ECU TOYOTA RAV4 1998 User Guide

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CAUTION
When returning seats to their original
position: Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback or
by trying to pull up the edge of the
bottom cushion.
BEFORE FOLDING REAR SEAT
Stow the rear seat belts as shown in
the illustration.
This prevents the belts from falling out
when you fold the seatback.
NOTICE
The seat belts must be stowed before
you fold the seatback.
FOLDING REAR SEAT
1. Remove the head restraint. Unlock the seatback and fold it down.
Folding up the rear seats will enlarge the
luggage compartment. See ºLuggage stow-
age precautionsº in Part 2 for precautions
to observe for loading luggage.
ÐFolding up rear seats
(4- door hardtop)

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CAUTION
When returning seats to their original
position: Make sure the seat belts are not
twisted or caught under the seat
and are arranged in their proper
position for ready use.
Make sure the seat is securely
locked by pushing forward and rear-
ward on the top of the seatback or
by trying to pull up the edge of the
bottom cushion.
Rear seats
Front seats Rear seats: Remove the head restraint.
Then pull out the strap to unlock the
seatback, and push down the seatback.
Front seats: Remove the head restraint
and slide the seat to the front- most
position. Push the seat further forward
to release the slide- lock, and unlock
and push down the seatback.
When returning the seatback upright, be
careful not to make yourself hit by the
seatback which will bound with consid-
erable spring force.
After returning the seat to its original
position, be certain to replace the head
restraint.
CAUTION

Do not allow passengers to ride on
the flattened seat while driving; use
the seat in the normal position.
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat and seatback for-
ward and rearward to make sure it
is secured in place. Be certain to
replace head restraint.
Flattening seatbacks
(2- door hardtop and soft- top)

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NOTICE
Before closing the back door, makesure the rear headrests are removedfrom the flattened seats.
Rear seats
Front seats Rear seats: Pull out the strap to unlock
the seatback, and push down the seat-back.
Front seats: Remove the head restraint
and slide the seat to the front- most
position. Push the seat further forward
to release the slide- lock, and unlock
and push down the seatback.
When returning the seatback upright, be
careful not to make yourself hit by the
seatback which will bound with consid-
erable spring force.
After returning the seat to its original
position, be certain to replace the head
restraint.
CAUTION

Do not allow passengers to ride on
the flattened seat while driving; use
the seat in the normal position.
After putting back the seat, try
pushing the seat and seatback for-
ward and rearward to make sure it
is secured in place. Be certain to
replace head restraint.
Flattening seatbacks
(4- door hardtop)

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Do not allow the child to stand up or
kneel on either rear or front seats. An
unrestrained child could suffer serious in-
jury or death during emergency braking or
a collision. Also, do not let the child sit
on your lap. It does not provide sufficient
restraint.
Pregnant woman.
Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Ask your doctor for
specific recommendations. The lap belt
should be worn securely and as low as
possible over the hips and not on the
waist.
Injured person. Toyota recommends the
use of a seat belt. Depending on the inju-
ry, first check with your doctor for specific
recommendations.
CAUTION
Persons should ride in their seats
properly wearing their seat belts
whenever the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, they are much more likely
to suffer serious bodily injury or
death in the event of sudden braking
or a collision.
When using the seat belts, observe
the following: Use the belt for only one person at
a time. Do not use a single belt for
two or more peopleÐeven children.
Avoid reclining the seatbacks too
much. The seat belts provide maxi-
mum protection when the seatbacks
are in the upright position. (Refer
to the seat adjustment instructions.)
Be careful not to damage the belt
webbing or hardware. Take care that
they do not get caught or pinched
in the seat or side doors.
Inspect the belt system periodically.
Check for cuts, fraying, and loose
parts. Damaged parts should be re-
placed. Do not disassemble or
modify the system.
Keep the belts clean and dry. If
they need cleaning, use a mild soap
solution or lukewarm water. Never
use bleach, dye, or abrasive clean-
ersÐthey may severely weaken the
belts. (See ºCleaning the interiorº
in Part 5.)
Replace the belt assembly (includ-
ing bolts) if it has been used in a
severe impact. The entire assembly
should be replaced even if damage
is not obvious.

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Adjust the seat as needed and sit up
straight and well back in the seat. To
fasten your belt, pull it out of the re-
tractor and insert the tab into the
buckle.
You will hear a click when the tab locks
into the buckle.
The seat belt length automatically adjusts
to your size and the seat position.
The retractor will lock the belt during a
sudden stop or on impact. It also may
lock if you lean forward too quickly. A
slow, easy motion will allow the belt to
extend, and you can move around freely. If the seat belt cannot be pulled out of the
retractor, firmly pull the belt and release
it. You will then be able to smoothly pull
the belt out of the retractor.
When a passenger 's shoulder belt is com-
pletely extended and is then retracted
even slightly, the belt is locked in that
position and cannot be extended. This fea-
ture is used to hold the child restraint
system securely. (For details, see ºChild
restraintº in this chapter.) To free the belt
again, fully retract the belt and then pull
the belt out once more.CAUTION

After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the belt is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, immediately contact your
Toyota dealer. Do not use the seat
until the seat belt is fixed. It cannot
protect an adult occupant or your
child from injury.
Seat belts with an adjustable shoulder
anchorÐ
Adjust the shoulder anchor position to
your size.
To adjust the anchor position, pull the
knob out and slide it up or down. Release
the knob and make sure the anchor is
locked in position.
ÐFront seat belts and rear
outside seat belts

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In a severe frontal impact, sensors detect
deceleration and the system triggers the
airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction
in the inflators momentarily fills the air-
bags with non- toxic gas to help restrain
the forward motion of the occupants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
along with non- toxic gas. This does not
indicate a fire. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent
minor skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happen in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is desi
gned to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swellings.
Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel
hub, dashboard) may be hot for several
minutes, but the airbags themselves will
not be hot. The airbags are designed to
inflate only once.
A crash severe enough to inflate the air-
bags may break the windshield as the
vehicle buckles. In vehicles with a pas-
senger airbag the windshield may also be
damaged by absorbing some of the force
of the inflating airbag.
CAUTION
The SRS airbag system is designed
only as a supplement to the prima-
ry protection of the driver side and
front passenger side seat belt sys-
tems. The front seat occupants can
be killed or seriously injured by an
inflating airbag if they do not wear
the available seat belts. During sud-
den braking just before a collision,
an unrestrained driver or front pas-
senger can move forward into direct
contact with or close proximity to
the airbag which may then deploy
during the collision. To obtain maxi-
mum protection in an accident, the
driver and all passengers in the ve-
hicle must wear their seat belts.
Wearing a seat belt during an acci-
dent reduces the chances of death
or serious injuries or being thrown
out of the vehicle. For instructions
and precautions concerning the seat
belt system, see ºSeat beltsº in this
chapter.
Improperly seated and/or restrained
infants and children can be killed
or seriously injured by a deploying
airbag. An infant or child who is
too small to use a seat belt should
be properly secured using a child
restraint system. Toyota strongly
recommends that all infants and
children be placed in the rear seat
of the vehicle and properly re-
strained. The rear seat is the safest
for infants and children. For in-
structions concerning the installa-
tion of a child restraint system, see
ºChild restraintº in this chapter.

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Toyota strongly urges the use of child
restraint systems for children small
enough to use them.
The laws of all fifty states in the U.S.A.
and Canada now require the use of a
child restraint system.
Your vehicle conforms to SAEJ1819.
If a child is too large for a child restraint
system, the child s
hould sit in the rear
seat and must be restrained using the
vehicle's seat belt. See ºSeat beltsº for
details.
CAUTION
For effective protection in automo-
bile accidents and sudden stops,
children must be properly re-
strained using a seat belt or child
restraint system depending on the
age and size of the child. Holding a
child in your arms is not a substi-
tute for a child restraint system. In
an accident, the child can be
crushed against the windshield, or
between you and the vehicle's inte-
rior.
Toyota strongly urges use of a
proper child restraint system which
conforms to the size of the child,
and is put on the rear seat. Accord-
ing to accident statistics, the child
is safer when properly restrained in
the rear seat than in the front seat.
Never put a rear- facing child re-
straint system on the front seat. In
the event of an accident, the force
of the rapid inflation of the airbag
can cause death or serious injury if
a rear- facing child restraint system
is put on the front seat.
Unless it is unavoidable, do not put
a forward- facing child restraint sys-
tem on the front seat.
A forward- facing child restraint sys-
tem should be allowed to put on
the front seat only when it is un-
avoidable. Always move the seat as
far back as possible, because the
force of a deploying airbag could
cause death or serious injury to the
child.Make sure that you have complied
with all installation instructions pro-
vided by the child restraint
manufacturer and that the system is
properly secured.
Child restraintÐ
ÐChild restraint precautions

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ÐChild restraint system
A child restraint system for a small
child or baby must itself be properly
restrained on the seat with either the
lap belt or the lap portion of the lap/
shoulder belt. You must carefully con-
sult the manufacturer 's instructions
which accompany your child restraint
system.
To provide proper restraint, use a child
restraint system following the manufactur-
er 's instructions about the appropriate age
and size of the child for the child restraint
system.
Install the child restraint system correctly
following the instructions provided by its
manufacturer of the system. General
directions are also provided under the fol-
lowing illustrations.
The child restraint system should be
installed on the rear seat. According to
accident statistics, the child is safer when
properly restrained in the rear seat than
in the front seat.
CAUTION

Never put a rear- facing child re-
straint system on the front seat. In
the event of an accident, the force
of the rapid inflation of the airbag
can cause death or serious injury if
a rear- facing child restraint system
is put on the front seat.
Unless it is unavoidable, do not put
a forward- facing child restraint sys-
tem on the front seat.
A forward- facing child restraint sys-
tem should be allowed to put on
the front seat only when it is un-
avoidable. Always move the seat as
far back as possible, because the
force of a deploying airbag could
cause death or serious injury to the
child.
After installing the child restraint
system, make sure it is secured in
place following the manufacturer 's
instructions. If it is not restrained
securely, it may cause death or se-
rious injury to the child in the
event of a sudden stop or accident.
When not using the child restraint system,
keep it secured with the seat belt or place
it somewhere other than the passenger
compartment. This will prevent it from in-
juring passengers in the event of a sud-
den stop or accident.
Your vehicle has anchors for securing the
top strap of a child restraint system. The
anchor nuts are welded beneath the sheet
metal to permit installation of an anchor
bracket for a child restraint system.
To install an anchor bracket, use an 8 mm
X 30 mm X 1.25 mm coarse thread metric
bolt and a 10 mm (0.4 in.) spacer. Note
that the bolts accompanying many child
restraint systems are not metric. You can
damage the anchor nuts on your vehicle
if you force bolts with different thread into
the anchor nuts.
For instructions about how to install the
anchor braket, see ºTop strap anchors and
locationsº.
If your child restraint system does not
provide any of the necessary parts, you
can purchase the following items from
your Toyota dealer.
* CRS installation kit
(Part No. 04731- 22012) Ðcontains 1
bolt, 3 types of spacers and 1 locking
clip.

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1. Run the center lap belt through or around the infant seat following the
instructions provided by its manufactur-
er and insert the tab into the buckle
taking care not to twist the lap belt.
CAUTION
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the lap belt is not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent you
from properly latching the tab and
buckle.
If the seat belt does not function
normally, it cannot protect your
child from injury. Contact your
Toyota dealer immediately. Do not
use the seat until the seat belt is
fixed.
2. While pressing the infant seat firmly
against the seat cushion and seatback,
tighten the lap belt by pulling its free
end to hold the infant seat securely.

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CAUTION
Push and pull the child restraint sys-
tem in different directions to be sure
it is secure. Follow all the installation
instructions provided by its manufac-
turer.
3. To remove the infant seat, press thebuckle- release button.(B) CONVERTIBLE SEAT INSTALLATION
A convertible seat is used in forward-
facing and rear- facing position depend-
ing on the child's age and size. When
installing, follow the manufacturer's
instructions about the applicable age
and size of the child as well as direc-
tion for installing of a child restraint
system.