TOYOTA RAV4 1998 Owners Manual

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Part 2
INFORMATION
BEFORE DRIVING
YOUR TOYOTA
Off- road vehicle precautions
Break- in period
Fuel
Operation in foreign countries
Three- way catalytic converter
Engine exhaust cautions
Facts about engine oil
consumption
Twin ground electrode
platinum- tipped spark plugs
Brake system
Brake pad wear limit indicators
Luggage stowage precautions
Limited- slip differential
Your Toyota's identification
Theft prevention labels
Suspension and chassis
Types of tires
Off- road vehicle precautions
This vehicle is one of the class of ve-
hicles which have higher ground clear-
ance and narrower tread in relation to
the height of their center of gravity to
make them capable of performing in a
wide variety of off- road applications.
Specific design characteristics give it a
higher center of gravity than ordinary
cars. An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better view of the
road allowing you to anticipate prob-
lems. It is not designed for cornering
at the same speeds as conventional
two- wheel drive vehicles any more than
low- slung sports cars are designed to
perform satisfactorily under off- road
conditions.

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CAUTION
Always observe the following precau-
tions to minimize the risk of serious
personal injury or damage to your ve-
hicle: Avoid loading any items on the roof
that will make the center of gravity
even higher.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers, if at all possible. As with oth-
er vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover.
Always slow down in gusty cross-
winds. Because of its high center of
gravity, your vehicle is more sensi-
tive to side winds than an ordinary
passenger car. Slowing down will
allow you to have much better con-
trol.
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 of
control or vehicle rollover. You are
also risking expensive damage to
your vehicle's suspension and chas-
sis.
Break- in period
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).

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Fuel
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
unleaded fuel will fit it, but the larger
standard nozzle on pumps with leaded gas
will not.
At a minimum, the gasoline you use
should meet the specifications of ASTM
D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB 3.5- M93
in Canada.
NOTICE
Do not use leaded gasoline. Use of
leaded gasoline will cause the three-way catalytic converter to lose its ef-
fectiveness and the emission control
system to function improperly. Also,this can increase maintenance costs.
OCTANE RATING
Select Octane Rating 87 (Research Oc-
tane Number 91) or higher. Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane
rating or research octane number lower
than stated above will cause persistent
heavy knocking. If it is severe, this will
lead to engine damage.
If your engine knocks...
If you detect heavy knocking even when
using the recommended fuel, or if you
hear steady knocking while holding a
steady speed on level roads, consult your
Toyota dealer.
However, now and then, you may notice
light knocking for a short time while accel-
erating or driving up hills. This is no need
of concern.
GASOLINES CONTAINING DETERGENT
ADDITIVES
Toyota recommends use of gasolines
that contain detergent additives to
avoid build- up of engine deposits.
For further details, ask your Toyota dealer
or a local gasoline retailer.
IMPROVED GASOLINES
The American Automobile Manufacturers
Association (AAMA) has developed a
specification of improved gasolines. The
AAMA specification offers optimal fuel
information for better vehicle perfor-
mance and better protection of your en-
gine.
Toyota recommends the use of gasolines
that meet the AAMA specification, if avail-
able, for improved driveability and emis-
sion control system.
GASOLINES CONTAINING MTBE
Gasolines that contain MTBE (Methyl
Tertiary- Butyl Ether) are available in the
market. If you use a gasoline mixed
with MTBE, make certain that it does
not contain more than 15 % of MTBE.
If the use of gasolines containing MTBE
causes poor driveability and/or poor fuel
economy, you should discontinue the use
of fuels containing MTBE.

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GASOLINES CONTAINING MMT
Some gasolines contain an octane- en-
hancing additive called MMT (methylcy-
clopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl).
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasolines that contain MMT. If fuels con-
taining MMT are used, your emission con-
trol system may be adversely affected.
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp on the in-
strument cluster may come on. If this hap-
pens, contact your Toyota dealer for ser-
vice.
GASOLINES CONTAINING ALCOHOL
If you use gasohol in your Toyota, be
sure that it is unleaded, has an octane
rating no lower than 87 and does not
contain more than 10 % ethanol.
Gasohol is a mixture of gasoline and etha-
nol.
Toyota does not recommend the use of
gasolines containing methanol. If you use
gasoline containing methanol, use only
gasoline meeting the requirements above
and also containing less than 5 % metha-
nol with cosolvents and corrosion inhibi-
tors for methanol.
NOTICE
Do not use gasohol other than
stated above. It will cause fuel sys-tem damage or vehicle performanceproblems.
If driveab ility problems occur ( poor
hot starting, vaporizing, engine knock, etc.), discontinue the use.
Take care not to spill gasohol dur-ing refueling. Gasohol may cause
paint damage.
FUEL TANK CAPACITY
58 L (15.3 gal., 12.8 Imp. gal.) Operation in foreign countries
If you plan to drive your Toyota in
another country...
First,
comply with the vehicle registration
laws.
Second, confirm the availability of the cor-
rect fuel (unleaded and minimum octane
number).

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Three- way catalytic converter
The three- way catalytic converter is an
emission control device installed in the
exhaust system.
The purpose is to reduce pollutants in the
exhaust gas.
CAUTION

Keep people and combustible mate-
rials away from the exhaust pipe
while the engine is running. The ex-
haust gas is very hot.
Do not drive, idle or park your ve-
hicle over anything that might burn
easily such as grass, leaves, paper
or rags.
NOTICE
A large amount of unburned gases
flowing into the three- way catalyticconverter may cause it to overheat and create a fire hazard. To prevent
this and other damage, observe thefollowing precautions:
Use only unleaded gasoline.
Do not drive with an extremely lowfuel level; running out of fuel could
cause the engine to misfire, creat-ing an excessive load on the three- way catalytic converter.
Do not allow the engine to run atidle speed for more than 20 min-
utes.
Avoid racing the engine.
Do not push- start or pull- start yourvehicle.
Do not turn off the ignition while
the vehicle is moving.
Keep your engine in good runningorder. Malfunctions in the engineelectrical system, electronic ignitionsystem/distributor ignition system
or fuel systems could cause an ex-tremely high three- way catalyticconverter temperature.
If the engine becomes difficult to start or stalls frequently, take yourvehicle in for a check- up as soon
as possible. Remember, your Toyotadealer knows your vehicle and itsthree- way catalytic converter sys-
tem best.
To ensure that the three- way cata- lytic converter and the entire emis-sion control system operate proper-ly, your vehicle must receive the
periodic inspections required by theToyota Maintenance Schedule. Forscheduled maintenance information,
refer to the separate ºOwner'sManual Supplement/MaintenanceScheduleº.

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Engine exhaust cautions
CAUTION

Avoid inhaling the engine exhaust.
It contains carbon monoxide, which
is a colorless and odorless gas. It
can cause unconsciousness or even
death.
Make sure the exhaust system has
no holes or loose connections. The
system should be checked from
time to time. If you hit something,
or notice a change in the sound of
the exhaust, have the system
checked immediately.
Do not run the engine in a garage
or enclosed area except for the
time needed to drive the vehicle in
or out. The exhaust gases cannot
escape, making this a particularly
dangerous situation.
Do not remain for a long time in a
parked vehicle with the engine run-
ning. If it is unavoidable, however,
do so only in an unconfined area
and adjust the heating or cooling
system to force outside air into the
vehicle.
To allow proper operation of your
vehicle's ventilation system, keep
the inlet grilles in front of the wind-
shield clear of snow, leaves, or oth-
er obstructions.
Hardtop: Keep the back door closed
while driving. An open or unsealed
back door may cause exhaust gases
to be drawn into the vehicle.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, drive with the windows
open and the back door closed.
Have the cause immediately located
and corrected.
Soft- top: When you drive with the
soft- top closed, keep the tail gate
and rear window securely closed.
An open or unsealed tail gate and
rear window, may cause exhaust
gases to be drawn into the vehicle.
If you smell exhaust fumes in the
vehicle, drive with the windows
open and the tail gate and rear win-
dow closed. Have the cause im-
mediately located and corrected.FUNCTIONS OF ENGINE OIL
Engine oil has the primary functions of
lubricating and cooling the inside of the
engine, and plays a major role in main-
taining the engine in proper working order.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
It is normal that an engine should con-
sume some engine oil during normal
engine operation. The causes of oil
consumption in a normal engine are as
follows.
Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston
rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil
is left on the cylinder wall when a pis-
ton moves downwards in the cylinder.
High negative pressure generated when
the vehicle is decelerating sucks some
of this oil into the combustion chamber.
This oil as well as some part of the oil
film left on the cylinder wall is burned
by the high temperature combustion
gases during the combustion process.
Facts about engine oil
consumption

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Oil is also used to lubricate the stems
of the intake valves. Some of this oil
is sucked into the combustion chamber
together with the intake air and is
burned along with the fuel. High tem-
perature exhaust gases also burn the
oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve
stems.
The amount of engine oil consumed de-
pends on the viscosity of the oil, the
quality of the oil and the conditions the
vehicle is driven under.
More oil is consumed by high- speed driv-
ing and frequent acceleration and decel-
eration.
A new engine consumes more oil, since
its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls
have not become conditioned.
When judging the amount of oil con-
sumption, note that the oil may become
diluted and make it difficult to judge
the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for
repeated short trips, and consumes a nor-
mal amount of oil, the dipstick may not
show any drop in the oil level at all, even
after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This
is because the oil is gradually becoming
diluted with fuel or moisture, making it
appear that the oil level has not changed. The diluting ingredients evaporate out
when the vehicle is then driven at high
speeds, as on an expressway, making it
appear that oil is excessively consumed
after driving at high speeds.
IMPORTANCE OF ENGINE OIL LEVEL CHECK
One of the most important points in prop-
er vehicle maintenance is to keep the en-
gine oil at the optimum level so that oil
function will not be impaired. Therefore, it
is essential that the oil level be checked
regularly. Toyota recommends that the oil
level be checked every time you refuel
the vehicle.
NOTICE
Failure to check the oil level regularly
could lead to serious engine troubledue to insufficient oil.
For detailed information on oil level check,
see ºChecking the engine oil levelº in
Chapter 7- 2.
Your engine is fitted with twin ground
electrode platinum- tipped spark plugs.
NOTICE
Use only twin ground electrode plati-
num- tipped spark plugs for your en-gine performance.
Twin ground electrode
platinum- tipped spark plugs

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Brake system
TANDEM MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake system
is a hydraulic system with two separate
sub- systems. If either sub- system s
hould
fail, the other will still work. However, the
pedal will be harder to press, and your
stopping distance will be longer. Also, the
brake system warning light may come on.
CAUTION
Do not drive your vehicle with only a
single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
power- assist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserve
vacuum for one or two stopsÐbut no
more!
CAUTION
Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your vacuum reserve.
Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hardÐmuch harder than nor-
mal. And your braking distance will
be longer.
ANTI- LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(with ºABSº warning light)
The anti- lock brake system is designed to
automatically help prevent lock- up of the
wheels during sudden braking or braking
on slippery road surfaces. This assists in
providing directional stab ility and steering
performance of the vehicle under these
circumstances.
The anti- lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph). You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the anti- lock
brake system is in the self check mode,
and does not indicate a malfunction.
Effective way to press the ºABSº brake
pedal: When the anti- lock brake system
function is in action, you may feel the
brake pedal pulsating and hear a noise.
In this situation, to let the anti- lock
brake system work for you, just hold the
brake pedal down more firmly. Do not
pump the brake. This will result in re-
duced braking performance.
The brake pedal pulsation caused by the
anti- lock brake system may indicate haz-
ardous road surface conditions. Although
the anti- lock brake system assists in pro-
viding vehicle control, it is still important
to drive with all due care, because the
anti- lock brake system cannot overcome
the laws of physics that act on your ve-
hicle: Braking capab ility is dependent on tire
friction with the road surface.

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Even though the anti- lock brake sys-
tem is operating, a driver cannot main-
tain full control on certain slippery road
surfaces, when cornering at high
speeds, or in violent maneuvers.
Avoid high speeds on wet roads. The
anti- lock brake system cannot elimi-
nate the risk of hydroplaning and loss
of tire friction.
Always maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you. Compared with
vehicles not fitted with an anti- lock brake
system, your vehicle may r equire a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:
Driving on rough, gravel or snow- cov-
ered roads.
Driving with tire chains installed.
Driving on roads where the road sur-
face is pitted or has other differences
in surface height.
CAUTION
Do not use tires other than the
manufacturer 's designated tires, and
do not mix tires or wheels of differ-
ent sizes. You may prevent the anti-
lock brake system from operating at
full effectiveness.
Ty p e A
Ty p e B ºABSº warning light
This light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ºONº position. After a few
seconds, the light will go off.
If either of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.
The light does not come on as de-
scribed above, or remains on.
The light comes on while driving.
Even if the anti- lock brake system should
fail, the brake system will still operate
conventionally. However, when the ºABSº
warning light is on (and the brake system
warning light is off), anti- lock brake sys-
tem is not assisting brake performance so
that the wheel can lock- up during sudden
braking or braking on slippery road sur-
faces. Have your vehicle checked by your
Toyota dealer as soon as possible.