transmission TOYOTA RAV4 1997 User Guide

81

When towing a trailer, in order to main-
tain engine braking efficiency, do not
use the fifth gear.
Be careful when downshifting on a
slippery surface. Abrupt shifting
could cause the vehicle to spin orskid. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Make sure the vehicle is completely stopped before shifting into
reverse.
The center differential lock system is pro-
vided for use only when the vehicle does not have enough traction to move itself out of the following situations. All front wheels or rear wheels are off the ground or on a slippery surface.
One of the four wheels is off the ground or on a slippery surface.
Operating precautions If the front wheels and rear wheels are
worn unevenly, the center differential
may not lock or unlock smoothly.
Before locking the center differential,
make sure the wheels have stopped spinning.
Unlock the center differential immedi-
ately after you finish using the center
differential lock system. An indicatorbuzzer will sound while the center dif-ferential is being unlocked.
After you have pushed the center dif-ferential lock switch to lock and moved
the vehicle a short distance, the indi-
cator light in the instrument panel
stays on. If the light either fails to come
on or goes out, ask your Toyota dealer
to check the electrical system and the
locking mechanism.
The center differential must be un- locked in normal driving. Locking the center differential will result in
difficult cornering control. CAUTION
!
NOTICE
Do not drive on a dry paved surface with the center differential locked.
This may damage the lockingmechanism and the drive system.
Center differential lock system (four-wheel drive models with manual transmission)

83
Type A
Type BWhen parking, firmly apply the park-
ing brake to avoid inadvertent creep- ing.
To set: Pull up the lever. For better holding
power, first depress the brake pedal and
hold it while setting the brake.
To release: Pull up the lever slightly, press
the thumb button, and lower.
To remind you that the parking brake is
set,
the parking brake reminder light in the
instrument panel remains on until you re- lease the parking brake.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake is fully released and the park-
ing brake reminder light is off. CAUTION
! The cruise control allows you to cruise
the vehicle at a desired speed over 40 km/h (25 mph) even with your foot offthe accelerator pedal.
Your cruising speed can be maintained up
or down grades within the limits of engine
performance, although a slight speed
change may occur when driving up or
down the grades. On steeper hills, a greater speed change will occur so it is
better to drive without the cruise control.
To help maintain maximum con-
trol of your vehicle, do not use the
cruise control when driving in heavy or varying traffic, or in slip-
pery (rainy, icy or snow-covered)
or winding roads.
Avoid vehicle speed increases
when driving downhill. If the ve-
hicle speed is too fast in relation to
the cruise control set speed, can-
cel the cruise control then down-
shift the transmission to use en-
gine braking to slow down. CAUTION
!
Parking brake
Cruise control

84
TURNING ON THE SYSTEM
To operate the cruise control, push the
CRUISE ON-OFFº switch. This turns the system on. The indicator light in the instru-
ment panel shows that you can now set
the vehicle at a desired cruising speed. Another push will turn the system com-
pletely off.
To avoid accidental cruise control
engagement, keep the CRUISE
ON-OFFº switch off when not using
the cruise control. CAUTION
!
SETTING AT A DESIRED SPEED
On vehicles with automatic transmission,
the transmission must be in Dº beforeyou set the cruise control speed.
Bring your vehicle to the desired speed, push the lever down in the SET/COASTº
direction and release it. This sets the ve-
hicle at
that speed. If the speed is not sat-
isfactory, tap the lever up for a faster
speed, or tap it down for a slower speed.
Each tap changes the set speed by 1.6
km/h (1.0 mph). You can now take your
foot off the accelerator pedal. If you need acceleration Ð for example,
when passingÐdepress the accelerator
pedal
enough for the vehicle to exceed the
set speed. When you release it, the ve-
hicle will return to the speed set prior to the
acceleration.
For manual transmission:
While driving with the cruise control
on, do not shift to neutral without
depressing the clutch pedal, as this
may cause engine racing or overrev-ing. CAUTION
!
CANCELLING THE PRESET SPEED
You can cancel the preset speed by:
a. Pulling the lever in the CANCELº di- rection and releasing it.
b. Depressing the brake pedal.
c. Depressing the clutch pedal (manual transmission).
If the vehicle speed falls below about 40
km/h (25 mph), the preset speed will auto- matically cancel out.
If the vehicle speed drops 16 km/h (10 mph) below the preset speed, the preset speed will also automatically cancel out.

85
If the preset speed automatically cancels
out other than for the above cases or, if the
indicator light flashes several times, the
cruise control may be malfunctioning. In such
cases, have your vehicle checked by
your Toyota dealer at the earliest opportu-
nity.
RESETTING AT A FASTER SPEED Push the lever up in the RES/ACCº direc-
tion and hold it. Release the lever when
the desired speed is attained. While the
lever is held up, the vehicle will graduallygain speed.
However, a faster way to reset is to accel-
erate the vehicle and then push the lever down in the SET/COASTº direction.
RESETTING AT A SLOWER SPEED Push the lever down in the SET/COASTº
direction and hold it. Release the lever
when the desired speed is attained. While
the lever is held down, the vehicle speedwill gradually decrease.
However, a faster way to reset is to de- press the brake pedal and then push the
lever down in the SET/COASTº direction.
On vehicles with automatic transmission,
even if you turn off the overdrive switchwith the cruise control on, engine braking will
not be applied because the cruise con-
trol is not cancelled. To decrease the ve-
hicle speed, reset to a slower speed with
the cruise control lever or depress the brake pedal. If you use the brake pedal, cruise control is cancelled. RESUMING THE PRESET SPEED
If the preset speed is cancelled by pulling
the control lever or by depressing the
brake pedal or clutch pedal, pushing the
lever up in the RES/ACCº direction will
restore the speed set prior to cancellation.
However, once the vehicle speed falls be-
low about 40 km/h (25 mph), the preset
speed will not be resumed.
CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE WARN- ING
If the CRUISEº indicator light in the in-
strument cluster flashes when using the
cruise control, press the CRUISE ON-
OFFº button to turn the system off and then press it again to turn it on. If any of the following conditions then oc-
curs, there is some trouble in the cruise control system.
The indicator light does not come on.
The indicator light flashes again.
The indicator light goes out after it
comes on.
If this is the case, contact your Toyota
dealer and have your vehicle inspected.

108
Do not drive horizontally across
steep slopes. Driving straight up or
straight down is preferred. Your ve-
hicle (or any similar off-road ve-
hicle) can tip over sideways much
more easily than forward or back- ward.
When driving off-road or in rugged
terrain, do not drive at excessive
speeds, jump the vehicle, or strike
objects, etc. This may cause loss or
control or vehicle rollover. You are
also risking expensive damage to
your vehicle's suspension and chassis. Drive gently and avoid high speeds.
Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But following a few simple tips
for the first 1600 km (1000 miles) can add
to the future economy and long life of your vehicle:
Do not drive over 88 km/h (55 mph).
Run the engine at moderate speed be- tween 2000 and 4000 rpm.
Avoid full-throttle starts.
Try to avoid hard stops during the first
300 km (200 miles).
Do not drive slowly with the manual
transmission in a high gear.
Do not drive for a long time at any
single speed, either fast or slow.
Do not tow a trailer during the first 800
km (500 miles) FUEL TYPE
Your new vehicle must use only un-
leaded gasoline.
To help prevent gas station mixups, your
Toyota has a new smaller fuel tank open- ing.
The special nozzle on pumps with un-
leaded fuel will fit it, but the larger stan-
dard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas will
not.
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the
three-way catalytic converter tolose its effectiveness and the emis- sion control system to function im-properly. Also, this can increase maintenance costs.
NOTICE
OCTANE NUMBER
Select Research Octane Number 91
(Octane Rating 87) or higher.
Use of unleaded fuel with an octane num- ber rating lower than stated above will
cause persistent heavy knocking. If se-
vere, this will lead to engine damage.
Break-in period
Fuel

Part 3How to start the engineÐ
(a) Before cranking
Before starting the engine
11 9
STARTING AND DRIVING
Before starting the engine
How to start the engine
Tips for driving in various conditions
Off-road driving precautions
Winter driving tips
Trailer towing
How to save fuel and make your
vehicle last longer, too
1. Check
the area around the vehicle be-
fore entering it.
2. Adjust seat position, seatback angle, head restraint height and steering
wheel angle.
3. Adjust inside and outside rear view mirrors.
4. Lock all doors.
5. Fasten seat belts. 1. Apply the parking brake firmly.
2. Turn off unnecessary lights and acces-
sories.
3. Manual transmission: Press the
clutch pedal to the floor and shift the
transmission into neutral. Hold theclutch pedal to the floor until the engine
is started. A starter safety device willprevent the starter from operating if
the clutch pedal is not fully depressed.
Automatic transmission: Put the se-
lector lever in Pº. If you need to restart
the engine while the vehicle is moving, put the selector lever in Nº. A starter
safety device will prevent the starter
from operating if the selector lever is in
any drive position.
4. Automatic transmission only: De-
press the brake pedal and hold it to the
floor until driving off.

120
Before starting the engine, be sure to fol-
low the instructions in (a) Before crank- ingº.
Normal starting procedure
The multiport fuel injection system/se-
quential multiport fuel injection system in
your engine automatically controls the
proper air-fuel mixture for starting. You can start a cold or hot engine as follows:
1. With your foot off the accelerator ped-
al, crank the engine by turning the key
to STARTº. Release it when the en-
gine starts.
2. After the engine runs for about 10 sec-
onds, you are ready to drive.
If the weather is below freezing, let the en-
gine warm up for a few minutes before driving.
If the engine stalls...
Simply restart it, using the correct proce- dure given in normal starting. If the engine will not startÐ
See If your vehicle will not startº in Part 4.
NOTICE
Avoid driving with the tailgate open.
Do not crank for more than 30 sec-
onds at a time. This may overheatthe starter and wiring systems.
Do not race a cold engine.
If the engine becomes difficult to
start or stalls frequently, have theengine checked immediately.
Always slow down in gusty cross- winds. This will allow you much better control
Drive slowly onto curbs and, if pos-
sible, at a right angle. Avoid driving onto high, sharp-edged objects and
other road hazards. Failure to do so
can lead to server tire damage result- ing in tire bursts.
When parking on a hill, turn the front
wheels until they touch the curb so that
the vehicle will not roll. Apply the park-
ing brake, and place the transmission in Pº (automatic) or in first or reverse
(manual). If necessary, block thewheels.
Washing your vehicle or driving
through deep water may get the
brakes wet. To see whether they are
wet, check that there is no traffic near
you, and then press the pedal lightly. If
you do not feel a normal braking force,
the brakes are probably wet. To dry
them, drive the vehicle cautiously
while lightly pressing the brake pedal
with the parking brake pulled. If they
still do not work safely, pull to the side
of the road and call a T oyota dealer for
assistance.
(b) Starting the engine
Tips for driving in various conditions

123
Use a washer fluid containing an anti-
freeze solution.
This product is available at your Toyota
dealer and most auto parts stores. Follow
the manufacturer's directions for how
much to mix with water.
Do not use engine antifreeze or any
other substitute because it may
damage your vehicle's paint.
NOTICE
Do not use your parking brake when there is a possibility it could freeze. When parking, put the transmission into
Pº (automatic) or into first or reverse
(manual) and block the rear wheels. Do
not use the parking brake, or snow or wa-
ter accumulated in and around the parking brake mechanism may freeze, making it
hard to release. Keep ice and snow from accumulating
under the fenders.
Ice and snow built up under your fenders
can make steering difficult. During bad winter driving, stop and check under the
fenders occasionally. Depending on where you are driving,
we recommend you carry some emer- gency equipment.
Some of the things you might put in the ve-
hicle are tire chains, window scraper, bag of sand or salt, flares, small shovel, jump- er cables, etc.
Your vehicle is designed primarily as a passenger-and-load-carrying vehicle.
Towing a trailer will have an adverse ef-fect on handling, performance, braking, durability and driving economy (fuel con-
sumption, etc.). Your safety and satis-faction depend on the proper use of cor- rect equipment and cautious driving habits. For your safety and the safety ofothers, you must not overload your ve-
hicle or trailer. Ask your local Toyota dealer for further details before towing. WEIGHT LIMITS
Before towing, make sure the total
trailer weight, gross combination
weight, gross vehicle weight, grossaxle weight and trailer tongue load are
all within the limits.
The total trailer weight and tongue load
can be measured with platform scales
found at a highway weighing station,
building supply company, trucking com-
pany, junk yard, etc.
Trailer towing

126
TIRES
Ensure that your vehicle's tires are
properly inflated. See Chapter 7-2 forinstructions.
The trailer tires should be inflated to
the pressure recommended by the
trailer manufacturer in respect to the
total trailer weight.
TRAILER LIGHTS Trailer lights must comply with federal,
state/provincial and local regulations. See your local recreational vehicle
dealer or rental agency for the correcttype of wiring and relays for your trail-
er. Check for correct operation of the
turn signals and stop lights each time
you hitch up. Direct splicing may dam-
age your vehicle's electrical system
and cause a malfunction of your lights.
BREAK-IN SCHEDULE Toyota recommends that you do not
tow a trailer with a new vehicle or a ve-
hicle with any new power train compo-
nent (engine, transmission, differen-tial, wheel bearing, etc.) for the first
800 km (500 miles) of driving. MAINTENANCE
If you tow a trailer, your vehicle will re-
quire more frequent maintenance due
to the additional load. For this informa-
tion, please refer to the scheduled
maintenance information in the Own-
er 's Manual Supplement/Maintenance Scheduleº.
Retighten all fixing bolts of the towing
ball and bracket after approximately
1000 km (600 miles) of trailer driving.
PRE-T OWING SAFETY CHECK Check that your vehicle remains level
when a loaded or unloaded trailer is
hitched. Do not drive if the vehicle has
an abnormal nose-up or nose-down
condition, and check for improper
tongue load, overload, worn suspen-
sion or other possible causes.
Make sure the trailer cargo is securely
loaded so that it cannot shift.
Check that your rear view mirrors con-
form to any applicable federal, state/
provincial or local regulation. If not,
install the rear view mirrors required
for towing purpose. TRAILER TOWING TIPS
When towing a trailer, your vehicle will
handle differently than when not tow-ing. The three main causes of vehicle
trailer accidents are driver error, ex-
cessive speed and improper trailer
loading.
Keep these in mind when tow-
ing: Before starting out, check operation of
the lights and all vehicle-trailer con-
nections. After driving a short dis-
tance, stop and recheck the lights and
connections. Before actually towing a
trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing with a trailer in an area away
from traffic until you learn the feel.
Because stopping distance may be in-
creased, vehicle-to-vehicle distance
should be increased when towing a
trailer. For each 16 km/h (10 mph) ofspeed, allow at least one vehicle and
trailer length between you and the ve-
hicle ahead. Avoid sudden braking as you may skid, resulting in jackknifing and loss of control This is especially
true on wet or slippery surfaces.

127

Avoid jerky starts or sudden accelera- tion. If your vehicle has manual trans-
mission, prevent excessive clutch slip-
page by keeping engine rpm low and
not racing the engine. Always start out
in first gear.
Avoid jerky steering and sharp turns.
The trailer could hit your vehicle in a
tight turn. Slow down before making a
turn to avoid the necessity of sudden braking.
Backing w ith a trailer is difficult and re-
quires practice. Grip the bottom of thesteering wheel and move your hand to
the left to move the trailer to the left. Move your hand to the right to move
the trailer to the right. (This procedure is generally opposite to that when
backing without a trailer). Also, just
turn the steering wheel a little at a time,
avoiding sharp or prolonged turning. Have someone guide you when back-
ing to reduce the risk of an accident.
Remember that when making a turn, the trailer wheels will be closer than the vehicle wheels to the inside of the
turn. Therefore, compensate for this
by making a larger than normal turning
radius with your vehicle.
Crosswinds and rough roads will ad-
versely affect handling of your vehicle
and trailer, causing sway. Pay atten-
tion to the rear from time to time to pre-
pare yourself for being passed by largetrucks or buses, which may cause your
vehicle and trailer to sway. If swaying
happens, firmly grip the steering wheel
and reduce speed immediately but
gradually. Never increase speed.
Steer straight ahead. If you make no
extreme correction with the steering or
brakes, the vehicle and trailer will sta- bilize.
Be careful when passing other ve- hicles. Passing requires considerable
distance. After passing a vehicle, do
not forget the length of your trailer and
be sure you have plenty of room be-
fore changing lanes.
In order to maintain engine braking ef-
ficiency, do not use fifth gear (manual
transmission or overdrive (automatic transmission).
Because of the added load of the trail-
er, your vehicle's engine may overheat
on hot days (at temperatures over30 5C [85 5F]) when going up a long or steep
grade with a trailer. If the engine
coolant termperatue gauge indicates
overheating, immediately turn off the
air conditioning (if in use), pull off the
road and stop in a safe spot. Refer to
If your vehicle overheatsº in Part 4 ofthis manual.
Always place wheel blocks under both
the vehicle and trailer wheels whenparking. Apply the parking brake firm-
ly. Put the transmission in Pº (auto-
matic) or in first or reverse (manual).
Avoid parking on a slope with a trailer, but if it cannot be avoided, do so onlyafter performing the following:
1. Apply the brakes and hold.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks un-
der both the vehicle and trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel blocks are in place, release your brakes slowly until the blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the parking brake frimly.
5. Shift into first or reverse (manual) or Pº (automatic) and turn off the engine.