioning proper-
ly.
The slip indicator light comes on for a few
seconds when the engine switch is turned
to the “ON” position. If the indicator light
does not come on when the engine switch
is turned to the “ON” position, contact
your Toyota dealer.
Traction control system